The Unimportant Stuff in the Bible (Do We Have a Canon Within
the Canon?) by David McClister
(Reprinted from The Palmetto Reminder, http://palmettochurchofchrist.org/)
There is within some religious groups a doctrine that is described
as "the canon within the canon." If that phrase is unfamiliar
to you, allow me to explain. The collection of Biblical books
is called the canon. To have a canon within the canon means to
have a group of books within the Bible (within the larger canon
that we call the Bible) that are deemed truly essential, and the
others are not. Actually the Sadducees of New Testament times
took this approach to Scripture, for they believed that only the
books of Moses were authoritative. Some religious groups today
also believe that some parts of the Bible are more important than
other parts. Perhaps the most well-known example of this approach
is within the Lutheran Church. One Lutheran theologian puts it
this way:
Another key . . . is Luther's notion of the "canon within the canon" - that certain biblical books are more important than others. These books take us to the central message - "drive us to Christ," as he often said. Luther's list included the Gospel of John; Paul's letters to the Romans, Galatians and Ephesians; 1 Peter; and 1 John.
Luther has often been criticized for his impudence in declaring some Bible books more important than others. Perhaps he is more honest than his critics, for it seems most churches have a "canon within the canon" whether or not they use the term. Some evangelicals certainly make inordinate use of Daniel and Revelation. Some churches emphasize the teachings of Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount. But Luther's willingness to make distinctions about the importance of the various books sets us free to read the Bible as instructive in every part, but not with every verse and every book as important as all the others. (Timothy F. Lull, http://www.thelutheran.org/0301/page6.html)
I am one of those who would say that Luther was impudent for declaring some Biblical books more important than others. It is downright arrogant of anyone to judge any part of God's word as being insignificant. Who are we to criticize God's book? How are we possibly in a position to say that this or that part of the Bible is more important than some other part? Do we know things better than God? Do we see the plan of God better than God? If not, then how could we dare to say that God gave us unimportant information? Will anyone dare stand before God on judgment day and try to defend themselves by saying "God, that part of your word was just not important"?
My fear sometimes, however, is that we have done exactly what the Lutherans have done, except we have not done it formally or explicitly. Yet by the way we treat the Bible, are we not ourselves sometimes guilty of thinking that some parts of the Bible just are not that important after all? I believe that Mr. Lull is correct when he says "most churches have a "canon within the canon" whether or not they use the term." The question is, are we like that too?
Have you ever heard (with approval) someone dismiss a Bible passage as teaching something that is not essential for salvation? Have you ever commented on a Bible passage to the effect that it is just some historical detail that really does not make much difference practically? Have you ever skipped past a Bible passage (or an entire book of the Bible) because it did not contain much "practical" teaching (i.e., in your opinion), or maybe just because it was in the Old Testament? Then maybe you too have succumbed to the idea that some parts of the Bible that are indeed "unimportant."
Every part of the Bible is important. Every detail is there for a purpose, every word contributes something to the entire picture. There is no "filler" in God's story, no insignificant information, no useless or trivial details, and no unimportant stuff. Yet how often do we find ourselves criticizing the Bible, relegating certain passages or entire Biblical books to the "not important" list and concentrating only on those parts that we judge to be important? How often do we dismiss hard questions and difficult passages by saying "that's not essential for salvation anyway"? How often do we skip past pages of our Bibles with the assumption that "it doesn't apply to me today"?
I will also be the first to acknowledge that there are many places in the Bible where we do not have as much information about an event as we might like, and we are left wondering certain things. I would further admit that it is often useless to speculate very far about such matters. Some questions we can ask about Biblical stories cannot be answered with certainty simply because the Bible itself does not present enough information for a definitive answer. What kind of vow had Paul taken in Acts 18:18? What do angels do? Exactly what happened in the battle between Israel and the Canaanites in Judges 4-5? Who was the Egyptian Pharaoh at the time of the Exodus? There are a few places where statements are not as clear as we might like. What did Paul mean when he said it is better to marry than "to burn" (1 Cor 7:9)? What did Paul mean when he said women shall be saved through childbearing (1 Tim 2:15)? What was the spiritual gift of faith (1 Cor 12:9)? We do not have as much information about some Biblical places as we would like, which makes it difficult (sometimes impossible) to trace the journeys mentioned in the Bible. Where was Bethany beyond the Jordan? Where was Ai? Where was Pithom?
