"“Then He said to them, “O foolish ones and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken”.........And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself......their eyes were opened and they knew Him....they said to one another, “Did not our hearts burn within us .....while He opened the Scriptures to us” (Luke 24:25-32)
Have you wondered how is it people who read the same Bible and believe in it just as fervently, understand it differently? Ever been baffled by two people who profess to believe in only the Bible, yet hold different views on the same scriptural subject? Welcome to the Christian Information Age!
THANK GOD FOR THE EVANGELICALS!
The Information Age actually happened to the Christian world during the time of the reformers in the 16th century. This was when Christians were encouraged to search and experience the full light of Scripture for themselves. In the 20th century, the evangelical community (which I wholeheartedly identify with) was the standard-bearer upholding the Information Age of Biblical primacy and Christ-centredness for the ordinary believer. Going back to the Bible has helped the church to understand its roots of faith and enabled believers to live according to truth, rather than tradition. Yet, over the years, great divides and debates have begin to plague even Bible-upholding saints.
BUT WHY ARE WE A DIVIDED HOUSE?
Notice the arguments about End-times (pre-millennialism versus ammillenilism), Holy Spirit (speaking in tongues versus the work of the Spirit), salvation (Arminism versus Calvinism), Trinity (Unitarian versus Trinitarian), God’s view of Israel and the church (Dispensationalism versus Covenantalism). If the Bible was meant to inform us about God, why is it many of us Bible adherents are informed differently?
Like the disciples of Jesus on the road to Emmaus, we can only fully unravel the Scriptures when we are in His presence. Without the encounter with Jesus, I am certain that no amount of hermeneutics applied to the Old Testament would have enabled anyone to view the Scriptures Jesus quoted to the Emmaus disciples as referring to His crucifixion and resurrection. In any case, the disciples at Emmaus were ‘too slow of heart’ to unearth hidden treasures within the Scripture. In short, it required a burning intimacy with God to melt our heart condition and mend our mental capacity to understand Scripture. Too many of us are carrying the weight of our personal circumstances, theological biases and character flaws when we interpret Scripture.
AN APPRENTICE DEPENDS ON THE MASTER, NOT HIS TOOLS!
Don’t get me wrong. I am not disputing the primacy of Scripture. I am not saying let’s allow a free-for-all “anything goes” private interpretation of the Bible. I am not saying let’s throw away all the carefully-evaluated Bible study tools and methods which Bible-believing scholars have given us. I am merely saying an apprentice workman must depend on His Master and not the tools alone. Otherwise, we are in danger of being trapped in Pharisaic religiosity.
BURY YOURSELF IN HIS BOSOM
In the 21st century, we will not be able settle all our theological disputes or state definitive answers on burning Biblical issues and become more united. The church will only close ranks by knowing Him more intimately. The church will become more attractive to spiritual seekers of the world when it helps people to be buried in His loving bosom and not in a book. The church will mature when we allow Him to shed light on His Word in intimate ways.
Spiritual intimacy and not theological agreement will become the basis of unity and growth. Jesus is seeking an intimate Bride not merely an informed one.
|
