The Bible Says ...

The ancient Hebrew prophets would begin their messages with the declaration "Thus saith the LORD!" Today, Christians often support their belief or position by saying, "The Bible says ...." In my mind, these two assertions are far from the same thing.

"The Bible says" appeals to the Bible as the ultimate authority regarding Christian belief and practice. (We live in an era that emphasizes belief as the identifying mark of a Christian. But that's another blog, for another time.) I am uncomfortable with this common practice of appealing to the Bible as the ultimate authority ... first, because this practice ignores the nature of scripture and, second, because it misuses scripture. Stay with me as I explain what I mean.

Generally, those who appeal to scripture as the ultimate authority view scripture as totally trustworthy. They use words like infallible and inerrant. They view scripture as the eternal Word of God. In other words, they view scripture as exclusively a divine book. This view of scripture is often portrayed as faith. In my mind, it is not so much faith as a desire for certainty - the opposite of faith. Faith, by nature, involves an element of uncertainty. And this view of scripture is a misplaced faith. My faith is in a person, not a book. My faith is in who Jesus revealed God to be.

Please hear what I am saying. I have a very high regard for scripture. I would argue that I have a higher regard for scripture than those who hold to its infallible nature. Scripture is foundational to my understanding of who God is. It is central to my spiritual life and spiritual formation. I have built my professional life around the study and proclamation of scripture. My preaching style is called expository - the explanation and application of the biblical text. Week in, week out, it is what I do.

But I recognize and honor the dual nature of scripture. It is indeed a divine book - God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16).The Spirit inspired those who wrote, those who compiled, and those who arranged the various books.  Scripture is a gift from God. But the Bible is also a human book - the product of human authors (Hebrews 1:1, 2 Peter 1:21). God spoke through them. The Spirit guided them. But, in doing so, God did not obliterate their humanness. Their human touch is evident in every text: in their historical setting, in their culture, in the languages they used, in the various types of literature in which they wrote, in their Near Eastern worldviews.

Both natures - the divine and the human - must be considered in the interpretation of scripture. What God says to us (the divine truth) comes wrapped in a human wrapper. It must be unwrapped to be fully understood. Failure to recognize and honor both natures will cause us to mistake cultural practices and understandings for eternal truth. Divine truth transcends historical times and human cultures.

In addition, proclaiming "the Bible says" often misuses scripture. It uses scripture to defend my belief or validate my position. It declares "God is on my side in this issue." This appeal to the Bible is a not-so-subtle way of shutting down dialogue and the pursuit of truth. It declares "the Bible says it. That's the way it is. Just accept it." (You've heard the platitude: "God - i.e., the Bible - said it. I believe it. That settles it.") This proclamation masks an arrogance that attacks the other's position, treating it as invalid and "not biblical."

In my opinion, the Spirit uses scripture to grow us into the likeness of Christ. The nature of God, the ways of God (the Kingdom), our human nature are all revealed in scripture. The Spirit uses those revelations to guide us into deeper spiritual understanding which, in turn, shapes who we are and how we live. Thus, the proper use of scripture is to reveal God and the ways of God, allowing that revelation to shape us into the likeness of Christ.

My position about the nature of scripture and the use of scripture raises the question: if scripture is not the ultimate authority regarding Christian belief and practice, what is?

For me, the ultimate authority to which I appeal is the nature/character of God as revealed in scripture. The character of God was revealed to Moses in the Hebrew scriptures: the compassionate and gracious God - slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, forgiving all expressions of sin (Exodus 34:6-7). Jesus was the fullest revelation of the character of God (John 1:18; Colossians 1:15, 19; Hebrews 1:1-3). In him, we see the self-giving, servant nature of God (Mark 10:41-45; Philippians 2:5-11) who relates to us out of grace and forgiveness. Because of Jesus, we declare "God is love" (1 John 4:8).

The character of God - the love of God - the servant nature of God - the life and ministry of Jesus are the ultimate authority for the followers of Jesus today. What we believe and how we live are shaped by who God is as revealed in Jesus the Christ.

Using the nature of God as the ultimate authority is an act of faith. We stake our lives on who Jesus revealed God to be. We build our lives around the teachings of Jesus. This way of living does not rely upon a book of rules or beliefs to which we appeal. Rather, it calls us to rely upon the Spirit as we think and discern what is in keeping with who God is and with Jesus' teachings about the ways of God (the Kingdom). It's the kind of thing the ancient Hebrew prophets did when they declared "Thus saith the LORD!"