However - and this is vital to understand - just because we cannot satisfy our curiosity about such things does not mean those things are unimportant! Just because we run into a dead end in our search for some answers does not mean that the information we do have is insignificant. It means, instead, that our line of inquiry is unimportant and that we should let what the Bible does say guide our study. Or it may simply mean that we have to dig a little deeper into that passage in order to understand it (for why should we say something is unimportant just because we do not readily understand it?).
Now some may argue that Jesus himself made the same kind of distinction between "more important" and "less important." For example, Jesus spoke about the weightier matters of the law in Matt 23:23 in contrast to the attention the Pharisees had paid to matters such as tithing. Also, Jesus allowed his disciples to pluck grain on the Sabbath on the principle that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath, and cited the case where David and his men ate consecrated bread when they were hungry, showing that some concerns are more important than others (Mark 2:27). Another example would be Saul's famous rebuke to Samuel, where he said "to obey is better than sacrifice" (1 Sam 15:22).
But this argument is misleading. Jesus never said that some parts, passages or books in the Bible are more important than others. What he did teach is that some of God's laws and demands are more fundamental than others. For example, Jesus plainly and unhesitatingly said that the greatest command in the law was to love God and to love others as oneself (Matt 22:36-40). That is the most basic and fundamental demand. Everything else is based on that; every other command finds its significance and context in that "first" one. But that is a far cry from saying that rest of the law is not important! Similarly, when Samuel told Saul "to obey is better than sacrifice," he was not thereby telling Saul that sacrifice was unimportant. Samuel was correcting Saul's errant claim that God would not be unhappy with his disobedience because of the sacrifices he would offer. Samuel was saying that sacrifice is no substitute for obedience. He was not saying that sacrifice is unimportant.
The entire Bible is important. Yes, certain parts are fundamental and basic to the other parts, but this does not thereby make those other parts unimportant. All of it is important, each piece in its own context. Our responsibility is to take in the whole counsel of God, keep each piece in its proper place, and regard none of it as unimportant.
A Sore Thumb by Greg Gwinn (Selected from The Beacon)
A familiar expression describes something that "sticks out
like a sore thumb." The origin of that phrase is easily understood
by anyone who ever had one! Everything you do, everywhere you
go, the sore thumb seems to be the first thing that gets hit,
smashed, jabbed or pinched - it really sticks out!
Sometimes we develop a spiritual "sore thumb." We get
upset or agitated at someone or something. It could be the preacher,
the elders, or any member of the church. It might be a lesson
that was taught, a sermon that was preached, or just something
said in a casual conversation. Very often, though, it relates
to some problem in our own life that we haven't dealt with and
are feeling guilty about.
Whatever the cause, this "sore thumb" tends to "stick
out." And, when it does, we are extra sensitive. Everything
that is said and everything that is done seems to be directed
toward us. We imagine that the preacher is preaching "right
at us," or that the lesson was intended only for our ears.
We take offense at the slightest things - things that are more
imagined than real. You see, the problem is with US. Our "sore
thumb" is sticking out!
The best way to deal with this problem is to attack it at the
source. If we really think that someone has wronged us or slighted
us, we need to go to them (Matt 18:15). When we do this, we most
often find that there has been a simple misunderstanding. Where
real differences do exist, this approach will help find a speedy
reconciliation. However, if the real problem is our own guilty
conscience, we need to repent and get past it.
Sore thumbs need medicine and prompt attention. Without this,
they grow more and more sensitive. Our spiritual "sore thumbs"
need treatment, too. Without it they only get worse and worse.
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MONTHLY BIBLE READING: Lessons from the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 5-7
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