Tag: The Bible

I investigated some pitfalls in last week’s blog when reading the Bible. And I promised that in this week’s blog, I would share some practical ways to enjoy the Bible on your own, as well as, with other people. So, here goes.

I choose to bring a humble spirit to the Lord and his Word in my devotional life. The more I learn, the more I know that I don’t know! God “guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way” (Ps 25:9). Humility is at the very heart of God, revealing truth through his word. And then, trust God to speak to you from the Scriptures.

Ways to Read the Bible

I chose to read the Bible from cover to cover every year in my early Christian years. Four chapters a day is all it takes. I am grateful for this foundation as it has given me a good overview of the Scriptures and an understanding of how the various books interact with and complement each other. As I’ve matured in my faith, I’ve found that a quality over quantity approach works best.

When gold was first discovered in Victoria in 1851, nuggets were found in waterways with no digging required. However, miners had to dig a little deeper once these were all gone. After some time, shafts were built, and seams of gold were discovered and mined. The Bible is similar. As a young Christian, I found nuggets of truth daily with little effort. Over time I’ve had to dig deeper and deeper to find rich deposits of truth.

Today, I use the You Version Bible App, which has a verse of the day and thousands of reading plans. I also enjoy picking a book or letter or just a section of the Bible. For example, I might choose to read 1 & 2 Thessalonians; maybe a chapter or just a few verses a day. I lookout for a verse or a line that speaks to me. A few weeks ago, it was 1 Thess. 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” There’s a wealth of truth in those words.

Christian Meditation

Don’t be scared of meditation. It was God’s idea, and the Bible mentions it over twenty times, mainly in Psalms. The Hebrew word for meditate means to ponder by muttering. Meditation is literally talking to yourself. Last week, I spent time meditating on Psalm 121:2, “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” I walked and talked with God and repeated this line emphasising different words.

My help comes from the Lord ~ it’s what I need personally.

My help comes from the Lord ~ God is coming to my aid.

My help comes from the Lord ~ It’s on its way from God now.

My help comes from the Lord ~ The support is not just from anywhere. It’s from God.

The second line of the verse provides the proof of God’s ability to help me ~ “the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” God created all things, so what is my problem in the light of such power? The prophet Jeremiah said it this way, “O Sovereign LORD! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!“

My time of walking and talking with God and muttering the scriptures was powerful, encouraging, refreshing and enjoyable.

Respond to God

Enjoying the Bible is not just about learning facts. Facts are the lowest form of truth unless applied to our lives. I find asking four simple questions of the verse or line I’m meditating on can be very helpful.

1. What is God saying to me through His Word?

2. How will I respond to God’s Word?

3. How does this cause me to love God?

4. How does this encourage me to love my neighbour?

Enjoying the Bible Together

The Bible is not just something we appreciate on our own. God’s word should be read aloud, discussed, and enjoyed with other believers either in Connect Groups or with one or two friends.

One compelling way to enjoy the Bible in a community is the ancient Christian meditation practice of Lectio Divina, or “sacred reading.” The four basic steps are straightforward to learn:

  1. Lectio (reading)—Slow, contemplative reading of a text aloud. Don’t spend much time rationally analysing the text, and do not try to work through it quickly; instead, let your mind linger on the individual words and phrases. Read the text several times. Each person is listening for a word, phrase, or sentence that speaks to them.
  2. Meditatio (meditation)—At some point during the process of Lectio, one passage/verse/sentence should speak to you more than others. Spend time repeating that, silently or aloud, letting it sink in. Write it down if that helps. Everyone can share their insights at this point.
  3. Oratio (prayer)—Use the truth that you’ve gained from meditating in forming a prayer. You can write this (crafted prayer) or say it, draw a picture, paint something, or write a poem.
  4. Contemplatio (contemplation)—If you feel yourself being enveloped by the presence of God, let go of all words and silently settle into the experience.

Remember, as a result of an encounter with God in Scripture, we are always called to action. The Bible calls this godliness ~ devotion in action!

