This is
the season on Lent. Somehow, I was distracted and did not do a musing last
week. Some of that was due to continuing to reflect on the General Conference
held in February. Some of that was due to not feeling well as my winter cold
morphed into my spring sinuses. Today, I feel on the mend and am finishing up
the medications. Also, the bitter cold and snow has affected my mood as well.
Be that as it may, I wanted to get back on track.
During
this time of Lent, we spend a lot of time reflecting on scripture through daily
devotions or other devotions. What I noted last week though I did not write, was
the concept of scriptural holiness. One can get on Facebook and see articles
that claim God’s Word as the source of all they believe. The United Methodists
look to the Wesleyan Quadrilateral as we reflect and understand how God is
active in our world today. These four points are scripture, tradition,
experience, and reason. Scripture is the foundation but needs to be examined in
the context of the other three parts. Augustine, one of the prominent
theologians, talks about understanding scripture in “On Christian Doctrine” the
following, “he simply teaches that we are all free to read Scripture and take
from the text whatever the Holy Spirit inspires for our good. But we must
neither claim to know the author’s intention nor assert a universal and
definitive meaning of any text. The former is known only by the Holy Spirit.”
He had also asserted that one can read scripture literally, but much of
scripture is allegorical and metaphorical. And to best understand the intent of
scripture one would be best to reflect on all levels as guided by the Holy
Spirit and the tradition of church. John Wesley would include as well to read
based on our experience and our reason.
Where I
stand regarding scripture, I try to read scripture first in prayer and then
look at the context of what was happening when the writers of scripture put pen
to paper. Scripture consists of 66 books written by numerous authors in
differing times and to people who were in need of hearing about God and God’s
relationship to us. I believe that scripture is divinely inspired and that is
why it still has relevance today. In the 39 books of the Hebrew scripture and
the 27 books of the Christian scripture, we can find an understanding of how God
was during the history of Israel and of the church. In the small group that
Nancy and I attend, we are studying Revelation. From the start, we have talked
and read that this book of the bible was never meant to be taken literally.
There are parts, especially the letters to the seven churches, that speak to
the cultural concerns of the author. The rest are visions and dreams that are
to be looked as allegorically. Is there truth to what is written? There are
aspects that are still relevant to us today about accommodating with cultural
and societal norms.
As I
continue to look at this and whether we are to take a literal view of
scripture, I cannot but wonder where we would be if Jesus did that. One of the
main charges against Jesus, who was Jewish, was his disregard of the scripture
and laws of Moses. He healed people of the sabbath. He touched lepers. He ate
with sinners. These were all violations of the faith at that time. He even
spoke to those outside of the people. He was willing to become unclean in order
to reach out to the marginalized and those who were ostracized by the society.
He was guided by the scriptures particularly the prophets of Israel. What he
declared in the gospel of Matthew, was that he was not to do away with the
scripture but to fulfill it. For me, that is to look at the heart of scripture.
During the Sermon on the Mount, he stated “you have heard, but I tell you”
several times.
Another
concern I have about reading scripture, is what is called proof texting. One
prevalent proof texting involves what Jesus says about marriage found in
Matthew 19. Many who use this scripture as pointing out that Jesus opposed same
sex marriage quote Mt. 19:4-6. By pulling out these verses without the context
of the first part of Chapter 19, one seems to say that marriage is only between
a man and woman. Unfortunately, that is not what Jesus was answering. The
question was posed to him about divorce. Jesus was opposed to the divorce laws
of that time which allowed men to divorce their wives without any reason. Jesus
never said one way or another about same sex relationships.
So, as
we continue our Lenten journey, as we do our devotions, take time to not just
read the verses, but also look at the context especially the verses before and
after to better understand. May God bless our journeys together.
Eldon
