A Fresh Perspective - 09/14/07
The Bible does not present us with a single, coherent description of God, as many Christian preachers would have us believe. There are diverse, contrasting descriptions, some of which cannot be simply harmonized. For example, in Exodus 20:18-21 God, in his holiness, is pictured as unapproachable. A thick cloud of smoke and darkness covers the mountain of God, and the people are scarred out of their wits. They tell Moses to speak to God for them, because they want no part of him. But in Hosea 11:1-9 "the Holy One" is the One who, in steadfast love and loyalty, will never abandon his people, regardless of what they have done.
The Bible is a sacred book, not because it was written by God, but because it reflects human responses to God's saving acts and human perceptions about God. Therefore, we should expect diverse, even contradictory responses and perceptions, because human beings - even inspired, honest and faithful human beings - are far from perfect.
The old cliché, "the Bible says it and that settles it," simply makes no sense to thoughtful Christians who recognize the diversity of the literature in the Bible and the differences in the faith perspectives of those who wrote, collected, edited and revised the sacred literature.
The very nature of scripture bids us to wrestle with the text: question it; engage it; study it; reflect on it; apply reason, intelligence and common sense; employ literary and historical criticism; and use the best interpretive methods and tools we have. We should not fear, but welcome the best of human knowledge in the various fields of learning.
The Bible, being a religious book, must be understood theologically rather than literally. A text may have multiple meanings that can empower our faith walk and help to transform us into more loving, compassionate persons. Of course, the Bible can be used for evil as well as for good, depending on which faith perspectives in the Bible one chooses to follow.
One way to avoid misreading and misapplying the scriptures is by following the method of Jesus, who interpreted scripture out of a prejudice of love. If the scriptures are applied with a prejudice of love then the holy book can be instrumental in a holy life - a life that reflects the very best of the Bible, that is, a life that reflects the steadfast love and grace of God.
Chuck Queen is Senior Pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church, Frankfort (www.ibcfrankfort.com); he welcomes your comments at cqueen@fewpb.net. Look for "A Fresh Perspective" every Friday.