In a recent discussion at church, we were talking about the literal way Amish Christians deal with the teachings of Jesus. In the ensuing conversation, a participant remarked that most Christians are not as literal and rather 'pick and choose' the Scriptures with which they are most comfortable.
I got to thinking.....
The idea that one could read Scripture and be inspired by the Holy Spirit without interpretation from church authority was one of the most noteworthy changes in mindset to emerge from the Reformation. Protestantism has been marked by the belief that each person is capable of hearing God's Word in the Bible without the intervention of ecclesiastical authority to explain what God's really saying...
HOWEVER.......
There is a danger in 'pick and choose'......i.e. the danger that I SELECT what i want God to be saying, that I LOOK for Biblical arguments that fortify my own. In so doing, it is easy to cease to be open to what God is saying in and through Scripture.
WHAT IS NEEDED.....
Protestant churches continue to need GOOD BIBLICAL STUDY so that the principle enunciated in Reformation times of ' Scripture interpreting Scripture' make sense in the contemporary context. It is NOT AUTHORITARIAN to recognize that there are factual matters in Biblical writing that are simply not open to interpretation in the way many use that term. The statement of FACT need not be seen as authoritarian.
FINAL NOTE.....
All religious groups are culpable in the matter of 'pick and choose'....
May our common quest be to do God's Will-
PB
5 comments:
The Bible- like life-is full of conflict and contradiction. Throughout this overarching narrative ,however, I believe we can begin to discern a divine voice. I personally think it is summed up by Micah in his admonition to Do Justice, have mercy and walk humbly with our GOD. By Justice I believe we are talking about distribuitive justice and fairness rather than retribuitive Justice. It is also summed up by Jesus to love our neigbors as ourselves. While I am sure interpretations may vary this is what I believe we are called to do.
I like your distinction about justice.....so often overlooked!
THANK YOU!
PB
I am in the midst of reading " The Future of Faith" Harvey Cox. He has an interesting perspective being a christian theolgian married to a Jewish woman and raising his son Jewish as well as an interest in world religions although he finds himself identifyng GOD best in Christianity. I too find that while I believe there are many paths to GOD that I find myself drawn to Christianity and following the way and life of Christ as being the most clear way to me to GOD though this in no way negates the other paths that our bothers and sisters or other faiths choose to follow in their true and honest quest for GOD.
This book I just blogged about ( with such run-on sentences I am embarrassed) spends much time focusing on early Christianity- how it was before it was merged with the imperial Roman empire. It discusses the diversity we see when we read Paul's letters to the many churches situated throughout the Roman empire. How there was no Preistly class, how all shared a common meal of bread and wine prayers and readings but how worship styles differed greatly. Yet he describes a sense of unity that they shared the same spirit -that they were followers of Jesus and were set about to spread the Good news of a new way of " shalom" a new way of looking at community that was radically different from the exploitation that was a result of empire buiilding. Now I realize we have to live in this world with it's restaints and contradictions but these communities offered at least a glimpse of a new possibility of Kingdom living. Somehow so much of this has been lost over the years
I appreciate the reference to this book. I have always enjoyed Harvey Cox. Audited a course he taught a long time ago. His insights are magnificent...
On the run now, but plan to blog a bit over w'kend!
PB
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