If there were ever a verse that should discourage people from becoming preachers, it is James 3:1, which reads “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.”  I can testify that most Sundays, there is truly a deep sense of responsibility (in my younger years I might even say dread) that comes with attempting to preach from God’s Word. This incredible book, that has been interpreted in so many ways over the centuries by people far wiser than me, holds the key to life for those who would hear and respond to it.  But what people hear will depend on what I say, how I interpret those sacred words.  And woe to me if I teach something contrary to what God intended.  Not many should presume to be teachers, indeed.

One of the worst things about the Internet is how it preserves forever the things that you have said and done.  I have been preaching at NewLife for over four years now, and when I look back at some of the sermons from my “early years,” I sometimes cringe at some of the things I said.  Of course, what’s worse is that I know this means that in four more years I’ll be looking back at the things I am preaching today, and I’ll more than likely be cringing at some of the things that I am saying right now!  The problem is, of course, that I don’t know what those things will be, or I would stop saying them!

Every Sunday morning, before the service begins, I spend time praying with a brother from our church.  And every Sunday, there are two verses that bring me great comfort and courage as I prepare.  The first is Isaiah 55:10-11, which is listed above.  God’s promise is that His word will not return to Him empty, but will accomplish what He desires and achieve the purpose for which He sent it.  This passage encourages me that if I will focus more on what God has said in the Bible and less on my own thoughts and opinions, I’ll be in good shape, because His Word will accomplish what He desires and achieve the purpose for which He sent it.

The second passage is 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, in which Paul writes, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  That passage is always a beautiful reminder to me of the paradox that is the Christian life.  When we have it all together, when life is perfect, when we know what we’re doing, is when we are actually the weakest spiritually, because we have no need for God.  But when we are suffering, when we are weak, when we are undergoing hardship and persecution, as long as we are depending on God’s grace, that is when we are actually our strongest.  When I get up to preach on a Sunday, in all my weakness, that is a beautiful thing to know.  Those two verses give me comfort that even though the responsibility of interpreting and preaching the Word of God should not be taken lightly, it should also not be avoided simply because of my weaknesses.

Beginning this month, I have challenged our church to make a greater effort to memorize Scripture, so that we might be people who are led and transformed by the truth of God’s Word.  This month’s verse is 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” which reminds us that the sins of past have been forgiven and that we now belong to Jesus and have His Holy Spirit giving us new spiritual life (among many other benefits of salvation).  However, as the above story reminds us, one of the greatest cautions with Scripture memory is the folly of taking verses out of context, so that they speak things which they were never intended to speak.  Certainly no one would read Matthew 27:5, “Then Judas went out and hanged himself,” and take that as a directive, but even the most mature Christians are guilty of doing similar things all the time with other verses.  It can be hard for even seasoned Christians to know sometimes whether the commands or promises of Scripture were meant for us, or only for the original readers. 

Consider two examples that attract a lot of attention in Christian circles.  The first comes from 2 Chronicles 7:14, which reads “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”  This verse is often used for large scale prayer and repentance gatherings:  it was the theme verse of the Promise Keepers million man gathering in Washington D.C., and has been used for the National Day of Prayer.  It is a stirring call to prayer and repentance, with the promise that God will then forgive sin and bring healing to the land.  But did God really intend for this promise to apply to 21st century America?  When you read the context of this verse, you find that God speaks this promise to Solomon after he finishes building the temple in Jerusalem.  In verse 13, God tells Solomon “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people” before giving the promise found in verse 14.  Now, I went to Washington D.C. for the Promise Keepers event, but I can’t say I remember any droughts, locusts, or plagues being the impetus for the call to repentance and prayer. 

Or, consider this example:  many Christians love Jeremiah 29:11, which reads “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”  Few Christians, however, can quote you the preceding verse, which reads “This is what the LORD says: ‘When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place.’”  , or verses 12-13, which read “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Once again, the context shows us that this promise was made to the people of Israel as they were in captivity, encouraging them that when their time of discipline was finished, and when they had again returned to seeking the Lord, then God would restore them to their homeland.  The verse is not just a blanket pronouncement that God has good plans in store for everyone, regardless of whether or not they seek the Lord.

