Going through scraps of paper in my giant pile, I found something I wrote down while talking with a pastor friend from Ohio.
"The Text has given prominence to an Idea."
Thinking about preaching the Word of God, this is the task of study: What is the text saying about the idea contained there?
It is easy to read all kinds of things into Bible texts. We can use texts to prove things that they were never intended to say. The task of preaching is to find the author's emphasis in the text, expose those ideas to God's people in a way that connects to them and their lives, and show them how they apply in real life.
This is the question I try to ask myself every week: Am I making these points because I want to seem brilliant or creative or to wow my audience, or... is this what the authors (God, and the human author, working by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) intended to say here?
The Scripture is unique, and yet like other books. It is unique in that it is the sword of the Spirit, the very living and active Word of God which accomplishes God's will and desire in the world. On the flip side, it is very much a book, with syntax and grammar and authorial intent. We can never say that the bible means something other than what it meant when it was written.
(Of course, prophecy can be produced to prove this point otherwise, but the exception proves the rule.)
The Text has given prominence to an Idea.
In God's strength I pray I never bring His people anything but that.
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7 comments:
"We can never say that the bible means something other than what it meant when it was written."
That statement is so true!! I think to often we try to make scripture "fit" instead of looking and study the culture in which the text was written. Of course, the bible is relevant to us but it is imperative to understand the text and whom it was written to! Great Post!
I agree with you, lovecoachjoe. One thing I loved finding out in seminary was that there was a process (we called it the sweet sixteen) to studying a text. Asking questions, analyzing details, looking for cultural and religious ideas... and once that was done... you could truly say you had a stake in the text... you knew what it said, and only then did you open commentaries... It unravels a problem that I think fills the contemporary church (evangelical and others) running from pastor to pastor or radio star to radio star and relying on their interpretations to create your own theology. I love John Piper and John MacArthur... but I love knowing that I can disagree once I've done my study.
Knowing the text = freedom.
It is scary for me to watch people rely on the words of their pastor as truth. "He says it must be true!" Some how men and women have stopped studying the bible on there own digging deep into to understand the text. Not that their pastor is wrong but maybe if you take time to understand the text on your own it will begin to make more sense to you. My mother is a great example. She knows her beliefs but she can never tell you why she believes what she does. It is simply what she has been taught!
It is so important for people to dig into the scriptures on their own to see what the holy spirit is looking to tell them or teach them!
Prophesy doesn't change the rule regarding the original intent of the author. As you pointed out, each text has two authors. One of the Authors had that prophetic intent all along.
:)
I agree with that mike... I guess that's the follow-up statement that just wouldn't come to my mind.
Agreed.
Dude, you are the man. your pastoral blog is hitting great subjects. I pray your folks truly enjoy it!
Hey PastaKeith,
Love the Jersey flair. Anyway, I agree with all you said here, but do you ever read the Bible, just to read and get something from God (no presupposed direction, just wanting to hear Him say something to you for you) and have something just pop out at you?
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