Canadian Mennonite
Volume 11, No. 17
September 3, 2007


God at Work in the Church

Bible 101: Loving the living language of Scripture

Mark Diller Harder

“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

“I delight in the way of your decrees. I will meditate on your precepts, fix my eyes on your ways. I will not forget your word.”

“Truly I love your commandments more than gold, more than fine gold. Truly I direct my steps by all your precepts. Your decrees are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them.”

How appropriate that the Psalmist, in so many ways, values and cherishes the language of our faith. But is this how we regularly talk about the Bible—about its language or its message? I find the language of this psalm (Psalm 119) so refreshing and inspiring. There is a true love of the text.

My prayer is that we may all delight in reading and learning from Scripture, this book that is the central vessel for holding and explaining our faith. In an effort to engender that delight, I want to explore four questions with you.

1. Where does the Bible come from?

When you hold the Bible in your hand, it’s easy to think of it as a single composition that plopped down from Heaven, maybe even in English. But the Bible has one of the longest development timelines of any book—almost 2,000 years. There is the Old Testament—the Hebrew Scriptures dealing with the history of the people of Israel; and the New Testament—stories about Jesus and the birth of the Christian church.

Both testaments started out as oral history before they began to be written in different stages by many different authors. There was no one bringing some of our modern historical/critical methods and questions to bear on what happened. There were no newspaper reporters or cell phone cameras to capture the action. We get descriptions and history and stories and poetry that answered what people in that culture and time were interested in—how they were experiencing the presence of God in their lives and how to make sense of that.

The Old Testament was written mostly in Hebrew, with some Aramaic; the New Testament was written in Greek. Through the centuries, scribes carefully copied and recopied the original manuscripts, none of which exist today. Some of the earliest fragments we have—from discoveries like the Dead Sea Scrolls—are on papyrus and parchment from the second to fourth centuries.

Sometimes scholars and scribes had to piece together text from various sources to create the complete Hebrew and Greek testaments our Bibles contain today. It was not until the Reformation, and the invention of the printing press, that more widespread translations of the Bible came into being—Martin Luther’s German New Testament in 1522 and William Tyndale’s English New Testament four years later.

Even now, there are always newer translations, like the New Revised Standard Version in use in many Mennonite churches, that try to go back to the early documents and capture the best in that complicated process of translating while dealing with modern language that is ever-changing. There are also more loose translations, or paraphrases, like the Good News Bible or The Message, that try to put the stories and words into a more contemporary language while still maintaining the essence of each passage.

Two related issues need to be wrestled with here in terms of the writing of the Bible. One is with the process of how the books of the Bible were chosen and declared to be the Word of God. This is sometimes called canonization—choosing what’s in and what’s out. The other deals with what it means for the Bible to be written by human writers over this long history and yet be fully inspired by God.

By the time of Jesus, the books of the Old Testament were already well established and accepted. In 90 A.D., there was a Jewish conference in Jamnia that officially declared the Hebrew Scripture, with its 39 books, closed.

It is interesting to note that one early influential church leader wanted Christians to throw out the entire Old Testament; Marcion said it was a different story and different God than the Jesus of the New Testament. That view, thankfully, was rejected. As the New Testament itself proclaims, Jesus is in continuity with, and comes out of, the Jewish history and story.

For the New Testament it was a long process to discern what would be considered Scripture (the 27 books we have now). Chronologically, the earliest documents are the letters of Paul, starting around 50 A.D., and then the four gospels.

Probably written somewhere between 60 and 90 A.D., they start with Mark, then Mathew and Luke, and lastly John. One of the gifts of the four gospels is the diversity within them, the different perspectives and stories they have preserved. Then there is Acts, the other letters—known as epistles—and the Book of Revelation.

There were many other religious documents that emerged in the first and second centuries—some of which included very odd and fanciful descriptions of Jesus’ ministry and childhood. The Gnostic writings, including the “Gospel of Thomas” and the newly discovered “Gospel of Judas,” gave a very different theology of Jesus, denying his humanness and making faith a secret other-worldly spiritual state only available to an elect few.

Over the first few centuries the church began trying to sort out which books were the Word of God. It debated and discerned which books were receiving a broad recognition and acceptance. It was not until near the end of the fourth century—through a series of councils—that the final Canon was accepted.

It is easy to think of that process—of creating the Canon and rejecting some writings—as a kind of controlled narrowing of the Bible. However, many of those who would have promoted some of what became known as heretical books would have eliminated much of the Bible we now have. The Bible we have today has both been tested and discerned by that early church, and gives us such a rich source of God’s Word in our world.

In regards to the inspiration of Scripture, the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective states: “We believe that God was at work through the centuries in the process by which the books of the Old and New Testaments were inspired and written. Through the Holy Spirit, God moved human witnesses to write.”

In other words, human beings brought their experiences of God, and their own personalities and understandings, to the writing of Scripture. And yet we claim that these humans were inspired by God and were guided by the Holy Spirit as they wrote. It is like the mystery of Jesus being both fully human and fully divine. Our Scriptures are both fully shaped by human intention and fully inspired by God.

