QUESTIONS OF LIFE: University Student Interview on Comparative Religions
One Sunday, a student from Simon Fraser University dropped into my life asking politely if she could interview me as a Pastor about 'Christianity' for a course on Comparative Religions...
What would you say?
Well, I didn't know what I was in for: The list she came back was as long as my arm (25!), so I'm going to post these thought-provoking questions - along with a humble attempt at some answers.
I'm adding Q's as I update this blog, so check back. DON'T FORGET TO TAKE THE POLL (left).
I am curious to know which topics connect with you. ...We can build on them.
NOTE: Happy to say we are friends to this day. (What have you gained in winning an argument if you make an enemy??)
1. How long have you been a minister? At Steveston Christian Church?
I’ve been in ministry for about 15 years, this being my 7th year at SCC (at that time).
2. What made you take up this occupation/calling? Have you ever doubted this choice?
I really sensed God’s calling to be a minister -- that this was His will for my life, and that I couldn’t do anything else and be truly satisfied (…I tried).
I have occasionally doubted my ability to meet some challenges! But God keeps confirming this call over the years in my life, and demonstrating in gracious and humbling ways that His strength is perfect in my weakness.
3. What was your upbringing? Was it religious?
Yes. I was raised as a Christian and the family attended church consistently (which I didn’t always appreciate in my youth).
4. What kind of training is involved for acceptance into this position?
Generally you need a Bachelor’s degree in Theology at least plus a licensing period of three years to be officially ordained. I have continued on with a Master’s degree in Theology at UBC (Regent College).
5. Do you find that young people are still involved in this tradition?
That is the most exciting part! Youth are absolutely a vital part of the church’s future. We just had a BC youth convention that filled the arena in Kamloops last month with thousands of joyful young Christians. And there are more people under 20 in our church than any other age group. It is so energizing.
6. Is there any tension between generations on particular issues? If so, which ones?
I think music is often the greatest source of friction in the church, because style is such a personal preference (i.e., organ or guitar). Dress might be another one, but not for us really. We have a marvelous sense of inter-generational connectedness in our church, which I believe is so important for community.
7. What do you predict for the future of your community? What challenges will it face and how will it evolve to overcome them?
Steveston will continue to have growing pains as more and more people move into the area. It used to feel a lot more like Ladner, but it is getting hard to distinguish it from the rest of busy Richmond. Many older buildings have been cleared – and with that have gone the visual markers of our past. So there is a bit of an identity crisis happening for Steveston, yet there is a determination to preserve the sense of close community and to remember the heritage of this fishing village. We love our community events (like Salmon Fest) and our community spaces (like Garry Point).
8. What do you think is your role in the spiritual lives of others?
I think of how pastoring used to be described centuries ago – as helping prepare people for a good death. That sure puts how you live into perspective! I am quite busy in the oversight I give to the church activities, but I essentially see my role as calling people’s attention back to God and to an eternal perspective. The term ‘pastor’ literally means shepherd. To me that has very warm, personal connotations of coming alongside in the journey and being a spiritual guide in the daily walk of life, through it all.
9. What is the essential message of your religion for people today?
The very name ‘Jesus’ means ‘God to the rescue’! That says it well. The message of the Gospels in the New Testament is that God, in the person of Jesus Christ, fulfilled the whole of ancient prophecy (over 300 separate prophecies! – it is unparalleled in the literature of the whole world where the prophecies made centuries before hand in a holy book were fulfilled in a historical person in this way) by stepping into the human scene of hurt and chaos to show us who He is and how to find our way to abundant life.
The person and the claims of Jesus are central to the Christian message. Who did Jesus say He was? What is the evidence to support His unique claims of being ‘the Son of God’ and ‘the Son of Man’ …the God-Man? [This is something I would encourage every person to fully investigate for themselves. It is always surprising to me when I am asked to speak at a Comparative Religions class, for example, how few people have ever even read the Gospel accounts of the life of Christ – and that this is not basic, required reading for such a class!]
