Sunday, December 09, 2018

Becoming a Community of Disciples

by Laura Springer, Th.M., Ph.D.



Life on the ground is messy.
God is good.

Both statements are true, though sometimes the messiness feels more true than God's goodness. Because of this, we need reminders.

God is safe. We need to remind ourselves that God’s grace and mercy are always a safe refuge for his people. Our present, future, and end are secure in him. His Word tells us so (John 10:28). As we work together to understand the Bible, putting God's truth into practice in the messy dailies, we grow together as persons-in-community-in-Christ.

Discipleship is a lifelong process. Working and growing together is a lifelong process, not a point in time or class we take. Understanding the Bible shapes us for the sometimes bumpy journey of discipleship. Thinking, valuing, and doing, alongside our brothers and sisters, informed by Scripture, and aimed toward Christ, are the means of growth. The point of our thinking, feeling, and doing is to be conformed to the image of Christ, as we train in righteousness (1 Timothy 3:16) and develop our knowledge of God's story, our skill at being his people, and our commitment to expanding his kingdom.

We are together in the dailies. Working together to live in more like Jesus in the messy dailies we look to Jesus, the author and finisher of the faith, journeying in the company of our sisters and brothers and searching the Scripture so we might know who Jesus is and what it means to follow. The whole of Scripture speaks of Christ (John 5:39): his story, his people, and his kingdom. As we learn and live Scripture, both as individuals and as a community, we become more like Christ, more like who we are. We are one body and many members. We bring our individual passions and preferences and together direct them toward Christ and for his glory.

We have a sure identity. We have a sure identity in Christ. The Bible shows us what that identity looks like and helps us work out that identity in our context. We are those who live the story. We are God’s people, and we are the subjects of the King. We are the church when gathered, and we are the church when dispersed. The connection we make between what God says in Scripture and who we are as persons-in-community-in-Christ will shape who we are being and becoming as a church.

Sunday, November 04, 2018

The Bible and Discipleship

by Laura Springer, Th.M., Ph.D.


We believe that the Bible is true and trustworthy and that God has given it to us so we might understand and do his will. This means the Bible ought to shape our daily lives. God’s purposes for his people and his design of us as learners give some insight into some ways to encourage this.

Purpose. Christians have a grand purpose that can be summed up in three phrases: know the story, be the people, expand the kingdom. Knowing the story begins with the content of Scripture and goes on to include our active participation in God's work. Being the people is living in relationship with Christ and fellow believers. Expanding the kingdom is becoming and making disciples.

Process. Generally speaking, we humans learn by increasing knowledge (investigating), putting that knowledge into practice (participating), and thinking through how we're doing so we can learn more (reflecting).

Insight at the intersection of purpose and process

Know the story
Be the people
Expand the kingdom
Investigate

     Take steps to understand Scripture.
     Take steps to see the reflections of God's glory in all his creation.
     Link Scripture to life.
     Learn in community with other believers.
     Take time to think together.
     Design ways to make disciples of Jesus in your context.
Participate

     Translate the truth about God and his priorities into actions and values.
     Live out these actions and values as persons in community in Christ.
     Put the truth of God into practice as a community of believers.
     Help one another grow in Christ.
     Work together to make disciples.
     Share life together and grow as disciples.
Reflect

     Reflect on what you have learned and practiced as individuals in community.
     Put the fruits of reflection into practice as you continue investigating and participating.
     Evaluate your understanding and practice as you gather with other believers.
     Grow together as you learn from one another's knowledge and experience.
     Regularly evaluate your disciple-making methods.
     Make adjustments as needed.

In all these intersections we are called to live together as persons in community in Christ, and the Bible is a crucial part of this life together. The Bible’s importance for private devotion and theological reflection must be accompanied by its shaping of us as the people of God who are conforming to the image of Christ.

Sunday, September 30, 2018

The Importance of Context: Commonly Misunderstood Passages

by Laura Springer, Th.M., Ph.D.



During elementary school, I received Christ, and one of the benefits in my church was taking communion. Once a month, the pastor would lead us, repeating the words of Jesus in Matthew. When he got to the cup, he would read “Drink ye all of it” as “Drink ye <pause> all of it.” To my literalist, elementary school brain, this meant I could not leave any juice in the cup. So I dutifully stuck my tongue in the tiny plastic cup to get the last drop. Sure, it’s a funny story, but it has a serious side. As we have seen this year, the written word of God matters. Because it matters, need to understand and communicate its intended meaning.

This month we look at four commonly misunderstood passages, laying out some common misinterpretations, informing context, and the meaning in light of that context.

  • Assumption: If <insert name of modern nation here> prays, everything will be okay.
  • Context: This verse is part of his blessing of the Jewish Temple built by Solomon, during which God restates to Solomon the promise of discipline for sin and his covenant-based response to their prayers (2 Chronicles 7:11-18).
  • Meaning. In the midst of God's discipline of his people Israel, he will hear their contrite prayers and bring healing and deliverance.


