Taking Scripture Out of Context, "Is this really the day the Lord has made?"

We recently had a short series of Sunday school classes

based on the theme of using Scripture out of context. It was a challenging set of lessons for some and a truly revealing exercise for many. 

Some of the passages we looked at were; 

• Mt 18:20, where we found that the two or three gathered were not for the purpose of Bible study or prayer, but for church discipline
• Mt 18:18, where we see that the binding and loosening are things that are already prohibited and permitted in heaven, not a process that begins here on earth but a part of the disciplinary process the church is to use in restoring an individual to fellowship. The same goes for Mt 18:19. Obviously there is much that is misunderstood and much that is inappropriately applied regarding this short passage. 
• Mt 7:20 which actually shows us how to discern a false prophet rather than how to determine whether someone is saved. 
• Psalm 118:24, a verse describing the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the day redemption came to the world, not necessarily a proclamation about the current day.
• Php 4:13, instead of a mantra for positive thinking and empowerment, an encouragement that  God is the source of strength for times of struggle as well as times of great victory. 
• Rev 3:20, rather than an evangelistic tool portraying a
  
  Christ who is patiently waiting for someone to "invite Him into their heart", this verse is an admonishment to the Laodicean church, a church of people that were already believers, to abandon their lukewarm ways and refocus their lives and their church activities on Christ. 

Many of these passages are precious to a lot of people. Many will see something like this and say, "Well, I've always been taught....", then simply choose to ignore the lesson being taught. How do we know what to embrace and what to reject?

The key is in the context. Context is everything!

To determine if the claims above are true, all that needs to be done is to read the verses surrounding the verse quoted. Read as far as needed until the verse comes into focus. 

The fact of the matter is this; The church has an amazing propensity to read one verse, then form a doctrine or theology around that single verse, taken out of context, even if the verse does not actually mean what the malformed doctrine

practices. This is popular because it is easy. It requires no study and little thinking. It fits on a bumper sticker or a refrigerator magnet, allowing for a subjective interpretation, using the verse for something it was never intended to be used for.  

This is not only a very bad practice, it can be dangerous. How dangerous? Take a look at the way Eph 5:22, the opening verse for a beautiful passage about marriage, has been used, in the past to control and subjugate women. Certainly, the concept of a submissive wife is a godly concept and should not be minimized. But, it has to be taken in the context of a husband that sacrifices himself for her and a relationship that is totally submitted to Christ on all accounts. This is not a

verse that establishes the husband as king and lord over the woman, having his way with her and treating her as some sort of personal slave or servant. It is a verse that begins to set the parameters for a marriage that is totally surrendered to God with both members acting in a selfless, sacrificing manner, treating each other as more important than themselves. 

Bottom line? We do  not have the prerogative to interpret Scripture for ourselves, applying it any way we see fit.  The by-now-familiar method of group Bible study in which everyone in the group gets a chance to share what the Scripture means to them, then celebrates the diversity of God's truth, is not how our Bible is to be applied to our lives. We are to read the Scriptures the way they were written, applying them in the manner they were intended. 

The only way this is possible is by reading in context. 

How does this affect the various memorization programs that

are available to us? How does it affect the AWANA program, a comprehensive set of studies designed to help our children memorize Scripture?

Certainly, any effort to memorize Scripture is worthy and beneficial. The word of God nourishes our soul and comforts our spirit, sometimes soothing us, sometimes challenging us. Knowing Scripture by heart can be invaluable in those times when life can be difficult. In that light, AWANA provides a wonderful and desperately needed foundation for the faith of our children and young adults. 

The difficulty outlined in our Sunday school class comes not from memorizing Scripture but from using it outside the context it was written. 

So, don't abandon your Bible memorization studies, they are invaluable to you and your soul. Just read the verses surrounding the ones you memorize...and keep them in context. 

"Does 'Abba' Mean 'Daddy'?" from the Gospel Coalition

From a posting on the Gospel Coalition Blog, an objective look at, for some, a sensitive subject that needs to be evaluated in light of Scripture.  jk;

When listening to a sermon on the Fatherhood of God, we've heard it more times than we can probably count: the illustration that when Jesus refers to his Father as abba, it is a very comfortable, deeply intimate child-like term, interpreted as either papa or daddy. Jesus uses the term once in Mark's gospel and Paul uses it two times in Romans and Galatians.

