The Word of God

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The word of God

Theory and the Word of God

Science has a very easy test of "truth". Is something testable, observable, and repeatable? Matters of faith do not have this luxury. For Christians, the most basic foundation for truth is the Word of God.

Man has a habit of making God and the church in whatever image their passions and emotions want rather than what is true. Several times in the Old Testament the Jewish church and culture stop following God's laws and it is only through the reading of the Word of God that the issues are corrected. The Word of God provides a unchanging foundation for people to understand life and God.

I say unchanging, but there are many interpretations of how to understand the Word just as there can be many theories to explain scientific observations. There are many translations of the ancient texts and there are even disputes of what texts are considered authoritative.

The goal of this page is to not get into all of these discussions. Fundamentally, at many levels, I think these discussions are counterproductive to finding solutions to death. They just aren't the main thing.

So in the spirit of focusing on the main thing, I want to bring out an important understanding of the Bible which is overlooked in our society. This understanding allows life in a position of acceptance when my understanding of science and faith seem to contradict.

Western Cultural Impact

Are you a lawyer, scientist, doctor, accountant, or engineer? They have all been trained to be very specific with their words. Our culture has surrendered to very direct and specific words in many situations. Think of the fine print on everything, for if something is not stated directly, there is liability. Or think of the American Constitution or judicial system or even our sports. Our culture is engrained with the concept of direct speech where specific words are needed.

In addition, our culture has a strong emphasis on one way communication. For example, the education systems where one teacher stands up in front and teaches a whole hour. Or in our businesses, where one person is the boss of many. The systems are built around one person in authority whose words are directive and everyone else is expected to accept their point of view.

Of course, there are many exceptions to these two concepts, but more importantly, these are concepts that are part of the cultural DNA which we have grown up in. And once it is in your DNA, it becomes natural in day-to-day experience. After it becomes part of our daily experience, then there is an inner comfort and expectation that life is only true when it matches these qualities.

People bring this same bias, unknowingly, into their study of the Word of God. We expect a systematic, literal meaning to every word in the Bible.

Jesus Christ's Way of Speaking

Given that Jesus is the closest example of who God really is, we should look at how He spoke to the crowds of people.

Matthew 13:34 says, "All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, he said nothing to them without a parable." (English Standard Version)

Jesus never spoke directly to the crowds. At times, He doesn't even speak directly to His disciples. For example, He warns them of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. When referring to Himself, He calls Himself the Son of Man always, which is an indirect method of pointing to the Messiah in Daniel. He never tells people directly that He is the Messiah. He often speaks to His disciples plainly and directly, but almost every other instance with people he never speaks directly.

Yet, why would we expect the Bible, the Word of God, to be any different? Vast sections of the Bible follow a similar pattern. Psalms (songs), proverbs, and prophecy are more poetic forms of writing and are generally, less specific or direct than a typical Western document. Many good pastors make distinctions between the different type of writing, but those are man's interpretations. Are there passages which people read literally, that could actually speak to us differently if we didn't try to dissect them or place them within a specific systematic theology? Do we at times try to hold God (or God's word) to an unrealistic standard of consistency? Would God write passages which could be interpreted multiple ways depending upon the reader and their circumstances?

The Why of Parables

A counselor once taught me that if you wanted your spouse to understand your point, it was more important for them to feel your pain than to understand your point. They taught how to develop and use "word pictures" to help your spouse to change their behaviors. Could it be more important for God to impact people and drive changed behavior then to have you understand all of the truths of the world?

In addition, stories can speak differently to different people. For example, in the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15:11-32 there are 3 main characters, the Father, the son who wants everything NOW, and the son who works diligently at home. I relate to the son who wants everything now, but I know Chinese American Christian who relate to the son who stays home, and elderly who relate to the father. Indirect speech has an ability to draw a crowd in and speak to people on many different levels.

Indirect speech also requires effort from the listener. You can't just take notes and memorize them to pass the test, but you must understand the principles behind the teaching. Surprisingly, when Jesus explains why He speaks in parables, He says so that people might hear, but not understand! (Matthew 13:13) This seems extremely odd, that a teacher would not want their pupil to understand, doesn't it? It seems that God wants people to struggle with His words, struggle to find understanding and meaning, and struggle to understand it, so that the meaning sticks in the soul. Its like that special toy that a child has to work for to get. That toy becomes the most precious to them because of the effort it required.

Finally, indirect speech will keep its meaning over time. A good historical linguist always has to battle against two primary factors when translating a text. First of all, the meaning of words change over time. Words pick up additional meanings with use and it can often vary in different locations. Secondly, the vast majority of communication relies on known phrasing to deliver meaning. Over time and changes in culture, the phrasing can vary. Stories maintain their meaning better over time because they provide context which can be understood across cultures. (BTW this is another reason to follow Jesus. His teaching methods are so much better than an ordinary teacher)

For all of these reasons (and I am sure you can come up with more), it makes sense for the Word of God to emphasize indirect language versus the direct communication that is typical in a Western, Intellectual culture. To dissect the Bible, like a legal contract, has only limited value, but to hear the Word of God and its truths changes lives in the real world.

How does this impact my understanding of truth?

Most debates between Christians and Atheists about the word of God is if it is reliable and trustworthy.

As a historical document, it is very reliable and trustworthy. Then you get to the points like Jesus walking on water, the Creation of the Universe, or the healing of the leper or blind. There is no good way to prove these happened and so the skeptic says the Bible is unreliable and the believer says it is trustworthy. It does make you wonder, if it's a reliable historical document, what proves it unreliable except your acceptance or doubt of the miraculous.

Given this, then I question if our interpretation of the scripture could be a problem. After all, it would seem more logical that the issues are with us and not the Creator of the universe. And places that seem to be in direct contradiction, is there any meaningful difference in the meaning of the story?

We all like firm foundations, black and white truths. The world I live in is full of grey and that is how I believe God made it. In a world of grey, we become more dependent upon Him because it is impossible for our own self-effort and our ability to perfectly follow everything. Rather than relying upon ourselves we learn to rely upon God.

When Jesus is speaking to the great religious leaders of his time, John recorded him saying this, " You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life." (John 5:39-40, English Standard Version)

The Word of God tells you truth to live by and to understand reality, but we can become too literal, too focus on the words in the Bible that we lose the person who wrote the Bible. A friend of mine once said that many religious people put their faith in the Bible and not in the God of the Bible.

The counterargument for this is the Bible is the standard by which life should be judged. The Bible is authoritative to life. Hebrews 4:12 says the Bible is discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (my understanding.....the inner man and his desires). 2 Timothy 3:16 says that all scripture is useful for teaching, correction, and training.

Interestingly, the Hebrews passage says the Bible is living and active, where 2 Timothy calls it "God Breathed". Without getting into a long discussion about the Holy Spirit, basically, I see that both passages affirm that the God inside of a follower of Jesus will make the words come alive and meaningful. This is the most important, the critical purpose about the Word of God.

Men make mistakes, get caught up into their own mental constructs. The Bible is both the best record we have from the ancients and the people who lived with Jesus. It records the events in a manner which doesn't change over time. To trust it and God's ability to speak to you through it, is the most logical conclusion and way of life.