You’ll find some more devotional resources on the Bayside Church website. I hope this blog and these resources lead you into a richer experience of enjoying the Bible and, more importantly, enjoying the God of the Bible.

When I first picked up a Bible, I was nine years old. I’d been given a family Bible by my dad. It was his mother’s Bible, and she’d signed it on January 18 1915. My dad signed it on 6-10-1941 when he was eleven. When he gave it to me, I signed it too ~ April 1 1967. My plan was to read the Bible from start to finish. From memory, I got through the first couple of chapters of Genesis and then got bored. I didn’t pick the Bible up again for a decade. I was nineteen and had just accepted Jesus as my Saviour. I must say, the Bible had improved dramatically in ten years.

I’ve now been reading and studying the Bible for over four decades and have learned a few things that have helped me enjoy this wonderful book. I’ve also fallen into the trap of reading and understanding the Bible the wrong way at various times, reaping the not-so-good consequences. So, let’s explore how NOT to read the Bible!

Out of Obligation

It goes something like this: “God says to read the Bible, so I better do it, even though I don’t want to.” Obligation takes all the joy out of reading the Bible. It comes from legalistic teaching that says, “you just gotta read the Bible; otherwise, God won’t be pleased with you.”

As a young Christian, I attended the seminar, “The hour that changes the world.” It taught people how to pray for an hour, breaking 60 minutes into 12 five-minute segments. You’d spend the first five minutes in praise and worship, the following five in waiting on the Lord. Then confession, praying Scripture, watching and intercession all the way through to praise at the end.

I’m sure Dick Eastman, the author of this course, had good intentions. But this seminar killed my prayer life. It changed it from a spontaneous and enjoyable time with God into a legalistic chore. Imagine me treating my relationship with Christie in this way. “Right-o honey, we’ve got an hour to spend with each other. Let’s take the first five minutes to praise each other, then we’ll wait in silence for five minutes, then….” I can just hear Christie’s response already, and it’s not good. That would be a perfect way to ruin any relationship.

It’s the same with reading the Bible. Legalism ruins our enjoyment of God’s excellent Word. “We don’t read the Bible because we have to. We read it because it’s good for us, our relationship with God, other people, and the world.”

An Instruction Manual

Instruction manual Christians view the B.I.B.L.E. as Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. It’s clever but inaccurate.

Seeing the Bible as merely an instruction manual, a handbook takes away from its status as God’s inspired Word, a holy communication from deity to humanity. The Bible is so much more than just a list of dos and don’ts. Indeed, there are dos and don’ts in the Bible, but if you spend all your time doing the dos, you won’t have time to do the don’ts.

Remember, The Law didn’t work. If it had been sufficient to restore the relationship between God and people, God wouldn’t have needed to enter the human race as one of us. God’s instructions would have been enough. Except they weren’t. God’s interested in a relationship with you. A real relationship that is not based on a to-do list!

Again, imagine bringing the “instruction manual” attitude into a relationship. Your primary communication method to your partner becomes a “To-Do List” posted to the fridge each day. Such a relationship will not endure.

God’s Answer Book

The Bible has lots of wisdom, but it doesn’t answer all questions or life situations. People who view the Bible as merely an answer book treat it like a daily horoscope. In my years in radio, I often had to play the daily stars. I’d get phone calls from listeners who’d missed hearing them and asked me to tell them what their horoscope was. One listener told me they couldn’t get out of bed until they knew what their day would be like. How sad.

I’ve come across many Christians who “read” the Bible by randomly opening it with their eyes closed and then pointing their finger at a verse. It’s a practice called bibliomancy and is basically fortune telling for Christians.

The process of bibliomancy involves:

  • Asking God a straightforward question
  • Opening the Bible to a random page
  • Trailing a finger in slow circles until “the spirit” says to stop.
  • The verse where the questioner’s finger points supposedly contains the answer.

Don’t get me wrong. God can and does lead us to specific Bible verses that speak to us in a time of need. God sometimes causes us to stumble on a verse precisely when we need the message it contains. But the Bible is so much more than just an answer book.

