Faculty Publications
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2013
Abstract
The Scriptures are at the center of who we are as a people and as a body of scholars. In handling the Word of God, we are faced with choices that seem to pull us in two directions. On the one hand, faith and conviction call for expressions and actions that are loyal to trusted beliefs and traditions. On the other hand, scholarly methodologies demand objective impartiality and unbiased investigation leading to results that may challenge long held positions. I do not have the illusion that in a short presentation such as this I could even begin to resolve the tensions that exist between these standards of practice and belief that define our professional lives. I only hope to shine at least a small bit of light on the topic by means of a thoughtful look at 2 Peter 1:16-21. What I intend to do in this brief study is to outline how this passage presents three steps of relationship to the Word of God. I will set forth this three step pattern in the shifting voices of the text–from “we” to “you” to “they.” Following this I will apply the lessons of this three step pattern to our scholarly work. But first, let me describe the context of the passage.
Journal Title
Journal of the Adventist Theological Society
Volume
24
Issue
2
First Page
3
Last Page
17
Recommended Citation
Shepherd, Thomas, "The Scholar and the Word of God: Reflections on 2 Peter 1:16-21" (2013). Faculty Publications. 48.
https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/new-testament-pubs/48
Comments
Retrieved July 7, 2015, from Journal of the Adventist Theological Society