02-07-2023, 03:12 PM
I am thankful the GMC is reclaiming the confession that scripture is primary or authoritative. I think Wesley's guidance to accept the simple or plain meaning of scripture whenever possible and then use other resources to understand more difficult passages is sound.
I am finding that the conversations I am having around scripture with people within and outside the walls of the church are shifting from where they used to be. Much of the conversation around scripture used to be whether or not it was true, whether it was acceptable in a scientific age, or if the people in the Hebrew Bible really could have lived that long. Now, I am hearing less conversations about whether the scriptures are true or scientifically acceptable and more conversations about why the story in the Bible matters. They do not seem troubled by miracles or stories of God acting in the world. They simply want to know why it matters, what impact it could have on their life, or why the story of scripture is different than the other stories they hear in the world today.
Simple explanations of why you can't really make the Bible "Say whatever you want", showing the reliability of the witness of Jesus life in the Gospel accounts, and how the cannon was determined suffice for most people. The real questions tend to revolve around relevance and why it is "holy scripture" compared to other myths, religions, or stories.
I am finding that the conversations I am having around scripture with people within and outside the walls of the church are shifting from where they used to be. Much of the conversation around scripture used to be whether or not it was true, whether it was acceptable in a scientific age, or if the people in the Hebrew Bible really could have lived that long. Now, I am hearing less conversations about whether the scriptures are true or scientifically acceptable and more conversations about why the story in the Bible matters. They do not seem troubled by miracles or stories of God acting in the world. They simply want to know why it matters, what impact it could have on their life, or why the story of scripture is different than the other stories they hear in the world today.
Simple explanations of why you can't really make the Bible "Say whatever you want", showing the reliability of the witness of Jesus life in the Gospel accounts, and how the cannon was determined suffice for most people. The real questions tend to revolve around relevance and why it is "holy scripture" compared to other myths, religions, or stories.