10. What are the major steps to salvation and personal growth?
Through scripture (see for example Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3-6) we understand that God has done the work of salvation and our primary step is one of faith-response: Trusting in the rescue plan which Jesus has made through his sacrificial death on the cross, and believing that He rose from the dead – this becomes our great hope too of eternal life because He has made a way to bridge the gulf of sin that separates fallen man from God (who is holy). Nothing in our own efforts can be enough to make this broken relationship right between the Creator and His creation; but Jesus Christ’s atoning death and victorious resurrection is God’s provision for us and we become adopted into the great family of God with full rights and privileges.
This gracious gift, and our need for it, has been described imaginatively by C.S. Lewis as a line-up of people on the coast with the goal of swimming to Hawaii. Some are in no shape at all for this (and wouldn’t get more than a few feet out), others are pretty good swimmers, and there might even be an Olympic swimmer (who could make it hundreds of miles if the currents were right perhaps). The point is that NO ONE can make it to Hawaii in his or her own efforts. What we really need, each one of us, is a life boat to get us there. Jesus provides the rescue, if we’ll receive it.
We do this basically by saying Help! Sorry! and Thanks! with a simple heart-felt prayer along these lines: ‘Jesus, I need you. I recognize and am sorry for the things I have done wrong in my life [taking a few moments to ask His forgiveness for anything particular on one’s conscience]. Please forgive me. I now turn from everything I know is wrong. Thank you that you died on the cross for me so that I could be forgiven and set free. Thank you that You offer me forgiveness and the gift of Your Spirit. I receive that gift – please come into my life by your Holy Spirit to be with me forever. Thank you, Lord Jesus. Amen.’
The great difference then comes between living a self-directed life or a God-directed life. In other words, choosing to stumble through life on my own and missing out on what I was made for, or living according to God’s (best) way for my life, and with His help becoming the kind of person I was meant to be.
11. What is the difference between Pentecostal and other denominations?
We hold firmly to the essential and historical truths which the Christian Church has always believed. Essentially there is no difference. Our distinctive might be best described as an emphasis on the personal filling and empowering Jesus promised by His Spirit to all His followers after His resurrection. This was realized in the early Church (Book of Acts) and we believe it continues today.
12. What does your faith think of the other religions out there? How does it explain it?
‘Religion’ may be best described as man reaching out to God -- and in such religious expressions there is much that is moral and good, true and worthy (as well as much that is not). Religion is often mixed with traditions of culture and faith; and respect is important if there is to be understanding and any kind of real interchange of ideas. Christians welcome this search for truth. But there is nothing to be found that is good and true which cannot be found in Christ. That is why He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). The heart of the Christian faith is not about man reaching up (religion), but about God reaching down (rescue).
The most articulate summary of this I’ve found comes in a probing little book by Micheal Green, You Must Be Joking – Popular Excuses for Avoiding Jesus Christ, pp.41-57.
None have arrived at God, both because He is too great for any of His creatures to reach Him; and because His creatures are too twisted, too self-centered to want to. The greatness of God and human sinfulness are two massive barriers to our supposing that all religions lead to God.
We do not need a religion but a revelation. And that is precisely what Christianity claims to be. A revelation from God. Unlike other holy books, the Bible does not pretend that we are seeking God; it tells about the God who comes in search of us.
There is only one hope, and that is the possibility of revelation. We cannot reach God - if there is a God, then He is the source both of ourselves and of our environment; He is the Lord over all human life - but there is no reason why He should not reach us.
Where else in the religions of the world do you hear of a God who undertakes salvation for His people by personally bearing responsibility for their wickedness, and allowing it to crush Him? But even that is not all. The God who has revealed Himself and rescued us has done it for a purpose. Amazingly, He wants to relate to us. That is where the resurrection comes in. He is no dead figure in a history book, two thousand years out of date. He is alive, and we can have dealings with Him. I have not found God. I could not if I wanted to, and I would not have wanted to anyway, so self-centered was I. But He has found me. He came to earth to reveal Himself to me. He died to remove the beastliness of my wrongdoing. He lives, and is at work changing my life from the inside. And all this I find to be very good news.
