The Integrity of Our Interpretation

THE INTEGRITY OF OUR INTERPRETATION

The pilot has turned on the seat belts sign.

Doctrinal turbulence ahead.

There is always a debate centered upon the inerrancy of Scripture. And most of the proponents suggest it is an all or nothing proposition. In other words, if you do not believe the Scriptures to be inerrant in the original than you are at best not orthodox, and at worst you are not saved. It sort of lends itself to a form of self righteousness which is buffered simply because it seems to defend the Word of God. And to be sure there are many today who take the opposite approach and suggest the Scriptures are a collection of stories and narratives that cannot be used for anything absolute. If pressed I would have to side with the former than with the latter.
Make no mistake, the Scriptures are a miraculous gift from God and are essential for the Holy Spirit to do a work in a believer’s life and for the sake of the gospel. But let us humbly deal with a few issues. And notice I used the word “humbly” since we should always approach the Word with brokenness and humility. To stand upon a Bible and declare yourself an agent of Biblical supremacy is unseemly. It removes the awe and majesty which should accompany the preaching or sharing of God’s Holy Word.
But the war about inerrancy is counter productive and completely ignores the fact that there are all kinds of disagreements over interpretation, even in the orthodox community. But by staking a doctrinal claim we have become unwilling pawns in an argument which has nothing to do with the gospel and missions in general. Everyone agrees that we do not have the original documents, so all our bluster is founded upon copies. But only the Spirit can know if some scribe added or subtracted a verse here or there. But there is a larger and more poignant principle. Only the Spirit can draw a person to Christ, and only the Spirit guides us into all truth through the Scriptures. So let me make a couple of points which I hope can release some from the tyranny of man made doctrines.
First, it has been and always will be the Holy Spirit’s ministry to illuminate the Scriptures which He penned through human vessels. All the algebraic exegesis cannot convince a closed heart. In fact, it is entirely possible to convince someone concerning certain Scriptural truths but have that person remain completely lost. Even though the written words are human, they are still spirit. And all the original language academia is altogether an exercise for the intellect and not for the spirit. In fact, if you do not have original language credentials you are at the mercy of men who do, and they disagree.
So substantively we all must rely on the Spirit, and we all must exhibit a level of faith. Linguistic microscopes must give way to a broken and contrite spirit. Are the written manuscripts inerrant in the original? I do not know. Maybe, but I cannot examine them since we have no originals. And since 99% of western believers do not know Greek or Hebrew, they must then also rely on English translations. And so the argument is moot except to conjure up a sense of self orthodoxy.
And just who is really orthodox? Is it the entrenched proponent of complete Scriptural inerrancy who exhibits little of its teachings, or is it he who is not sure about it but exhibits much more observable revelations of Scriptural teaching? Who is more orthodox? Both men are born again however one is much more like Jesus and one is less like Jesus? Do we refer to each one’s doctrinal statement before we crown the most orthodox, or can we see the fruits and through them arrive at that answer? You see, we have thrown so much of Jesus overboard in favor of our own doctrines.
Some would say it is all or nothing. They contend that if there are mistakes in the original, even minor mistakes, then the entirety of the manuscripts are untrustworthy. They wonder who would be the arbiter that decides what is a mistake and what is not. Again, we do not have the original manuscripts. And if you place that kind of absolute upon the original manuscripts, will you also place it upon all interpretations? If only the originals are inerrant, then we should only read them in our pulpits since as soon as a preacher opens his mouth and gives any interpretation, then he has opened the door to non-inerrant communication. I have been there myself.
I will not limit the power of the Spirit to the chains of my standards. Many a sinner has come to faith in Christ through a less than complete presentation of the gospel. I was saved listening to Billy Graham on television in 1975, but there are those who would consider my conversion suspect because they believe Billy Graham did not preach their approved form of repentance. I have met missionaries who came to Christ under a health and wealth preacher and later grew in the Lord and are now “orthodox” believers. The Spirit is like the wind, and that Wind cannot be captured in a bottle of men’s doctrinal benchmarks.
And then there is this: I am very uncertain about God’s will that we take the Scriptures and make nano-doctrines. I mean many times through our “I am a Baptist” or “I am a Methodist” which denotes certain doctrinal distinctives, usually ancillary, we obscure the clarity of the gospel itself. And that must always be the overarching theme, the gospel. Those that change the nature of Christ and the nature and method of salvation must be confronted. But as we walk away from there let us adjust our entrenched verbiage accordingly.
The gospel and its power does no hinge on the doctrines of men. So often we underestimate the power of the Spirit because we are so prone to retreat to our well worn paths. Does the power of God’s Word depend upon our contention that it is inerrant? Is it even possible to take eternal spirit words and translate them into human words and have them pristine? If so, why must we rely on the Spirit? You see, I believe the Word is inerrant, but not in the way some demand it be placed in our doctrinal statements. You can invent all the implications you wish, however God’s Word through the power of God’s Spirit continues to seek and save lost souls all over the world, and most of the time the question of inerrancy is never an issue.
Sometimes our doctrines breed self righteousness and we make them some kind of litmus test. Many preachers make the 24 hour creation day a litmus test of orthodoxy. Again, in my estimation that is a theological red herring. It sets up road blocks to the gospel, and it also creates false criteria for being viewed as a Bible believing Christian. How often have you watched as so called theologians go back and forth over seemingly insignificant points of doctrine when they agree on 98% of everything else?
Think about the early church, full of believers whose lives are risked for Jesus sake, but who were never drowning in worthless debates over the finer points of doctrine that we have constructed. Think about the coliseum filled with hungry lions. Think about lighting the fires at the foot of the stakes. Think about the gallows. Think about the swords and the crucifixions and the beheadings. And these persecutions were not over the doctrines that we find so delightfully argumentative. These brothers and sisters gave their lives for Jesus, and most of them could not read and many thousands were made martyrs before the New Testament was ever formed.
And it isn’t just this doctrine about which I write. My post is intended to stir our hearts toward Jesus and not be cemented in many things that seem important in our present ecclesiastical community, but when seen through the Great Commission, they will always be fringe and residual. Reassess your priorities, and be sure your doctrinal statements do not outweigh your obedience and your living expression of the Lord Jesus. I am not liberal in my theology. I will always have the Lord Jesus as my doctrinal Cornerstone. Perhaps you can be released frrom some unwarranted legalism.

And if someone like me cannot be placed on your guest list,

then go in peace and serve the Lord Christ with all your hearts.

The seat belt sign has been turned off.
Resume general swim.