X-ATI Guy

Sunday, August 22, 2004

What's in an ATI word?

What's in an ATI word? is our feature which unpacks and clarifies those difficult terms we heard so often in ATI circles.

"rhema"
noun, rhe-ma (ray` ma)

A rhema is neither an alcoholic drink nor a nautical term. It is an insight into Scripture in which the particular Bible verse of focus is taken out of context and interpreted inproperly in order to provide a personal application that can subsequently be used to encourage and educate others.

Rhemas are reported to have a vivid kinetic energy, such as when a verse of Scripture "leaps off the page" or "sort of speaks to my heart." While rhemas have been seen to occur in the New Testament, they usually frequent the minor prophets.

3 Comments:

Anonymous said...: i'm not sure, but i think this is the funniest one yet. i am laughing so hard right now *guffaw* oh yeah, and i saw what is being discussed right now on the Crossings site - this very topic. maybe it is best that you posted this here instead of there. well, of course, i haven't looked to *see* if you posted it there, but i kind of assumed. :) He he he he he. Laughter, the best medicine. *Grin*

another word used is "trust" as in "I trust you slept well?" *grin* Or, "I trust that you and your family are in good health."

and "I have a real concern about that."

oh and another word is "grace", about which is there is some debate as to the meaning of it. that goes into the whole legalism versus grace thing.

One is apt to hear very often, "No, that is NOT grace. Grace is the ..." ad nauseum, until one wonders what could possibly be wrong with the OTHER definition of grace. (unmerited favor) Or until one wonders whether the people who think that "grace = unmerited favor" are actually heretics or infidels who deserve some dire punishment. We wouldn't want to over-emphasize the LOVE of God, now would we?!

i got myself laughin' again. You did good.; 9:24 PM
Anonymous said...: I am a Bible school student at a missions oriented school and I had the opportunity to write a paper about the contextual method of interpereting scripture. In this paper I explained what it was and I also had the ability to point out various doctrines that where based on verses taken out of context.

I ripped into the Church of the latter day saints, and Bill Gothard. The teachings of Billy G are even more dangerous than that of the Mormons. The Mormons take one verse and use it to justify the book of Mormon as being a valid part of Scripture. The Ilustration that I am thinking of is that he takes verses that he calls rhemas and gives them meaning that the context does not justify. exe. Alert, Northwoods, neighbhoring landowners Tree incident. He took one verse, I am not even sure that it was a whole verse, and based a decision off of it. he then went on to say that God works in this way and we need to search the scriptures for "Rhemas Daily.

This is a very dangerous thing to do, it rips a group of words from its context, and assigns to it an entirely different meaning than it is afforded by scripture. God can choose to work in this way but to base an entire doctrine off of this one incident, and to teahc thousands of people that this is the way God works, is extremely dangerous and unbiblical.

Please continue to pray for the children of those who still clutch the teachings of Billy G with a cult like fervor. To have this outwardly righteous set of Ideals shoved down your throat is a very damaging thing, I have recovered but I can see people that I grew up with that have not.

This is my first post on this blog.
Pray for and remember our brothers, sisters, and friends serving their country and the world in the middle east.; 9:52 AM
Richard said...: X-er, I am loathe to correct you, but
"Rhema" is a mixed drink:

2 parts vodka
1 part khalua
1 part baileys
jigger of cream

Spin to taste. Kinda close to a white russian.

R~; 5:13 PM