To Win Arguments

We all know THAT person who is ALWAYS right about the Bible and more than willing to tell you why! On EVERY occasion! People like this lack humility and grace and invariably come across as harsh, legalistic, and dogmatic.

I encourage you to spend some time this week reading and meditating on Psalm 25:4-21. The theme of this song is “How to have a teachable spirit.” The bottom line is this, “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.” (9)

To have a teachable spirit, we must be humble. The humble heart says to God, “I don’t know it all; I haven’t arrived yet. Please teach me; I want to learn.” The humble heart also listens to others. That is the person whom God will teach. We need to bring that heart and mind to our time in God’s Word.

Next week, I’ll share some practical ways to enjoy the Bible on your own as well as with other people.

The Bible’s book called Proverbs contains some of the oldest writings in Scripture. It is a fascinating work jam-packed with ancient wisdom, most of which is still relevant today. So, let’s discover the best ways to understand this book.

The Purpose of Proverbs

Proverbs was initially compiled as a training manual for young men to be leaders in the king’s court. So, its first audience was teenage and young adult guys. The term “my son(s)” is found over 20 times in Proverbs.

We find the purpose of Proverbs clearly stated at the beginning, “These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel. Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline, to help them understand the insights of the wise. Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young” (1:1-4).

Wisdom’s Women

Proverbs, chapters one to nine, personify wisdom and foolishness as two gorgeous women. Remember, the audience was testosterone-filled young men. Lady Wisdom and Madam Folly were two women competing for the attention of these immature guys. Lady Wisdom is a godly influence encouraging young men to live a life of courage and integrity – a life that embraces justice, generosity, and kindness – to win favour and a good name (Proverbs 4:23-27).

Madam Folly is the opposite. She is pictured as an adulterous woman who constantly tries to entice and lead the guys astray. For us all, life is about choosing to follow the right woman, Lady Wisdom, rather than Madam Folly.

Now, it is essential to understand that no one sat down to write the book of Proverbs. Proverbs took over twelve hundred years to compile between 1400 and 165 BCE when the Tanakh (Old Testament) was completed. By that time, this book which was initially intended for young men training for leadership was now meant for everyone who desired to live a life that follows Lady Wisdom rather than Madam Folly.

What is Wisdom?

Simply: Knowing how to apply your knowledge.

A more complex definition: Wisdom is the quality of character that knows how to choose the right path in life: the right words, actions, and responses. Wisdom tells you when to speak and when to remain silent.

For Example:

  • Wisdom does not harm one’s neighbour.
  • Wisdom shuns laziness and works hard.
  • Wisdom receives correction and instruction.
  • Wisdom guards the tongue and spreads no gossip.
  • Wisdom doesn’t quarrel or criticise.
  • Wisdom is generous to those who are needy.
  • Wisdom gives voice to the marginalised.
  • Wisdom is tenacious but humble.

Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! (Proverbs 1:7).

The Structure of Proverbs

Proverbs is divided into six sections. The book’s introduction is chapters 1 – 9, followed by the most extended portion, “The proverbs of Solomon” (10:1– 22:16). The rest of Proverbs consists of four shorter parts:

  • The words of the wise (22:17 – 24) are drawn from the ancient Egyptian wisdom text, The Instruction of Amenemope, from the 14th to 11th Centuries BCE. This teaches us that wisdom is drawn from other cultures, faiths, and people.
  • More proverbs of Solomon (25 – 29) were collected and compiled by the advisers of King Hezekiah of Judah. Hezekiah reigned between 716–687 BCE. Solomon died in 930 BCE. So, these proverbs had been around for over 200 years before being included in this book.
  • The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh—an inspired utterance (30). Agur was weary and tired and didn’t think of himself as wise, and yet we have his proverbs preserved for our benefit. I hope you find this as encouraging as I do. It doesn’t matter how you feel or what you think of yourself. God sees the gem in the lump of rock!
  • The sayings of King Lemuel (31). An inspired utterance his mother taught him. Lemuel is possibly a pet name Solomon’s mother gave him. She says, “Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb! Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers! Do not spend your strength on women…” (31:1-3). Proverbs 31 is often taught at Women’s Conferences, but its application is much broader. The final chapter once again personifies wisdom (Lady Wisdom) and demonstrates how a wise person lives.

