The Wheatland Mission

"When The Bible Says What It Doesn't Really Say" or "Why We Shake Hands At The Wheatland Mission"

Yes. The title is supposed to be provocative. I am trying to rally some discussion, debate even. This coming weekend we will finish our discussion on the Missional Practice of Engaging Scripture. This Saturday we will talk about how we interpret the Bible. (I actually waited to do this message one week. I had originally scheduled it for the 11th.)

In our short time this weekend it will be impossible to cover everything that needs to be covered in order to fully equip us to read and interpret Scripture effectively and accurately. However, in really broad strokes, we are going to look at one important concept to keep in mind as we interpret and apply what the Bible says. It is crucial to read Scripture with the "redemptive spirit" of Scripture in mind. The "redemptive spirit" is a guiding theme or movement behind the words of the text, whether it be in Leviticus, the Sermon on the Mount, the book of Romans or any other Biblical text, which controls the meaning and/or application of the text.

For example, there are times when simply doing the words of the specific Scriptural passage in our current context lead us away from what the original text intended. Take for instance Paul's command to, "Greet one another with a holy kiss." (Rom 6:16, I Cor 16:20, II Cor 13:12, I Thes 5:26, I Pet 5:14) While this was a perfectly normal thing to do in the Greco-Roman world of the 1st Century it is rarely done in our context in the 21st. Most of us recognize that the intention of Paul and Peter when they included this as a command in their letters was to develop a sense of kinship, closeness and commitment among members of these early church gatherings. Their concern for developing this kind of community experience is the "redemptive spirit" behind the text. There is something redemptive and God honoring which the writers want to accomplish through the command.

However, if we at The Wheatland Mission began kissing one another with a holy kiss the opposite effect would probably be the result. I understand that this is done in some cultures even within in the United States and some of us may be "kissers" in the appropriate context of family members and close friends. But generally speaking, if we were to institute this practice without any modifications for our current situation the result would most likely be the opposite of what the Biblical writers intended.

This is a perfect, if simplistic, example of what I mean by the title to this post. There are times that we apply the words of Scripture without appropriate cultural adjustments and miss the "redemptive spirit" or "redemptive movement" behind the words.

Before this weekend, let me challenge you to read the little book of Philemon. It's not much of a challenge weightin in at only 24 verses. We will discuss what Paul is saying and not saying through the course of this interesting little letter and discover just why such an odd, apparently personal letter made it into the Bible in the first place.

So, this weekend, don't forget to engage in the culturally appropriate and typically inoffensive form of greeting of your choice.

posted by The Wheatland Mission @ 9:24 PM