Sabbath: The Origin and Nature of the Bible
Image © Pacific Press
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: 2 Pet. 1:19-21; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Deut. 18:18; Exod. 17:14; John 1:14; Heb. 11:3, Heb. 11:6.
Memory Text: “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13, NKJV).
The way we see and understand the origin and nature of Scripture greatly impacts the role that the Bible plays in our lives and in the church at large. How we interpret the Bible is significantly shaped and influenced by our understanding of the process of revelation and inspiration. When we want to understand Scripture correctly, we first of all need to allow the Bible to determine the basic parameters of how it should be treated. We cannot study mathematics with the empirical methods employed in biology or sociology. We cannot study physics with the same tools used to study history. In a similar manner, the spiritual truths of the Bible will not be known and understood correctly by atheistic methods that approach the Bible as if God did not exist. Instead, our interpretation of Scripture needs to take seriously the divine-human dimension of God’s Word. Hence what is needed for a proper interpretation of Scripture is that we approach the Bible in faith rather than with methodological skepticism or doubt.
This week we will look at some foundational aspects of the origin and nature of the Bible that should impact our interpretation and understanding of it.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, April 11.
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2Thesalonians 2: 9 -12
9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
They refused to love the truth. It is not God intentionally choose to make it for them not to be saved. Where there is no God darkness prevails. In complete darkness eyes cannot see anything and the brain receives no information. When darkness prevails the inability to distinguish from right and wrong leads to immorality which is being evidenced by us in our society.
We use the term "inspiration" to refer to the origin and preservation of Scripture because it is a conveniently succinct way of describing our belief. Like a lot of our spiritual terminology, we need to unpack it from time to time to test our beliefs by discussion with one another. After all, Christians have a lot riding on our understanding of "inspiration" and if we do not know what it means, then it is quite possible that the rest of our framework is shakey.
As many of you know, I have a science background and working my way between the two extremes of measurement and faith is not always easy. One of the things that I have found helpful to me is to discard some of our "Christian" terminology in favour of other descriptions that show that I have thought about the expressions and have an understanding of what they mean.
Maurice, your post sparked some reflections.
It is interesting to observe Paul's inclusion in Romans 1:20 of nature as a parallel avenue of revelation and by extension 'inspiration'. Paul also outlines in Romans 8:2 that there are essentially (only) two fundamental dimensions of reality: the Law of the Spirit of Life and, in contrast, the Law of sin and death. The former characterises the reality embodied and perpetuated by the Kingdom of God which results in abundant life (zoe), the latter the reality embodied and perpetuated by the Kingdom of darkness which results in corruption/ruin/perishing. Viruses are a prime example of the latter phenomenon.
As we 'unpack' our understanding of scriptural concepts and phenomena, we should find those unpackings harmonising with scientific observations either in terms of observations that are reflective of principles/constants/'laws' supporting the promotion of life or of non-life.
The fact that many people have discarded scripture in the face of science suggests that it is possible that an interpretation of scripture may have been developed that does not actually reflect reality. This is no new problem. Jesus spent a lot of time unpacking how reality actually harmonised with a true 'understanding' of scriptural principles by turning traditional interpretations and understandings 'on their head' (eg The Beatitudes and phrases such as "you have heard it said... but I say to you...).
Prior to Genesis 3, Adam and Eve had a much clearer awareness of The Truth of God and Life. Humanity lost this capacity in Genesis 3 and God has been trying to assist us to progressively recover this understanding (to the degree that we are able to under a sin-infected reality) ever since. Jesus life and teaching was the clearest inspired revelation in that process and therefore the 'gold standard' by which all other inspired interpretations need to be interpreted in accordance with (Hebrews 1:1-3).
The phenomeon of inspiration needs to be appreciated within this context.
I therefore look forward to any scientific insights you may have to share throughout this quarter, Maurice.
First time posting a comment -
Phil, I very much appreciate how you express your thoughts. My approach when reading scripture is to 'boil it down', peel the onion skins to discover the core of the Truth. I sense that you do this as well. 🙂
Scripture like Romans 8:2 and Hebrews 1:1-3 tell the truth in a nutshell - Holy light, plain, no fuss.