  • Assumption: If I raise my child as a Christian, God promises that my child will return to Christ if he or she falls away.
  • Context: The book of Proverbs is composed of wise sayings intended to guide a wise, godly life. These sayings are not promises (Proverbs 1:1-7).
  • Meaning: The way one raises a child has a strong influence on the child’s life but does not guarantee specific outcomes.


  • Assumption. God is (only) present when two or three of his followers are gathered.
  • Context. Here Jesus is teaching his followers about church discipline. An important part of the process requires two or three witnesses (Matthew 18:15-20).
  • Meaning. When two or three believers are carrying out church discipline on a fellow believer, God is with them as they do this difficult work.


  • Assumption. Poverty is more holy than wealth; desire for money causes all sin.
  • Context. In this passage, Paul is teaching Timothy about contentment versus craving (1 Timothy 6:2-10). Key terms are “love of money” and “a root.”
  • Meaning. Contentment is healthy and possible in Christ.


Returning to elementary-age Laura: I spent my childhood and teenage years not understanding the incredible depth of Jesus’ very simple statement in Matthew 26:27. At the time, I assumed this passage meant we must not waste any of the communion juice.  Thankfully as a young adult, I came to realize that this context is Jesus is talking to the community of his followers who had gathered for the last supper. When he hands them the cup, he says, “All of you drink it” (Matthew 26:26-29). Every believer, regardless of status, is called to drink from the cup. We are one people. We have one Lord, and we are siblings. That is worth knowing.

All biblical truth is worth knowing and worth getting right.

Sunday, August 12, 2018

Exegesis—Studying and Understanding the Word

by Laura Springer, Th.M., Ph.D.



This year we have seen that the Bible is God's written revelation of himself (revelation), co-written with his apostles and prophets, such that the words they wrote were exactly what he intended to say (inspiration). We have seen that it is true and not false (inerrancy) and has an authority that has been discerned by the people of God (canonicity).  We have seen that the Spirit illuminates our minds and the Scripture (illumination) as we work to understand the meaning of God's Word and its call upon our lives (interpretation). Exegesis is the process by which we uncover that God-intended meaning.

Biblical exegesis asks three questions.

What does it say?
   Understand the big picture of the whole text by reading it at least a dozen times, each time in a single sitting.
   Read the text again, looking for clues about the author, original readers, and circumstances.
   Create an outline of the text by reading while looking for the text’s main divisions.
   Study the text sentence by sentence within paragraphs, understanding the words and grammar.

What did it mean? (and What does it mean?)
   Summarize the text by writing one sentence that states the subject of the paragraph and what the paragraph says about that subject.
   Review your findings and list the main themes expressed in the text.

How should I/we respond?
   Spend time thinking and praying about the text and your findings until the meaning of the text has sunk deeply into your soul.
   Consider the significance of the meaning of the text for your life and the life of those in your community by comparing your culture and circumstances with the culture and circumstances of the original readers.
   Remember, what it meant for them it means for you. The significance in your life will always align with that meaning.

We save the most important point for last: The God-intended meaning of a text is not an end in itself. Rather, understanding the meaning of Scripture is the beginning of living out our worship of him in everything we do, think, and feel.

Go Deeper
 

Sunday, August 05, 2018

Hermeneutics—Principles to Study By

by Laura Springer, Th.M., Ph.D.



What are interpretation, exegesis, and hermeneutics and how are they related? Sport can serve as an analogy: interpretation is the sport, exegesis is the game, and hermeneutics is the rulebook. In July, we talked about interpretation: the sport. In September, we will talk about exegesis: the game. This month is about hermeneutics: the rulebook. Bible study has rules, and we need to understand those rules or study will not be what it is supposed to be: understanding the truth the original authors intended to communicate.

Hermeneutics is the science of interpretation and produces the set of assumptions and principles we bring to interpretation. These assumptions and principles arise at the intersection of the doctrine of Scripture and the study of language and literature. Some basic principles are as follows.

   The Bible is the first and best source for interpreting itself. Read and understand the text before consulting Bible helps like introductions, commentaries, and handbooks.
   Study the specific passage and its immediate context and arrive at some initial conclusions before consulting other passages.
   The meaning of a passage is communicated through the text in context. Stick with the text itself in its grammatical, historical, and cultural context. Don't import ideas from outside
   The grammar and structure of sentences and paragraphs matter. So, yes, it's a bit like English class.
   The meaning of each portion of Scripture always aligns with its immediate context, the book in which it is found, and the teaching of Scripture as a whole.
   Consult clear passages to help interpret difficult passages. Understand what the authors of each passage intended to communicate to the original readers, then align each interpretation with the teaching of the whole of Scripture. This will eliminate the alleged conflict.

Understanding the intended meaning of Scripture requires effort. This is not surprising, for the Bible is an ancient book written in languages that are not our own by authors from cultures unlike our own. There is a good deal of difference to traverse. But there is good news. The Bible is also authored by God, and his Spirit illuminates the text and our minds as we trust him. God wants us to understand his Word, but we must do our part. Following good hermeneutical principles is part of our responsibility. So, as we approach the study of Scripture let us uncover and understand our assumptions, correcting them as needed. Let us approach the text as the very Word of God, which it is.