Types of Proverbs

There are two kinds of proverbs ~ Sayings and instructions. A saying is a nugget of wisdom. Consider these examples:

“A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.” (11:13)

“The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.” (12:10)

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (15:1)

“Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.” (25:24)

Instructions may be positive or negative (i.e., you need to do this / not do this). Examples include:

“Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court.” (22:22)

“Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered.” (22:24)

How can we get wisdom?

People grow wise through experience either gleaned from others or learned from their failures and mistakes. The Book of Proverbs is one source of wisdom. There are 31 chapters, so you could read a chapter a day and get through the entire book in a month.

As we step out and take risks, we will fail, make wrong decisions, choices, and mistakes. The alternative is never to do anything, but that’s not very wise!

Proverbs 24:16 states, “The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again.” It reminds me of a song – I get knocked down, but I get up again. Is the tune stuck in your head now?

In my (almost) 30 years of leading Bayside Church, I’ve made loads of decisions. Regrets, I’ve had a few, but then again. In this journey, I’ve gained some wisdom. And it’s that which I seek to impart as I continue to lead others.

It’s a question I’m asked regularly. Should I read the Apocrypha, and should it be included in the Bible?

Apocrypha is the name protestant Christians give to the seven additional books Roman Catholics include in the Bible. They also have certain additions to Esther and Daniel. Roman Catholics refer to these as deuterocanonical books.

The Catholic Case (1)

The Roman Catholic Church maintains that it has the authority to determine the limits of Scripture. It also asserts that there was no fixed canon of Scripture at the time of Jesus and His apostles. Some argue that there were competing canons, while others say that the Old Testament canon had not been entirely accepted in Jesus’ day. Whatever the case may be, the canon of Scripture was not fixed or established. This is quite true.

135 CE was the date the written Tanakh (Old Testament) was sealed. In other words, those who made decisions about sacred text decided it was complete by then. That’s a century after Jesus’ resurrection! Jewish scholars did not include the Apocrypha as a holy text.

The Bible Jesus Used

The Septuagint was the most widely read Scriptures of Jesus’ day and was likely the Bible he read, studied, and taught. The Septuagint (LXX) is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures completed by 72 Jewish scholars in the 3rd century BCE. The Septuagint did include the Apocrypha, and so Jesus and the early church would have been well acquainted with it.

The church, from the beginning, did not accept the shorter Jewish canon but instead included the deuterocanonical books or the Books of the Old Testament Apocrypha as Scripture.

The church fathers quoted from the Apocrypha but disagreed on its status. Augustine, for example, considered the Apocrypha as canonical (official Scripture). On the other hand, Jerome viewed it as ecclesiastical, to be read in church for edification but not on par with inspired Scripture.

Protestant Reformation

Martin Luther supported Jerome’s view. He wrote, “These are books that, though not esteemed like the Holy Scriptures, are still both useful and good to read.” Luther included the deuterocanonical books in his translation of the German Bible, but he did relocate them to after the Old Testament, calling them “Apocrypha” or “Hidden books.”

Incidentally, Luther attempted to take Hebrews, James, Jude, and Revelation out of the Bible because they didn’t fit with his teaching of being saved by faith alone without works. He placed these four books at the end of his German Bible translation as a kind of New Testament Apocrypha.

The Apocrypha was included in the 1611 publication of the King James Bible. It was officially removed from the English printings of the King James Version by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1885, leaving only 66 books. In other words, these books have only been absent from non-Roman Catholic Bibles for the last 136 years.

