Scriptural Exegesis

Everything must be tempered because everything can become corrupt (everything created that is). This is especially true when it comes to the Bible. As a student of the Bible at an institution which stands by and for it, I am taught that the only way to preach is exegetically. A truth I do not negate. However, I was reading our Blessed Pope's book, Jesus of Nazareth, and came across his discussion on the 2nd temptation of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. He points out here that the Devil is using scripture against Jesus and then makes this quote,

"The fact is that scriptural exegesis can become a tool of the Antichrist."

Whereas I hope most would see the wisdom in this statement. It does serve as a warning for those of us who are trying to be faithful to the text. Who claim to preach the text and teach the text. We must have some theological framework in place before this exegesis can take place. Ultimately that framework derives from that same text it will be used to exegete. Moreover, one must consciously acknowledge this framework lest he fall into the errors of so many in the past. 

Pope Benedict illustrates this point well,

"The alleged findings of scholarly exegesis have been used to put together the most dreadful books that destroy the figure of Jesus and dismantle the faith."

I hope you do not want that said of your ministry, I know I sure don't! Exegete well my friends.

Sanctuary

When I was a boy I remember a man from our church weeping over the barred gates that “protected” our building. Like many buildings in South Florida the layout of the buildings were planned to face towards an open courtyard, similar to the quadrangles of colleges at Oxford and Cambridge. However, this style lends itself to security risks, which is why there were barred gates placed around the building. So why was this man crying? He was crying because those bars had to be there. He was crying that in a world of increasing pain and sorrow the one place he thought to be sacred was not.

Whereas the word sanctuary is most often attributed to a building or temple of worship it does have other meanings. One of which is a place of refuge, a place of uninterrupted security. In the Highlander movie the only place that these “immortals” could not kill each other was in a place of sanctuary. It is a sad commentary on our culture that these once sacred places, revered by even the worldliest, ungodly people, have lost that sacredness.

This fact has most recently and vividly come to my mind. This past Wednesday night, as my wife and I were attending a service with the youth of our church someone snuck into my wife’s purse and took her phone. At first we thought it was misplaced, but after seeing its use beyond the date it was discovered lost we knew someone had taken it. Sure we there is irritation at the person who took it, there is irritation that now someone’s selfishness is costing us more money, but the biggest frustration is that this happened at a “sacred” place.It is a reminder that our faith in Christ and our hope for his return is the only true security we have. 

So now as a man I join in with the weeping man.

New Word

Today I came across a word I have seen but never taken the time to look up. Thanks to the folks at dictionary.com here is the word and helping definition:

Scholion

Scho"li*on\, n. [NL.] A scholium.
A judgment which follows immediately from another is sometimes called a corollary, or consectary . . . One which illustrates the science where it appears, but is not an integral part of it, is a scholion. --Abp. Thomson (Laws of Thought).
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.


www.dictionary.com