I've spent years and years honing my skills in proper biblical interpretation, and yet I continue to buy books on how to study the Bible. Mostly because I've found that while my skills are useful to me, the systems I've been taught are almost entirely useless for those without formal biblical education. And as my passion is helping normal people interpret and understand the Bible, I've had to look elsewhere.
One method (if you can call it that) is James Gray's book How to Master the English Bible. I love so much about this, that it's usually the first thing I recommend to people who want to get started. First thing, it's short. Like, read it in 2hrs short. Second, it's built around a love of God's word and a belief in it's clarity. Some systems can take a passage and make it stand on its head, whereas this system's foundational belief is that God has spoken and we can understand him.
Here it is:
What I Have Learned about Family Worship this Month
I have wanted to read Scripture with my family every night for a long time, but I never could get any traction. While it's been far from perfect, I've seen some real progress this month and I thought I would share some advice, from one sinful man to other sinful men.
One of the discouraging things for me was that I was looking forward to the in-depth conversations about the word that I could have with my wife, but after a full day at work, the pressure to have something ready every night, and the joy of trying to keep our infant son from destroying my prized commentaries, well, the discussion hasn't been what I wanted it to be. Some of these things will get better with time (my son will grow up), but some of these things just require more planning and adjusted expectations. When it didn't go as I wanted it to, I would get discouraged and then I would try to change something to get the results I was looking for. Ever the pragmatist, I didn't trust in the power of the Gospel to change lives a little at a time, instead I was looking for a system that would put out the results I wanted. This shows my misplaced trust. I thought it was my systems that would change the hearts of my family, but it's God that changes hearts.
The means of his grace is the reading of Scripture and prayer. When it doesn't go well I need to buckle-down and keep bringing my family before the Lord and not run to the god 'Method,' the god of the business world that is no more capable of changing the hearts of my family than are Scarecrows in a cucumber field (Jeremiah 10:5).
So far, we've been reading approximately two chapters a day, one Psalm and a chapter from whichever book we're working through. It goes best when I've taken the time to pray through the Psalm that morning and prep the other passage some. I try to think of what the main point of the passages are, and then see how that would change the way we're dealing with a particular issue in our lives. When Scripture reveals the Lord to us, we are to exalt in who God is, be motivated to live a holy life, and stand corrected before an all-good and all-holy God. If I can find a way the passage does one or two things specifically, then I consider it a "win."
I have a long way to go, but I really want to get better. I hope this inspires you to read the bible with your family, or to keep at it if you already are. Please share in the comments any tips or hard-won wisdom you have.
A Question for the TRP13 Students
Earlier, I tweeted a question to those going to The Reformation Project '13. I wanted to know their definition of homophobia.
If you click through to see some of the responses. But I still am not sure if I understand as much as I'd like to.
See, I want to know what they thought of people like me.
I believe any fear of homosexuals or hatred towards them is clearly unbiblical and therefore, sin. I work with gay people, I've had gay friends (have since moved) and last week, I was one of the only people advocating on behalf of a person who had considered himself transgendered.
And I think homosexuality is a sin.
I believe it is a sin because of both the negative and positive teachings of Scripture. I've listened to Mr. Vines' presentation, and while he's clearly gifted as a communicator, I did not find it convincing (for specific exegetical reasons). If a homosexual came to the church I attend, I would welcome them. But if my relationship allowed for it, or if asked for what the bible teaches, I would tell them that the bible calls them to repent. Now you have to understand this in context, because I am the most broken person I know. I'm broken spiritually, sexually, emotionally, and even physically. My sin reaches all areas of my life and it reaches all areas of your life too.
Basically, I believe the homosexual needs to repent in the same way that I need to repent. Some of my favorite sins are culturally acceptable. The world says that there is nothing wrong with it, and I have to fight that daily. I'm not asking anyone else to do anything I don't have to do as well.
I'm not telling them they have to identify as "straight" nor do I think they must attempt a heterosexual marriage. Some sin will tempt us until the day we die. I have a few like that and I hate them.
I affirm that those with SSA are made in the image of God and are therefore due all respect due any other human being. They are my neighbor, and are not "less" in any way.
So, TRP'ers, does this count as homophobia? Because, while the specifics will change, this is conservative Christianity, your "target market."
Thanks for taking the time to consider my question.
Hey #TRP13 'ers! I'm curious as to how you would define homophobia. What does it mean to be homophobic? Thanks for helping me understand!
— Zack Skrip (@zackskrip) September 14, 2013
If you click through to see some of the responses. But I still am not sure if I understand as much as I'd like to.
See, I want to know what they thought of people like me.
I believe any fear of homosexuals or hatred towards them is clearly unbiblical and therefore, sin. I work with gay people, I've had gay friends (have since moved) and last week, I was one of the only people advocating on behalf of a person who had considered himself transgendered.
And I think homosexuality is a sin.
I believe it is a sin because of both the negative and positive teachings of Scripture. I've listened to Mr. Vines' presentation, and while he's clearly gifted as a communicator, I did not find it convincing (for specific exegetical reasons). If a homosexual came to the church I attend, I would welcome them. But if my relationship allowed for it, or if asked for what the bible teaches, I would tell them that the bible calls them to repent. Now you have to understand this in context, because I am the most broken person I know. I'm broken spiritually, sexually, emotionally, and even physically. My sin reaches all areas of my life and it reaches all areas of your life too.
Basically, I believe the homosexual needs to repent in the same way that I need to repent. Some of my favorite sins are culturally acceptable. The world says that there is nothing wrong with it, and I have to fight that daily. I'm not asking anyone else to do anything I don't have to do as well.