Without getting into too much detail, since books have been written about the interpretation of Scripture, let me encourage you to do three things as you read and memorize Scripture:

(1) Read the verse in its context.  Be sure that it is truly saying what you think it is saying.  For example, one favorite verse of many people is Philippians 4:13, “I can do everything through him [Jesus] who gives me strength.”  Often this verse is used as a motivator for people to overcome fears and achieve great things (I’ve seen “Phil 4:13″ inscribed on the eye black of University of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, for instance).  In the context, Paul is telling the Philippians that he has learned to be content in every situation, whether he has plenty or is in poverty, because he knows that God will give him the strength he needs in each situation.  Whenever you are memorizing Scripture, be sure that you understand the purpose for which it was written by reading it in its context.

(2) Consider the audience for whom it was intended.  Was the verse directed to all believers?  Or was it a promise given to a specific person or people in a specific situation?  In the case of the Chronicles passage from above, the promise was given to Solomon about the people of Israel.  In the case of the Jeremiah passage, it was given to the Israelite people in captivity in Babylon about their return to Israel.

(3) Look for timeless principles.  Even if the promise or command was given to a particular people in a particular situation, that does not mean it is not valuable to memorize or not applicable to today.  With the Chronicles passage, the principle of repentance for wrongdoing and seeking God’s face for forgiveness and blessing applies not only to the ancient Israelites, but certainly to Americans today.  While I would be reluctant to take that promise word for word, since the promise was dealing with drought, locusts, and plagues, the timeless principle is that there is healing that occurs when we repent of sin and turn to faith in God.  And with the Jeremiah passage, although it was spoken to the Israelites, we have a similar promise in Romans 8:28:  “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  The timeless principle is that, even when we find ourselves in captivity, that God’s desire is to give us a future full of hope and blessing, if we would only turn to Him and seek Him.

In your desire to know God and His Word, be careful not to cherry-pick verses and, by doing so, develop a faith that is based on out-of-context verses that inspire or encourage you.  Learn what the verses really mean by reading them in context.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”   (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Like any discipline, Bible memorization is an activity that is not always enjoyable or easy.  But memorizing Scripture is crucial to going deeper in your relationship with Christ.  We can see from 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that knowing Scripture will help us to teach and train better so that we can serve the Lord better, being ready to do every work God has in store for us.  Knowing God’s Word is essential in spiritual warfare as well.  In Ephesians 6:10-17, the Lord has provided us with plenty of armor to protect ourselves from the enemy, but only one weapon:  the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.  We don’t need any other divine weapon.  No Golden Gun of God or Javelin of Jehovah, just the Word of God.  Once you wield the Sword of the Spirit, temptations are cut down, demons flee, and the prince of darkness himself is defeated.  The Word is so strong that even the enemy tries to use it against us with malicious intent to get us to fall.  Take, for instance, when Jesus is tempted by the devil in the desert (Luke 4:1-13).  Satan on his second temptation quotes Scripture in hopes that Jesus would buy into his lies.  Jesus counters this temptation (and the other two as well) with Scripture and with each swing of the Sword, Satan concedes and flees.  What is also important from this is that Jesus could have said ANYTHING and it would have been Scripture for us.  But instead, He chose to use existing Scripture as a model for us when we are tempted.  Memorizing Scripture will help sharpen our Sword so that we can use it to ward off the enemy. 

 So it is critical that we know the Word, not only because it is necessary for teaching and discipling others in the knowledge of Christ, but also because it helps us to grow in our own relationship with Jesus and to fight off the attacks and temptations from the enemy.
 
 In my life, Scripture is where I hear God speaking to me the most.  Whether it is helping me through a struggle, answering a question, or granting me wisdom, God speaks clearest to me through His Word.  I’m thankful for the opportunity to share some of my experiences and I pray that God may speak to you in memorizing any of these verses as He did with me. 

 Deuteronomy 31:6 – “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

This is the first verse that I ever memorized, and God spoke to me, saying that no matter what, through thick and thin, He will always be there.  That He is a valiant warrior who marches into battle right next to me and never leaves my side.  That God is a Warrior, and our General in battle.

 Galatians 5:13 – You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

The Lord spoke to me through this verse while I was living a hypocritical Christian lifestyle.  I was saved, but only walking in the Light part-time.  God revealed that I needed to serve Him better instead of using the gift of free will to satisfy the sinful desires of the flesh. 

 Romans 12:1 – Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

I had been fasting for a period of time and felt as if it meant nothing to God, nor was it accomplishing anything because I received no divine revelation.  God spoke to me with this verse telling me that the “mere” act of sacrificing my body was holy and pleasing enough for Him. 