The Catholic case (2)

The Roman Catholic church claims that when the books of the Old Testament Apocrypha are rightly studied and understood, they fit into a consistent pattern of teaching with the rest of the Bible and the teachings of the church. Therefore, they consider that we have every good reason to receive these works as canonical Scripture and to believe and obey the things taught therein.

But the New Testament Doesn’t Quote It!

Some state that Jesus and the New Testament authors do not quote from these books. But that’s not correct. While the New Testament doesn’t state, “It is written…” before quoting from the Apocrypha, there are dozens of instances where Jesus and the New Testament draw on Apocrypha. The golden rule (Matthew 7:12; cf. Tobit 4:15). Warnings against storing up riches (Matthew 6:19-20; James 5:3; cf. Sirach 29:10-11). The New Testament continues the strong theme of almsgiving (giving to help the poor) that we find in the Apocrypha. Consider Acts 3:3; 9:36; 10:2-4, 31; 24:17; 1 John 3:17 and Tobit 1:16; 2:14; 4:7-8, 10-11, 16; 12:8.

One of the clearest quotations is found in Jude’s little letter. Jude 14-15, “It was also about these that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “See, the Lord is coming with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all, and to convict everyone of all the deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”

The Apocryphal book of 1 Enoch states, “Behold, he comes with the myriads of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all, and to destroy all the wicked, and to convict all flesh for all the wicked deeds that they have done, and the proud and hard words that wicked sinners spoke against him” (1:9).

Concluding Thoughts

I haven’t read all of the apocryphal books, but maybe I should. I find myself agreeing with Jerome and Luther that “These are books that, though not esteemed like the Holy Scriptures, are still both useful and good to read.”

While part of me thinks we already have enough to read and study with the 66 books of the Bible, the fact that they were included in the Christian Bible for the first 1,855 years of the church’s existence seems to lend weight to the Apocrypha.

So, read them if you want to, but make up your mind to never fall out or argue about this with anyone!

Genesis, the first book of the Bible, is a stunning book. Christians should remember that Genesis was part of the Jewish Scriptures well before completing the Christian Bible. And so, to fully understand it, we need to listen to our Jewish friends.

Hard-line Jewish Theologians believe that God wrote Genesis by dictating it to Moses, and Moses chiselled away on the first tablet that didn’t have autocorrect! Most Jewish scholars believe a series of scribes wrote Genesis (as we know it today) after the Babylonian captivity.

In the ancient world, people told stories around campfires. That was the Netflix of the day, the people’s entertainment. This resulted in a lot of variances in the stories. And some of these differences are recorded in Genesis. Consider, there are two entirely different creation stories (Genesis 1 & 2), Abraham passes his wife off as his sister twice, and there are two accounts of how Jacob’s name was changed to Israel. Genesis reflects people’s memories rather than accurate history. My Rabbi friend put it this way, “Our people don’t have history; we have memory.” Genesis then unfolds people’s memories and stories and their interactions with God and one another.

It wasn’t until the 12th century BCE that people said, “We should write this stuff down.” And so, Scribes who are unknown to us today wrote all the stories down. Moses, regarded as the traditional author of the Bible’s first five books, lived a century before.

These Scribes attempted to capture the nation’s oral history—campfire stories with all their variances and disagreements. Codifying a written record of oral stories was a very long process. Many authors took a shot at it over 1000 years between 1200 and 200 BCE.

In 135 CE, the written Tanakh (Old Testament) was sealed. In other words, those who made decisions about sacred text decided the holy text was now complete. The Tanakh was considered the seed of Jewish (and Christian) tradition. And, of course, seeds naturally germinate and grow. Thus, Jews and Christians still enjoy its fruit today.

“Genesis” is the English name for the first book of the Bible. The Greek translation of the Hebrew word, toledoth (to-led-aw), is found 13 times in Genesis. Toledoth is a Story, record, account, or generation. Toledoth marks off the various sections of the book:

Genesis 2:4, “Such is the story of heaven and earth….”

Genesis 5:1, “This is the record of Adam’s line….”

Genesis 6:9, “These are the generations of Noah.”

