Fernando reposted a blog post that a pastor had written that questioned the accepted understanding of a passage in scripture based on grammatical mood. See the link if you want to read more, my intent isn't to try and open another discussion on that topic, but to raise another question: In our (man's) exegesis of scripture, we learn more of God. Indeed, stated purposes of scripture are teaching and "thoroughly equipping":
2Tim 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Another facet of God is that he reveals details about Himself, His plans, and actions when He so chooses:
Acts 1:6-7 So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
There are several other passages that show that same theme. Doesn't it logically follow, then, that our understanding of God, is subject to change as He reveals more of Himself to us?
In other words, is the canon, and therefore God, as static as we've been taught?
2 comments:
If Scripture is some kind of a rule book, then we are in trouble as we try and literally apply things. What do you literally apply and not?
Would someone bring Paul his cloak already?
2 Timothy 4
13When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.
Oh, but everybody assumes we don't literally apply that: that was a personal communication relevant only to the person sent the letter. Hmmmmm... Did we just hear that?
So then, fundamentally, what is the point of scripture? I love the 'Red Letters' or the actual accounts and words of Christ. They give us so much as we, and all the other writers of scripture, try and figure out what God wants us to do, as we seek to trust God in faith.
God wants us to choose: own our lives. Decide what we are going to go and do. Sure with his blessing, leading, all those good moral bits of 'do unto others....' etc, etc. But I hold fast to the point that God isn't sending emails with step by step directions, so we need to choose.
When we choose, we are responsible, so we can't then blame others for this and that. We did it. We can feel good about it then, own our consequences and let other issues go that other people need to decide on. God is going to judge us one day on only our issues.
And in those gut wrenching moments of choosing, God is there! He wants to be with us in those moments, those are His moments, and is active as he totally trusts us to choose.
Let's:
- believe that God is sovereign and all powerful, and active in our daily lives today.
- God is timeless, and only sees each moment where we are making a decision
- Lets make decisions based on the truth we learn in scripture
- Let's own those choices with openness to people we trust
Now there is no reason to fear: God trusts us to choose, and looks forward to the next moment we share with him to move the next step. Now read 2 Timothy 3:16-17 again. The good work God is trusting you with is choosing what you put your hand to.
"We limit not the truth of God
To our poor reach of mind,
By notions of our day and sect,
Crude, partial and confined.
Now let a new and better hope
Within our hearts be stirred:
The Lord hath yet more light and truth
To break forth from His Word."
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