Equally, even with the Old Testament narratives, God often gave the Israelites opportunities to repent and He forgave them. Did Ananias sin deserve death, which did not really allow for repentance or was this a fable by Luke copied from Achan’s story in order to deter members of the community from deception and financial fraud?
Troeltsch points out that historical study renders only judgments of probability, of very different grades of probability, from the most likely to the least likely, and that with regards to anything that has been passed on from the past the first task is to measure the degree of probability that is appropriate to it. In doing that, the attitude we take to information given to us by memory and tradition is fundamentally changed. With this in mind, we can suggest from the above that it is highly improbable for two people to be struck down because of deception from
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They coexist and permeate each other. A historical critic might see this narrative as a fictitious fable while a theologian might read it as a testimony to God’s holiness. Each interpretation would be impertinent if we transplanted it to the other’s signifying practices; neither one can lay claim to an authority that transcends the practices within which it arose . But they can learn from each other. They can both contribute to a larger symphonic reading of the biblical narrative. These, help to clarify our difficulties over biblical …show more content…
There is a need to allow for flexibility and mutual generosity. We shouldn’t be looking for “the right answer” but should rather arrive at answers by which we can live and, in the end, by which we can stand before God’s throne of judgment