Saturday 11 December 2010

Background

Why are there always arguments among believers about the ways ofGod? Surely the Scriptures have revealed God's purposes andactions? But anyone reading the Scriptures will be confused bytheir untidiness, their complexity and the lack of an overall plan.The Bible is notoriously the cause of the fiercest argumentsbetween Christians. 

God typically works in hidden ways. There is no blinding light. Godseems to insist that God's invisible and inaudible operations arediscerned by human beings in and through the confusions andcomplications of everyday experience. The claim to 'see' God isalways controversial - such are the limitations of human wisdom andinsight, coupled with our moral ambiguities and ego-centricprejudices. 

We appeal - rightly - to Jesus to help us to map out God's wayswith authority. But Jesus, like John the Baptist (his much admiredcontemporary and collaborator), was in his time the cause ofconfusion, uncertainty, controversy and conflict. Some who heardJohn and Jesus recognised their prophetic roles. But the leaders ofthe people could not, or would not, recognise their divineauthorisation. People in positions of power feared the worst. Theymade martyrs of them both. 

Jesus - but only he - had a clear conviction about John as thesecond Elijah. Jesus had taken sides in contemporary disputes aboutthe interpretation of Scripture. He affirmed what one set oftheological experts (the scribes) controversially drew out ofMalachi 4:5-6, that Elijah must come againfinally to prepare people for the advent of God's kingdom. Theirony was the scribes could not see what Jesus saw - that their ownexpectation had been fulfilled before their eyes. 

The significance of Jesus' own life was similarly hidden from thevast majority - as God's judgements regularly are. Even hisdisciples failed fully to grasp the point about Jesus. It took thetop-secret transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9), the resurrection of Jesus andthe gift of the Holy Spirit - mysterious events in themselves - toenable the disciples to get some degree of clarity andconviction. 

To Ponder

Vigorous, even heated, discussion of the meaningof Bible passages tends to be a marker of a lively Church. What isyour experience of sharing in a Bible study group?

The Church has from time to time summarisedshared insights from generations of careful Bible study - in theCreeds, for example. What best helps you to understand the historiccreeds as a framework for Christian faith?

How does the Church's fellowship help you to liveyour faith as well as understand it?