The Role of the Bible
Scripture's Lens
Scripture is not limited by the modern infatuation with the material world but equally regards the spiritual and material in importance and emphasis. The bible reveals to us that the material and the spiritual are not as estranged as popular culture takes them to be but are simply different manifestations of the one truth of creation.
The spiritual and material both originate from the same God, are intertwined and interdependent in ways that we may never fully understand, before the return of Christ, and humanity was originally designed to operate in both simultaneously and interchangeably in ways that are now difficult to comprehend.
Scripture contains without distinction, details, descriptions and illustrations that reveal the material and spiritual nature of creation and created humanity. In this way it clarifies for us a general and basic understanding of the original purpose, design and function of human beings that cannot be found through material study alone.
Scripture does not however document this information directly like a user’s manual for a sports car. But in the same way that a practical understanding of the design and function of a sports car can be gleaned from watching how it performs on the open road, scripture provides a view into humanity's pre-fall, natural, spontaneous and seamless expression of God’s image and likeness into creation.
The Point of Scripture
The Bible reveals God's loving craftsmanship of us through humanity’s complex yet economical, extensive yet intricate and utilitarian yet elegant design. We are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made but this is not the point of the bible. Scripture simply reveals this information as ancillary information in its plainly spoken narrative.
The singular point of all scripture is to reveal the specific, detailed and clearly understood plan of salvation. The value of this secondary information is that it provides context for God's plan by revealing humanity's and creation's original and current relationship with God.
For example, Solomon’s description of earth’s water cycle in Ecclesiastes 1:7 reveals something of God's essential order and design of creation for humanity. Also, in Genesis 1:20-23 God reveals to us that the first living creatures appeared in the oceans. From this we understand that all of the life on earth did not appear simultaneously, but according to God's specific timetable and ordered plan.
In Daniel 10:12-13 we read of demonic opposition to Daniel’s prayer and the angelic intervention on his behalf. This reveals to us something of the nature of spiritual opposition and spiritual support for the will of God and the right actions of humanity in the world. In Acts 19:13-16 the authority of Jesus and Paul are recognized by a demon. This scripture reveals to us that the authority of Jesus, and His obedient servants, are recognized by the dark kingdom but those who are outside of relationship with Christ are unrecognized and vulnerable.
This secondary information comprises an inexhaustible and important body of biblical knowledge that frames our larger and more obvious truths. When we read in Ephesians 6:12 of Christians wrestling with a spiritual enemy this scripture is framed and given context by the above scriptures in Daniel and Acts. When we read that all of creation reveals the nature of God in Romans 1:20 the above scriptures concerning the ordered creation of animal life and God’s on going order displayed in the water cycle also provide context.
An Expansive Exploration of Scripture
An expansive biblical exploration into this secondary biblical information is crucial to a larger understanding of the breadth and depth of God’s plan of salvation and relationship with humanity. Our exploration of the bibles primary and secondary informational horizons should be no less passionate, expansive or full of new and unexpected discoveries as our exploration of the universe.
If we accept that God has created the universe and His nature can be clearly seen in it, and if we accept that God has expressed His essential nature in the Bible, then we should expect the Bible to be as vast, nuanced and layered as God’s creation.
When we do not approach scripture in this way it becomes possible to miss important scriptural details that can lead us into theological error. This was true of the Pharisees at the time of Jesus who's dogmatic and closed theology had them looking for a very different type of messiah than was presented in Jesus.
For instance the implications of Isaiah 53:5 could not even be imagined in the framework of the then established Jewish scriptural understandings. If there were commentaries written at the time they would not have described a suffering resurrecting Christ.
There were those Jews however who were able to eventually recognize Jesus as the Christ because of an expansive exploration of Old Testament scripture guided by God's spiritual revelation. These revelational understandings were largely established and solidified through the writings of the New Testament but this was only accomplished through a Holy Spirit led expansive exploration of the veiled mysteries contained in the scriptures of the Old Testament.
The above example demonstrates why we should oppose any scriptural interpretation that does violence to the person and work of Christ but should not necessarily oppose an interpretation which does violence to tradition or current understandings.
Expressing Scripture into Culture
In today’s world science is erroneously depicted as conflicting with scripture and material understandings are worshiped and spiritual truth is regarded as myth. Now, more than ever, it is essential to recognize and present all spiritual and material truth found in scripture.
These presentations can undergird and defend the gospel of Jesus by providing a rational scriptural alternative to the material only emphasis of the current culture. This requires fearless explorations of scripture free from the shackles of misguided tradition and scientific presumption. These explorations will combat the distorted understandings of scripture in culture.
If we continue to deemphasize God’s essential plan of salvation and neglect an in depth exploration of the secondary biblical information that supports, informs and gives context to God’s plan, then we are limiting the understanding of scripture by everyone.
Limiting the exploration of the Bible in this way hinders our ability to effectively express practical biblical truth in the larger culture. Without a baseline understanding of scripture in the larger culture Christianity becomes mired in inane practices and beliefs.
The role of scripture is to impact the larger culture one heart at a time. The Bible provides God's specific plan for rescue as well as a framework for how to live a human life. Without a clear and basic understanding of the principles of scripture our society becomes disconnected from an understanding of the nature of salvation and in danger of decaying one misguided heart at a time.
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