Thought for Today
Exodus 2:11 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and saw their forced labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his kinsfolk. 12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
2 Kings 2:23 He went up from there to Bethel; and while he was going up on the way, some small boys came out of the city and jeered at him, saying, "Go away, baldhead! Go away, baldhead!" 24 When he turned around and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two she-bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys.
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
Once, many years ago, I was described as being very Pauline. It was not meant as a compliment. The comment was made by a very learned pastor and scholar. I think that what he meant by that was that my faith and beliefs are very grounded in scripture and especially in the particular words as much as in my interpretation of those words. It was said in much the same way someone today might describe another as being a Constitutionalist because they insisted on what the words of the U.S.A. Constitution actually say instead of what one thinks they mean.
This morning, I am thinking about those words above of Paul to Timothy. As we consider Paul’s words, it is important that we first think about what Paul meant by “All scripture.” The Greek is, “πᾶσα γραφὴ” and literally means “all writing.” That Greek word γραφὴ means, “(1) writing; (2) in the NT only of sacred writing scripture; used to designate the Scripture(s) as a whole or any particular part or single passage” (Friberg, Analytical Greek Lexicon)
Paul wrote those words to Timothy long before the canon text of the New Testament was firmly established. Given Paul’s background and training, and given that we have no knowledge whether or not Paul ever read any version of any book in our New Testament, it is reasonable to postulate that Paul was referring to the Tanakh, “The traditional Jewish name for the Hebrew Bible. It is formed from the initial letters of the Bible’s three main divisions: Torah (Pentateuch), Nebi’im (Prophets), and Ketubim (Writings).” (Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms, pg. 275)
One of the difficulties faithful Christians always face is trying to understand how some of the verses in the Bible can truly be “useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” Sometimes the message is arcane, obtuse or obscure. Some verses and stories seem to offer very mixed messages, e.g. how could Moses, the Great Lawgiver, also be Moses the murderer? Similarly, how could Elisha the prophet, the disciple and heir of the great Elijah cause the mauling of children? Is it somehow blasphemy deserving death to tease a prophet for being bald? David, the Greak King, was also David the adulterer who plotted and executed the death of Uriah in an attempt to hide his adultery.
I do not believe Paul was ever careless in his writing or in his choice of words. As I often remind myself and everyone who will listen, in the Bible, all always means all. Paul literally believed and wants us to believe that no matter how trivial the verse seems to be, no matter how obscure or wrong a verse seems to be, every verse is “useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” When we cannot see the utility of a verse, we just need to dig a little deeper in the well, think a little more about what is being said.
Our scriptures, the Bible, was written long ago, written in other languages, based in another culture. One of the most fundamental lessons we can learn from our scriptures is that all of God’s children are God’s children. No matter the age in which we live, the languages we speak, our ethnicity or heritage, we are all children of God. Irrespective of all other factors, there is “Ephesians 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” We need to always remember, “Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—” As Christians, our salvation is by the grace of God, not from anything we think, say or do other than believe in Jesus as the Christ.
Stay safe, read your Bible, trust God,
Pastor Ray