Getting the full flavor of Scripture

"To get the full flavor of an herb, it must be pressed between the fingers, so it is the same with the Scriptures; the more familiar they become, the more they reveal their hidden treasures and yield their indescribable riches."-- St. John Chrysostom, A.D. 347-407

June 10: The Epistles, Part 1 - “There & Then”

We’re taking two weeks on the epistles, so that we can take the time to focus on two key questions for studying Scripture:

• What did it mean to them? – then & there

Exegesis: Careful, systematic study of Scripture to discover the original, intended meaning. It is the attempt to hear the Word as the original recipients were to have heard it, to find out what was the original intent of the words of the Bible.

• What does it mean to us? – here & now

Hermeneutics: Normally covers the whole field of interpretation, including exegesis, but is also used in the narrower sense of seeking the contemporary relevance of ancient texts

Why not start with the “here & now”? Isn’t that why we’re reading the Bible in the first place?

We can’t credibly begin our interpretation of Scripture with the here and now (“what this Scripture means to me”) because the only proper control for interpretation is found in the original intent of the biblical text. Otherwise, texts could be made to mean whatever they mean to any given reader – total subjectivity. And we dishonor God’s intent and message by crafting it to our own purposes.

We discussed some examples of improper interpretations:

• Mormons baptize for the dead on the basis of I Corinthians 15:29
• Snake handlers use of Mark 16:18
• Prosperity evangelists advocate the American dream as a Christian right on the basis of 3 John 2

In each case the error is in their hermeneutics (here and now) precisely because their interpretation is not controlled by good exegesis (there and then).

So we’re going to start our work with texts like the epistles with some appropriate grounding in what type of texts we’re dealing with, and some techniques to get at the “then and there” foundation of our interpretation.

Nature of the Epistles

Certainly not a homogeneous lot – they're diverse in author, audience, and form. What do they have in common? They are all “occasional documents” – each arising out of and intended for a specific occasion. They were called forth or “occasioned” by some special circumstance from either the reader’s side or the author’s side. Almost all of the New Testament letters were occasioned from the readers’ side – Philemon and perhaps James and Romans are exceptions.

What were the “occasions”? Usually they were some kind of behavior that needed correcting, doctrinal error that needed setting straight, or a misunderstanding that needed further light.

Most of our problems in interpreting epistles are rooted in the fact that we have the answers, but we don’t always know the questions or problems that prompted them. In some ways it’s like listening to one end of a telephone conversation.

The occasional nature of the Epistles also means that they are not first of all theological treatises, nor are they summaries of Paul’s or Peter’s theology. Throughout the epistles, there is theology implied, but it is always “task theology” – theology being brought to bear on the task at hand. We go to the Epistles again and again for Christian theology, they’re loaded with it. But we must always keep in mind that they were not primarily written to expound Christian theology. It is always theology applied or directed toward a specific need.

Since we’re using I Corinthians as our platform for discussing this notion of “there and then” in the epistles, we asked “What is I Corinthians about?”

Our class came up with a range of first pass answers to this question: divisions in the church, sexual immorality, spiritual gifts, proper behavior in the church, and others. We agreed the overall focus of I Corinthians is a letter of correction, in which Paul takes on the Corinthian church on issue after issue. These are mostly behavioral issues, but nevertheless betrayals of the gospel of Christ and life in the Spirit.

Then we dove in a bit deeper, and applied some basic elements of good exegesis for the epistles, starting with reading in one sitting and/or reading in paragraphs to get a sense of how the message is structured and the overall flow of the author’s argument. Good exegesis for the epistles includes thinking about:

• The recipients – who are these people, what’s going on with them?
• The author’s attitude towards the recipients, his relationship with them
• The occasion – what prompted the letter?
• The outline – what is the letter’s overall flow, and the natural divisions in the text?

Applying these to I Corinthians, our class discussed:

The recipients - what can we learn about them from the text?

