Hi Steven.....

>Hi Trey,
>I wanted to read all of this but I couldn't get past your first two sentences:
>"The Bible, like any other Holy Book, is to be taken as a whole. When you get >past the Pentateuch, try again." Is that what was decided at the Coucil of >Nicia or what?

Perhaps all Trey was trying to say was a farily commomn but somewhat problamatic axiom that for Christians the Old Testament must be heard through the filter of the New Testament.

In that axiom there are many parts of the Old Testament that seem to become void... thus the problem. This is an age old debate that even the learned folks at the first council of Nicia and other councils have never solved.

IMO...(a somwhat studied ie.. Masters level theology... but by no means knowing it all!!! < vbg >) For Christians.....Old Testament readings must be read and understood in light of the "New" light as contained in the New Testament. Failure to do this begats (how is that for a good OT word? < s >) myopic and distorted theology and understanding.

As you did, I choked on that same line, but found the rest of his argument to be worthy of careful consideration.