Reading the Bible!
How we read the Bible determines what we get from it. Now that's a pretty common sense idea. But how often do we think about it this way? Some read it as a literal word from God and others as a simple human word. Some read everything as if every part has the same meaning -- therefore an obscure passage enumerating legal traditions in Leviticus or Numbers has the same meaning as Genesis 1 or John 3. For others the Bible is a piece of literature that can be cherry picked for information. What we don't like we discard, what we like we use. But is it that easy?
I've been teaching a series in an adult bible study called Reading the Bible Responsibly. We've talked about important things like historical and literary criticism. We've talked about translation theory and textual criticism. Now we're looking at actual texts -- Genesis 2 tonight. If we read the text flatly, I believe we will miss the point of the Bible and we will not truly hear a word from God. Genesis 1 and 2 are important words to those of us who are Christians. But, if I try to make it speak science or history, I will miss out on what it is trying to teach. When it comes to the Resurrection, the Bible is very circumspect on what happened. What it says is -- he was dead and now he's alive! That is the good news -- how it happened and the nature of Christ's being is never discussed. In fact there seems to be a difference of opinion on this matter -- what we know is this, God has raised him from the dead and in him we are made alive. That seems like the important message. Whether the body literally disappeared or not doesn't seem that important -- though the four gospel texts seem in agreement that the body disappeared. -- But it is also clear that resurrection is not the same thing as a resuscitated body. The two are not the same -- see John 11.
So, let's read the text with open eyes, minds, and hearts. That will bring to us a word from God!
How we read the Bible determines what we get from it. Now that's a pretty common sense idea. But how often do we think about it this way? Some read it as a literal word from God and others as a simple human word. Some read everything as if every part has the same meaning -- therefore an obscure passage enumerating legal traditions in Leviticus or Numbers has the same meaning as Genesis 1 or John 3. For others the Bible is a piece of literature that can be cherry picked for information. What we don't like we discard, what we like we use. But is it that easy?
I've been teaching a series in an adult bible study called Reading the Bible Responsibly. We've talked about important things like historical and literary criticism. We've talked about translation theory and textual criticism. Now we're looking at actual texts -- Genesis 2 tonight. If we read the text flatly, I believe we will miss the point of the Bible and we will not truly hear a word from God. Genesis 1 and 2 are important words to those of us who are Christians. But, if I try to make it speak science or history, I will miss out on what it is trying to teach. When it comes to the Resurrection, the Bible is very circumspect on what happened. What it says is -- he was dead and now he's alive! That is the good news -- how it happened and the nature of Christ's being is never discussed. In fact there seems to be a difference of opinion on this matter -- what we know is this, God has raised him from the dead and in him we are made alive. That seems like the important message. Whether the body literally disappeared or not doesn't seem that important -- though the four gospel texts seem in agreement that the body disappeared. -- But it is also clear that resurrection is not the same thing as a resuscitated body. The two are not the same -- see John 11.
So, let's read the text with open eyes, minds, and hearts. That will bring to us a word from God!
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