 Colossians 3:12-13 - Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

I memorized this verse long before I heard what God was saying to me; although, I was probably intentionally ignoring Him.  He wanted me to forgive one of my best friends who stole over $600 from me and some other roommates.  I learned that I needed to love the sinner and not the sin.  That I needed forgive just as the Lord forgave me for every sin that I have done, am doing, and ever will do.  I forgave my friend, started to reconcile our friendship, and now we are back to being friends. 

 Jeremiah 17:7-8 – But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

God spoke to me here, telling me that this is the man that I should aspire to be.  To be a man who is committed to the Lord, who stays close to God and soaks up all the knowledge He provides, like a tree planted by a stream.  To be a man who does not fear when trials, temptation, or despair comes his way, but instead to always stand firm in the Lord, praise God, and produce fruit for the Kingdom.

 Philippians 4:8 – Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

God told me through this Scripture that in order to start behaving pure, I needed to start thinking only pure, holy, and Godly thoughts. 

 Hebrews 4:14-16 – Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

The Lord revealed to me here that He can relate to everything that we are going through.  It is so encouraging because He is able to sympathize with and understand everything happening in our lives.

 Micah 7:8 – Do not gloat over me, my enemy!  Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.

God taught me to not let the guilt of sin reign over me or to let it hinder me from serving His Kingdom.

 2 Corinthians 6:4-10 (Omitted due to length)

The Lord spoke to me here and reminded me that we are not called to live easy, comfortable lives.  Being a Christian will be tough and we will have to endure a lot of tribulations.  But even if we have nothing, we will always have the Lord, which is everything we need. 

 2 Timothy 1:7 – For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

God really encouraged me, telling me to be a bolder servant for Him and to be a better example of Christ, especially in front of my family and those who don’t believe in Jesus. 

 1 Corinthians 4:3-5- I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.

God is still working and revealing truths to me about this verse.  But what He has impressed upon me so far is that I should not care what the world thinks about me.  That I shouldn’t even consider what I think of myself!  But rather, all that matters is what God thinks of me.  For at His second coming, He is the one who will be our Judge and He will reveal the true motivations of our hearts. 

I know it takes a lot of self-discipline to memorize and, more importantly, retain Scripture.  It is definitely a challenge, but I have experienced the rewards and they are truly invaluable.  My relationship with the Lord has grown so much through memorizing His Word and sharpening my Sword.  I encourage you to take the challenge and start memorizing the Word of God. 

So… how’s your New Year’s Resolution going?  Still going strong?  If you’re anything like me, you know how difficult it can be to sustain any change, no matter how minor or important, for much longer than the time it takes to type this line.  On January 1st I find myself writing down all of the things that I want to do differently in 2010, on January 8th I’m still working on half of them, and by January 15th I’ve lost the list and can’t remember what it was I wanted to change in the first place!  Like most people, however, the more accountability I have, the more successful I will be.  If I try to go it alone, I am probably doomed, but if I go with others, I am more likely to make it. 

All of this is to first of all say a big CONGRATULATIONS! to all who began reading through the Bible in Two Years way back on January 1st, 2008, and made it to the end of the Bible last week!  Whether you chose to read just the New Testament, the Old Testament, or the entire Bible, great job to all who stuck with it, fell behind but caught back up, and didn’t give up along the way.  My journey was certainly challenging, but in the end I finished my readings on January 1st, 2010.  My goal, in order to raise the accountability factor, was to leave a comment every day on one of the passages on the Bible in Two Years webpage.  And I was successful at that for a long time – maybe fifteen months or so.  And then I began to fall behind… and then some more… and before I knew it I was over three months behind heading into December!  But I was able to catch up, and found that I really enjoyed reading some of the books all in one sitting as opposed to breaking them up over the course of a month. 

Now that we’re in 2010, we’re turning our focus as a church to a new discipline:  Scripture memorization.  Some of you love memorizing God’s Word; some of you struggle at it, but we all need to be challenged to hide His Word in our hearts for many reasons.  The first is that meditating on His word will transform our hearts and minds and make us more like Jesus.  The second reason is that it is His truth that sets us free from sin and slavery to the lies of the enemy, so that we truly know who we are in Christ.  The third is that His Word is the powerful sword of the Spirit with which we fight off Satan, our enemy, just as Jesus did when tempted in the wilderness in Luke 4.

Every month, I will give you a verse of the month and challenge you to memorize it and meditate on it, allowing it transform you by its power and truth.  I will also include three related verses for those who want more of a challenge, and a whole chapter for those really brave souls.  We will have memory aides for you available at church, and an insert in the bulletin with all of the verses printed out.  The last Sunday of every month in 2010, I will preach on the month’s memory verse, and there will be an opportunity for testimonies on what the particular verse means for you. 

