Comments on: Canticles: Communion with Christ? http://www.meetthepuritans.com/2009/09/07/canticles-communion-with-christ/ It's a Seventeenth Century World Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:12:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: Mark Jones http://www.meetthepuritans.com/2009/09/07/canticles-communion-with-christ/comment-page-1/#comment-92 Mark Jones Sat, 12 Sep 2009 21:40:34 +0000 http://www.meetthepuritans.com/?p=432#comment-92 Yes, reading the Song as the relationship between Christ and his church demands a lot more of us spiritually and intellectually. Too bad the so-called literalists indulge themselves in more allegorizing than the so-called "allegoricalists". Yes, reading the Song as the relationship between Christ and his church demands a lot more of us spiritually and intellectually. Too bad the so-called literalists indulge themselves in more allegorizing than the so-called “allegoricalists”.

]]> By: Todd http://www.meetthepuritans.com/2009/09/07/canticles-communion-with-christ/comment-page-1/#comment-91 Todd Sat, 12 Sep 2009 12:07:58 +0000 http://www.meetthepuritans.com/?p=432#comment-91 I suspect that one of the main reasons the literal approach is taken today is that we simply don't have many deep thinkers in the pulpit. The phenomenon of shallow understanding of the faith that we see in the pew (or the rented folding chairs, rather) is, I think, present in the pulpit at a somewhat less shallow level. In order to appreciate the allegorical (e.g. along with James Durham's excellent exposition, for example) one has to devote time to meditating on the Word and seeking the Lord's direction. In today's heavily sexualized society, what jumps out at you because of that context is the references that seem to be TMI about an intimate relationship. We have to think beyond the obvious (and nonsensical - what place would such a book have in the canon, really, if the book was merely a discussion of marital sex?) and look to what the Spirit is teaching the church in this. How many, though, are really willing to do that? I fear the answer. I suspect that one of the main reasons the literal approach is taken today is that we simply don’t have many deep thinkers in the pulpit. The phenomenon of shallow understanding of the faith that we see in the pew (or the rented folding chairs, rather) is, I think, present in the pulpit at a somewhat less shallow level. In order to appreciate the allegorical (e.g. along with James Durham’s excellent exposition, for example) one has to devote time to meditating on the Word and seeking the Lord’s direction.

In today’s heavily sexualized society, what jumps out at you because of that context is the references that seem to be TMI about an intimate relationship. We have to think beyond the obvious (and nonsensical – what place would such a book have in the canon, really, if the book was merely a discussion of marital sex?) and look to what the Spirit is teaching the church in this. How many, though, are really willing to do that? I fear the answer.

]]> By: James http://www.meetthepuritans.com/2009/09/07/canticles-communion-with-christ/comment-page-1/#comment-60 James Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:50:29 +0000 http://www.meetthepuritans.com/?p=432#comment-60 Great Post!! I have often been put off by the current assumption of most teachers that Song of Songs is "obviously" only about marital sexuality. If this is the case then the majority of the Church prior to the modern era were morons. I just can't accept that conclusion. Great Post!!
I have often been put off by the current assumption of most teachers that Song of Songs is “obviously” only about marital sexuality. If this is the case then the majority of the Church prior to the modern era were morons. I just can’t accept that conclusion.

]]> By: Canticles: Communion with Christ? http://www.meetthepuritans.com/2009/09/07/canticles-communion-with-christ/comment-page-1/#comment-52 Canticles: Communion with Christ? Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:16:38 +0000 http://www.meetthepuritans.com/?p=432#comment-52 [...] Communion with Christ? Canticles: Communion with Christ?|Meet The Puritans __________________ Rev. Daniel R. Hyde Pastor, Oceanside United Reformed Church, [...] [...] Communion with Christ? Canticles: Communion with Christ?|Meet The Puritans __________________ Rev. Daniel R. Hyde Pastor, Oceanside United Reformed Church, [...]

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