No other faith does anything remotely like this. No other faith claims to. Christianity is quite distinct from other religions. It is not a case of man in search of God, but of God in search of man. Not a religion at all, but a revelation and a rescue.
C.S. Lewis, one of the pre-eminent Christian thinkers of our day, observed how there is really no parallel in other religious leaders to what we find offered in Jesus Christ as the God-Man.
If you had gone to Buddha and asked him, 'Are you the son of Bramah?' he would have said, 'My son, you are still in the vale of illusion.'
If you had gone to Socrates and asked, 'Are you Zeus?' he would have laughed at you.
If you had gone to Mohammed and asked, 'Are you Allah?' he would first have rent his clothes and then cut your head off.
If you had asked Confucius, 'Are you Heaven?' I think he would probably have replied, 'Remarks which are not in accordance with nature are in bad taste.'
“The idea of a great moral teacher saying what Christ said is out of the question. We may note in passing that He was never regarded as a mere moral teacher. He did not produce that effect on any of the people who actually met Him. He produced mainly three effects - Hatred/Terror/Adoration. There was no trace of people expressing mild approval.”
C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock - Essays on Theology and Ethics. Chapter 19.
"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg - or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."
Lewis, Mere Christianity, Chapter 3, p. 42.
“We are faced then with a frightening alternative. The man we are talking about was (and is) just what He said or else a lunatic or something worse. Now it seems to me obvious that He was neither a lunatic nor a fiend; and consequently, however strange or terrifying or unlikely it may seem, I have to accept the view that He was and is God. God has landed on this enemy occupied world in human form.”
Lewis, Surprised by Joy
13. Please describe what it means to be a Christian.
Literally, it means to be a follower of Christ. To not only have a head-knowledge but a heart-trust; it is to experience life change and to live life in relationship with God.
14. How do you become part of the Christian community?
For us at Steveston, you really just come in as you are. It is pretty informal here; and that is intentional. Tradition isn’t necessarily bad, but it can become empty over time and a kind of barrier. We are trying to keep it real. There is an openness and acceptance of people being real, authentic – even if it’s about brokenness. God doesn’t want us to pretend things are OK when they aren’t. It’s a God-thing from there that moves people from seeking to finding, to belonging and involvement, and even ministry.
15. How would describe the way women are viewed in your faith? Are they equals? If not, why?
Absolutely, there is a great ‘equalizing’ that happens in the New Testament. Jesus was radically open is his ministry to women in a very closed culture. They were some of Jesus’ closest followers and scripture records with wonderful dignity how they were there at the cross and the tomb when all the men had fled. The apostle Paul in his letters to the early church often sends greetings to both men and men of in the churches whom he refers to as his co-workers for Christ. We are on very level footing when it comes to the Christian message. Certainly there are differences, but the differences are by God’s design and are complementary, and are to be celebrated.
16. What happens if you are not baptized?
Perhaps if a person isn’t baptized it is an indicator that not much is actually ‘happening’. We encourage it as a natural step of obedience which Jesus taught, as an outward expression of an inward experience. It doesn’t save – it is properly seen as a public witness of having been saved. The event of water baptism is symbolic of identifying with the death of Jesus and being raised up with Him in newness of life. It’s a time of great celebration and togetherness as a community.
17. Do you need to come to church to have a relationship with God? If so, why?
No. A prayer can be prayed anywhere. God is everywhere. On other hand, the current trend of trying to have an individualized faith isolates us in a way the Bible never intended. Our lives are supposed to connect. In fact there is so much in there about community AND faith, it isn’t really even possible to read the New Testament and try it live it out apart from the church community.
18. Why did the Lord create us? Why were we put on this earth when some would argue that we are slowing destroying it?
He created us to be in a free-will relationship with Him, or as the Westminster Cathechism says beautifully: ‘The chief purpose of man is know God and enjoy Him forever.’ To follow along the lines of the second part of your question, I think we can see from Adam originally that part of our place in creation is to care for and be in harmony with the rest of all that God created -- we still have that responsibility of stewardship on this planet (and I would argues especially as Christians). The essence of our human struggle comes down to choice and fallenness. We live in a broken world.