The memory verse for January is 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 

The three related verses are:

Galatians 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Romans 8:1-2 – Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 12:2 – Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is– his good, pleasing and perfect will.
and chapter are included as an attachment to this email (or in the letter if you got this by mail).  The verses for this month highlight the transformation that occurs when we come to faith in Christ; our old self dies and we are given new spiritual life by God’s Holy Spirit, freeing us from the penalty and power of sin and giving us a desire for God, for His Word, and for fellowship with those who know Him.  As you meditate on these powerful verses, may you be set free from the lies of the enemy, and may your mind and heart be transformed by His transformative love for you!

The second reaction, however, is just as important:  how do we test ourselves?  How do we figure out whether or not our faith is genuine?  Is it because we go to church?  Because we do a lot of good things?  Because our parents are Christians, or because we grew up in the church?  Because we were baptized, or confirmed, or “prayed the sinner’s prayer”?  What evidence would you point to if you were asked to prove that your faith was real?

As you consider your answer, keep in mind these two challenging verses:

“You believe that there is one God. Good!  Even the demons believe that– and shudder.” (James 2:19)

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’”  (Matthew 7:21-23)

The first verse makes it clear that believing that Jesus is Lord and Savior, believing that God forgives, or believing anything else is true does not mean that you have saving faith.  All it does mean is that you are on par with the demons of Hell, for they also believe that there is a God and that Jesus is Lord.  So whatever saving faith is, we can be sure that it is not merely believing something is true.

The second verse makes it clear that there will be those who think they know God, who have even done great things in His name, like prophesying, driving out demons, and performing miracles, who in the end will hear those terrible words “I never knew you.  Away from me, you evildoers.”  If the first passage does not make you tremble, certainly the second one should, for it seems that not even calling Jesus Lord or doing great things in His name means that you have genuine, saving faith.

So how do you know you are saved?  How do you know your faith is genuine?  Are you sure that you know God, that when you die you will be in heaven? 

This Sunday, I am beginning a five week series called “Test Yourself” where I will try to answer that question Biblically.  We’ll be spending the majority of the time in 1 John, John’s first letter, which is full of “test questions” that help us discern whether or not our faith is genuine, saving faith.  As John writes near the end of his letter about the purpose of 1 John, “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13)  There is no more important question you could be asking yourself than that one – do I really have eternal life?  Or is my “faith” not the real thing at all?  I would encourage you to come this Sunday and find out.

As intimidating as it may be to think about reading through the Bible for some people, the harder challenge is actually living out what you have read.  After all, it’s one thing to have memorized Acts 20:35, where it says “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”  It’s another thing entirely to live as if that were the reality in your life, searching for ways to bless others and treating each opportunity to give as if you were the one getting something for free.  The truth is that many Christians don’t need to be taught more, but need to start putting into practice what they already know.   

However, knowing how to live out what you are reading, or even what parts of the Bible are meant for a 21st century American Christian to live out, is not so simple.  Pick any chapter of Leviticus with the goal of living out what you read, and you’ll quickly be confused.  For example, is it wrong for a man to cut the hair at the sides of his head (Leviticus 19:27) or to eat bacon (Leviticus 11:7)?  Are we expected to stone adulterers (Leviticus 20:10)?  And how am I supposed to know which commands to follow and which ones to disregard?

Recently, an editor-at-large for Esquire named A.J. Jacobs decided to find out what it would be like to follow the Bible literally for a year.  His book, The Year of Living Biblically, recounts what it was like for an agnostic to try to follow every command of the Bible.  His experiments led to some life-giving results (keeping the Sabbath, giving thanks, and quitting cursing and gossiping were all benefits for Jacobs) as well as many frustrating moments (like his inability to stop coveting or becoming angry).  He also struggled with commands like Leviticus 15:20, which prohibits a man from lying on a bed or sitting on any chair that has been sat upon by a menstruating woman.  Jacobs writes, “[My wife] told me she felt like a leper.  To get back at me, she sat on every seat in our house.  I was reduced to sitting on the floor or standing.”  In the end, Jacobs was surprised at how the Bible revealed his flaws and challenged him to be a better person.

