Five Facts EVERY Christian Should Always Remember
An Article That Everyone Should Read and Get Through Their
Skulls
This little “story” pretty much explains where I am coming from when I speak about
The Bible and how I read The Word and how The Holy Spirit leads and guides me as
I study The Word. This has also been my Achilles’ heel my entire life when speaking
with basically anyone I have ever met who is a Christian. I feel like I am alone
in the world. I sit in church and I feel like I am a Jew or a Muslim sitting in
a Christian Church because I believe, and The Spirit supports my beliefs in my inner-most
heart of hearts too, in these Five Things. However, I can never truly state out
loud what my true beliefs are for I would be deemed a heretic and burned at the
stake or excommunicated. And even the slightest tangent into the reality of time,
linguistics, politics, sociology, and cultural influences away from what is written
on the piece of paper is not met with logical reasonableness, but with fervent,
entrenched literal interpretations or repeated, long-standing mantra of the “party
line.”
The Bible and how I read The Word and how The Holy Spirit leads and guides me as
I study The Word. This has also been my Achilles’ heel my entire life when speaking
with basically anyone I have ever met who is a Christian. I feel like I am alone
in the world. I sit in church and I feel like I am a Jew or a Muslim sitting in
a Christian Church because I believe, and The Spirit supports my beliefs in my inner-most
heart of hearts too, in these Five Things. However, I can never truly state out
loud what my true beliefs are for I would be deemed a heretic and burned at the
stake or excommunicated. And even the slightest tangent into the reality of time,
linguistics, politics, sociology, and cultural influences away from what is written
on the piece of paper is not met with logical reasonableness, but with fervent,
entrenched literal interpretations or repeated, long-standing mantra of the “party
line.”
Since I have returned to God, my life has changed dramatically. I am not so much
afraid to speak my mind, but I still can’t seem to find anywhere that I fit, except
in my blog writing. I can be free there. I can state my mind. I can speak freely
there. Maybe I’m not a Christian? Maybe that’s why I don’t fit in? Maybe that’s
why no one will listen to reason and their hearts and minds are so closed to reason?
Perhaps God is telling me that my faith lies elsewhere, but that His Word in Christ
is His Word, but that Christianity is not my faith and that is why I don’t fit?
I don’t know, but it is disheartening and lonely as I can only speak freely with
my Wife. I don’t know. It’s in God’s Hands.
afraid to speak my mind, but I still can’t seem to find anywhere that I fit, except
in my blog writing. I can be free there. I can state my mind. I can speak freely
there. Maybe I’m not a Christian? Maybe that’s why I don’t fit in? Maybe that’s
why no one will listen to reason and their hearts and minds are so closed to reason?
Perhaps God is telling me that my faith lies elsewhere, but that His Word in Christ
is His Word, but that Christianity is not my faith and that is why I don’t fit?
I don’t know, but it is disheartening and lonely as I can only speak freely with
my Wife. I don’t know. It’s in God’s Hands.
Glory be to God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, oft Forgiving
Five Things Everyone Should Know About The Bible
The Bible is a peculiar book, and it’s hard to get straight information about it.
If you’re one of those people with a nagging feeling that you should know more about
the Bible than you do — or even if you can recite chapter and verse (but don’t
know that those chapters and verses come from a 13th century archbishop of Canterbury
and a 16th century Parisian, respectively) — then these five basic things will
catapult you to a new level of biblical literacy. Though I might be handing you
clunky corrective eyewear instead of sexy kitten glasses, I promise that they will
change the way you look at the Good Book, clarifying and focusing your understanding.
If you’re one of those people with a nagging feeling that you should know more about
the Bible than you do — or even if you can recite chapter and verse (but don’t
know that those chapters and verses come from a 13th century archbishop of Canterbury
and a 16th century Parisian, respectively) — then these five basic things will
catapult you to a new level of biblical literacy. Though I might be handing you
clunky corrective eyewear instead of sexy kitten glasses, I promise that they will
change the way you look at the Good Book, clarifying and focusing your understanding.
1. Every Bible is actually a collection of books. The word itself means something
like “little library.” Many of the Bible’s books developed over a long period of
time and include the input of a lot of people (ancient Israelites, Babylonian Jews
and Greek pastors, to name a few), reflecting particular places (urban Jerusalem,
the northern Galilee, rural Judah and ancient Persia, for example) and times (spanning
as much as 1,000 years for the Old Testament and a couple of centuries for the New
Testament). Plus, the collection as a whole developed over centuries. This helps
to explain the tremendous variety of theological perspectives, literary style, and
sometimes perplexing preoccupations (which animal parts go to which parties in which
categories of sacrifices, e.g.), as well as why some texts disagree with others.
like “little library.” Many of the Bible’s books developed over a long period of
time and include the input of a lot of people (ancient Israelites, Babylonian Jews
and Greek pastors, to name a few), reflecting particular places (urban Jerusalem,
the northern Galilee, rural Judah and ancient Persia, for example) and times (spanning
as much as 1,000 years for the Old Testament and a couple of centuries for the New
Testament). Plus, the collection as a whole developed over centuries. This helps
to explain the tremendous variety of theological perspectives, literary style, and
sometimes perplexing preoccupations (which animal parts go to which parties in which
categories of sacrifices, e.g.), as well as why some texts disagree with others.