• Mainly Gentiles, some Jews
• Love wisdom and knowledge – a key thrust of Paul’s argument is to contrast God’s wisdom with their emphasis on human wisdom (1:17 – 2:5)
• Proud and arrogant (4:18, 5:2, 6) – even to the point of judging Paul (4:1-5; 9:1-18)
• Yet what do they have? A lot of problems in their fellowship!

What are some of the things we know about ancient Corinth from commentaries, histories, external study?

• New - Rome had destroyed the old Corinth in 146 B.C.E. The city Paul entered was therefore young-- not even a century old. In 44 B.C.E. a decree of Julius Caesar had re-founded Corinth as a Roman colony.
• Large – About 650,000 total (250,000 free & 400,000 slaves)
• Corinth in Paul’s day was a new wealthy, cosmopolitan city on an important trade route in the middle of the Roman Empire
• As there was no hierarchy of old money and influence, those with skills and passions flocked to Corinth and formed a new hierarchy based on power, success, intellect, connections and wealth.
• Diverse racially & ethnically
• Reputation for immorality and licentious living
• Religious - many different faiths and practices. 12 different temples and a Jewish synagogue.

Paul’s attitude towards them – what can we observe from the text? His tone, his message – how does he talk to them? His attitude seems to fluctuate

• Rebuke, anger, even use of irony and sarcasm: 4:7-10; 6:1-8
• Appeal: 4:14-17; 16:10-11
• Exhortation: 6:18-20; 16:12-14

Occasion – what prompted the letter?

• Reported information: “some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you.” 1:11, 5:1 also refers to reported information
• Response to a letter from the church – 7:1 “now for the matters you wrote about.” Note that “now about” appears 6 times through the letter - 7:1, 7:25, 8:1, 12:1, 16:1, 16:12

Working outline of the letter – what are the natural divisions, the flow of the argument?

Think of the occasions to help find a starting point. Paul mentions items reported to him in 1:10-12 and 5:1. We may reasonably assume the matters in Chapters 1-6 are all responses to what’s been reported to him:

1. Problem of division in the church 1:10 – 4:21
2. Problem of the immoral brother 5:1-13
3. Problem of lawsuits among believers 6:1-11
4. Problem of sexual immorality 6:12-10

“Now about . . .” becomes another set of clues to help us with chapters 7-16. Only three items are not explicitly laid out by this formula (11:2-16, 11:17-34, and Chapter 15), and we can fit them in pretty easily – Chapter 11 is within a larger overall section on worship and spirituality, and we’ll see that Chapter 15 is a key “bookend” element of Paul’s overall response to the issues at Corinth.

5. behavior within marriage 7:1-24
6. virgins 7:25-40
7. food sacrificed to idols 8:1-11:1
8. head coverings in worship 11:2-16
9. an abuse of the Lord’s supper 11:17-34
10. spiritual gifts 12-14
11. bodily resurrection of believers 15
12. the collection 16:1-11
13. return of Apollos 16:12
14. concluding exhortations and greetings (16:13-24)

So, what’s the big picture Paul is trying to address? – the “task theology” he’s doing in the letter?

Close reading indicates that Paul and the church – or at least some of them – are at odds on many issues. The primary place where they are at odds is over the question of being spiritual –what it means to be a person of the Spirit. This surfaces sharply in chapters 12 – 15, and we see it throughout the letter in such issues as:

• Spiritual arrogance over gifts and practices
• Assumed attainment of some higher spiritual level
• Attainment of some “wisdom” that leads them to consider Paul’s previous instructions beneath them.
• Their view of spirituality very likely lends itself to their low view of bodily activities (meaning they can indulge or be ascetic at will).

What is Paul’s response? His greatest concern is that the gospel itself is at stake, as the Corinthians’ cultural notions of spirituality have them rejecting the centrality of the cross in Christian life. Thus he reminds them that the gospel has a crucified Messiah, risen from the dead, at its very heart, and he bookends the letter with these two basic theological realities

• The cross – I Corinthians 1:17 – 2:5

• The resurrection – I Corinthians 15

Everything in the letter should be read in light of these imperatives, these ‘bookends’ to Paul’s specifics on specific issues. I Corinthians has an important place in the biblical story, reminding us that God calls a people to himself so that they might be conformed to his own likeness, reflected in the (apparent) weakness and folly of the cross.