What else can we add to that? Humbly, we move over and let the Holy Spirit do its work, always praising God for using his unlimited power to 'love' his creation back into HIS kingdom.
Our Creator God is in the process of making all things new again. Jesus is our new Adam.
'Mankind' likes to talk, share its insights, that's fine - each as we are led. Though, let us remember the purpose for all our sharing of 'insights' regarding the scriptures:
'God our Creator' caused us to be 'born again', being now in the process of transforming us through the Holy Spirit so "that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works (2nd Timothy 3:15-17) as long as we live here on the old earth. We are again HIS children and live accordingly.
From the beginning of His reaching out to His fallen children now needing to use their minds, He spoke to us through the prophets and the Apostles and their holy scriptures.
Now we can hear him again trough the Holy Spirit, and this is how we are to interpret the scriptures, faithfully waiting for his return.
To God be the Kingdom, honor, glory and praise!
Talk with God always and let His light shine when doing good works!
Good idea, but how about giving some examples of taking Christian terminology and transforming it into secular language without losing the Christian flavor?
Try explaining justification and sanctification without using theological terms.
Sure.
Justification: pardon, forgiven as promised("if" we confess)
Sanctification: obedient, restored to unfallen state by choosing not to sin(by believing in the promises of God who gives power to the repentant sinner, which often requires a close fight with oneself, which Paul calls "the good fight")
Holy Spirit guide me on this holy Sabbath.
I personally found the Bible to, or referred to every subject area the writer pointed out or more, but it depends on who or how we are studying the scriptures. The scriptures is The Godhead written on paper or electronic. But how we read (casual or meditational) it does something or nothing to the individual.
The writer mentioned the way we see and understand the origin determine the Bible impacts us. To me it all depends on what eyes are we seeing it through. Eg. there are several types of eyes condition humans can experience but not all calls for glasses. There are so far four eye conditions people need glasses. Near- sighted, Far-sighted, Astigmatism and Presbyopia. These people all wear glasses but for four different reasons. But they all have eyes problems.
So it is with humans; culture, race, ethnicity, soc economic, etc plays a part in how we understand the Bible but the spirit of the Bible is what speaks to all humans giving and showing us the right way to Jesus.
We can only approach the Bible in candid response to the way it is presented to us: as being from God Himself (which every soul is convicted of by the Holy Spirit according to Jesus in John 16:8). Though written often through the eyes of observation(Moses wasn't there at the creation of earth, but was shown as an eyewitness), it is from and about our Creator, and His intentions for man who is created in His image, though now fallen. This Word reveals our Creator's purpose in restoring fallen man to his original sinless state, and the means by which this is accomplished in all who believe, becoming partakers of the Divine Nature.
For my study of scripture, I have to trust that the Holy Spirit, who Jesus promised would guide us, will bring me to an understanding of what I am reading. Yes, the Bible has gone through many translations by sinful humans, but I have to trust that God had his hand in that. With technology, we can pretty much find out what anything means. Professor Google comes in very handy when I don’t know what something means, or I want to understand what the culture was at the time something was written. So many ways to search, all the while, trusting in the scripture and the Holy Spirit, to guide me. There are too many places in scripture that verify the validity and the inspiration of scripture, by people that had an eyewitness testimony of what they were talking about. Then there are people like Moses, who part of what he wrote was only by inspiration from God.
I think this will be an amazing quarter, and I know I have a lot to learn.
I’ve enjoyed this refreshing discussion of scripture and would appreciate staying connected although I’m not SDA.
Thy words have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee. Ps 119:11.
I was told throughout history men have tried to destroy the word of God because it contains truth. Truth is what cuts into us dividing the soul and the spirit. Heb 4:12.
Is there any bible better than any and should I run from some. I personally believed some bibles I will never read for knowledge of the Holy One. Men have taken out and redacted some bibles to suit their own way. One such is the 'slaves bible'. But because who the Holy Spirit was/is/and will be, he never allows man to live in darkness. Light shines out of darkness. Many got to know who is the God of the completed living word.