19. How do you explain evolution? Do you agree with this scientific approach?
I am not persuaded by macro-evolutional theories. It has been said that it takes more ‘faith’ to believe humans evolved from amoebas than it does to believe in creation! There are profound questions unanswered by the evolution theory, beginning, middle and end: Where did the first cells come from? (That ‘big bang’ – WHO pulled the trigger that started all this?) Along the way there are too many ‘missing links’ of evolution that are still missing. (Species adapt obviously, but where do we see in nature that they cross from one species to another?) On the other hand, everywhere we look there is such an incredible clarity of design, that we are inevitably left searching for purpose in this design. Evolution doesn’t answer any of the real questions of life. In the end, belief in a Creator is quite a natural response! The truth is that many of the greatest pioneers in the field of science believed in God and believed they were exploring His creation – it could be said that from the Christian perspective, science and theology are simply two different ways of exploring much the same thing. Albert Einstein, one of the greatest scientists said, “I want to know God’s thoughts – the rest are details.”
20. What happens when we die?
The Christian belief is that it’s not over when you’re 6 feet under. There is so much more to live for that just these few years on earth. The essence of who we are is spiritual, and physical death is not the end. Death is like a doorway, at once an exit and an entrance to a whole new beginning – which Jesus came to show us about. His resurrection from the dead as the God-Man showed us what it will be like, He pioneered the way and through His life we can truly live and have no fear of even death.
21. How would you, personally, see/describe heaven? Why?
First of all, it is mysterious and beyond mortal comprehension – we can only proceed very dimly on the limits of our earthly experience. I like how Jesus described it metaphorically: “In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am (John 14:2-3).” That’s exciting! Even more so, the last book of the Bible describes a spectacular vision of the heavenly city – but better than the city is this promise: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true’ (Revelation 21:3-5).”
Now we can only know in part – we can’t comprehend it all. But then we will know fully,
even as we are fully known (see 1 Corinthians 13:12).
22. What is the belief of the Devil? Where did he come from? Why is he evil? Why doesn’t God destroy him? How do we protect ourselves from him?
God is just, holy, omniscient, omnipotent, good and true. Compared to God’s greatness, the devil’s effort is only a weak and desperate rebellion. Satan is not an equal opposite; he is finite (not all-knowing or all-powerful) and a fallen creature, a victim of his own pride and lust for power. It means that there is a personal element behind the darkness we perceive in the world news, etc. -- it is his ‘dominion of darkness’. Some people have an unhealthy interest in all this, which is as much a mistake in the extreme as is a disbelief in the reality of the devil / satan (literally ‘the adversary’). The Bible teaches clearly of his existence as one who seeks to destroy and deceive – it also teaches how in this battle the follower of Jesus has been called out of darkness and transferred into His wonderful light, being given authority and having spiritual ‘armor’ we can put to stand against the devil’s schemes. The accomplishment of Jesus at the cross was triumph over evil – and final judgment is ultimately coming through Him. [Some key passages of scripture to consider are Matthew 4:1-11, 1 Peter 5:8-11, Ephesians 6:11-12, 2 Corinthians 10:4.]
It is important to realize that throughout the Bible (66 books actually) there is a ‘plot’, a continuing story line:
The Bible begins with God creating the heavens and the earth. Repeatedly throughout this comes the verdict is that it is all good. There is no sin and there is no suffering. The garden of Eden brings forth food without the sweat of toil being mixed into the earth. But the first human rebellion marks the onset of cycles of suffering, toil, pain, death -- we begin to read the endlessly haunting and pitiful refrain through Genesis, ‘then he died … then he died … then he died… then he died.’
The end of the Bible sees the ultimate reparation of the damage: ‘a new heaven and earth,’ ‘the home of righteousness’; ‘the dwelling of God is with men and He will live with them’. ‘They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.’ ‘Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.’