The Hebrew name for Genesis is Bere’shit (beray sheet), the first word of the book translated as “in the beginning.” In the beginning, a time when time didn’t exist, God created time. Wow. Genesis deals with beginnings, particularly the beginning of the cosmos and Israel. Genesis ends with the death of Joseph (1445 BCE).

The book easily falls into two parts:

Genesis 1-11 (story / parable)

Genesis 12-50 (memory / history)

It is primarily not a history or science book but rather tells of Israel’s self-identity as a nation.

For example, the story of Adam is a parable, a condensed version of Israel’s story. Adam was created by God out of dust and placed in the garden. He was free to eat from EVERY tree except one. God said, if you disobey, you’ll die. Of course, Adam didn’t literally die. Instead, he and Eve were exiled from Eden. Consider the parallel with Israel, a nation created out of the dust (slavery) and placed in Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey (very garden of Edenish). God gave them clear commands to obey and warnings against disobedience. Rebellion would lead to death. Consider Deuteronomy 30:19, “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life so that you and your children may live.”

Like Adam, Israel disobeyed and faced exile. And so, Genesis is telling us something about a struggling nation as they return home from being refugees in a foreign land. They are rebuilding and reconnecting with their roots as they embrace a brand-new future. They remind themselves of their stories, who they are, and who their God is to them. The apostle Paul told the church, “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come” (1 Cor. 10:11). From the parables, stories, and memories of Genesis, followers of Jesus today can find great encouragement in who we are in Christ and who our God is to us.

Have you ever noticed how some people need to label you, to categorise you? Maybe it provides them with a sense of security to pigeonhole you, so they know “that’s where you fit. That’s where you belong.”

I’ve been fascinated by this in recent years as I’ve spoken out and written about various issues. A person I’ve known for well over two decades sent me a text several years ago referring to me as his “liberal left-leaning friend”. And no, it wasn’t a compliment. It struck me how little my friend really knew me, and no wonder. Every time we catch up, he talks about himself and what he’s doing for Jesus! He’s so far-right that, compared to him, everyone leans left!

The latest label I’ve been given is that of “progressive” Christian. And that wasn’t a compliment either. So, when I was asked about this recently, it set me on a journey to find out what a progressive Christian was. Here’s what I discovered.

Negatively, it’s a label that some conservative Christians use for anyone who, in their opinion, deviates from or questions their understanding of Christianity. Things like a literal reading of the Bible and engaging in the political process to protect Biblical values. Conservative Christians are generally against abortion, euthanasia, and gay rights. These are viewed as the most important Christian values of our day! Think Australian Christian Lobby (who would be better named the Australian Conservative Lobby – still ACL – because they only represent a small, very conservative section of the Christian church).

Those who deviate from these conservative norms are invariably called liberals or progressives and aren’t really “true Christians”. They’re a bit lukewarm, you know! But is this correct? I think not.

What are Progressive Christians?

Progressive Christianity is defined by several characteristics: a willingness to question, acceptance of human diversity; a strong emphasis on social justice and care for the poor and the oppressed; and environmental stewardship of the earth.

In my early years in a conservative Christian church, questioning wasn’t encouraged. In fact, it was viewed as a sign of wavering faith. These days I see questioning as a vital way to develop our faith. Throughout Scripture, especially in Psalms, we see people asking questions, and God seems to be completely comfortable with it. Jesus invariably answered a question with a question.

Human Diversity

Progressive Christians accept human diversity. Christianity is sometimes seen as the white man’s religion. A fact that was supported by Walter E Sallman’s well-known painting Head of Christ, which pictured a blue-eyed Jesus with long dark blond hair.

And yet, the human race is incredibly diverse. People of different colours, creeds, and cultures tend to view Jesus and Scripture in myriad ways. Progressive Christians celebrate this fact. While there is so much that unites humanity, not least that we are all made in the image of God, unity does not equal uniformity. God is not looking for a bunch of cookie-cutter Christians. He created and commended diversity, and so should we.

