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high ground

English translation: superior, spiritual position

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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

English term or phrase:	high ground
English translation:	superior, spiritual position
Entered by:	Ana Juliá

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10:03 Oct 27, 2011

English to English translations [PRO]
Religion / biography of a pastor

English term or phrase: high ground

After endorsing a reprint of The Five Points of Calvinism in 2004, he was careful to add, ‘I believe them, not because of their historical pedigree, but because that is what Scripture teaches.’ In the same book
he repeated what he had said in 1997: ‘The Spirit of God is moving the church to re-establish the glorious ***high ground*** of sovereign grace in salvation.’

Does it have the sense of 'supremacy'? Or something else?
Thanks in advance.

Ana Juliá KudoZ activity Questions: 3240 (none open) (20 closed without grading) Answers: 1026 Spain
Local time: 04:11

superior, spiritual position

Explanation:
"Moral High ground" is often used to refer to high moral or ethic standards, for example.

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Note added at 2 mins (2011-10-27 10:06:54 GMT)
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By "position" I mean "posture" or "standpoint" rather than a ranked, hierarchical position.

Selected response from:

Jenni Lukac
Local time: 04:11

Grading comment

Thanks
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +8

superior, spiritual position

Jenni Lukac

a more univeral view and the most defensible position as a metaphor

Stephanie Ezrol

best viewing point

Peter Nicholson

supremacy

John Detre

Answers

2 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +8

superior, spiritual position

Jenni Lukac
Local time: 04:11
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 8

Grading comment

Thanks

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

Liz Broomfield

7 mins

-> Cheers and thanks, Liz.

agree

AllegroTrans: and, as asker suggests, "supremacy"// yes of course, "higher stance"

42 mins

-> Thanks, AllegroTrans. Yes, supremacy is fine, but only in the sense of of dominating a higher stance, not in terms of dominating others.

agree

oraki: American Heritage Dictionary: A position of superiority over others, especially competitors or opponents: used negotiations as a way to gain the psychological and intellectual high ground.

2 hrs

-> Thanks, oraki. Interesting citation!

agree

dasein_wm

2 hrs

-> Thanks very much, dasein_wm.

agree

Robert Kleemaier

3 hrs

-> Greetings and thanks, Robert.

agree

Veronika McLaren

4 hrs

-> Cheers and thanks, Veronica.

agree

gallagy2

8 hrs

-> Cheers and thanks, gallagy.

agree

eski: Amen. :)) eski

15 hrs

-> Cheers and thanks, eski. Gotta' keep trying to reach that higher ground.

3 hrs confidence:

best viewing point

Explanation:

The term ‘high ground’ may be used in a military sense to mean the best position from which to fight a battle, and it is certainly also used to mean a position which is morally or ethically superior, but I do not think these are what is meant here.

Reading the example sentence immediately calls to mind the writings of A. W. Pink, C. H. Spurgeon and the tradition they represent – a tradition with which MacArthur himself is clearly aligned.

Here is an example from Pink: http://www.eternallifeministries.org/awp_attrib.htm ,

and here is one from Spurgeon: http://www.godrules.net/library/spurgeon/NEW9spurgeon_e17.ht... .

Spurgeon’s use here reminds us in turn of Mount Pisgah, from which Moses was given a clear view of the promised land (Deut. 34:1-3). The ‘high ground of sovereign grace in salvation’ refers to the fact that it is only when a Christian begins to understand the sovereign nature of divine grace in salvation that he begins to understand the work of salvation at all, as well as all other Christian doctrine.

The term ‘high ground’ also brings to mind the concept of being closer to God (Exod. 19:20; I Kings 19:8-12; Matt. 14;23), and having an understanding of the sovereignty of God in salvation certainly achieves this.

The term ‘high ground’ is also used by Spurgeon here: http://www.apibs.org/chs/0628.htm .

Does he perhaps mean, here, that the high ground is difficult to reach? It is certainly true, again, that many people find the five points extremely difficult to accept.

In summary, re-establishing the glorious high ground of sovereign grace in election means restoring the doctrine of sovereign grace to its rightful place as the one which affords the clearest views of the work of salvation and of the relationship between God and man. Such an understanding may be difficult to reach, but it will result in closer fellowship between the believer and God.

Peter Nicholson
Poland
Local time: 04:11
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 15

4 hrs confidence:

a more univeral view and the most defensible position as a metaphor

Explanation:
The term is a metaphor drawn from the physical analogy. In military terms the high ground (an elevated position on a hill, mountain, cliff or something similar) offers both a better view of the terrain and a physical advantage in that your enemies have to climb up to get at you. You also have the physical advantage of gravity in sending armaments against an enemy on lower ground.

The second part of the physical analogy is the larger view afforded by being on higher ground. The metaphor in general use generally implies both aspects. In a religious context the larger view would call up the idea of a univeral view, a view of everything -- God's eyeview in that sense, as opposed to any particular moral rule or law per se.

Stephanie Ezrol
United States
Local time: 22:11
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 16

11 hrs confidence:

supremacy

Explanation:
The passage seems to be referring to the Cavlinist doctrine of salvation through grace alone, as opposed to good works. So I would read it as meaning that sovereign grace has supremacy over (or priority, or higher ranking than) good works.

John Detre
Canada
Native speaker of: English

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