Between the beginning and the end of the Bible there is evil and there is suffering. The point to be observed is that, in this large-scale story line the two are profoundly related: evil is the primary cause of suffering; rebellion has been the root of pain; sin is the source of death.
[In the Western world the 20th C. began with a utopian optimism and self-confidence. We end it much more soberly – our resources are running out, our weapons of war are monstrous, the dictatorships of right and left have murdered millions, our century has been the host to two world wars and a lengthy cold one; massive famine on a scale unimaginable … and some at least have recognized that the root of the evil lies in us. The Bible itself insists very seriously on the evil of evil (Isaiah 5:20 - Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter). The ultimate measure of evil is the response of God; as the letter of Romans (1:18) reads, ‘The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.’ We are now all ‘by nature objects of wrath’ (Ephesians 2:3).]
The sovereign and utterly good God created a good universe. We human beings rebelled; theologian D.A. Carson explains that rebellion is now so much a part of our make-up that we are all enmeshed in it. Every scrap of suffering we face turns on this fact. The Bible itself centers on how God takes action to reverse these dreadful effects and their root cause, sin itself: apart from the cross, the resolution of God’s wrath, there is no hope for any of us.
On the whole, the biblical writers are not surprised by wickedness or the suffering it occasions, but by the Lord’s patience and forbearance. Again and again we are told the Lord is longsuffering, slow to anger, and very merciful. That God is here, and He’s on our side, actively seeking to help us in the way we most need help – this qualifies as great news!
If we were to grasp what our own rebellion rightly deserves, how God looks at our sin, then although not all our questions about evil and suffering were answered we would likely be able to face the hard times with less resentment and indignation, and with more gratitude and trust.
23. Why does a loving God allow suffrage among his children?
It’s not a perfect world. It is now a fallen place. Pain and loss is a reality of being on this planet which the Bible faces head on: There is no pretending that everything is ‘rosy’ for a Christian – in fact, it has a lot to say about the ‘thorns’. But God has not abandoned us after the Fall; everything about His ‘rescue mission’ with the coming of Jesus makes that so meaningful. Even the fact that He came and was born not in a royal palace, but a barn shows that He came not as an elite to be served, but to serve and be the friend to every lost soul. He stooped to enter into the human condition (Philippians 2:6-8). He understands the temptations and trials of this life fully, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). I find great comfort in that. What a great advocate we have. Along with millions of others, I can personally attest in the midst of sickness and suffering how God gives grace to His children in a wonderful way, right in the midst of trying circumstances with a peace ‘that transcends understanding’ (Philippians 4:6-7). And, as only God can do, He is able to work through even the hard things to bring good into our lives such as patience, perseverance, character, and hope which does not disappoint (Romans 5:3-4, see also 8:28).
I don’t want to over-simply the question. It is important, so maybe more elaboration is needed (not for the assignment perhaps, but for the sake of the issue).
C.S. Lewis has been popularly quoted as saying, Pain is the megaphone of God. But what does that mean? Not that God is shouting down to us ‘take that, and that!’ Here’s the full quote: “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” Lewis also wrote how, “We are not merely imperfect creatures who need to be improved; we are rebels who must lay down our arms.”
So the answer to why our cure should be painful is that to render back our will which we have so long claimed for our own, is in itself, wherever and however it is done, a grievous pain. The human spirit will not even begin surrender of self-will as long as all seems to be well with it. Now both error and sin have this property, that the deeper they are the less their victim suspects their existence; they are masked evil. Pain is unmasked, unmistakable … every man knows something is wrong when it hurts.
An earlier Christian writer (Richard Baxter) said, ‘Suffering so unbolts the door of our heart that the Word hath easier entrance.’ We can be so busy working, pursuing life, career, enjoyment that we drift from the centre of God’s will: from prayerfulness, hearing the Word, sorting our priorities with a God-consciousness. Pain can indeed come as God’s megaphone to an individual or even a nation, shaking our attention free from the kind of self-life that disowns God. In our response, frankly, we can be made better; or bitter.
