What Does This Mean? By David McClister
(Reprinted from The Palmetto Reminder: http://www.palmettochurchofchrist.org)
The Bible is full of amazing stories of strange events. The events were so unusual that on several occasions the people who witnessed them found themselves grappling with the meaning and significance of what had happened. One such event happened on the day of Pentecost after Jesus' resurrection. The Holy Spirit came upon the apostles and they began to preach in languages native to their hearers, but which the apostles had not learned. This was such an unusual feat that it rightly caused wonder among those who heard it. Luke tells us "And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, 'What does this mean?'" Acts 2:12
We may ask this same question - "what does this mean?" - of the Bible as a whole. What is the signiificance of this ancient book full of amazing stories? What are we to make of it? Is it gibberish - as some of those on the day of Pentecost thought? Is it myth? Is it fiction? Is it profound?
One could make the case that the question of the meaning of the Bible has been the question of the human race for the last 1000 years or so. Notice the possible answers for this question.
1. It means nothing. This has become the conclusion of a great many people in the world concerning the Bible. For many people, the Bible means nothing. It has no significance; it is a relic of ancient Roman civilization. It is simply an ancient text like Homer's Iliad, but it does not address the mind or concerns of people today. It is a curious artifact, something about which historians may theorize, but it is not taken seriously.
This argument from the age of the Bible is presented often. The assumption is that something old cannot possibly be relevant to the new age in which we live. Times have changed, we are told, and life is different. To such a way of thinking it would make just as much sense to say that we ought to follow the religion of the ancient Egyptians or the ancient Greeks. But no one follows these religions, because we have made advancements in our thinking and understanding of the world around us. We entertain questions that did not even occur to the ancients, partly because our world is so different from theirs. Thus, we are told, the Bible is not relevant to us today.
This argument fails to make a crucial distinction between the truth of a document and the cultural context in which that truth is expressed. If something is absolutely true, its validity is not affected by the passing of time, the change of cultures, etc. While the way one expresses a truth may change with the changing of culture, the truth itself remains the same. 1 + 1 has equaled 2 for thousands of years. The fact that this truth is old, or has been expressed in different symbols in the past, has no impact upon its validity.
This does not prove that the Bible is meaningful, but it demonstrates that one cannot dismiss the possibility that the Bible has a meaning for us today simply because the Bible is an ancient book.
2. It has multiple meanings. This is the latest attack against the Bible and is the approach currently being advocated in our increasingly postmodern society. Postmodernists assert that no text has a meaning of its own, that a text only has the meaning that a society or culture gives to it. In such a worldview, meaning and truth are not in a text. They are instead in the society; the society in which we live creates or dictates what the truth is for that society. Texts are then read in such a way as to reflect what the society has already decreed to be the truth. In such a system truth is relative to society. One society may read the same text (such as the Bible) is a different way from another society.
There is, therefore, no absolute truth in such a way of thinking.
This is exactly the approach being taken in hundreds of religion courses in colleges all over this land today. The Bible is not read to find out what it means. Instead the Bible is presented as something that can mean whatever a particular group says it means for them.
Of course, a text that can mean several different - even conflicting
- things also means nothing at all. This appproach to the Bible
is therefore the same as approach #1 above. It comes to the same
conclusion in that it denies that the Bible has any inherent meaning
that should demand our attention today. It is different only in
that the postmodernists say that if the Bible means anything,
it means what we determine in our society.
Interestingly enough, this is also the same basic approach toward
the Bible in denominational circles, especially among those who
call themselves evangelicals. Evangelicalism advocates that many
different so-called Christian churches are all proclaiming "the
truth," yet those various churches teach conflicting doctrines
- all from the same Bible! The problem with denominational religion
is that it is asserting, in its own way, that the Bible really
means nothing in itself, that the Bible does not have an inherent
meaning. Denominationalism's vision of broad fellowship across
doctrinal lines practices the idea that the Bible has multiple
meanings and thus no meaning at all. There will be a large meeting
in Colorado this winter where evangelicals will meet to discuss
this very problem. It will be interesting to hear what they say.
3. It is the truth of God. There is only one way to make good sense out of what the Bible says and means: to take it at face value. The Bible claims to be the truth of God delivered once and for all ultimately through Jesus. As such it has an inherent meaning. Fanciful manipulations of the Bible to promote the biases or goals of one person or of a society do not change this. The Bible means what it means whether we accept it or not, whether we are honest with it or not, whether we have read it accurately or not. Yes, it was written in a cultural context that no longer exists, but this does not affect the truth of what we are told.
This is not, however, the most popular way to read the Bible, because when we read the Bible in this way it cuts through our lives and hearts (Heb 4:12) and condemns us and convicts us of sin against God. This produces a sense of guilt, which can be so uncomfortable that many people would rather try to find a way to discredit and ignore the Bible than take it seriously. This is not to say that everyone who has not yet come to take the Bible seriously does so out of selfish, evil motives. But it may well be that fear of facing the truth keeps many from taking the Bible more seriously.
If the Bible has an inherent meaning (which ultimately is something you decide to accept and believe), then it behooves us to read it and study it carefully to find and understand that meaning.
A Consuming Society by Jim Jonas (jjbogator@aol.com)
"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content" (1 Timothy 6:6-8).
Ephesus was "the chief commercial center of western Asia Minor" (cf. "Ephesus," International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. 2, pp. 115ff). Access to the sea, mountain passes, inland rivers and the temple of Diana all contributed to the city's financial vigor. Timothy was working in a bustling, wealthy metropolis not unlike those of twenty-first century America.
Having lived there himself for three years, Paul knew firsthand the dangers faced by the Ephesian brethren. He understood the empty promises of affluence, the anxieties of maintaining social and financial status, the covetous desire to accumulate. He perceived that "those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows" (1 Tim. 6:9-10). Paul thus writes to his young protege that he should "flee these things" and warn the rich to avoid the snares of materialism (1 Tim. 6:11, 17-19).
A consumer-oriented society is driven by a manufactured compulsion to buy. The consumer must be persuaded to part with his hard-earned money and purchase the goods being produced. How is this achieved? Primarily by fostering discontent in the consumer. We sell it, throw it away or donate it to charity so we can buy the newer, sleeker, faster, bigger or prettier one. Happiness is always just over the horizon, just one more L.L. Bean order away.
The tangible damage of rampant consumerism is evident: Mountainous debt, marital stress, decreased Lord's day contributions and neglected children to name a few. But beneath the surface lurks a psychological unease, a restlessness that cannot be calmed, a yearning that cannot be satisfied. The masses wander through shopping malls, cruise ships and cable channels in search "it"... without knowing what "it" really is. "It" is a shimmering mirage, like rippling heat waves on the highway. No matter how far or fast you drive, you never seem to catch up to them.
"It" is contentment, an inner peace that cannot be purchased with Visa or MasterCard. It is the knowledge that life is being lived in harmony with our Creator. It is the realization that the only treasure worthy of our supreme effort is that which can be stored up in heaven (Mt. 6:19-21). Such contentedness does not come naturally to most; it must be learned (Phil. 4:11). How well are you doing?
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Our weekly services are held at 1318 Griffin Road, Leesburg, Florida
34748.
Phone: (352) 365-9946 for times of services.
Web site: http://www.geocities.com/~cdillinger/cocbs/cocbshp.htm
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS
BIBLE INSIGHT is published for the members of, and
visitors to, the Church of Christ at Beverly Shores, Leesburg,
Florida, USA.
Carey Dillinger is the editor. He can be reached at the church
address or via e-mail: dillinc@yahoo.com