Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

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Going against the flow

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Swimming UpstreamIn reading the book of Isaiah, I get the sense that with the advent of electronic media, we have improved the speed of communication but not the quality of the content. Solomon said that there is nothing new under the sun and this passage confirms it. Isaiah describes a nation that is in the midst of political turmoil. Sound familiar?

Here is the situation. The Kings of Samaria and Syria are threatening Jerusalem. The King of Judah is considering an appeal to Assyria for aid against these two kings. Isaiah speaks out against this proposed alliance and gets accused of treason.

Isaiah 8:12–15 (ESV)

12 “Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy, and do not fear what they fear, nor be in dread. 13 But the Lord of hosts, him you shall honor as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. 14 And he will become a sanctuary and a stone of offense and a rock of stumbling to both houses of Israel, a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many shall stumble on it. They shall fall and be broken; they shall be snared and taken.”

I would like to make a few observations on this text:

  • Speaking out against current political wisdom should not be viewed as conspiracy or treason. The error in that day, as is the error in our day, is to ignore God and rely on human wisdom. In current society, there is a drive toward eliminating any reference to God in public discourse.
  • The result of conventional wisdom is fear. A survey of political talk radio (left or right) in America demonstrates this. Both sides teach that if the other side gets or keeps power, certain destruction will result.
  • The faithful are not to give in to this fear or be in dread. God has not abandoned us or surrendered control.
  • If the faithful focus on God and are obedient to him, he will be our protection.
  • A majority of people in the culture will not understand this perspective and will view it as treason against the state.

The bottom line for me is that I choose to stay away from political speech that is designed to engender fear. My hope cannot be in the federal, state or local government. We cannot solve our problems without the help of God. We, as believers in the God of the Bible, need to be willing to stand firm and not give in to the fear that conventional wisdom engenders. We need to go against the flow.

I believe that the only thing that can save this nation from the death spiral that Rome and other great civilizations have experienced is a revival, a return to worship of the God of the Bible. The faithful need to place their hope in God alone and pray for revival or the speedy return of Jesus. I’m OK with either of these.

Maranatha

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Corrective Cultural Lens

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cultural lens I had the opportunity to listen to a podcast of an interview with Mark Eckel while driving to my first appointment this morning. You can find this podcast and other information about Mark Eckel by clicking on this link.

Of the many good things that Mark said, I was struck by one in particular. He mentioned in passing that Scripture is a lens by which we can view the world. I like that word picture.

As a result of the entry of sin into the world, we are out of harmony with God, our world, our fellow humans and ourselves. This brings about a skewed view of the world. We do not have the correct perspective to see things correctly. We need a corrective lens to see clearly. We have such a lens in Scripture.

It is as I interact with Scripture that I begin to see things clearly. Through the Bible, God reveals himself to me and as that relationship deepens, he uses Scripture to teach me about myself and my world. By increasing my understanding of Scripture, I am increasing true knowledge of myself and the world around me.

Without my eyeglasses, I cannot read what is on the computer screen as I write. Without Scripture, I cannot understand myself or my culture. I thank God and acknowledge my dependence upon both.

Cue Johnny Nash singing “I can see clearly now . . . .”

400 is Really Old

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400In reading New Year greetings, I was just reminded that the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible will celebrate its 400  years of publication in 2011. The KJV has been used by God to transform millions of lives. This is a noteworthy accomplishment and should be celebrated.

What I am not looking forward to is any resurgence of the “KJV Only” rhetoric that has plagued the Church since the American Standard Version was published in the early 1900’s.

I’m OK with someone who has a preference for the KJV. It was and is a beautiful translation. If you are encouraged in your relationship with God by reading the KJV, then please keep using it.

What I’m not OK with is those who make the claim that the newer translations are “perversions” of the Scripture and that the KJV is the only reliable translation into English. This is not true. Those that hold this view miss three important points.

First, language is not static, it changes and the English of 2011 is different than that of 1611. I grew up hearing and reading the KJV and yet, when I read it now, it is a little bit like reading a foreign language. In many places I have to do translation in my head because of the archaic terminology.

The newer translations use terminology and syntax which is in keeping with current English use. This makes Scripture accessible to a larger audience and is in keeping with the practice of the founders of the Church. Jesus used the language of his day to communicate with his audience. The New Testament was written in the Greek of the marketplace and not in Classic Greek that would be difficult for the readers to understand.

The second point that the KJV Only crowd misses is that since 1611, there have been many manuscripts found which provide additional evidence about what the original manuscripts contained. Since 1611, manuscripts going back to the 2nd Century have been found. The age of the manuscripts is important because the closer the copy is to the original in time, the less likely that error has crept in.

The third point is that the KJV Only crowd maligns the intent and character of the translators of the newer translations. One of the translators of the NASB was my professor years ago and I can vouch for his scholarship and character. These translations were done by people who love God and have spent a lifetime seeking to understand God’s word. Their intent is to accurately communicate God’s message to the people around them in language that they understand.

Enjoy your KJV if it is helpful to you and please allow the rest of us to enjoy our translation of preference. If you are still thinking about condemning the new translations, please remember what Jesus said about wineskins.

Church the way it used to be?

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Abandoned ChurchI recently had a road trip through the Bible belt and saw a billboard advertisement for a church that read, “Church the way it used to be . . .”

I think that I get what they are trying to convey, but I can’t say that I agree with it. My guess is that they are attempting to portray a place where the values and message are consistent with what could be expected decades ago in the average church.

The problem with this approach is that this church will be a safe haven for those who are fleeing other churches who have allowed change (good or bad) into their body. This will be a church that grows by defection rather than infection. In other words, growth will come from stealing sheep from other sheepfolds rather than by setting conditions for sheep to reproduce.

In Matthew 9:17 Jesus reminds us of the futility of trying to recycle wineskins. We should not seek to contain a fresh work of the Spirit in old forms and rituals.

If our church demographic looks much different than the demographic at the local mall, we should ask ourselves if we are missing something that God wants to do. I see weird (to me) hairdos, piercings, tattoos and various fashion statements on the young people at the mall. If this is a group of people for whom Jesus died, then it would stand to reason that if we are doing our job of making disciples, some of those pierced and tattooed people should be showing up on Sunday.

The point is not whether piercing or tattooing is a good idea, the point is that it’s already done for a lot of young people who Jesus loves just as much as the ones who have steered clear of these practices. My personal opinion on fashion choices has nothing to do with how these folks are to be received by me or by my church. God loves them the way they are.

As a band from the 70’s encouraged us, “don’t look back.” Even if we could, it would be foolish to try to recapture what was happening 5, 10 or 20 years ago. We must press on and be what God wants us to be . . . today.

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