Scripture: Revelation or Shrugged Away

Our conversation somehow shifted from Rick's 16-rounds-in-10-days trip to Scotland to his surprise over what happened in a Bible study he was leading recently.  The latter was clearly more important to him.

"I was stunned at how quickly some in the study sided with prevailing cultural opinion," Rick said.  "So I asked, 'What do you do with Leviticus 18?'  They just shrugged their shoulders."

Rick attends a leading evangelical church in Wheaton IL.  A church that has long heralded the authority of straightforwardly interpreted Scripture - in its historical context, allowing the Biblical (and Divine) author speak.   Yet he finds himself in a study with Jesus followers that struggle sticking with Scripture.

REVELATION or DEBATED INTERPRETATION

Several years ago, Alistar McGrath's book Christianity's Most Dangerous Idea argued that one of the difficult ideas emerging from the 16th-17th centuries' Protestant Reformation was that any Christian, with a Bible and a the presumed guidance of the Holy Spirit, could authoritatively interpret the Scriptures for himself/herself.  

To be sure, the freedom Christians (especially those where personal freedoms are honored) have to read, interpret, and apply Scripture provides us tremendous spiritual growth opportunity.

But this immense privilege has a less helpful, if not harmful, aspect.  When Christians "interpret" Scripture by reading it and then dismissing any particular passage's right to speak against the grain of current cultural opinion, God's authoritative voice is muffled, if not muted.  Divine Revelation is emasculated.  Don Carson called it "the gagging of God."  The clear meaning arising from a Scripture passage ceases to be God's voice.   We somehow feel justified in shrugging  away our need to bend the knee in humble worship and obedience.

STOP SHRUGGING - THINK BIBLICALLY

Let's re-anchor our approach to Scripture in the Biblical doctrine of Inspiration.  Ryrie defined it as "God's superintendance of human authors so that using their own individual personalities and style, they composed in the autographs (the original writings) God's authoritative revelation to man."

Let's read Scripture, reflect on it, intepret in its grammatical and historical context, and let it speak as God's Spirit delivered it.   Doing this gives us a chance to do in our generation and in current culture, the important privilege of thinking Biblically and living in alignment with God's revelation.

Remember - God didn't set forth the 10 commandments as a referendum for public vote.  He revealed them as an unmistakable and life-guiding moral compass.