Pilgrim asked for an example. I have to admit that I don't have many examples since one sort of start to see what's going on as time goes by.

But I have one that might illustrate my "problem".

A while ago a professor in Theology had a sermon in our church and he read from Philippians 2:19-30. His "focus verse" was verse 25. The sermon sort of started with the question of why would God have verses like this be taken up in Scripture. He said that there was nothing dogmatic in this verse. The answer he gave, with a lot of confidence, is that the Lord had these verses being part of Scripture to show us the human aspect as well as how faith becomes practical. With this perspective I think one can easily see what the application was - unfortunately I don't remember all of the sermon.

I talked to another pastor about this mainly because the professor supports the ordination of women as pastors and elders and it was quite a contradiction that he is absolutely convinced why Phil. 2:25 was taken up in Scripture but when it comes to, eg. 1 Tim. 2 we are not so sure anymore. Any case, the answer of this pastor was that verse 25 has a very specific meaning. He pointed to "companion in labour" (KJV), "fellow soldier", "messenger" as indicating to an official office in the sense that God has to call you and that not everyone is necessarily called. In this way then he sees that there is something dogmatic in this verse.

The two theologians had completely different interpretations and therefore different applications from one and the same text. I realize that this is perhaps not the best example since it might rather be a difference in interpretation but a difference in interpretation implies different applications. I hope it more or less illustrates what I had in mind with my question.

But I think it does sort of illustrates the problem of identifying the real meaning of the text and then the appropriate application (which I still think cannot be too far removed from the real meaning of the text). Personally for me I sometimes find it hard to concentrate on a sermon if it is unclear what the real meaning of the text is and further if some kind of thumb suck application is then put forward.


Johan