Rightly accepted, pain can even be transforming. Sufferings, illness, bereavement actually shape us, temper us, mold us. We may not at all enjoy the process. But pain cleanses from self-centeredness, gives insight into the nature of this fallen world, prepares us for death, makes us mindful of the sufferings of Christ and others. If suffering unbolts the door of our heart to God, it also unbolts our heart to flow outward in emphatic love. [Isaiah. 66:13 ‘As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.’ 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 ‘… the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.’]
You do not have to serve as a pastor for many years before you try to find the people who can help others in grief; and they are almost always those who have grieved themselves. This means suffering includes the prospect of great fruitfulness.
C.S. Lewis continues on the idea: “I have seen great beauty of spirit in some who were great sufferers. I have seen men, for the most part, grow better and not worse with advancing years, and I have seen the last illness produce treasures of fortitude and meekness from most unpromising subjects.”
The Welsh hymn-writer and evangelist William Williams testified that he had gained on his death-bed more knowledge of himself, and more knowledge of the goodness of God, than during the previous forty years of his life.
When we feel we suffer unjustly we cry for justice, we get outraged at the injustice of life. But is ‘justice’ what we really want? If God had been ‘just’ with Jesus, He’d never have gone to that cross. And we’d still be lost in our sins. It’s all about amazing grace.
24. Is the Bible really reliable if the New Testament was written sixty years after Jesus’ death? Couldn’t some of the information have been lost or retold differently?
The biggest factor is first of all, the fact that we have eye-witnesses giving their accounts. So we are dealing with first hand information originally. The Christian faith is historical and credible - the evidence about Jesus, for example, on which Christian belief rests has been more carefully sifted than any other evidence in history and it stands strong.
The realm of textual-critical methodology (an area that is of personal interest to me) is important because when one considers the reliability of an ancient manuscript, we often are left with only copies of the original for comparison. It is analysis of these copies that can show us how reliable the end-product is. The degree of reliability would depend on the earliest copy available compared to when the work was written, and also the number of copies. Some of the best historical documents we have (which no one ever questions) are worth brining alongside the New Testament for comparison.
Ø The earliest copy of Heroditus is 900 AD (written 488-428 BC), a time lapse of 1300 years, and there are only 8 copies.
Ø Earliest copy of Tacitus is AD 1100 (written AD 100), a time lapse of 1000 years, only 20 copies.
Ø Earliest copy of Caesar’s Gaelic War is AD 900 (written 58-50 BC), a time lapse of 950 years, only 10 copies.
Ø Earliest copy of Livy’s Roman History is AD 900 (written 59 BC – AD 17), a time lapse of 900 years, only 20 copies.
Ø The New Testament earliest copy is AD 130, with full manuscripts AD 350, (written AD 40–100), a time lapse of only 30-310 years with over 5000 Greek copies, 10,000 Latin!
The interval then between the dates of original composition and the earliest extant evidence becomes so small as to be in fact negligible, and the last foundation for any doubt that the Scriptures have come down to us substantially as they were written has now been removed. Both the authenticity and the general integrity of the books may be regarded as finally established (F.F. Bruce).
F.J.A. Hort: In the variety and fullness of the evidence on which it rests, the text of the Bible stands absolutely and unapproachably alone among ancient prose writing.
25. Do you read the Bible verbatim or do you interpret it differently since it was written in a different time, culture, and language? How should one read the Bible?
This is a realm that is called ‘hermeneutics’ – the art of interpreting scripture.
First, what are we dealing with? Scripture is revelation from God concerning moral, spiritual, and eternal truths. It is not an encyclopedic compendium, handbook, or manual containing all knowledge. Some things are a matter of human learning and achievement, not a matter of divine revelation and inspiration. Thus, Scripture is absolutely authoritative for salvation and training in righteousness (matters of faith and practice) but not for other dimensions of human existence and conduct necessarily.