"And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power."

I Corinthians 2:1-5 TNIV

Key Principles for Scripture Interpretation

1. We recognize that the Bible is divine words. Scripture is “of God.” Scripture is God-breathed; it is God-given. We study and obey Scripture because Scripture is divine revelation.

2. We recognize that the Bible is human words. God chose to disclose his will to us through human beings who wrote material in human literary forms. Though Scripture is divine, God has accommodated Himself to human expression, words, and ambiguities. Therefore:

a. Scripture can be misunderstood

b. Scripture requires our best efforts to understand God’s message to us.

3. Scripture is rightly understood as a coherent narrative of God’s work in bringing grace to humanity through creation, rebellion, redemption, and the ultimate communion to come. The Bible contains many voices and speaks in many forms, with tensions, digressions, and subplots, yet Scripture finds its unity in the overarching story of God.

4. Scripture is not an end, but the means to a greater end: entering and nurturing a relationship with God in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Scripture is the tool that God has chosen to disclose his love and gracious kindness to us.

5. Faithful interpretation of Scripture requires engaging the entire narrative: the New Testament cannot be rightly understood apart from the Old, nor can the Old be rightly understood apart from the New. We should read “back to front” - understanding the whole narrative in light of its climax in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We should also read “front to back” - understanding God’s revelation in Christ in light of the history of God’s self-revelation to Israel.

6. The study of Scripture takes God seriously and takes understanding the original contexts of Scripture seriously. We must set Scripture in its historical context in order to hear God’s divine message clearly and accurately.

7. The true meaning of the biblical text for us is what God originally intended it to mean when it was first spoken. So to understand Scripture and thus to hear God’s voice in Scripture, asking the question “what did it mean?” comes before “what does it mean today?”

8. To learn from Scripture we must appreciate the way in which it communicates and not attempt to fit our preconceived notions upon it. This can not be done perfectly. We all have some bias and we all have some limitations.

9. Picking and choosing texts is not an option. Neither is choosing one text, pulling it out of context, and using it as the standard by which everything else must be interpreted.

10. Some things have changed significantly since the first century. For example, we live in a culture where slavery is roundly condemned; Paul lived in a culture where slavery was commonly practiced. Such cultural shifts must be negotiated.

11. Some things have not changed since the first century. Sin is still sin, humankind still struggles for meaning, and God is still at work in the world. Such continuities must be affirmed.

12. We must learn that there are some things more important in Scripture than others - as Jesus himself understood (Matthew 22.34-40).

13. Because we are human we will not all agree on the various interpretations of Scripture. Humility, patience, kindness, and gentleness are indispensable virtues to frame our discussions of Scripture.

14. Interpretation is a conscious effort of spiritual growth, and growth needs the nurture of Christian community. The Christian community provides insight, example, encouragement, and counsel vital to shaping our understanding of Scripture and thus our Christian character.

15. Scripture calls the church to ongoing discernment, to continually fresh re-readings of the text in light of God’s continuing work in the world.

Adapted from:

“Scripture Basics” & “The Bible Tells Me So: A Primer on Bible Interpretation”

Carson Reed, http://www.carsonreed.squarespace.com

“Nine Theses on the Interpretation of Scripture,” The Scripture Project

The Art of Reading Scripture, Ellen F. Davis & Richard B. Hays, ed.

Eerdmans Publishing, 2003

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, Gordon D. Fee & Douglas Stuart, 3^rd edition.

Zondervan, 2003

June 3: Getting Started

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that all God's people may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:14-17 TNIV

Our subject is “Listening to Scripture,” and this passage frames many themes that we will engage throughout our study. Today we introduced the class, talked about our objectives, shared an understanding of our “starting points,” and discussed some basic principles to guide us as we move through our study.

