Things I Think…
1. “You are afraid of the text.” He paused. “You are afraid of what the Bible says.” Again, a pause. “You are afraid of the what the Bible says because you are afraid of what the Bible will ask you to do.” A third pause, this time uncomfortably longer. “I know you are afraid of the Bible because of how much time you spend introducing the text you are going to preach, softening it, explaining it away, deferring to its context and, then, all the time you spend trying to illustrate the text.”
The group of 200 or so pastors, mainly Baptists, a group who prided themselves on being a people of the Book, were stunned. The air became thick. People squirmed on the benches, even though they were covered with padding. “You are afraid to read out the Bible, let the words stand and resonate, impeach and press.” That was Walter Brueggemann. A prophet, with a prophetic word, delivered prophetically.’
https://scotmcknight.substack.com/p/walter-brueggemann
Walter was right…I know he was right because I’ve been one of those pastors…afraid of the demands that Jesus put on my listeners and more afraid of what He expected of me.
Nowhere in Scripture does this happen with greater force than in the words of Jesus.
We read the texts and find some way to assure ourselves that we don’t have to love that neighbor, welcome that stranger, forgive that person, love that enemy.
We neuter the texts and don’t understand that we’re trying to neuter the God that spoke them.
Should anyone dare take then seriously we have created a new word to describe such troublemakers…”woke”.
That will shut them up.
No, it won’t.
The God that I know isn’t interested in the political ramifications of following Him, because He is the King and rules over the little men who think they are gods.
The religious have always killed the prophets, but the prophets voices still ring out in the voices of people like Walter…and people like you.
Refuse to be neutered by the ones who crucified Christ…love that neighbor, welcome that stranger, forgive that person, love that enemy.
They will come for you…but they can’t follow you to where you’re going…
2. Thanks to Duane for sending this to me this morning…
When I was first trying to sort out who Jesus was, the more I read the gospels, the more afraid I became. If I really committed to believing in him, it would require a huge amount of change in my life. It would mean I would never be the same again. It might mean rejection by my family (which was thankfully very mild, by the way, although they often claimed they didn’t understand me). But, it became more and more obvious that Jesus was who he said he was (instead of a crazy man or a poached egg-thanks CS Lewis), and I finally gave in. He was calling and I couldn’t resist him anymore. I’ve never had regrets, just joy, peace, and purpose in my life. Problems? Many, but he is always there to help me through.
Going back to CS Lewis, in the Narnia chronicles one of the children’s asks Mr. Beave if Aslan is safe. Mr Beaver answers “no”, not in the way people think he might be safe, but he is good and the King. If he Jesus was “safe”, I wouldn’t have ended up in the some of the predicaments I’ve experience, but he has always been good, and although I am often a poor excuse for a subject, he is most definitely my King.
“Afraid of the text”
I like the idea and recognize many of the major denominations and sects emphasize individuals/laymen must read and study the bible in the context of the organization.
Roman Catholic:
“That it is a good thing to read the Bible more is indisputable, and the Catholic Church teaches this. It also teaches that one should submit one’s theology as a whole to the Church and not oppose one’s own theology to that of the apostolic Tradition of the Church.”
Easter Orthodox:
“The Orthodox Christian should know the content of his religion as taught by the Church. He should be guided in studying what the Church has in its written (Bible) and unwritten (Sacred Tradition) teaching. The Orthodox Church is the only Church which has maintained from the beginning a coherent interpretation of its teaching. The Church approves of each member reading alone and in general talking about his religion. But it discourages conclusions based on the individual’s personal interpretation.”
Mormon:
“Article 8 of the Mormon Articles of Faith reads, “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.””
These are just three examples.
I believe the point here is organizations and established denominations fear individuals reading the bible on their own and coming to different conclusion(s) than is generally taught by them. I think the fear isn’t so much eternity but a threat to the leadership and established norms.
CS Lewis said it well:
“It is Christ Himself, not the Bible, who is the true Word of God. The Bible, read in the right spirit and with the guidance of good teachers will bring us to Him. When it becomes really necessary (i.e. for our spiritual life, not for controversy or curiosity) to know whether a particular passage is rightly translated or is Myth (but of course Myth specially chosen by God from among countless Myths to carry a spiritual truth) or history, we shall no doubt be guided to the right answer. But we must not use the Bible (our ancestors too often did) as a sort of Encyclopedia out of which texts (isolated from their context and read without attention to the whole nature and purport of the books in which they occur) can be taken for use as weapons.”
Wow. Pope Leo.
He gets it.
Afraid of the text?
What’s there to be afraid of?
I hold to the tenets of ‘The Apostle’s Creed’ as non-negotiable parameters up-front and on the table.
The rest of the stuff?
I pick and choose according to the dictates of my conscience.
For example, I reject the doctrine of PSA (penal substitutionary atonement).
What Walter was saying was that we rarely let the full force of Biblical texts change or advise us.
When you read the prophets as they pronounce judgment for the sins of people and the nations…we don’t shudder as we ought realizing we are guilty of the same.
We read the Sermon On The Mount and don’t understand the kind of radical change in behaviors and thinking that are called for.
We judge success by noses and nickels and the truth costs both, so the truth is unheard.
I remember being told that when I said similar things, it was because I “felt” God reached out to me through a smile, a nod of the head, or even a recognition with a person I was working with. Maybe the little gizmos I built for them brought them some joy and comfort. Those in the faith always told me that what I said was vile, filthy, effeminate, and worse words, and real men don’t fall for that trash. At times, it would enrage people, especially the branded or those in management. I was often told that those I worked with were demon possessed, hangers-on, useless eaters (this was only used a few times and it was online), fakers, liars, illegals, sucking at the government blank, etc. There really was a is a blind rage when it comes to any type of government assistance, etc. A few times, there were almost physical altercations over the topic, sad to say. As far as the Pope, the franchise I was part of loathed Catholics and the RCC with a deep passion, some considered Jack Chick liberal because he was against using the power of the secular sword against Catholics, etc. Some of them I was involved in longed for the ability to execute people of differing faiths. I’m not kidding, there was a bit of a smile on their face when the topic came up.