Christians are fond of saying that the scripture is our rule of faith and practice. However, we often differ on the correct interpretation. A popular bumper sticker reads, "God said it, I believe it, that settles it." Such simplistic understandings often lead to misunderstandings.
The Bible is less a book than a library. It is a collection of books and letters. Some are historical reflections on the history of Israel and Judah, some are letters. Parts of scripture contain poetry, other parts creative writing not unlike today's novels. The truth in scripture is not always in the literal history, but in the spiritual truth the story is point toward.
When we read scripture carefully we discover that there are a variety of opinions expressed. Some are peculiar to the culture in which they were originally written, sometimes the Bible shows two different views on an issue so we can gain guidance to find the the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
One of the greatest errors in the way we use the Bible is that we come to the Bible with a notion we think the Bible should support. We get out a concordance and look up a verse or two that we think supports our idea. The we say -- see the Bible said it, I believe it, that settles it. We really haven't come to the Bible seeking guidance -- we used the Bible incorrectly to support our preconceived ideas and prejudices. As Shakespeare warned us in the Merchant of Venice, "the devil can site scripture
for his own purpose! An evil soul producing holy witness is like a villain with
a smiling cheek."
How then can we use Scripture? We need to grow beyond finding a text to prove a point we already think is true. First, we need to study Scripture in its entirety. Become familiar with its basic themes and the consistent teachings which God gave to His people throughout the centuries. Second, we need to understand the history, background and culture of each book and discover what the author was trying to say in the context of the author's own time and place. Finally when we discover the major teaching, we need to interpret it in way that is relevant to our own time and place. For example, St. Paul's teaching about women keeping their hair long may be more about showing respect in a place of worship than what is the proper hair style. Many of the laws in Leviticus were not meant to dictate what we should eat or how we should keep our animals. They were intended to be public health regulations for a people camping out on a long journey from Egypt to Palestine. Once we understand the original intention, we can interpret it's meaning to our own time and place.
When we focus on literal interpretations we ignore the intent of the original authors and try to twist scripture to fit our preconceived ideas. If our study of scripture challenges us and causes us to think deeply and change our ideas and our lives -- well we probably are understanding its meaning more accurately.
Biblical interpretation is never easy. It is more an art than a science. We also rely on others in translations and commentaries. We also rely on a larger Christian tradition of understanding and belief. However, many of opinions we cite scripture to support -- abortion, birth control, homosexuality, family structure etc. were really trivial matters the scripture seldom speaks clearly about. By understanding the larger themes of grace and blessing found in scripture we hear God's call that God's people throughout the ages are to be a blessing to others as God has blessed them. We learn that sin generally occurs when we just focus on selfishly counting our blessings and become deaf to God's call to be a blessing. Sin is not so much a prohibited behavior, as it is a break in our relationship with God that causes us to focus on selfishness rather than graciousness and generosity.
So how is the Bible God's word? The words in print, neatly bound are not in and of themselves God's word. The Bible becomes God's word when read under the influence of the Holy Spirit and it speaks to our heart convicting us of our selfishness and calling us to not just be blessed but to be a blessing. If you read scripture and find it confirms what you already think -- you are probably not studying the Bible carefully. God's word, when it touches our heart, almost always calls us to change, grow and take the focus of ourselves and put it on being a blessing to others.
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