The overarching purpose of the class is to help us engage Scripture more thoughtfully and thus live it more thoroughly. The study of Scripture for us has meaning and importance beyond our classroom or on-line discussions – as believers we see it as vital for our lives – so our understanding and interpretation in thought, word, and deed is very important.

This is not easy – our simple class exercise on a few texts indicated the different perspectives we all have on interpreting the Bible. We asked, “Which of these instructions from Scripture are still in force for us today exactly as they are articulated on the page?”

• “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:5
• “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” Matthew 28:19
• “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet.” John 13:14
• “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.” James 5:14
• “And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you." Matthew 5:40-43
• "Whoever sheds human blood, by human beings shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made humankind.” Genesis 9:6
• “Praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe, 5 praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.” Psalms 150:4-5
• “Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.” 1 Peter 2:18
• “Women should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says.” 1 Corinthians 14:34
• “Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish; let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.” Proverbs 31: 6-7

This is an “art” more than a science, in that it takes discipline, imagination, and sustained effort – and has the potential to create something beautiful. We cannot do this alone – and we cannot do this once and assume everything stays the same. We have to be open to Scripture as part of God’s working in the world, as God leads us to new challenges and opportunities – we need to keep reading Scripture, and letting Scripture read us.

What dynamics are at work as we read Scripture?

We reviewed a set of Key Principles for interpreting Scripture (see separate post), and we discussed the importance of reading with an open mind:

Whenever we pick up the Bible, read it, put it down, and say “That’s just what I thought,” we are probably in trouble. The technical term for that kind of reading is “proof-texting.” Using the text to confirm our presuppositions is sinful; it is an act of resistance against God’s fresh speaking to us, an effective denial that the Bible is the word of the living God.

The only alternative to proof texting is reading with a view to what the New Testament calls metanoia, “repentance” – literally, “change of mind.”

- Ellen F. Davis, “Teaching the Bible Confessionally in the Church,” The Art of Reading Scripture, Eerdmans, 2003 page 16.

Next week we’ll move into our discussion of the epistles, with I Corinthians as our focus. Please read I Corinthians, and try to do it in one sitting. Read for the big picture, and try to make notes on:

• Recipients - who are these people? what's going on with them?
• Paul’s attitude towards them
• Occasion – what prompted the letter?
• The letter’s natural divisions

You’ll notice we have two weeks on the epistles, so that we can take the time to focus on two important aspects of interpreting Scripture:

• What did it mean to them? – there & then
• What does it mean to us? – here & now

Our closing reading was from Romans:

^“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15: 4-5 TNIV

Objectives & Class Schedule

Welcome to “Listening to Scripture,” an in-class and on-line discussion of interpreting Scripture conducted by the Growing Families class at Northlake Church of Christ. Our objectives are to:

• Understand some key principles that frame the interpretation of Scripture

• Discuss insights on interpretation and context, to help us challenge assumptions and bring a fresh perspective to our reading

• Review some of the different forms of Scripture to help appreciate the richness of divinely inspired/human written Scripture

• Read passages together and discuss insights and applications

A couple of points are important to note right up front:

1. Interpreting Scripture differs from interpreting the Bible. The former involves a life-long process of living from the text, while the latter views the Bible as just another interesting book. As believers we are committed to living our interpretation beyond the discussions of a Sunday school class or blog.

2. We need each other to do this. Our interpretation is a conscious effort of spiritual growth, and growth needs the nurture of Christian community. The Christian community provides insight, example, encouragement, and counsel vital to shaping our understanding of Scripture and thus our Christian character.

The following schedule outlines the path of our discussions:

June 3 Introduction & Key Principles

June 10 The Epistles

June 17 The Epistles

June 24 Acts

July 1 The Gospels

July 8 The Prophets

July 15 Psalms

July 22 Revelation

July 29 Review & Reflection

Any and all open-minded, respectful comments and questions are welcome in this forum. We hope you join our discussion, and look forward to seeing you at 9:00 am on Sundays.