God’s word and the challenge of culture. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:21 If youve spent a lot of your life reading the Bible, as I have, you might forget that it wasnt written directly for todays world. It can seem so familiar that we overlook ways in which the world of Scripture is not like our own. But, if youre relatively new to the Bible, sometimes it can sound like it was written a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away Well, okay, Scripture isnt always quite as foreign as Star Wars, but certain passages give George Lucas a run for his money. Have you read Revelation recently? The fact is that God has chosen to make himself and his will known in the languages, beliefs, practices, and values of particular cultures. This is true of Gods self-revelation in Scripture, which comes through the writings of dozens of people representing various cultures and spanning many centuries. It is also true of Gods ultimate revelation in Jesus, the Word of God Incarnate, who came at a particular time in a particular place to a particular people, through whom he intended to save the whole world. The good news of Gods communicating within cultures is that we human beings can understand what God is saying to us, because we cannot stand outside of human culture. The words we use, the ways we think, the things we do, the assumptions we make, all of these and so much more reflect our own cultures. So, its good that God speaks within culture, in words and ways that we can understand. The bad news is that we can easily become confused by what God meant to say in a given culture that is not our own, as well as by what God means to say today. For example, when Ephesians 6:5 tells slaves to obey their earthly masters, rather than saying slavery is an abomination contradictory to Gods intentions for humanity, is this telling us that God approves of slavery? Or is God speaking into a particular cultural setting, assuming the existence of slavery without endorsing it, and helping slaves in that culture shape their lives in a sinful world according to the gospel? Well consider these questions when we get to the passage on slavery. For now, I simply want to acknowledge the reality of the cultural challenge we face, something well feel more acutely as we work through the household code material in Ephesians. Yet, I want to underscore the amazing truth that God seeks to communicate with us and to reveal himself to us. He gives us Scripture as the core of his revelation. He also gives us resources to help us understand what Scripture means: scholarly experts in languages and cultures, traditions of Christian interpretation, and communities of discernment and discovery. Though his communication within cultures makes things both easy and hard, God has also given us something invaluable that transcends culture. More accurately, God has given us Someone who transcends culture, namely, the Holy Spirit, the third member of the Trinity. Remember what Jesus said, But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth (John 16:13). Gods Spirit will help us to grasp the truth revealed in his written Word. This is not just good news; its great news. And it encourages us to seek Gods guidance through the Spirit as we come humbly before his Word. QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: While you were reading the Bible, have you ever felt like it came from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away? When? How did you feel? What did you do? What has helped you to understand biblical passages that are difficult?
Posted on: Tue, 28 Oct 2014 08:52:30 +0000
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