I'm not telling them they have to identify as "straight" nor do I think they must attempt a heterosexual marriage. Some sin will tempt us until the day we die. I have a few like that and I hate them.
I affirm that those with SSA are made in the image of God and are therefore due all respect due any other human being. They are my neighbor, and are not "less" in any way.
So, TRP'ers, does this count as homophobia? Because, while the specifics will change, this is conservative Christianity, your "target market."
Thanks for taking the time to consider my question.
The Divine Drama of Submission
Rachel Held Evans retweeted a link to a blog post written by Harriet Reed Congdon entitled Why Patriarchy Keeps Women from Growing Up. It would be best to read that first before reading my response.
The gist of Ms. Congdon’s article is that she believes submission cannot bring about maturity in the lives of women in the church. She relates most eloquently that her father
Again, her own words:
But does Ms. Congdon’s view – that submission restrains or retards maturity – conform to the biblical witness? I think not.
Paul clearly shows us that it is through submission to Christ that the church grows into maturity. It is when the church is not under submission that she remains childlike.
I believe one of the errors Ms. Congdon has made is associating submission within the church as between a child and a father, rather than between a wife and her husband. God does not want women to have childlike submission; he wants them to have wifely submission.
The very next chapter of Ephesians reveals this truth. Paul shares the “mystery” that our earthly marriages are actually a divinely authored play that theatrically present the really real relationship between Christ and his church. Again, marriages were created by God to give us a picture of the relationship that was ordained before time between Christ and his church. The true, real, permanent marriage is Christ and the church. Our marriages are a dim and passing shadow of that ultimate reality.
The scary reality is what follows this short passage. The husband, who while called to be head over his wife, which puts him in some authority over her, is then called to die to himself and serve her just as Christ served by dying for his bride.
It is in this earthly presentation of ultimate realities that I believe the egalitarian most misses out. The Bible teaches us that our earthly family was created to present the truth about our relationship to other believers (Mat 12:46-50), and that marriage presents the truth about our relationship to Christ. I am not a complementarian by desire. Before I was married, I was egalitarian, if not in name, in practice. As my small family faces trials the sinful side of me truly desires to abdicate my role as my wife’s head and instead “share” the responsibility of leadership. But to do that would be to lie about Christ and his church. And lie I do. But, I repent anew and strive by God’s grace to live up to the calling he has given to all men.
Likewise, a world without submission leaves us no model to understand not only the commands to submit to our elders, but also what our submission to Christ looks like. A world without submission presents a Christ without a church.
There is a lot more that’s going on in our submission and authority than who gets to call the shots. God has engineered an earthly drama to represent heavenly realities. Every part is important, even if every part is different.
The gist of Ms. Congdon’s article is that she believes submission cannot bring about maturity in the lives of women in the church. She relates most eloquently that her father
“wanted children badly but he didn’t want children forever. He was committed to raising me to be a fully functioning adult, confident of my abilities to maneuver through life and confident of my standing as an equal member of the human race” (Italics mine).Given this goal of fatherhood, Ms. Congdon implies any submission in the church would necessarily imply that childishness of the one submitting, and apparently, the fatherliness of the one being submitted to.
Again, her own words:
When women are denied equal authority, equal responsibility and equal voice, they are being treated like children and are denied adulthood in its fullest sense.She is arguing against patriarchy, which while undefined in the post, is clearly any view of differing roles for men or women, any view that would exclude women from leadership positions over the church as a whole. Modern-day complementarianism would clearly fall under this definition.
But does Ms. Congdon’s view – that submission restrains or retards maturity – conform to the biblical witness? I think not.
Paul clearly shows us that it is through submission to Christ that the church grows into maturity. It is when the church is not under submission that she remains childlike.
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:11-16, ESV)Christ, the head, the one to whom the church submits, is the reason we are able to mature. Outside of his headship we, as the church, cannot grow into eschatological adulthood.
I believe one of the errors Ms. Congdon has made is associating submission within the church as between a child and a father, rather than between a wife and her husband. God does not want women to have childlike submission; he wants them to have wifely submission.
The very next chapter of Ephesians reveals this truth. Paul shares the “mystery” that our earthly marriages are actually a divinely authored play that theatrically present the really real relationship between Christ and his church. Again, marriages were created by God to give us a picture of the relationship that was ordained before time between Christ and his church. The true, real, permanent marriage is Christ and the church. Our marriages are a dim and passing shadow of that ultimate reality.
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. (Ephesians 5:22-24, ESV)
The scary reality is what follows this short passage. The husband, who while called to be head over his wife, which puts him in some authority over her, is then called to die to himself and serve her just as Christ served by dying for his bride.
It is in this earthly presentation of ultimate realities that I believe the egalitarian most misses out. The Bible teaches us that our earthly family was created to present the truth about our relationship to other believers (Mat 12:46-50), and that marriage presents the truth about our relationship to Christ. I am not a complementarian by desire. Before I was married, I was egalitarian, if not in name, in practice. As my small family faces trials the sinful side of me truly desires to abdicate my role as my wife’s head and instead “share” the responsibility of leadership. But to do that would be to lie about Christ and his church. And lie I do. But, I repent anew and strive by God’s grace to live up to the calling he has given to all men.
Likewise, a world without submission leaves us no model to understand not only the commands to submit to our elders, but also what our submission to Christ looks like. A world without submission presents a Christ without a church.
There is a lot more that’s going on in our submission and authority than who gets to call the shots. God has engineered an earthly drama to represent heavenly realities. Every part is important, even if every part is different.
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