Is the Bible Clear?

            Byron was a Presbyterian, working on his Ph. D. in Old Testament, and it was from him that I first learned about the “perspicuity of scripture.”   Simply put, this notion is an argument for the clarity of the Bible, that anyone can pick it up and glean the scripture’s essential meaning.  This notion is illustrated by the anecdotal stories of persons who pick up Gideon Bibles in hotel rooms and who, upon reading, experience life-changing conversions.

But if the Bible is so clear, then why do we study it so endlessly; parsing sentences in Hebrew; doing word studies seeking the Aramaic phrasing behind the Greek; piecing together ancient manuscripts to infer the social or cultural context of the times in which they were written in the hopes of gaining greater insight into the meaning of each text.

If the Bible is so clear, why do churches send young preachers to seminary to sharpen their exegetical skills, or to graduate schools to write novel-length theses on a single word’s meaning?  Well did the writer of Ecclesiastes understand this phenomenon when he wrote, “of the making of many books there is no end (12:12).” 

John concludes his Gospel with these words:  “there are also many other things that Jesus did; if every one of them were written down, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written (21:25).”  There has been nothing else so thoroughly studied as the Bible, and while the world has contained all the books written so far, we are continually pushing those limits.

I am often suspicious when I hear someone begin a sentence with the phrase, “The Bible is clear . . . ,” because what often follows is a proposition stated as cold, hard truth, but about which there are undoubtedly various opinions.  The phrase, “the Bible is clear,” is often used as a way of cutting off any contrary, or dissenting opinion.  This tendency is captured in the well-worn argument that many of us have heard:  “God said it.  I believe it.  That settles it.”

Actually, that settles nothing.  When one closes off all discussion, or disallows any argument, then one has failed to grasp the very essence of the Bible as literature.  What we often fail to realize is that the Bible is often in a dialogue, or even an argument, with itself.  As a simple illustration:

Proverbs 26:4 ---“Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.”  And this is followed immediately by a contrary opinion,

Proverbs 26:5 --- “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.”

Perhaps the Bible is clear in its essence.  But the history of Biblical study has shown us that such clarity comes only through constant conversation and dialogue.  How much more we might learn if we precede our interpretations not with, “the Bible is clear,” but “this is what I hear God saying in this text; what do you hear?”

You Are Beautiful

Mechthild of Magdeburg was a 13^th Century mystic who left a seven volume work entitled, “The Flowing Light of the Godhead.”  I happened upon a prayer attributed to her – “Lord, help me to believe the truth about myself no matter how beautiful it is.”  For many of us, who tend to be hard on ourselves, this prayer comes as a sweet surprise.  We’re ready, it seems, to see the ugliness of our souls – prepared to beat ourselves up once again.  But, Mechthild helps us to see God, and ourselves, from a different point of view. 

            Matthew Fox, chastised Roman Catholic theologian of the 20^th Century, wrote a book entitled, “Original Blessing,” in which he pointed out that the Biblical story does not begin with original sin (ugliness), but original blessing (beauty).  “And God saw everything that [God] had made and, indeed, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31)

            One of the sad legacies of some strains of Christianity is the rather strict puritanical perspective that induces neurotic guilt in its adherents.  This is so counter to any understanding of original blessing and beauty that I would have to say that such severe notions of Christianity are not Christian at all.  Jesus came that we might “have life to the full” (John 10:10). 

            Admittedly, Jesus tells some parables in which the characters are cast into the outer darkness, but mostly because these characters were not prepared to celebrate life (the foolish maidens, the banquet-goers who don’t dress for the banquet, the talent-waster who refuses to take any chances). And remember that these are parables, given to hyperbole (exaggeration), in order to make a point.  Life with Jesus seems to be more about stretching the limits of life, rather than adhering to restrictions.

The prophet Zephaniah gives us a picture of an other-than-severe God (3:17):

The Lord, your God, is in your midst,
    a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness,
    he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.

            In conversation yesterday with a friend, he reminded me of Eugenia Price’s book, The Wider Place, in which she testifies to the expansive nature of God’s grace.  The more recent book, UnChristian, describes how the secular world has been put off by puritanical, judgmental Christians.  Well, the world should be put off by Christians who purport to be the thought police.  But the world should also know that such Christianity is an aberration. 

            There is a wide place for those who feel hemmed in.  There is a healing balm for those who beat themselves up.  There are green pastures and still waters for souls who need rest.  There is singing and dancing which abounds around a laughing Jesus (Matthew 11:19).  There is original blessing in every creature God has made, even you, even me.  Lord, help me to believe the truth about myself, no matter how beautiful it is.  Amen.