1 Corinthians 2
William Willimon is a professor at Duke
University and Dean of the Chapel. In his book Shaped by the Bible he talks about the Bible belonging to God’s
people and the God’s people belonging to the Bible. He argues against the idea
that there is a proper rational or objective reading of the Scriptures. Indeed,
the idea that the Bible can be properly read by human reason – fallen into sin
as it is – is itself a belief that runs contrary to the Christian faith. The
only way to rightly read God’s Word is as a Christian. The only way to be a
Christian is to be mastered by God’s Word.
Perhaps that sounds a little strange,
but St. Paul agrees with him. He says, “The natural person does not accept the
things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand
them because they are spiritually discerned.” Translation: the only way to understand God’s Word is by
the work of the Holy Spirit who calls, gathers, and enlightens the Christian. The
only way to be a Christian is to be called, gathered, and enlightened by the
Holy Spirit, for faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ. (Romans
10:17)
So let me ask: Why can’t the world have been created in six,
twenty-four hour, days? Why could there not have been a world-wide flood? Who
says that Jonah could not have been swallowed by a great fish? Why do people
reject Jesus’ miracles, sacrifice, and resurrection while they “love” His
teaching and social mores? What about hot political items like gay marriage,
women’s ordination, and abortion?
The reason these are issues is because
someone (or a bunch of “someones”) looked at them and said, “These don’t make
sense.” Or perhaps, “This doesn’t match
with the evidence!” which means, “This doesn’t match with my interpretation of
the evidence.” At some point enough
people bought into the idea that the Christian faith had to make sense … that
is, it had to be rational, and people judged what could or could not be true in
God’s Word … and we Christians bought it.
“But we have the mind of Christ,” Paul
reminds us. We are the ones with the key to understand God’s Word. He has had
mercy on us to give us His understanding! What a gift! Now we can read it,
believe it, and share it, because God’s Word owns us, and we own God’s Word.
Lord, let me understand Your Word and share
it with others. Amen.
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