The apostle Paul then takes the diversity of humanity – differences in gender, social status, and ethnicity – and unifies us all in Christ (Galatians 3:28).

Social Justice

Progressive Christianity has a strong emphasis on social justice and regard for the poor and oppressed. Again, I’ve heard this expressed as a negative slur. I’ve had people ask me, “why don’t you just preach the gospel instead of talking about social justice issues?” My answer is, “but social justice is part of the Gospel.” Consider Galatians 2 that records Paul’s trip to Jerusalem to visit the other apostles. The outcome of that meeting recognised that God’s grace was on Paul and Barnabas to take the Gospel to the gentiles. All Peter, James, and John asked: “was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I had been eager to do all along.” Do you get that? Out of all the things they could have mentioned, they highlighted care for the disadvantaged. Social Justice isn’t “progressive.” Social justice IS the Gospel!

Environmental Care

Progressive Christianity also has a strong emphasis on environmental stewardship of the earth. As well as being a left-leaning hippie, apparently, I’m also a tree-hugging greenie because I encourage people to care for God’s creation. Why bother? God’s going to create a new heaven and a new earth one day. This one is old and temporary so why look after it?

Do we embrace this kind of “logic” anywhere else in life? What if you have an old car. One day you’ll get a new one, but do you trash the one you currently have? Of course not. You want it to last the distance, just like we want this planet to thrive. God created the heavens and the earth, and he has given charge of it to humanity. What are we doing to it? How are we caring for it? What about the animals God created that are now endangered? What about the pollution we pump into the atmosphere and the plastic we thrust into the oceans? Should Christians not be deeply concerned about human impact on creation?

All You Need is Love

Now you’ve got the Beatles song stuck in your head, let me explain. Progressive Christians have a deep belief in the centrality of the instruction to “love one another” (John 15:17) within the teachings of Jesus. This focuses on promoting values such as compassion, justice, mercy, and tolerance, sometimes through political activism. Love is the new and greatest commandment after all (consider John 13:34, Mark 12:31, Luke 6:31).

“Any interpretation of the Bible that causes you to be unkind or dismissive towards another person or that inflicts pain or damage is not the correct understanding of the Scripture!”

Values such as compassion, justice, mercy, and tolerance are Christian values as old as the Gospel itself. They should not be seen as progressive. Consider Romans 2:4, “Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” Tolerance is “a holding back, or a restraint.” God holds back judgment to offer kindness. Are we not called to be like God?

Christianity should be progressive.

The Bible is not a static book. There are so many ways we see a progression of truth throughout its pages. Explore topics like slavery, child and animal sacrifices, women’s rights, interracial marriage and see how there’s a progressive revelation in Scripture. God’s people are to be “changed from glory to glory” (2 Cor, 3:18). We are to progress!

So, am I a progressive Christian? Well, yes. That’s one label I’ll gladly wear!

I’m frequently asked my opinion about the firmly held view amongst some Christians in a young earth. Invariably, the question includes confusion about how dinosaurs fit into the picture and why they are absent from the Bible? After all, the Bible starts at creation (Genesis 1), right?

Origins of a young earth

The Young Earth theory came into prominence with the 1611 publishing of the King James Bible. The original KJV printed creation’s date as 4004 BC.

In the 17th-century, Archbishop James Ussher published his chronology of the world’s history, formulated from a literal reading of the Old Testament. Many scholars agreed with Ussher that Earth was about 5,650 years old. He believed the creation had happened in 3952 BC; Isaac Newton thought it was in 3998 BC.

Other creation views

Today, Christians from conservative evangelical and fundamentalist backgrounds invariably believe the Earth is relatively young. But this is only one of several views Christians hold:

Young earth creation: Genesis presents a factual account of how the Universe and the Earth came into being some 6000 to 10,000 years ago. People who believe this invariably disagree with science saying science has it wrong because it is anti-God.

Old earth creation: God specifically created billions of years ago. This theory agrees with science that the Universe is 13.8 billion years old and the Earth is 4.5 billion years old.

Theistic evolution: God initiated and directed evolution.