2. Not everyone who believes in it has the same Bible. There are actually different
bibles, though they all started with Jews (but before Judaism, per se). The Christian
bible includes and depends upon the Jewish bible — the Protestant Christian Old
Testament is composed of the same books as the Jewish Hebrew Bible, arranged in
a different order; and non-Protestant Christians include a few more books and parts
of books (which also originated in Jewish circles) in their Old Testaments. The
books of the Christian New Testament reflect the process of Jesus’ followers gradually
distinguishing themselves from his religion, Judaism.
bibles, though they all started with Jews (but before Judaism, per se). The Christian
bible includes and depends upon the Jewish bible — the Protestant Christian Old
Testament is composed of the same books as the Jewish Hebrew Bible, arranged in
a different order; and non-Protestant Christians include a few more books and parts
of books (which also originated in Jewish circles) in their Old Testaments. The
books of the Christian New Testament reflect the process of Jesus’ followers gradually
distinguishing themselves from his religion, Judaism.
3. The Bible came after the literature it comprises. In other words, the material
that became biblical wasn’t written in order to be part of a Bible. This helps to
explain the existence of a book of erotic love poetry (Song of Songs), one that
doesn’t mention God (Esther), another of intimate personal correspondence (Paul’s
letter to Philemon) and maybe why none of it was written by Jesus. The biblical
texts are not disinterested reporting of objective facts but come from people of
faith informed by particular beliefs.
that became biblical wasn’t written in order to be part of a Bible. This helps to
explain the existence of a book of erotic love poetry (Song of Songs), one that
doesn’t mention God (Esther), another of intimate personal correspondence (Paul’s
letter to Philemon) and maybe why none of it was written by Jesus. The biblical
texts are not disinterested reporting of objective facts but come from people of
faith informed by particular beliefs.
4. If you’re reading the Bible in English, you’re reading a translation. With the
exception of a small minority of Aramaic texts, the books of the Old Testament or
Hebrew Bible were all written in Hebrew. The books of the New Testament were written
in Greek. Every translation is by nature interpretation. If you’ve ever studied
a foreign language, you know that it’s impossible to convert exactly and for all
time the literature or speech of any given language into another. A translator has
to make choices. There are often several ways to render the original text, and changes
in English affect the meaning we read as well.
exception of a small minority of Aramaic texts, the books of the Old Testament or
Hebrew Bible were all written in Hebrew. The books of the New Testament were written
in Greek. Every translation is by nature interpretation. If you’ve ever studied
a foreign language, you know that it’s impossible to convert exactly and for all
time the literature or speech of any given language into another. A translator has
to make choices. There are often several ways to render the original text, and changes
in English affect the meaning we read as well.
5. Finally, this information about the Bible is compatible with belief in it. A
person can simultaneously accept these truths about the Bible and the Bible as the
Word of God. Doing so may require recalibrating assumptions, though, to allow for
the possibility that God patiently works through people and time, enjoys a good
debate and prefers inviting conversation over issuing absolutes. (Even the Ten Commandments,
which would seem to be as absolute as anything, show up in two places in the Bible
— and with some differences.)
person can simultaneously accept these truths about the Bible and the Bible as the
Word of God. Doing so may require recalibrating assumptions, though, to allow for
the possibility that God patiently works through people and time, enjoys a good
debate and prefers inviting conversation over issuing absolutes. (Even the Ten Commandments,
which would seem to be as absolute as anything, show up in two places in the Bible
— and with some differences.)
The Bible’s endurance is astonishing. It continues to instruct and to inspire (in
all sorts of interpretations and ways) the millions of people for whom it is their
sacred and authoritative text. And it continues to ignite the imagination and enrich
the speech, literature and art of people outside of the biblical faiths, too. Knowing
the few bits of information provided here, as plain and pedantic as they may seem,
makes it possible to make sense of the Bible — its uses and abuses — for yourself.
It’s like having the kind of friend who you know will keep you straight, surprise
and delight you and encourage you to keep becoming exactly you. This information
is more than a starting point. It’s also a companion along the way, enabling new
insights, providing correctives, and allowing space for the dynamism of your own
ideas and learning.
all sorts of interpretations and ways) the millions of people for whom it is their
sacred and authoritative text. And it continues to ignite the imagination and enrich
the speech, literature and art of people outside of the biblical faiths, too. Knowing
the few bits of information provided here, as plain and pedantic as they may seem,
makes it possible to make sense of the Bible — its uses and abuses — for yourself.
It’s like having the kind of friend who you know will keep you straight, surprise
and delight you and encourage you to keep becoming exactly you. This information
is more than a starting point. It’s also a companion along the way, enabling new
insights, providing correctives, and allowing space for the dynamism of your own
ideas and learning.
Kristin M. Swenson, Ph.D.Author, ‘Bible Babel: Making Sense of the Most Talked About
Book of All Time’ Posted: March 15, 2011 11:00 PM http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristin-m-swenson-phd/five-things-everyone-shou_b_835721.html
Book of All Time’ Posted: March 15, 2011 11:00 PM http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kristin-m-swenson-phd/five-things-everyone-shou_b_835721.html
Kristin Swenson is the author of Bible Babel: Making Sense of the Most Talked About
Book of All Time (Harper, 2010; Harper Perennial, 2011) now available in paperback!
She is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University.
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