For Discussion

1. Read Psalm 19:7-11 and 119:97-112. List the characteristics of God’s word and its effects on those who read and keep it.

2. Read the same passage (for example, 2 Cor. 5:11-17) in a more literal translation like the New Revised Standard Version or New International Version, a version using simpler English like the Contemporary English Version and a loose, interpretive translation like The Message.

What are pros and cons of using one type of translation over another? Think about different users, different settings and different types of readers or listeners.

3. Early Mennonites believed, as our Confession of Faith says, that it is not one expert or even any one person that can say what the Bible means. Scripture is its own authority and we each examine all things in the light of Scripture itself. We then need to test our understandings with our faith community.

Share some examples where others helped you understand the Bible in a new way.

2. What kind of book is the Bible?

It is a book filled with many different kinds of writing that cannot simply be read in the same way. There are lots of narrative passages that simply tell the stories of Creation, the calling of a people, the Exodus, the Promised Land, the judges and kings, the exile into Assyria and Babylon, the return to Jerusalem, and, of course, the stories of Jesus and the early church.

But there are also passages of laws and commandments, or places with wonderful poetry and praise, like the Psalms. And then there are prophetic passages, wisdom literature, places of pure worship, letters—written to real New Testament congregations with their problems and issues, apocalyptic literature—like the Book of Daniel or Revelation—that look to the future, as well as sermons, parables, sayings, exhortations and songs.

In other words, there is this rich range of literature about people’s experience of God and faith. This gives me delight. I can try to understand what part of the Bible a passage is coming from, and how it might speak to me today. Depending on what I need, a different literary style or a message from a particular place in the Bible will speak to my situation.

3. How can we study and engage the Bible?

II Timothy 3 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.”

Just like there are many different styles and forms of writing in the Bible, there are many ways to study and engage with Scripture. One of the key insights of the early Anabaptists was that the Bible is not only to be interpreted by the pastors or the teachers, but by everyone in the community, the “priesthood of all believers.” The Confession of Faith says it this way: “Insights and understandings which we bring to the interpretation of the Scripture are to be tested in the faith community.”

One approach to Scripture is to do some serious study of it. Have a commentary or Bible dictionary in your home to help you understand the context, history and original meaning of the languages.

But that is not the only way. Scripture is experienced in worship or by hearing a story dramatized or sung. Congregations need to keep working at presenting Scripture well in worship. Scripture can be read in group settings and Bible studies, with discussion or guiding questions.

Some people memorize Scripture, which comes back to them at significant points in life. Others meditate or pray the Scriptures, spending time in contemplation and allowing the words to speak very directly to their situation.

One of the most interesting ways I experienced the Bible was at a young adult retreat, where each person was given a short story about Jesus from the gospels. We read the story and then tried to imagine what character we were in the story—a person being healed, a family member, a member of the crowd or one of the disciples. Then each of us was put into the town square—as those characters—and we went around talking to each other about what had just happened: “Did you just see what Jesus did?” “I was healed.” “I experienced forgiveness.” “I saw Jesus show compassion on that outcast of society.”

Whatever way we approach Scripture, one of the challenges is to bridge that gap of the millennia since the books of the Bible were written. We live in a different culture and world, so we sometimes need to do some research to understand those biblical worlds.

The Bible does not talk about all the issues and concerns we face in the 2007. It is a voice from outside of our normal understandings that can challenge, change and transform us. It can offer a counter-cultural message to what we see and hear in our culture and media. It can give us an alternative understanding of reality.

In a sense, we both read the Bible—bringing our life to it; but the Bible also reads us, bringing its powerful challenge into our lives.

4. How can we make the Bible come alive for us today?

Two things are vital for this to happen. First, we need to read it, know it and become familiar with its language, stories and message. If we keep the Bible on the shelf—never reading or engaging it—we limit the influence it can have on our lives. It is when we keep the Bible in front of us, that, in the words of the Psalmist, we delight in it—like fine gold, like sweet honey.

A second aspect is to see the Bible as the story of God, and to try to put our story into God’s story. As the Confession of Faith puts it: “We believe that God continues to speak through the living and written Word.”

My prayer is that as we continue studying and learning and engaging with the Bible, that it bears fruit in our relationship with Jesus Christ and in how we live our lives.

Mark Diller Harder is co-pastor at St. Jacobs (Ont.) Mennonite Church. This reflection is adapted from his sermon “Bible 101” that was preached at St. Jacobs as an introduction to a summer series called “Unearthing Treasure: The Living Language of the Bible.”

Nine short sermons on the Bible

The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand we are obliged to act accordingly. Take any words in the New Testament and forget everything except pledging yourself to act accordingly. My God, you will say, if I do that my whole life will be ruined…. Dreadful it is to fall into the hands of the living God. Yes, it is even dreadful to be alone with the New Testament.—Theologian Soren Kierkegaard

Let’s immerse ourselves in the whole story of Scripture. The Bible has no chapter and verse to tell us how to respond to international terrorism. But we will find reliable guidance as we become familiar with the God of the Bible. We Mennonites have our favourite peace texts we turn to. But our convictions on peace are based on the whole of Scripture.—Pastor Phil Kniss, Park View Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, Va.