It is helpful to recognize that the interpretation of Scripture has both a divine dimension (revelation & inspiration, as just mentioned) and a human dimension (understanding and applying the given message). On the human side, at the root of the interpretive opinions, are things called “prejudices” and “presuppositions” which influence the interpreter.
A prejudice may be defined as an unreasonable bias; an opinion formed before the facts are known; a pre-judgment. A presupposition primarily relates to philosophical or sociological factors which affect the conclusions of the interpreter - similar to prejudices, presuppositions lead to surmise in advance of knowledge. Note: Prejudices and presuppositions are not wrong in themselves. In fact, they are quite inescapable. It is impossible to be completely neutral. Since prejudices and presuppositions are inevitable, they are also to be kept in their proper place--they make better servants than masters.
The interpreter must safeguard against the undue influence of prejudice by, first of all, being aware of the danger and, secondly, by staying flexible: What this means is that the interpreter must allow his own presuppositions to be modified or completely reshaped by the biblical text.
This process is called the Hermeneutical Cycle – in summary, it is a kind of dialogue where the interpreter brings his / her presuppositions to the text and the text in turn informs, challenges, and modifies those presuppositions. In other words, the interpreter gets into the Bible and the Bible get into the interpreter.
The Task of Interpretation: Some Key Questions
Typical observation-questions will help ensure correct interpretation:
· Ask WHO is speaking (and to whom). Who is this about? Who are the main characters?
· Ask WHAT is the subject or event. What is to be learned about the people / event / teaching given?
· Ask WHEN do the events occur? This can be key to determining the progression of events.
· Ask WHERE did or will this happen. Where was it said?
· Ask WHY something is being said or mentioned. Why at this time? Why this person?
· And ask HOW it will happen. How is it to be done? How is it illustrated?
And Some Key Tools for Bible Study
Some Christians have advocated that the task of interpretation can be pursued apart from the use of "human" tools for Bible study. This feeling may be based on some positive principles, such as the simplicity and clarity of the message of salvation, and the idea that Scripture interprets Scripture; but it may also be based on some negative attitudes of pride or elitism, anti-intellectualism, or intellectual laziness.
We must remember that revelation and inspiration occurred in the past in cultures different from our own. This gap between inspiration and interpretation can only be properly bridged by the use of Bible study helps. We are fortunate to have some excellent tools available.
- Essential is a good modern text translation. The Bible is our textbook, our source. Your likely problem of not being able to read the Bible in the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek is met by reading a translation. Therefore, a good reference Bible in modern English is an absolute must for the interpreter. (Be cautioned that, while a “Study Bible” offers handy cross-referencing and basic explanatory notes to illuminate frequently asked questions, each Study Bible will reflect the individual presuppositions of the editor. There is always the danger that the user may adopt these comments unconsciously and uncritically).
- A Bible Concordance enables the user to discover the different English words that translate the same Hebrew or Greek word, or you will discover the different words that lie behind one English word. With a concordance it is also possible to thoroughly trace the development of the biblical idea.
- Next to a good concordance, a good Bible Dictionary is the most basic tool for Bible study. For most readers, a one-volume dictionary is adequate to help identify any place, person, or thing which you read about but don't understand. It will also give an introduction and summary for every book of the Bible. As well, it will cover basic doctrine (such as creation, covenant, eschatology, sacrifice, sin, etc.) The best one-volume is probably The New Bible Dictionary, edited by James Douglas.
- The Bible Atlas makes vivid the history and geography of Bible lands. For example, tracing the migration of Abraham from Mesopotamia to Palestine to Egypt and back to Palestine, or following the Jesus’ ministry throughout Galilee / Judea, or observing the location of the seven churches of Revelations. (A good Bible atlas is the Macmillan Bible Atlas.)
26. What core values are associated with Pentecostal Christianity?
We have as our core values at SCC: 1) Love - Love for God, and a godly love for one another expressed in caring fellowship within the church and reaching out in compassion to the needs of the community; 2) Biblical Integrity - A commitment to God’s truth as revealed in Scripture, living it out in our lives; 3) Equipping - Learning and study, being equipped for life and equipped for service; 4) Growth –Healthy things grow! Growth in personal wholeness and quality of life, and quantitative growth in the church community.