Of course, the bible teacher or pastor's purpose in explaining the word abba this way is to show us that Jesus had a very intimate relationship with his father, not stoic or merely positional. It is what a loving father has with his son and the son who lives securely and comfortably in that love. It is an important message—and it is true.

You can't read John 17, Jesus' intimate and passionate prayer to his Father the evening before his brutal and sacrificial death, and not see this tender intimacy. You see it also in John 1:18 where some versions have it that Jesus dwells "in the bosom of the Father." Ask someone you know well if you can sit at their side. They will be happy and honored to have you do so. Ask them if you can dwell at their bosom and you'll get a different reaction. We also see this Father/Son intimacy at Jesus' baptism where the Father proclaims from heaven to us all his extravagant love and pride in his Son.

This intimacy and love between the divine Father and his Son is as true as the existence of God himself, for it is his very nature. But it is simply not true that Jesus' use of the word abba means something a small child would utter in reference to his father. It does not mean "daddy" or "papa."

This origin of this understanding is generally traced to the notable German Lutheran New Testament scholar Joachim Jeremias who in his 1971 text New Testament Theology explained that abba was "the chatter of a small child. . . . a children's word, used in everyday talk" and seemingly "disrespectful, indeed unthinkable to the sensibilities of Jesus' contemporaries to address God with this familiar word" (p. 67). While Jeremias did not use the word "daddy" or "papa" in relation to abba, the implication was strong and others came along to make that connection.

But other Hebrew and New Testament scholars have taken exception with this understanding.

University of Fribourg's Georg Schelbert critiqued Jeremias' assertion in a 1981 essay and then later in a 2011 book-length treatment entitled ABBA Vater. He contends that Jeremias' interpretation is in "error" and "unwarranted." He elaborates,

In the Aramaic language of the time of Jesus, there was absolutely no other word [than Abba] available if Jesus wished to speak of or address God as father. Naturally such speaking of and addressing thereby would lose its special character, for it is then indeed the only possible form!

This is because, as we shall see, abba means either "father" or one's own father. Schelbert explained that Jeremias even adjusted his earlier understanding in the face of critical peers.

Schelbert was followed by Professor Geza Vermes, a most important scholarly voice on the Jewishness of Jesus. In his book, Jesus and the World of Judaism (Fortress, 1983), Vermes calls out the "improbability and incongruousness of the theory" and that "there seems to be no linguistic support for it." (p.42). Vermez holds, in agreement with Schelbert, that abba can either be understood as "the father" or the more personal, "myfather."

This criticism was followed up a few years later with an essay in the Journal of Theological Studies by James Barr (vol. 39, 1988). His article, "Abba Isn't Daddy" explains:

It is fair to say that abba in Jesus' time belonged to a familiar or colloquial register of language, as distinct from more formal and ceremonious language. . . . But in any case it was not a childish expression comparable with 'Daddy': it was a more solemn, responsible, adult address to a Father. (p. 46)

Although he explains that in Jesus' time, this address was used by a father's children of all ages, young and adult, it was often used by small children. Barr adds,

If the New Testament writers had been conscience of the nuance 'Daddy' they could easily have expressed themselves so; but in fact they were well aware that the nuance is not that of 'Daddy' but of 'father'." . . . [T]he semantics of abba itself [based on various evidences] all agree in supporting the nuance 'father' than the nuance 'Daddy'." (p. 38)

It is important and true to understand that God is our intimate Father. So many places in the New Testament make this vividly and encouragingly clear. It is one the rich qualities that makes Christianity distinct from all other faiths and philosophies.

But let's not illustrate this grace for others with something that is not true.

Other articles in this series:

C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton Quotes

Burning Your Ships for Jesus

Misquoting Francis of Assisi

The Cross an Electric Chair?

Divorce Rate Among Christians

Do Faithful Christians Take the Bible Literally?

Is the 'I Only Need Jesus!' Declaration Christian?

Who Really Started the Family 'Culture War'?

Are Your Kids Likely to Lose Their Faith?