  AJ Jacobs on Day 365 (left) and Day 1 (right)     

So is that our goal in reading the Bible?  To find all the commands and follow them to the best of our ability?  No.  The gospel of Jesus Christ is not about the law, but about the Holy Spirit who is given to each believer to teach them what it means to know and follow God (John 14).  The gospel of Jesus Christ is the New Covenant foretold in prophets such as Jeremiah, who wrote that “This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people” (Jeremiah 31:33).  Notice that this covenant is not about following written laws, but about having God’s laws in your mind and on your heart through the Holy Spirit.  Our goal in reading the Bible is to listen to the Holy Spirit as He helps us know God and discern what it means to apply what we read to our lives, so that ultimately we might be more like Jesus.  

This means that we won’t read the Old Testament laws like a fifth century BC Israelite (or as A.J. Jacobs), seeking to obey every letter of every law.  This is a subject I will be addressing in more detail in this Sunday’s sermon, but the short answer is that the Old Covenant or Old Testament does not apply to us today the way it did to the Israelites who first received it.  This is because those Israelites could not keep the covenant, and the penalty they deserved for breaking the covenant was experienced by Jesus on the cross, effectively making that covenant obsolete.  This means that much of the Old Covenant, from the purity laws to temple regulations, from the food regulations to the blessings and curses, no longer applies to us.  And now, in Jesus, there is a New Covenant for all who have placed their faith in Him.  Paul writes in Galatians 3:24 that “the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.”  The law and our inability to keep it taught us that we were in need of a Savior, effectively bringing us to faith in Jesus and relationship with His Holy Spirit. 

It is not always easy to know how to put the words of the Bible into practice.  This is why, as part of the Bible plan, I will be giving regular handouts (or posting regular aides on the website) on how to read the different books of the Bible and apply them to your life.  This is also why we have chosen to allow for comments on the online version of the Bible Plan, so that you will have the opportunity to encourage others on how you are putting the words you read into practice in your own life.  Finally, this is why we will use roughly every sixth Sunday over the next two years to highlight how we are living out God’s Word through both sermon and testimonies. 

I am excited about how God will work as we take this journey together.  I challenge you once again to commit yourself to not only knowing God’s Word but living it as well, so that you might know God better and love Him more.

I know I’m not alone in my struggle to spend regular time with God in His Word.  Many Christians feel guilty over this, lamenting their lack of commitment, even though they “know they should read their Bible more often.”  Philip Yancey, in his book What’s So Amazing About Grace?, gives an illustration that I will tweak a little in order to address this dilemma.  Yancey shares about a time in his life when he had to learn basic German in order to finish a graduate degree, and how agonizing it was, knowing that the only reason he was doing it was to pass a test and earn his degree.  He then asks the question:

As you come to God’s Word, do not read it in order to say “Now I’ve read the Bible.”  Come as if coming to a feast, taking the words into you and letting them form you, shape you, and transform you.  Taste them, digest them, allow them to become a part of you.  Come as the beloved, learning the language of your lover, and you will not be disappointed.

If you would like to take part in the “Read Through the Bible in Two Years” campaign, there are two options.  One is to take a booklet at church on Sunday, or contact us for one by mail, so that you might go through it on your own.  The second option is to sign up online at www.newlife-glastonbury.org/bibleplan to have the reading for the day delivered to your email inbox.  The online version will be in blog format, meaning that there is an opportunity for anyone to post comments on the passage that might encourage us to better “eat the book” and develop a deeper relationship with God.  Each day’s reading will consist of a passage from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament, and the readings will go in rough chronological order by book (e.g. Genesis, Job, Exodus).

One thing I would stress as you begin this journey is the importance of accountability.  Like any discipline, having someone else who is checking up on you and encouraging you towards your goal can be the difference between success and failure.  Prayerfully consider who you might go on this journey with.  Or, if there is no one, consider doing the online version, which will guarantee that you will at least receive the reading by email every day. 

May you grow in not only your knowledge of God but also your love for Him and your knowledge of His love for you, as you meditate on His Word.

