Ten Questions that are Transforming Christian Faith

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Ten Questions that are Transforming Christian
Faith
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How Can We Interpret the Bible?
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Last week we argued for a more comprehensive,
complete reading and understanding of the Bible.
Do we read whole books, whole sections, whole
testaments, and the whole of the Scriptures?
Only when we read at all focal lengths can we
have a balanced understanding of the meaning of
the Bible for our own lives.
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Just as important is how Christians interpret the
Bible
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The Bible and the African Slave Trade
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The Euro-American trade in African slaves lasted
about four hundred and fifty years, involved 11.5
million Africans, the greatest number of whom
ended up in Brazil, and is today completely
abandoned and discredited.
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During the time of slavery in the United States,
hundreds of writers defended the practice in
learned books and in pro-slavery novels.
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Pro-slavery literature was typically defended on
biblical grounds. Presbyterians were the most
prolific of the pro-slavery literature,
accounting for 30 of the books written.
Episcopalians accounted for 20 and Baptists for
17.
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In Ebenezer Willis Warrens novel, Nellie Norton
(1864) a pro-slavery argument was woven into a
fictional story line. This novel was one of many
pro-slavery responses to abolitionist literature
such as Uncle Toms Cabin.
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A catalog of quotes from protagonists in the
novel The Bible is a pro-slavery Bible, and
God is a pro-slavery God. The North must give
up the Bible and religion, or adopt our views of
slavery. Slavery is right, and its enforcement
is according to the Scripture.
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Slavery is taught in the Bible, and instituted
in heaven. God has ordained slavery. Slavery
was made perpetual by the positive enactment of
heaven. There cannot be foundin the Bible a
single injunction to slave-holders to liberate
those held by them in bondage.
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To speak against slavery is to abominate the law
of God, and the sentiments inculcated by his holy
prophets and apostles. A slave cannot sunder
bonds which bind him to his earthly master,
without breaking those which unite him morally to
his Redeemer.
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44As for the male and female slaves whom you may
have, it is from the nations around you that you
may acquire male and female slaves. 45You may
also acquire them from among the aliens residing
with you, and from their families that are with
you, who have been born in your land and they
may be your property. 46You may keep them as a
possession for your children after you, for them
to inherit as property. These you may treat as
slaves, but as for your fellow Israelites, no one
shall rule over the other with harshness. Lev.
25.44-46
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44As for the male and female slaves whom you may
have, it is from the nations around you that you
may acquire male and female slaves. 45You may
also acquire them from among the aliens residing
with you, and from their families that are with
you, who have been born in your land and they
may be your property. 46You may keep them as a
possession for your children after you, for them
to inherit as property. These you may treat as
slaves, but as for your fellow Israelites, no one
shall rule over the other with harshness. Lev.
25.44-46
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Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and
trembling, in singleness of heart, as you obey
Christ 6not only while being watched, and in
order to please them, but as slaves of Christ,
doing the will of God from the heart. 7Render
service with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not
to men and women, 8knowing that whatever good we
do, we will receive the same again from the Lord,
whether we are slaves or free.Ephesians 6.5-8
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Tell slaves to be submissive to their masters and
to give satisfaction in every respect they are
not to answer back, 10not to pilfer, but to show
complete and perfect fidelity, so that in
everything they may be an ornament to the
doctrine of God our Saviour.Titus 2.9-10
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Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything,
not only while being watched and in order to
please them, but wholeheartedly, fearing the
Lord. 23Whatever your task, put yourselves into
it, as done for the Lord and not for your
masters, 24since you know that from the Lord you
will receive the inheritance as your reward you
serve the Lord Christ.Colossians 3.22-24
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The use of the scriptures in the above manner is
habitual and conventional.
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Does the line of thinking found in pro-slavery
literature bear a resemblance to anything that
youve heard argued in your own experience?
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Mean people usually find a mean God in the Bible,
and superficial people usually find a superficial
God. Comfortable, powerful people usually find
that the Bible supports social and political
conservatism poor, exploited people usually find
that it supports social and political reform or
revolution.
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What is to keep us from simply using the Bible to
give authority to our own religious, social,
political, and economic prejudices?
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Many Christians habitually read the Bible as if
it were a constitution--the charter of a nation
designed to guide a peoples life together.
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The problem is that the expectations which we
bring to a constitution and what is appropriate
of the Bible are different. First of all, the
Bible doesnt change, the constitution can be
changed and amended. A constitution is not
internally inconsistent while the Bible is much
more messy and lengthy.
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Christians should consider discarding the
constitution paradigm for reading the Bible and
consider the Bible a library of a culture and
community.
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Six Principles for Interpreting the Bible
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• Scripture is to be interpreted in light of its
  own purpose.
• We read the Bible rightly when we read it to
  learn who God is and how we may live faithfully
  in Gods presence. We do not read it properly
  as a textbook of science or as an instruction
  manual for life. Our comments last week about
  reading the entire Bible as a story of Gods
  mission to the world apply here. Each verse and
  chapter is embedded in the story of Gods mission
  to the world.

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• Scripture interprets itself.
• When we encounter passages that are difficult,
  we can look at other passages to throw a
  different light or more light on the question at
  hand. Ultimately, we must listen to the total
  witness of the Bible. We must forever ask Is
  this what the entire Bible says, or have we
  picked only passages that support our own ideas.

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• The christological principle
• Jesus is the clearest revelation of who God is
  and what God promises and wills. When we
  encounter apparent tensions and conflicts in what
  Scripture says, the final appeal must be to the
  authority of Christ.

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• The rule of faith
• We need to listen with respect to fellow
  believers past and present, and we can anticipate
  that the Holy Spirit will enable us to interpret
  faithfully Gods Word for our time and place. In
  our time we have learned the importance of
  listening also to fellow Chfistians, past and
  present, who are different from us in gender,
  race, class, cultural background, and national
  origin.

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• The rule of love
• The fundamental expression of Gods will is the
  twofold commandment to love God and neighbor.
  Any interpretation of scripture is wrong that
  shows indifference toward or contempt for any
  individual or group inside or outside the Church.

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• The study of scripture in its literary and
  historical context.
• Given by God, the Bible is nevertheless the
  words of people. The human element must be a
  factor in our understanding of any passage. The
  human element entails views of life, history.
  The human element also introduces limits in
  knowledge, and in the transmission, translation,
  and interpretation of the Bible.

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Evaluate the following biblical argument against
space travel
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The Biblical Argument Against Space
Exploration (The Bible Contra NASA) The sun,
moon, and planets were made for signs, for
seasons, and to give light upon the earth.
Nowhere in Scripture does it say that these were
made for man to inhabit or to subdue. (Gen. 114
v.f.). 1. They note that God gave man dominion
over the earth and did not say that about
anyplace else in creation. (Gen. 128). 2. They
point to Psalm 11516 which says, The heaven,
even the heavens, are the Lords but the earth
hath he given to the children of men. The regard
us as trespassers on Gods turf if we set foot
on the moon or Mars.
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3. They argue that mans goal is the same as
Satans in Isaiah 1412- 13 which says, How art
thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the
morning! how art thou cut down to the ground,
which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast
said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I
will exalt my throne above the stars of God I
will sit also upon the mount of the congregation,
in the sides of the north. That is, they think
that mans only rationale is to be like God. 4.
Many, but not all, argue that mans goal in space
is to take God from his throne and take over from
him. Or they see it as an attempt to get to
heaven without God. They draw a parallel to
the tower of Babel.
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