As we engage in conversation regarding A Way Forward, may we explore "thus saith the LORD" rather than declare "the Bible says."

Learning from How Jesus Used Scripture

As the followers of Jesus today, it makes sense that we would follow how Jesus used scripture.

According to the gospel records, it is evident that Jesus knew scripture, i.e., the Hebrew scriptures. The gospels record him quoting scripture in a multitude of settings. For example, Matthew's gospel records him quoting scripture:

• in the temptation experiences (Matthew 4:1-11), 
• in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21, 27, 31, 33, 38, 43),
• in sending out the Twelve (Matthew 10:34-36),
• in speaking of John the Baptizer (Matthew 11:7-19),
• in explaining his use of parables (Matthew 13:13-16),
• in responding to attacks by the Pharisees and scribes (Matthew 15:7-9),
• in the question regarding divorce (Matthew 19:3-9),
• in his taking control of the Temple compound (Matthew 21:12-17), 
• when he was questioned by the religious leaders (Matthew 21:42), 
• when asked about the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:34-40), 
• when preparing the disciples for his arrest (Matthew 26:31-32),
• when on trial before the Sanhedrin (Matthew 26:63-64),
• when on the cross (Matthew 27:45-46).

These examples give us an idea of how Jesus used scripture. They indicate that Jesus used scripture (particularly Deuteronomy, the Psalms, and the prophet Isaiah) to help him know God and the heart of God, to know the ways of God and the hearts of humans, to nurture his own faith and guide what he did. Luke's gospel (Luke 4:16-30) indicates that his understanding of his identity and his mission were shaped by scripture (Isaiah 61:1-2).

These examples also indicate how Jesus did not use scripture. He did not use scripture as a rule book - a book of laws to be meticulously followed. And there are plenty of laws in the Torah! But Jesus did not focus on the Laws of the Torah. If anything, Jesus went beyond the Law to the intent of the Law.

Jesus understood and respected the value of the Law. He asserted that he did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17-20). But Jesus looked beyond the prescribed behavior of a particular law to the underlying principle ... to the deeper meaning of the Law. In the Sermon on the Mount, he quoted the Torah six times, each time pointing to a deeper understanding of what the law meant. "You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ... but I say to you" (Matthew 5:21, 27, 31, 33, 38, 43).

While Jesus understood and respected the value of the Law, he also understood that the Law could be misused, even abused. He understood that the human ego, not recognizing the intent of the Law, could twist and misuse it. Rather than being a reflection of the heart of God and the ways of God, the Law could be turned into a standard by which people were measured and judged. It could become a way of relating to God. This merit-based way of relating to God and one another was opposed to the grace-based, forgiveness-oriented way of relating to God and others that Jesus lived and taught.

This difference of understanding and using the Law was one reason Jesus was so often at odds with the religious traditions and religious leaders of his day. Mark's gospel records four of these incidents back to back in the beginning section of his gospel (Mark 2:15 - 3:6). In each of these incidents, Jesus placed greater priority on people and the needs of people than on following the rules. Jesus' actions were, as would be expected, offensive to the religious leadership of the day ... so offensive that they plotted his death (Mark 3:6). Jesus actions and teachings threatened the very foundation of their Law-based religion. They threatened the identity, status, power, and position of those who had built their lives around the Law and the religious life that grew out of it.

Jesus not only understood the intent of the Law, he also understood the essence of the Law. When asked about the greatest law (Matthew 22:34-40), Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:5, tying it to Leviticus 19:18: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. You shall love your neighbor as yourself." For Jesus, the essence of the Law was love: loving God, loving neighbor. These two commandments from Hebrew scripture were the only two commandments that Jesus taught. In addition, John's gospel records a new commandment that Jesus gave his disciples: "love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another" (John 13:34-35). Jesus' new commandment was an extension of what he identified as the greatest commandment: love. Love would be the identifying mark of the followers of Jesus: "by this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another"  (John 13:35). Jesus emphasized love, not conforming to some standard of behavior. His priority was relationships, not rules. Jesus established love, not the Law, as the standard by which we are to live.

