Reading Scripture

Review: Divine Scripture in Human Understanding by Joe Gordon

Book & Film Reviews, Reading Scripture / By

One of my research interests, and one I am currently writing on for publication for Eerdmans, is the origins, nature, and useful interpretation of Scripture. Well, I guess that is more like three research interests! But I like to contemplate them together, as they intertwine. Origins helps us to know what the Bible is and what it is helps us to know how to meaningfully use it. So, whenever possible I pick up books on the subject. When I found out a colleague, Dr. Joseph Gordon, associate professor of theology at Johnson University, was coming out with his book Divine Scripture in Human Understanding: A Systematic Theology of the Christian Bible, I knew I had to check it out. I have long appreciated and respected Joe’s theological insights since we were classmates at Marquette University.

Gordon is driven by questions related to the nature and purpose of the Bible. What is it? What role ought it to play in the Christian life? How do we best interpret it? He contemplates these in full awareness of thorny questions around the human fingerprints in Scripture–its difficult passages (e.g. depictions of slavery or violence) and the process of its textual production that has led to a variety of manuscript traditions and not a singular “original” text. What does it mean that the Bible is inspired if human involvement is so evident?

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What Does Jesus Say about Rules?

Ethics, Reading Scripture / By

I recently had the privilege of speaking at Cedar Park Church in Delta, BC for their Sunday morning service (pre-recorded the day before). I am sharing the sermon video in this post.

How do we make things right in the world? Especially when Christians disagree on what is right? In this sermon, “Making Things Right,” I discuss Matthew 12:1-8 where Jesus teaches us that sometimes we have to break the rules to do the right thing. If we have ears to hear, Jesus shows us how to interpret and apply Scripture for our lives today.

Background Scriptures for this sermon (adapted from the NASB):

Hosea 6:4-6

What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
What shall I do with you, O Judah?
For your loyal love (chesed) is like a morning cloud
And like the dew which goes away early.
Therefore I have hewn them in pieces by the prophets;
I have slain them by the words of My mouth;
And the judgments on you are like the light that goes forth.
For I delight in loyal love (chesed) rather than sacrifice,
And in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Micah 6:6-8

With what shall I come to the LORD
And bow myself before the God on high?
Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings,
With yearling calves?
Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams,
In ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts,
The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has told you, O man, what is good;
And what does the LORD require of you
But to do justice, to love loyal love (chesed),
And to walk humbly with your God?

Note: Matthew 12:8 says “The son of man is lord of the Sabbath.” What does that mean? Scholars have different theories. The phrase “son of man” is used in Scripture to refer to a human being. It is also sometimes used as a euphemism for Jesus as the Messiah. In Matthew 12, it appears Jesus is saying that human beings have authority to discern Sabbath practice. This would dovetail with how the Gospel of Mark tells the story when he says “The Sabbath was made for humankind, not humankind for the Sabbath.”

Or if the meaning is Jesus as Messiah, then Jesus is saying he has authority to interpret the Scriptures in the method he is suggesting and encourages the religious leaders (and us!) to follow his example of exegesis and applying Scripture.

Review: Holy Scripture: A Dogmatic Sketch by John Webster

Book & Film Reviews, Reading Scripture / By

John Webster provides a helpful contribution to the discussion on the inspiration of the Bible in Holy Scripture: A Dogmatic Sketch. He provides a much needed look at the role of the Holy Spirit (pneumatology) that is missing in some of the discussions on the nature of Scripture. Webster roots his views of Scripture in a doctrine of God as saving presence (39). He emphasizes the importance of understanding the Bible as Holy Scripture, and not merely “scripture” (2). The former is a “human text which God sanctifies for the service of his communicative presence” and the latter is “human writing generated and used by religious communities.” He further defines Holy Scripture as “the saving economy of God’s loving and regenerative self-communication.”

Webster believes that in some circles the Holy aspect of Scripture has been discarded (1). He seeks to provide a dogmatic explication of what we mean when we say “Holy” Scripture. In religious studies programs analysis of sacred texts tends to focus on the human agents in the production of the text. But, “Holy” Scripture is indicative of the reality that something divine is occurring beyond merely human activity. Webster does not deny the human elements in Scripture, but rejects reducing Scripture to mere scripture. A doctrine of Scripture must be firmly rooted in the “self-representation of the triune God, of which the text is a servant” (6). When Scripture is divorced from divine activity the text is treated as a matter of independent investigation.

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Review: Inspiration and Incarnation by Peter Enns

2 Comments / Book & Film Reviews, Reading Scripture / By

In Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament. Peter Enns proposes an incarnational model for understanding how the Bible was inspired by God. Just as Jesus is 100% divine and 100% human, so also the Bible is both divine and human (17). Jesus was “God with us.” Even though he is divine, he took on human flesh and all the cultural trappings of this world. In the same way, the Bible is sacred yet clearly reflects the cultures that produced it. Enns recognizes that the incarnational analogy is not an exact fit. Thus, he suggests “incarnational parallel” might be a better way to phrase it (18, 168). The point is understanding Scripture as both divine and human is a crucial tension to maintain. The Bible is a product of a collaboration between God and human beings.

There are tendencies toward two extremes: those who see the obvious cultural influences in the Bible and therefore only consider it a human book, and those who are uncomfortable acknowledging the earthiness of Scripture and overemphasize its divine qualities (18). The latter fall into Docetic heresy which claimed Christ was fully divine, but only appeared to be (but was not really) human. Enns states that the human dimension of Scripture is what makes it what it is. Recognizing that the Bible is both human and divine affects what we should expect from it and what we should do with it.

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Review: Sacred Word Broken Word by Kenton Sparks

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In his book, Sacred Word Broken Word, Kenton Sparks proposes an “adoptionist” model for understanding how God speaks to us in Scripture. He writes, “Scripture is God’s Word because God providentially adopted ancient human beings, like Paul, as his spokespersons. In doing so God ‘set apart’ or ‘sanctified’ their words for use in his redemptive activity” (29, 156). Interestingly, he chooses a 2nd century heresy as an analogy. Adoptionism denies that Jesus was eternally pre-existent with the Father, but rather he became divine when “adopted” by God at his baptism and the Spirit of God descended upon him (e.g. Luke 3:22). Sparks says “there is a theological purpose behind God’s choice to use human beings as we are, so that the glory for redemption will truly be his” (156). But, he does not expand on this theory of theological purpose.

Sparks believes the biblical authors were sinful human beings who erred like any other human beings (29, 32, 46-47, 59). They sometimes “thought and wrote ungodly things.” He also believes the Bible not only has errors (6, 29), but also contains within its pages evil that is in need of redemption (46-47). He compares Scripture with creation—good, but fallen. Some texts should be prioritized for reading above “those that are more partial or distorted by the human condition” (49).

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Rabbi Green on the Bible and “Halakhah”

Ethics, Reading Scripture / By
In my Old Testament class at the local community college I teach students about Israelite law in its ancient Near Eastern context, as well as the meaning of biblical law in Christian and Jewish tradition today. In this brief three minute video, Rabbi Arthur Green provides a lovely discussion of how he understands the law texts in relation to faith and practice. The word “halakhah” is the word used in the Jewish community to refer to Jewish law, but more literally means the path that a person walks.
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