Intelligent design: God is the creator, but the creation has changed and adapted over time. Those who hold to intelligent design believe the world is ancient and is progressing or getting better. Genesis 1-3 is seen as truth as meaning rather than truth as fact.

Truth as Meaning

As an example of truth as meaning, let me tell you about Christie’s parents living with us at present. They’re in their 80s, so I could say that my father-in-law is “as old as the hills.” The statement isn’t the truth as fact. The fact is hills are much older than grandad, but you know what I mean. The truth is he’s an old man. The Bible is full of truth as meaning. Genesis is an excellent example of this.

Ultimately, it’s up to you which view of Genesis you most resonate with. It’s not a matter connected to our salvation, so it’s negotiable truth upon which we can discuss and disagree. Personally, I resound with intelligent design as I don’t see science and theology disagreeing with each other.

Science and Theology

Hebraically, science and theology are asking two different questions, both of which are valid and important:

Science asks and answers ‘what’ and ‘how’ questions such as:

  • How was the Universe created?
  • How old is the Earth?
  • What happened to the dinosaurs?
  • Science is all about being correct about the facts.

Theology, on the other hand, asks and answers (sometimes) ‘why’ questions like:

  • Why did God create the world?
  • Why did God make people in his image?
  • Why am I here?

Theology is about truth as meaning, wonder, and awe and is at peace with the unanswerable. Because of faith in God, people are more comfortable with living with mystery. Theology is about enjoying the journey as much as the destination. Hopefully, it’s the same for scientists too, who are constantly testing theories and discovering new things in God’s divine treasure hunt! Science and theology can find common ground when we allow each to be what they are intended to be.

A Jewish Perspective

2021 is the Jewish Year 5781. Literalist Jews, like young-earth creationists, view this as the date of the creation of the Universe. The majority of religious Jews, however, believe 5781 approximated when their scriptures started.

The first chapters of Genesis give us the “why” of what we see in the world. Explaining why the Universe and the Earth were made and our part in God’s creation. Genesis includes stories that are meant to convey meaning, not just fact. As an example, consider Cain and Abel. If this is pure truth as fact, we immediately strike difficulties. Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain and Abel. Cain kills Abel, which should pretty well have ended the human race. But read on. Suddenly there are all these other people on Earth. Where did they come from? How did Cain get a wife? I’d tell you if I were able!

The story of Cain and Abel is so much more than a factual account. Literalists can get hung up on questions like, were they real people? The Hebraic mind will ask, what do we learn from the story? We grasp things like, yes, I am my brother’s (and sister’s) keeper. Murder is wrong, God is both just and kind, and blood has a voice. Now, we know blood doesn’t really speak. But God said to Cain, “Listen; your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground’” (Gen. 4:10). This is not truth as fact; it’s truth as meaning. When we get into the New Testament, we find that the blood of Jesus “speaks a better word than the blood of Abel” (Hebrews 12:24). Cain’s blood cried out for vengeance, but the blood of Jesus speaks of grace, kindness, and forgiveness.

Practical Takeaways

I’ll finish this blog with a few practical takeaways:

  1. If you want to have a healthy discussion about Genesis, resist fruitless arguments about dates and times and focus on truth. Ask how you can learn and benefit from what the stories teach? How will this truth impact your life now?
  2. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter how old creation is. None of us was there, not even grandad! The only way we know what it was like before we were born is by listening, reading, and learning from stories taught by people. That’s our dream time. Genesis is Hebrew dream time. It is truth as meaning.
  3. Ask, does what I believe make me more compassionate? Does what I believe close down imagination and questions? If we’re to have any kind of enriching dialogue, we need to use our imagination and move beyond dogmatic arguments. Reimagine old perceptions. Reimagine ancient texts.
  4. The Bible isn’t a science book. It’s a love story about God and people, about redemption and reconciliation. Refuse to make it anything it was never intended to be.

And, what happened to dinosaurs? The Bible doesn’t mention them because they were extinct long before the Bible was written!