So why this diatribe about how Jesus used scripture?

In the current controversy within The UMC surrounding A Way Forward, people on both sides of the issue quote scripture to support their position. Both are using scripture to validate their position. Both appeal to scripture as the foundation of the standard they use to determine "what is right." Both sides are certain of their position because "The Bible says ..."

It seems to me that both sides are using scripture in a way that Jesus didn't: as a standard to be used to validate their correctness or to judge the other's shortcomings. In addition, they are making "being right" more important than the relationships and love that Jesus taught. I've heard it said: "In a conflict, you can be right or you can have relationship. You can't have both."

From my perspective, I wonder: what are we willing to sacrifice in order to be "right"? And, can we be "right" if we do not love one another?

But then, maybe this blog does the very thing I say Jesus didn't do!  More of my thinking about scripture next week. Until then, work at loving as Jesus loved.

We Cannot Love Out of Anxiety and Fear

In my last blog (We Will Not Fear, 9/3/18), I said that we are not at our best when we live out of our anxiety and fear (or anger, I might add). Our anxiety and fear take our thinking capacity "off line" so that we unconsciously react rather than thoughtfully respond. 

This blog takes that idea a step further: when we live out of our anxiety, fear, and anger, we who call ourselves "Christian" betray our Christian identity. We act contrary to what we say we believe. We act contrary to the teachings of Jesus and to the ways of God. We fail to love as Jesus loved. Our anxious, fearful spirit is opposite the grace-based, servant spirit of Christ. This kind of betrayal is especially true when the followers of Jesus become embroiled in conflict.

Conflict among the followers of Jesus is nothing new. Acts 6 records conflict in the first church. The conflict was between the Hellenists (Greek speaking Jews) and the Hebrews (Aramaic speaking Jews). Interestingly, this first recorded conflict had overtones of ethnic and cultural issues. That early church found a way to resolve the conflict and make it an occasion for growth and public witness. But conflict in the church did not end. The church at Corinth, the churches of Galatia, the church at Philippi, the communities of John all experienced conflict according to the witness of the New Testament. My first experience of church conflict was in my home church when I was eleven. It led to the firing of the pastor. As a pastor, I have never served a congregation that has not experienced conflict or some kind of division. The UMC, since 1972, has experienced on-going conflict over the official position of the Church regarding homosexuality.

Unaddressed and unresolved conflict among the followers of Jesus is a public betrayal of our Christian identity. Our failure is on display for all to see and, inevitably, to gossip about.

But what if we dealt with our disagreements and conflict differently? What if we dealt with them in keeping with the teachings of Jesus and the ways of God? What if we approached them out of a spirit of love? What if we addressed them as that early church did: in ways that led to resolution, witness, and growth? What might the impact be on our Christian identity and witness, not to mention our own spirituality?

I believe a different way of dealing with our conflicts is possible, even in the divisiveness we are experiencing in The UMC concerning A Way Forward. We can deal with our disagreements and conflict differently, but to do so requires us to move beyond acting out of anxiety, fear, and anger.

When we live out of our anxiety, fear, and anger, we are living out of what the Apostle Paul called "the flesh" (Galatians 5:16-21). We are living out of our default human nature with its what's-in-it-for-me, self-serving spirit. We are living out of our most base nature ... and it's not pretty! Our anxiety and fear block out what we say we believe (our thinking capacity) and its ability to guide us and what we do.

 Paul taught that we can move beyond our default human nature and its anxiety, fear, and anger through the power of the Spirit. "Live by the Spirit" (Galatians 5:16), "keep in step with the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25, NIV), Paul taught. He went on to say that our default human nature is at odds with the Spirit (Galatians 5:17). What we do when we are living out of our default human nature (the works of the flesh, Galatians 5:19-21) is at odds with what the Spirit produces (the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22-23). Thus, what we do and how we act depends on the spirit out of which we a living in the moment: the spirit of anxiety, fear, and anger that is inherent to our default, human nature or the Spirit of Christ.

Our anxiety, fear, and anger cause us to live out of a defended posture. They cause us to see others as different from us and, thereby, to see them as a threat. We see them as "other." Consequently, we build walls, both physically and emotionally, to protect ourselves from what we view as "other." And, when push comes to shove - which it so frequently does - we use our power to defend ourselves and our position while attacking the other and their position. In other words, our anxiety, fear, and anger breed conflict and division. Paul said it this way: "The works of the flesh are .. enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy," Galatians 5:19-20.

