As Christians, we should strive to align our beliefs with what is substantiated in God's word, rather than rely on feelings and experience.
I love this argument. It's so nonsensical.
OF COURSE THE WORD IS INCREDBILY AND CRUCIALLY FOUNDATIONAL.
BUT THE GREATS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT--MANY--DID NOT HAVE EVEN THE TORAH.
MANY IN OUR ERA HAVE NOT YET HAVE FOUND THE GOD OF THE BIBLE.
EVEN IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, GOD OCCASIONALLY SEEMED TO DELIGHT IN KICKING THE SIDES OUT OF THE BOXES THAT EVEN *HE* HAD CONSTRUCTED.
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AND CERTAINLY FEELINGS MAKE TOLERABLE SERVANTS AND TERRIBLE MASTERS . . . THOUGH IT IS USUALLY THROUGH OUR FEELINGS THAT GOD FIRST GETS OUR ATTENTION AND MOST CONSISTENTLY TOUCHES US.
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BUT THE IDEA THAT WE SHOULD DO *SOMETHING* OR EVEN *ANYTHING* WITH THE BIBLE APART FROM, AS OPPOSED TO OUR *EXPERIENCE* IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF NONSENSE TO ME.
WE WOULD NOT EVEN BE AWARE; WE WOULD NOT EVEN KNOW THAT THE BIBLE, THE SCRIPTURES EXIST APART FROM OUR ****EXPERIENCE**** OF THEM!!!!!
And this notion common in groups which believe miracles etc ceased when John The Beloved ran out of ink at the end of Revelations--the notion in such groups that if one doesn't "give in" to all that emotional "sign gifts" stuff THEN one's theology will be more orthodox, safer, purer--that notion is a crock of horse biscuits.
It honestly sounds like a bunch of Sadusees. I'd have been sad too if I couldn't believe in the Resurrection.
I assure you that preachers who cling to the notion that their theology, exegisis etc. are all purer, safer, on more solid ground because they deny the present day supernatural work of Holy Spirit a la "THOSE [hideously awful] EXPERIENCE BASED CHARISMATICS!!!" is just plain self-deceiving hogwash.
I've observed that the errors of that group are just as many and just as serious as any of the errors of the Charismatics. . . . and their PRIDE is AT LEAST as serious if not orders of magnitude more so.
So, PLEASE excuse me if I don't buy into that dichotomy.