I'm Never reading the Bible... the same way again!!!!

I recently came to the realization that I haven't been studying the Scriptures properly. I, like many other American Christians, have been passively reading the Bible for a long time. The Scriptures, the Old and New Testaments respectively, have been written and compiled over a span of 1500 years. Each book , thought divinely inspired, have are written in diverse literary prose, are culturally confined. God's eternal principles are found in historical and cultural particularity of Scripture. Christians have noticed the tension between the two for centuries. Unfortunately, Christians have divorced the two believing that they can keep the authority of the Scriptures from being undermined. Many evangelical Christians in particular only stick to the grammatical-historical method of interpretation. Adopting grammatical-cultural method, in their eyes, lead to theological liberalism. I believe this view is invalid. God inspired both apostles, prophets, and writers from different periods of times and located in different parts of the known world to write the Holy Scriptures. It is my conviction that to not read the letters of Paul, John, and Peter, and the prophets in the cultural location is an undermining of the authority of the Scriptures. I think this fear comes from Calvinist view of humanity. Humanity cannot be trusted because humanity is totally depraved. So many evangelicals believe that to gety sound biblical exegesis, one must use the grammatical-historical method. I understand that, but truly I don't buy it. We cannot understand what the apostle Paul was addressing to the Corinthians and to Timothy if we don't have an understanding of the historical background of Corinth and Ephesus during those times.

I also believe that it takes a whole discerning Church, not a select few of scholars and theologians, to find the treasures in God's Word. I'm tired of just passively accepting doctrines from folk without sifting to the same biblical evidence that they do. I have a responsibility to know the Word for myself and to proclaim it to the world. I mean this not as a slight to the biblical scholars and theologians who dedicate their lives to the studying the Word, but I as a layman and a future minister I must engage the Text and the Spirit and have a sincere conviction in my heart and encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ to do the same. We have to all come in to the unity of faith. I know how difficult it is because Christendom is so divided. I am encouraged that the Lord knows who are his. I hope and pray others are encouraged as well.

Gospel Preachers or Political Activists: A Plea to return to the Truth of the Kingdom of God

When the Lord entered the synagogue at the beginning of his ministry, he opened the scroll to the prophet Isaiah:

"18"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
19to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18-19 ESV)

Then before he ascended on high, He gave his disciples this command:
15And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover." (Mark 16: 15 with added emphasis)

Is it me, or is it bothersome that Gospel heralds have become partisan political activists? Many say that Jesus' message was political to the extent he was for the poor that preach against the status quo and the oppression of the religious and political leaders of the day. There is some truth to that claim, but it is also misleading. Truly Jesus the Christ came to save those who were oppressed.... by the devil! (Acts 10:38)
The Glorious Gospel is not for just for the financially and socially oppressed, it is for every human being. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). Jesus told the Pharisees "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance"( Matthew 9:12-13 KJV) Who can say that no human being is without sin?

I find it disheartening that those who profess to preach the Gospel have aligned themselves with temporal political ideologies whether "conservative", "moderate", or "liberal/progressive" or "radical". What do these mean to the blood bought children of God. Our Father's kingdom is not of this world. So why do we care?

Because there is elements of truth in these political ideologies. Progressives claim to fight for justice for the poor, women, and victims of oppression (public sin). Conservatives claim to fight for high moral standards and the life of the unborn , and the "sanctity" of marriage (private sin). Christians from all denominations and theological perspectives tend to polarize on either side of this spectrum, so-called liberal/progressives on side, orthodox/conservative Christians on the other. The truth is these fights are distractions from the reality of spiritual warfare. Sin is spiritual, not in the dualistic spiritual/matter sense found in Greek and Cartesian philosophy (unfortunately found in many works of Christian thought) but spiritual according to Ephesians 6:12 and 2 Corinthians 10:4-5.

The Gospel that the Apostles preached and Jesus Himself preached was the Savior has come to seek and save those which were lost. The Gospel is the message of redemption: God buying us out of the institution of slavery i.e. sin. Many self-proclaim Christians don't even believe in the death, burial, resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I really don't know how they even do so, I guess it's a "free" country. Or ignorant of the truth: the world is still shrouded in darkness. Paul said " if the gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds that believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." (2 Corinthians 4: 3-4 KJV). Jesus called us to be light and to walk in the light because He is in the Light and is Light.

Those who are called to preach the Gospel must tread carefully when dealing with political matters. I am concerned that the Gospel message is hindered because of Christians preoccupation with politics. Would the legalization of same-sex marriage really hinder the Gospel? I don't believe it should. It may probably infringe on the "rights" of Christians to openly disagree with the government resulting in fines, revocation of tax exempts, even jail time. I have one thing to say to this: SO WHAT!!

Our ancient brothers and sisters did not consider their own lives when preaching the Gospel during Rome's empire days. Sewn asunder, crucified, throat-slashed, burned alive, and beaten, they still preached the Gospel. Why? Because the Lord commanded it! His Word takes eminence over our rights. We Christians have no rights! We gave them up when we accepted the Spirit's call to follow the Anointed One. Didn't the Apostle Paul say it's "not I that liveth, but Christ who liveth in me?" We need to really sit, pray, search the Scriptures, and REALLY count up the cost of discipleship. Who do we serve? Not Bush, not Kerry, not Gore, not Dole, not Liberal, not Conservative, not Democrat, not Republican, not Red States, not Blue States, but one Lord, one God and Father who is above all, through all, and in all that believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Church, we need to obey the Gospel and be not ashamed of it, for it is the POWER of God unto SALVATION to EVERYONE that BELIEVES, firs to the JEW, and to the GREEK!! (Romans 1:16) PREACH THE GOSPEL SO THAT ALL MIGHT BE SAVED!!! GOD BLESS.