Our purpose statement is: To know Him, to be Know by Him, and to make Him known.
Our Statement of Faith, in summary of historic creeds:
¨ The divine inspiration of the Bible, being entirely trustworthy as our all-sufficient, supremely authoritative source of faith and conduct.
¨ The Biblical self-revelation of the Godhead eternally existent in three persons: the Father to whom all things are subject, the eternal and only begotten Son, and the Holy Spirit our Comforter.
¨ The universal sinfulness and guilt of human nature from the fall, bringing everyone under God’s wrath and condemnation.
¨ The substitutionary sacrifice of the incarnate Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, as the sole means of redemption from the penalty and power of sin.
¨ The justification of the sinner by God’s grace through faith alone in the atoning merits of Christ crucified and risen from the dead.
¨ The present reality of God the Holy Spirit indwelling, illuminating, regenerating and sanctifying the believer. The expectation of the personal, visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to receive His own to Himself; the final judgement of the unbelieving; and the eternal blessedness of the redeemed. “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”
List of Sources
· Books available from Regent College at UBC (Bookstore or Library) or most Christian Bookstores
· For further study, a good place to start is with the first book or two under each of the following headings
Discovering God
Who is This Jesus? Michael Green. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1990.
Questions of Life. Nicky Gumble, Cook Publishers.
Knowing God. J. I. Packer. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1973.
Jesus Christ Our Lord. John F. Walvoord. Chicago: Moody Bible Institute, 1969.
The Cross of Christ. John R. W. Stott. Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1986.
Miracles. C. S. Lewis. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1960.
What’s So Amazing About Grace? Phillip Yancey. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997.
(Also by Yancey) Where is God When it Hurts?
The Problem of Pain. C. S. Lewis. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1962.
Christianity - How does it's message compare?
You Must be Joking! - Popular Excuses for Avoiding Jesus Christ. Michael Green. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1976.
(Also by Green) What is Christianity?; The Day Death Died.
Mere Christianity. C. S. Lewis. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1952.
Essential Christianity - A Handbook of Basic Christian Doctrines. Walter Martin.
Ventura: Regal Publications, 1980.
Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? - The Resurrection Debate between Gary Habermas and Antony Flew. Terry L. Miethe, ed. San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1987.
Evidence that Demands a Verdict - Historical Evidences for the Christian Faith. (Vol. 1.) Josh Mc Dowell. San Bernardino: Here's Life Publishers Inc., 1979.
The World's Religions. R. Pierce Beaver. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1982.
The Bible - What is it all about?
How to Read the Bible For All Its Worth. Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1982.
God Has Spoken. J. I. Packer. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1979.
The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? (Fifth Edition.) F. F. Bruce. Leicester: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990.
The Canon of Scripture. F. F. Bruce. Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1988.
Can I Trust the Bible? Howard F. Vos, ed. Chicago: Pyramid Publications Inc., 1963.
Revelation and the Bible. Carl F. Henry. Philadelphia: Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing, 1958.
The Expositor's Bible Commentary - Introductory Articles: General, Old Testament, New Testament. (Vol. 1.) Frank E. Gaebelein, ed. Grand Rapids: The Zondervan Corporation, 1979.
"Fundamentalism" and the Word of God. J. I. Packer. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985.
Handbook to the Bible. David and Pat Alexander, eds. Herts: Lion Publishing, 1973.
Western Civilization - Checking the Pulse
The Abolition of Man. C. S. Lewis. New York: Collier Books, 1947.
Against the Night - Living in the New Dark Ages. Charles Colson. Ann Arbor: Fellowship Publications, 1989.
The Christian Mind - How Should a Christian Think? Harry Blamires. Ann Arbor: Servant Books, 1963.
The Closing of the American Mind. Allan Bloom. New York: Simon & Schuster Inc., 1987.
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