The Spirit, on the other hand, leads us and empowers us to love as Jesus loved. The Spirit empowers us to live out of a spirit of joy and peace that displaces anxiety, fear, and anger. The Spirit empowers us to be patient, kind, generous, faithful, and gentle in the way we treat others. And, most importantly, the Spirit empowers us to exercise self-control.

Spirit-empowered self-control is the key to loving as Jesus loved. It is the door that leads to joy and peace. It underlies our ability to relate to others with patience, with kindness and gentleness, with generosity and faithfulness.

The Spirit calls us to exercise self-control by making us aware of the anxiety, fear, and anger that stir inside us. That awareness creates a choice within us: continue to live out of the anxiety, fear, and anger or manage them so they do not have power over how we think and what we do. (See again last week's blog: do not continue to fear.) The awareness of our anxiety, fear, and anger is the Spirit's call to put ourselves in a position for the Spirit to move us beyond them into joy and peace.

We cannot act in love while we are living out of anxiety, fear, and anger. And isn't love (not belief or a position on can issue) the distinguishing mark of the followers of Jesus?

We Will Not Fear

The upcoming special session of General Conference has stirred a great deal of anxiety and fear within the ranks of United Methodists. Perhaps the most common fear is that The UMC as we know it will divide or splinter. Many are anxious about how the action of the special session will impact their local congregation. Clergy are anxious about the impact of the upcoming decision on their careers. People on both sides of the LGBTQ issue fear General Conference will embrace a position that is different from what they believe.

Each of these anxieties, and others like them, are fueled by the unknown. We simply do not know what decisions the delegates to this special session will make. Until we know those decisions, we cannot know their impact. Facing the unknown stirs feelings of powerlessness and, thereby, anxiety.

Anxiety is an expression of fear in response to a faceless threat. Because the threat is faceless, i.e., unknown, we do not know what to do to protect ourselves from it. The result is this inescapable sense of inner dis-ease accompanied by a panicky feeling of wanting to "do something ... anything" that will make the internal dis-ease go away.

We humans are not at our best when we live under the power of anxiety and fear. We react rather than respond. We act unconsciously, without thinking. The thinking portion of our brains is literally "off line" when we are anxious and afraid. As a result, we replay old patterns of behavior that are unique to each of us.  Quite often, those old patterns involve some form of anger because anger gives us a feeling of power that soothes the feelings of being powerless.

The Bible has a lot to say about fear ... or, rather, about not being afraid. The psalmist wrote "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. There we will not fear" (Psalm 46:1-2a, NRSV). Jesus promised his peace along with the exhortation to not be afraid: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid" (John 14:27). The Apostle Paul also promised the peace of God, exhorting the disciples at Philippi, "Do not worry (be anxious) about anything" (Philippians 4:6).

Both Jesus and Paul used language that communicated the idea "you are afraid; stop it." Their words could be accurately translated as "do not continue to be afraid." Fear and anxiety are a normal part of our human experience. They are reactions that happen unconsciously in the face of a perceived threat. But they are also emotional reactions that can be managed and controlled. Jesus and Paul call us to recognize and manage our anxiety and fear. Rather than allow anxiety and fear to continue to influence how we think and what we do, we intentionally do those things that manage them and their power. Paul urged the Philippians to pray with thanksgiving instead of worrying, promising the peace of God.

Both Jesus and Paul spoke of peace. The peace of which they spoke displaces fear and anxiety. Paul identified this peace as the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:21-22). The peace of Christ allows us to think clearly and consciously respond (as opposed to unconsciously reacting) in line with the teachings of Jesus and the ways of the Kingdom. The peace of God, not our human fear, are to guide how we as the followers of Jesus think and what we do.

How do we deal with the unknown that lies before us? How do we deal with feelings of powerlessness as others make decisions that will impact us? How do we deal with the anxiety that fills our hearts and minds regarding A Way Forward? The psalmist offers us guidance that reflects the teachings of Jesus and Paul: "we will not fear!" We will not live in fear, with fear, out of fear. Trusting the faithful love of God, we will rest in God's peace.

The peace of Christ be with you as we live in the face of the unknown.