How do we consciously and strategically create a mindset for entering into conversation with biblical authors through their texts? That's our main question in this sub-series of 4 posts. Today, we'll take a head-on look at the biggest pitfall Bible readers fall right into—a pitfall that stops conversation dead in its tracks.  Today we'll look at the first of 5 strategies.

1. Avoid the "Straight-Line" Fallacy

When it comes to reading and applying the Bible today, there is rarely a straight or direct line from a biblical writer to our time, place, and personal circumstance.  Unfortunately, that's how a great many Bible readers proceed or what they insist on or expect—as if God himself wrote this text "just for me, now";  as if the Bible is "the great answer book" from the sky. 

It's good, of course, when we find comfort or help or encouragement from quick forays into some biblical text (and yes, I used "foray" intentionally, since people often raid a biblical text to see what they can force or steal from it);  but our experience will become the richer and more long-lasting if we develop the practice of deep-level conversations with biblical authors through their texts.   

So, when asking, “What is God telling us now?” our focus should turn more to an intense desire for prolonged and steady conversation with God through biblical texts for the sake of the living community than on any fast and furious jaunt into isolated texts, like terrorists raiding from the hills.

It's true that we can look directly at a biblical text like "fear God and keep his commandments" and call that a straight line.  "Simple!  Just do that!" one might say.  But are we serious?  Do we really think we have nothing to learn by entering into deep level conversations with such texts.  Even a little bit of effort shows us that the phrase "fear God" occurs 18 times in the OT and NT. (Gen. 22:12; 42:18; Exod. 18:21; Deut. 25:18; Job 1:9; Ps. 55:19; 66:16; Eccl. 5:7; 8:12; 12:13; Lk. 18:4; 23:40; Acts 13:16, 26; 1 Pet. 2:17; Rev. 14:7; Tob. 4:21; 4 Es. 7:79). Oh, but wait . . . that's the RSV;  other translations have only 10, or 12, or 15.  What gives?  Are we saying there's no benefit in spending a good amount of time in all of these texts, by reading all of them contextually and conversationally?    

For example, we stand to learn a great deal from how some ancient writers (in OT and NT texts) understood God was acting in the world, or how they wrestled with the problem of evil, or suffering, or war, or slavery, or racism, or sexism, or identity or morals or ethics. We also can learn from how some other writers (later writers in both OT and NT) were in conversation with earlier writers and wrestled with and adjusted some of those ideas. We stand to learn a great deal from all of that. How could we ever be content with sacralized, set-in-stone positions.

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When it comes to reading and applying the Bible today, there is rarely a straight or direct line from a biblical writer to our time, place, and personal circumstance.  Unfortunately, that's how a great many Bible readers proceed or what they insist on or expect—as if God himself wrote this text "just for me, now"; as if the Bible is "the great answer book" from the sky. 

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Now we certainly might have direct access to God through Jesus for salvation or for help and comfort, but it is a fallacy to think that there is some kind of imaginary straight line from Isaiah, Paul, or even Jesus in the Gospels that will make us read biblical texts exactly like they did.  Such a view never considers the vital role of a faith community that is always in conversation about such things.

When reading the Bible, we're invited to enter thoughtfully and with great energy into the conversation as participants—never as marauders. But some faith circles focus more on top-down reading—"God said it, so we do it!” Obedience is a good thing—of course it is!—but within a context where we pay close attention to the intensity of those ancient conversations, and then resolve to become participants ourselves, thinking alongside our brothers and sisters from generations past. And now we bring the best that we ourselves have to bring.

For example, let us name a few molten-hot topics: how biblical writers did or did not address things like marriage and divorce, or the relation and role of women and men, or sexual mores, or racism, or sexism. I specifically mention such things because on such things we really get to see whether we are more interested in reading carefully or in preserving already-believed stuff. (Naturally, "already believed stuff" is not necessarily bad or wrong.)  These are such touchy subjects, that just with the comment I made just now, someone reading this just now has already said: “Aha! There is this guy’s motive for writing these articles! I knew it!” Actually, this kind of reaction might show the reader’s motive more than my own. My motive is to talk about the importance and necessity of real, honest, and genuine conversation, regardless of beliefs or prejudices we may already have. The big question we should be asking is this: “How is God working through his people today?” The simplistic answer (that he never changes) dodges the necessity of thoughtful interaction and encourages the decomposition of real community.

[NOTE:  The idea that we should never reconsider how we apply biblical texts to people is often based on a complete misreading of Heb 13:8 ("the same yesterday today and forever"), and then by mixing it with overarching, simplistic, and ill-formed doctrines (and popular Christian songs) about God being unchangeable.

[As to the word conversation:  The KJV uses it twice in Hebrews 13, but this is based on a now obsolete meaning of the word as “conduct or behavior.” So it has nothing to do with the question at hand.  The KJV uses this translation 20 times for a handful of Hebrew and Greek words that generally mean “way of life.” Ps 37:14; 50:23; 2Cor 1:12; Gal 1:13; Eph 2:3; 4:22; Phil 1:27; 3:20; 1Tim 4:12; Heb 13:5, 7; Jas 3:13; 1Pet 1:15, 18; 2:12; 3:1, 2, 16; 2Pet 2:7; 3:11.]

If we can’t have genuine conversation about things like this without everybody getting mad and drawing lines, then the idea of a “faith community” is a sad joke and a sham that we are trying to foist onto the world as if it came from God.

Now let’s take a different example—a non-rabble-rousing example: ancient interpretive practices. Few people know about this topic, let alone do they care about it. But from it, we can observe and track the motivations, concerns, and practices of our ancient brothers and sisters. That does not mean we should copy-cat their cultural methods. We live in a very different time with very different cultural mores, expectations, thought processes, and goals. They had the courage to tackle such things. We honor them when we bring our best to do the same.

There is no straight line.  

Coming Next

This post showed the first of 5 strategies.  For the next 3 weeks we'll look at 4 more strategies readers should embrace to consciously and strategically create a mindset that wants to engage biblical authors through their texts in deep-level conversation. 

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Click Here for the whole blog series:  Power-Reading the Bible 
 

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