For anyone who takes the Bible seriously as authoritative for faith and practice, the “why” question is a dangerous one, because to disregard a command of Scripture is to claim that the plain meaning of the Bible is not necessarily God’s final word on a subject.  In other words, to say that we no longer need to “greet one another with a holy kiss” (1 Corinthians 16:20) is to say that God’s Word (as many Christians call the Bible) in that passage is no longer God’s word on the subject.  While we do this all the time in practice, to actually state that the words of the Bible are not always God’s final word on a subject is to open oneself up to all sorts of potential misuses of God’s Word.  For example, take 1 Corinthians 14:34, where Paul writes “Women should remain silent in the churches.”  Most of you probably read that and say “that can’t be transcultural (applying to all cultures everywhere).”  And that would be a reasonable and likely correct answer.  But why not?  What is a legitimate answer to the “why” question?  What about “Because that doesn’t sound like God to me” or “I can’t imagine God wanting all women to be quiet in church.”  I can’t imagine it either, but if that is a legitimate reason not to heed a command of Scripture, then what is stopping me from using the same argument to overturn Luke 12:33 – “Sell all your possessions and give to the poor” or Leviticus 18:22 – “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman.”  Certainly there are plenty of people who would argue that mandatory poverty or condemning homosexual behavior does not sound like God either.  So we have to be careful how we answer the “why” question.

Let’s look at another verse I had listed.  Leviticus 19:28 says “Do not put tattoo marks on yourself.”  So, does God still frown on tattoos today, or was that specific to the culture?  Many of you probably read that and believed it was a culturally bound passage, that certainly God couldn’t care less whether or not someone has a rose tattooed on their ankle (or better yet a cross on their arm).  But why do you believe it is culturally bound?  Perhaps your reason was that when the verse is read in its context, you find this verse directly before the one about tattoos:  “Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head, or clip off the edges of your beard” (Leviticus 19:27). And since we no longer follow that command, why should we follow the one after it?  But of course, deferring to context is just as sticky, because the verse before that one, Leviticus 19:26, says this:  “Do not practice divination or sorcery.”  And most Christians would agree that such practices are not meant to be entered into by any Christian anywhere.  So how can we heed Leviticus 19:26 while ignoring the following two verses?

The point is that we have to be careful about the reasons we give for disregarding a command of the Bible, because that same reason might be applied elsewhere in a way that might be contrary to God’s intent.  Lazy reasons such as “this just doesn’t sound like God” or “the verses around it surely don’t apply today, so this one shouldn’t either” can open up a whole mess of bad interpretations.  And more importantly, it will give license to anyone to pick and choose the parts of the Bible that they feel “don’t sound like God” or “must have been only for that culture, because it certainly wouldn’t fit in today’s culture.”  And then God’s Word truly has lost all authority, replaced by human wisdom and the prevailing cultural forces.

Fortunately, there are many principles of hermeneutics (Biblical application) that will help us choose carefully which commands were culturally bound and which ones still apply today.  One principle which we will discuss briefly in this essay is to pay attention to a text’s original intent or purpose.  If by practicing a command today one would no longer fulfill the command’s original intent or purpose, then it is safe to say that the command is culturally bound.  For example, Paul’s command to “greet one another with a holy kiss” was to encourage Christians to promote closeness and community through a gesture that was common in the Hellenistic-Roman culture.  A holy kiss was a way of accepting and welcoming someone, and therefore was certainly important in the church community.  However, if we practiced “holy kissing” today, we would likely be doing the very opposite, creating an uncomfortable environment for the majority of people visiting our church community.  Therefore, in order to be true to God’s Word, we should disregard this practice, unless we find ourselves in a culture where holy kissing would be considered a welcoming gesture.

Another passage I had listed where this principle likely applies is the verse that you were probably justifiably horrified by, Deuteronomy 22:28-29, which states “If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives.”  As hard as it is for us to understand, in the Ancient Near East this verse was actually a step towards justice and equality.  In that time, unmarried women could not work and make a living for themselves like they can today, and so they needed to be married in order to survive.  However, if a woman had been raped, she was unlikely to find a husband, since she had already been defiled in their eyes.  This verse, therefore, was a way of protecting a woman and child from such a forgotten existence.  If the original intent, therefore, was to protect a woman and child from having no one to care for them, to enforce this command today would actually go against the original intent, since it would inflict further damage on the rape victim.  Therefore, by paying attention to not only the words but the original intent of the verse, we can be confident that disregarding the command is the best way to honor God today. 

Keep the aforementioned principle in mind as you read verses you are unsure about how to apply today.  What is the purpose behind God’s ban on tattoos?  Why did Paul write that long hair on a man was a disgrace?  What was Peter’s intent in encouraging slaves to submit to their masters?  And if we follow those commands today, would they still be in line with the original purpose?

Next week I will continue to provide some answers to how we know which verses apply transculturally and which ones are bound to the culture in which they were written.  Until then, I encourage you again that if there are Bible commands that you have wondered whether or not we are meant to interpret literally, post them in the comments so that we can do our best to deal with your specific questions.