Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Understanding the Old Testament: Reading Someone Else's Mail
Often, Christians have difficulty understanding and applying the Old Testament. It seems so far removed from our life today. After all, we don't worry about wearing clothes made of different materials or how we should shave biblically (Lev. 19). The New Testament writings seem so much easier to understand, in contrast. We can turn to them and receive instruction to apply to our lives in a more direct fashion. Or can we? In the same way I don't concern myself over biblical shaving, I don't ask my wife to wear a head covering (1 Cor. 11). (Although, some men would and I respect them for obeying their conscience.) The reason I don't do this is that I am not a member of the church of Corinth. This letter was not written directly to me. I must filter what it says in order to understand what it is saying to me today. Then, I must consider how to apply what I understand. The same is true with the Old Testament, isn't it? I am not a Jew living in that time. So, I must filter what it says in order to understand what it is saying to me today. Same method. I think this means that we shouldn't let studying the Old Testament become as intimidating as it seems to many Christians. Also, it should give us cause to pause as we interpret and apply the New Testament. Anyone else have any thoughts about this?
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7 comments:
How do you know that the head coverings issue is just for the Corinthians? They also received instructions on the Lord’s Supper, how do we filter that?
It has taken me some time to get back to you. Sorry about that. Your question is a good one. But are we really going over head coverings on the first post? Why not? The head covering, in my humble opinion, is hair, specifically, long hair for women. So, what is meant by "long hair?" (1 Cor 11:15) Well, this is where it gets more difficult. What about women who suffer from baldness or have horrible accidents? What about baby girls? One man's opinion of "long hair" isn't the same as another's. In fact, it seems culturally relative. Am I saying that biblical instruction may be culturally relevant? Maybe. It depends on the situation. Paul's reference to "the very nature of things." (1 Cor 11:14) seems to be in reference to the people/culture around the Corinthian church. Simply put, this wasn't written to me. At least not specifically. I am not a part of "the church of God in Corinth." So, I need to filter it. What do we filter it through? Well, the rest of Scripture. Does our culture affect our understanding of this? Sometimes. Usually this is more relative in the area of biblical examples. For instance, most churches don't use wine, as Jesus and the early church did to take the Lord's Supper. That aspect of Scripture is dependent on other factors. We have freedom to use grape juice. This is not an area I am completely convinced of. I am open to other thoughts about head coverings. However, this seems to make the best sense of that passage.
I agree with you about it being hair. And I am about 95% on board with it being a cultural thing (i.e. may not be applicable today, maybe). But what do you think about verse 16 where it says "If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God." That seems to indicate it was just not for the Corinthian church but for the "churches of God."
I think that Paul is saying that if anyone wants to argue this point, then proof of this would be evident around them (i.e. in their culture). What it seems that Paul means by "the churches of God" are the churches within their like culture. As an aside - Does this mean we need to be concerned about cultural issues as we interact with other cultures about Xianity. You betcha'! The focus of this passage is on what church leadership should be like. Look at his opening statement, "Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God." The real issue in this passage seems to be headship not hairstyle.
I started this post with a simple question, "If Scripture isn't addressed to me directly, then I how should I interpret and apply it?" I paired it with the struggle of understanding the Old Testament. However, it has begun to bug me and has taken on a life of its own. This question also applies to the New Testament and presents some prickly interpretive problems. One thing that keeps coming to mind is the fact that Scripture has a divine author. God intended for all Scripture to apply to us. However, that still doesn't answer the question. When I read a book originally written for Israel, I am left with the question of how to apply it to myself. I'm looking for resources and scouring the internet. If you know of any, please pass the info along. I may revisit this topic later, as a result.
One of the ways I try to understand the Old Testament and the New Testament is in light of the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. The Old Testament is written largely to unbelievers as a demonstration of God's wrath and how he deals with sin. There are some New Testament ideas, but I think we are mostly supposed to take away the idea that unbelievers with die apart from the grace and mercy of God. The New Testament, on the other hand, is written in terms of instructions for believers who have the Holy Spirit to guide them. . .
Interesting topic, though. . .
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