Assumptions: What We Simply Assume often Hides the Truth
Author: Bobby Valentine | Filed under: 1 Timothy, Bible, Bobby's World, Church, Cool Stuff, Culture, Exegesis, Women
“Do not find fault before you investigate; examine first, and then criticize” (Sirach 11.7)
My friends what should we do when what we have simply taken for granted all of our lives, I mean we have simply never investigated “it” because it was plainly and obviously so, but turns out to be utterly false when we dare to investigate as Ben Sira suggested? I fear many in the church today live in fear of investigation but lovers of truth can do no other.
Some examples of deeper and lighthearted assumptions and truths that are not so obvious and require investigation …
Technique used to calculate the circumference of Earth two centuries before Jesus
1) Everyone “knows” that people in Columbus’s day thought the world was flat. This is false. Since the 6th century BC the spherical earth has been known. Eratosthenes (276-194 BC) actually calculated the circumference of the Earth. But someone had to investigate.
2) Everyone “knows” based upon “common” sense that the Sun rises and sets, that is it moves around “us.” For thousands of years everything was “geocentric.” Contrary to every thing our eyes tell us we know that the earth orbits around the Sun. But someone had to investigate.
3) The last time the Chicago Cubs won the world series the Ottoman Empire still ruled the middle east. Investigate
4) Contrary to everything you believe about Humpty Dumpty not one time in the nursery rhyme does it mention that he is an egg. Look it up.
Assumptions, Assumptions
5) Mario hits bricks with his HAND not his head … investigate.
6) The Pyramids were older to the Romans than the Romans are to us.
7) The most northern state in the USA is Alaska. The most WESTERN state in the USA is Alaska. And so contrary to common sense, the most EASTERN state in the USA is Alaska. … unchecked and unexamined assumptions will always sink your ship of truth.
Alaska is both East & West of the 180th/Prime Meridian
8) We all know the worst maritime tragedy in history was the Titanic or the Lusitania. But it wasn’t, not even close. The single largest disaster by far was the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff by the Soviets on January 30, 1945 with the loss of over 9,000 lives over five thousand of which were children. Check it out.
9) The word “Judaizer” never occurs in the New Testament in any translation (NRSV, NIV, TNIV, NASB, ASV, KJV, Douay-Rheims, not even The Message). Check it out.
10) Paul never told women to be “silent” in 1 Timothy 2.11-12 (KJV). Go check it out … find out what Hesuchia means … look in 1 Timothy 2.2 just a few verses away. Are you building a doctrine on an assumption that is just as wrong as all these previous assumptions … Dare to investigate.
11) And one to “grow on” as we used to tell our children at birthdays … New York City is further south than entire country of France, Germany, and even further south than Rome! Check it out.
What do you do when what we assume turns out not to be actually true? Why continue to base your thinking, your living and your Bible study upon ASSUMPTIONS … get out a few tools and see if it is so. What do you do? Accept the truth rather than the assumption!
March 7th, 2016 at 7:42 am
Bobby, this is so true. One of my biggest pet peaves is the issue of wine in the Bible. People condemn it, based on bias and looking at the worst of the worst socially and certain key arguments, but most have never truly looked at it within the context of the scriptures or history even. It is argued that wine was very weak back then (assumed) and it is also argued that the Jews cut down all of the wine back then (based on Roman custom, not Jewish) and then there is no connection made between the fact that there is no reason to cut down weak wine with water (it is a contradiction). You don’t cut already weak beverages.
Many people would rather not think about it or look into it, but accept the status quo. It reminds of an Eddie Brickel song, “I’m not aware of two many things, I know what I know if you know what I mean.” Most don’t want to know more than what they perceive as truth.