The narratives of Scripture were not meant to describe our world…but to change the world, including the one in which we now live.—Theologian Stanley Hauerwas, Duke Divinity School, Durham, N.C.

Learning Hebrew and Greek saved the Bible for me. The text that I thought I knew became strange. The text that I perceived as tame became wonderfully unpredictable.—Professor Mary J. Schertz, AMBS, Elkhart, Ind.

The Bible has become a springboard for personal piety and meditation, not a book to be read. [S]tudents very likely know that David killed Goliath, but they don’t know why he did it or that Goliath was a Philistine or who the Philistines were.—New Testament professor Gary M. Burge, Wheaton College, Ill.

Do we need so many versions? Probably yes, for our world is split into many subcultures, each with its own linguistic and reading habits and shifting wavelengths of comprehension…. The American cultural kaleidoscope that has made niche marketing necessary in retail trade has also made necessary “niche rendering” in the world of Bible translation.—Theologian J.I. Packer, Regent College, Vancouver

The Bible is not about Joseph and his brothers, telling us we should act like Joseph did, and then God will reward us. The Bible is not about Saul and David’s fighting one another, meaning that you and I must respect the government even when [Saul] visits witches. The Bible is not about the little Jewish girl in the house of Naaman or about Zaccheus up a tree. But the Bible is telling us how God provided for his people through Joseph’s faithfulness, how God cursed his people through the vanity of Saul and David. The Bible is telling us what God did for heathen Syrians through Naaman’s servants and Elisha, and is pointing up to Christ’s compassion for an apostate son of Abraham—Zaccheus.—Emeritus Professor Calvin Seerveld, Institute for Christian Studies, Toronto

The highest proof of Scripture derives in general from the fact that God in person speaks it.—Theologian John Calvin

Scripture is not the subject matter of the sermon. The [Bible] is the lens by which gospel preachers see God’s presence in the world and understand the meaning of that presence, which they then offer to the congregation.—Professor June Alliman Yoder, AMBS, Elkhart, Ind.

—Compiled by Ross W. Muir

Youth ministry booming in Alberta

By Donita Wiebe-Neufeld, Alberta Correspondent

Edmonton

Shantz

While Alberta’s economy booms, there is also a boom of sorts occurring in Mennonite Church Alberta congregations. It is a hiring boom focusing on youth ministries. Out of a total of 16 member churches, seven have either recently hired, or are looking for, staff to focus on youths, young adults and families. Two others are discussing possibilities, and MC Alberta itself is looking to fill two positions to work with young people.

Joe Goslin, recently hired as full-time associate pastor at Rosemary Mennonite, recognizes that a concern with youths is happening within both society and the church. “I see it with the oil field especially; they are looking to recruit and train young people,” he says, adding, “I think it’s very important that we do outreach with youths…especially in Alberta right now. Many people accept Jesus when they are children or in their teens.”

Alberta, because of explosive economic growth, is attracting workers. Young adults are moving in from other parts of the country, swelling the ranks of the under-30 age group. On July 18, the Edmonton Journal reported that “Alberta showed a median age of 36 years, the lowest of all the provinces, according to 2006 census data released Tuesday by Statistics Canada.” In other provinces, the median age is 39.5 years.

The influx of youths into Alberta, and the lack of a corresponding trend in churches, raises questions of how the church is relevant in the lives of young adults. Marvin Baergen, MC Canada missions facilitator in Alberta, acknowledges the need.

“Certainly there is a growing awareness that we are losing our young adult population from the church,” Baergen acknowledges. “Is this normal and they will come back, or is it a serious problem? I think it is more serious now than when I was young. We are into a new age now and need to be doing some things differently.”

He also noted that overall “we are becoming an aging population. Although immigration is keeping us younger…a lot of the work force is aging and there is a real battle going on to get and keep our youths. The church is going through this too.”

Even though Alberta has the youngest population of all the provinces, its fastest growing age group is still the 55- to 64-year-olds, according to the Journal article.

At the annual MC Canada sessions in Abbottsford, assembly delegates spent considerable time discussing concerns regarding young adult church participation. Alberta conference minister Jim Shantz listened carefully, noting that young adults at assembly were asking important key questions: What is the church?, and “Why the future church, why not now?”

According to Shantz, “We need to work at church being more of an intergenerational body. I wonder what hiring youth pastors says about that…whether we need to think beyond youths to a broader, more comprehensive ministry?”

As director at Camp Valaqua, Jon Olfert is on the forefront of working with youths in Alberta. He recalls a discussion from the 2007 Alberta delegate sessions in Lethbridge. “The conference realizes that there must be some investment made in youths,” he says. “I heard a comment from conference that with our churches shrinking, how can we only afford a quarter-time [provincial] youth pastor?”

It appears, with the current flurry of hiring activity, that Alberta churches are responding to the climate of growth in the province, and placing value on ministry to and with young people.

Olfert is enthusiastic about what he sees, commenting, “I’m in an exciting place. These youths I work with have grown so much. We have top notch youth here!”


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