Are Millennials More Self-Sacrificing and Community-Minded Than Previous Generations?

Tea Time by guest blogger Kelly Kuvakas

New and old friends...

  Beautiful things...

Hats and all things girlie... 

   Tea time brings pleasure on so many levels.

  

This past Saturday WBF's Women's Ministries held a Tea, hosted by one of our own, The Rose of Sharon tea room's former owner Dona Loope.  

We opened the day with a very short devotion, looking at Paul and how he treated his friends.  In Acts 20 Paul says he never held back, but preached the whole counsel of God to them.  He admonished them with tears, worked hard, never coveting their gold, silver or clothing.

These are some of the actions that netted him great friends, ones who would weep at the thought of never seeing him again, the kind of friends we want to be and have.

 

Next Dona spoke to us about tea time being a time of making friends -- uninterrupted time, filled with leisurely conversations and really great food!  

Each table had its own (designated by the ribbon on the cup) "Tea Mum", who would pour for the others during the course of the day, or designate another to pour, if she desired.  Below is Colleen Grable serving Leslie Ferrell (L) and Carol Badali (R).

  

Each new food offering was served by Niki Loope (right) and her friend Melayna (left).

 ~Scones, Tomato Bisque, Salad and Fruit, Sandwiches ~

The pairings were an incredible treat to the palate
and a feast for the eyes too.  

                                                                           

The Tea itself was designed with a fixed menu, where each one attending would bring a specific item, following a specific recipe.    

Hats off to all who contributed!  

Speaking of hats...

 

How Do Believers Receive Criticism?

I was reading a blog by Brain Croft this morning. It is primarily directed toward pastors but, after reading it twice, I realized it had profound implications for all of us as believers. Brain uses a prayer from "The Valley of Vision" to give us sage counsel on the godly way to receive critique, even when it's harsh. So, as you read Brian's posting below, set aside the labels that pertain to pastors and insert a label that says "me". Hope it blesses you like it did me- jk 

A helpful way to understand some of the pressures of

pastoral ministry is the term “mudslinging.”  This is referring to what can be a consistent flow of harsh words, corrections, and criticisms towards the pastor and his decisions.  When there is mud slung, there is the one that slings the mud and there is the one who now has mud on his face as a result.  How does a pastor deal with not just the mud that is now on his face, but the one who threw the mud?  This could be the topic of many posts in the future.  For now, I would like to leave you with a simple word from the Valley of Vision I read this week.  It did not have pastors in view, but all Christians and how God would seem to want each of us to respond when corrected.  No doubt, it hits the mark in how we as pastors should begin to humbly process what can be an avalanche of criticism.  Pastors, read and consider its application in the criticisms of your life and ministry you face and be helped:

Teach me how to take reproofs from friends,

even though I think I do not deserve them;

Use them to make me tenderly afraid of sin,

more jealous over myself,

more concerned to keep heart and life unblameable;

Cause them to help me reflect on my want of spirituality,

to abhor myself,

to look upon myself as unworthy,

and make them beneficial to my soul.

May all thy people know how little, mean, and vile I am,

that they may see I am nothing,

less than nothing,

to be accounted nothing,

that so they may pray for me aright,

and have not the least dependence upon me…

My God use whatever harsh, painful words might be spoken to us this week to make us tenderly afraid of sin and more concerned to live a blameless life, all the while looking to the cross where Jesus Christ alone is our redemption, sanctification, and righteousness.

Kinsman Redeemer

Kelly, my wife, wrote this song about 5 years ago. She sang it at the end of the sermon today. It was a beautiful coda to a beautiful story about the love Boaz had for Ruth and how that was a shadow of the love Christ has for us.

KINSMAN REDEEMER

When I see You through my tears

When I reach out through my fears

            

I will lie down at Your feet

                     

Kinsman Redeemer

               

     I will seek You in the night

              

     For I long to see the Light

     Only You can change my heartache into gain,

     Only You can make my heart to sing again.

Bring me Life      

Remove this pain      

           

Fill this heart beyond the sorrows it contains

Be my Hope

Renew my Joy

‘Cause with You my life is so much sweeter

You are strong when I am weaker

Cover me and I will bear Your name

   

I turn to You my Comforter and King.