This week our lectionary text (This article was published a few weeks late!) is on 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5, that well-known passage that describes scripture as “θεόπνευστος,” or “God-breathed.” Our lectionary author, Charles Teixeira rightly points out that Paul would have been referring not to his letters, nor even the gospels, but to the Hebrew Bible, our “Old Testament.”
From Paul’s time up through the present, pastors and theologians have argued that the Old Testament must be seen as God’s Word, in the same way as any book in the New Testament.
But this presents its own set of challenges. I heard recently a pastor share that after deciding to read the Bible in a year, he almost lost his faith.
Why? Well because at times the Bible is a very strange world, very different from our own. I too have been doing a reading the Bible in a year plan and have found myself at times mystified by a text.
These are real questions, questions even pastors ask. So if we do hold the 66 books of the Old and New Testament to be “holy writ,” how can we honestly and faithfully ask questions and allow others to ask questions when we find ourselves confused by the the text?
Because I do think there are answers to these questions, but it’s got to involve more than trite platitudes like, “you just have to have faith.”
I’ll close with these words from the apostle Peter’s second letter:
“but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you,” (1 Peter 3:15)
Blessings,
Stu
This reflection first appeared in our weekly newsletter. To get content like this, along with our weekly selections from our library, click here.
Looking for More Inspiration?
Don’t Miss
The Latest From Our Blog
Check out articles, featured illustrations, and book reviews on all different topics related to ministry.
New Site Launches Tomorrow!
Watch this Space! Tomorrow (May 29) is the official launch of the new The Pastor's Workshop site! Return to this blog tomorrow morning for a post highlighting the new features and explaining how subscribers can get on and start using the site! Here are some new...
How You Can Prep for Pentecost
This was originally posted on May 12, 2016 on https://huffpost.com Pentecost Came Like Wildfire I'm lying on an ice pack early this morning, doing my back exercises and listening to Pray as You Go, a tool for meditation, with monastery bells, music, and a Bible...
Sacred Spaces: the Church Forests of Ethiopia
Let's Go to Ethiopia! Here’s a fun exercise with a spiritual payoff. Go to Google Maps and view aerial images of the South Gondar zone of Ethiopia. Use this button:When the page loads, you'll see a light brown countryside, mostly farmland. There are thin lines of dark...