In this episode, we address some recent criticisms around Spencer’s “The Problem with the Bible’s One Unified Voice” and talk at length about the importance of defining terms and speaking to one another.

Music:
“Kid Kodi”
Blue Dot Sessions
http://www.sessions.blue

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Episode #69 – Is the Bible Unified? – The Importance of Christian Dialogue

NOTE: the show notes give a general layout of the conversation’s structure, but obviously do not convey the specifics of the message found in this 2-hour conversation. While show notes are helpful, they do not always tell the full-story.

The importance of relationships for dialogue as illustrated by the online conversation. 

Is the Bible Unified?

• Yes – it tells one story; God’s story from creation to new creation in light of the cross
• No – there are multiple perspectives throughout the Bible
  • 2 Creation Accounts
  • 2 Flood Accounts
  • 2 Views of David’s Kingship
  • 4 Gospels

Perspectives or Disagreements/Contradictions?

• Why use the terms “disagreement” and “contradiction” in this discussion?
• Perspective suggests that every difference in the Bible can be harmonized if we think long and hard enough about it. It says that every author was actually in agreement, but presented their agreement differently, based on a different perspective, audience, education, and situation.
  • This is true, but I think there is more to the story. 
• I believe that many of the biblical authors disagree on some of the issues relating to God’s story. Disagreement says that there can be more than one true way to approach a topic and that the truth exists in the tension between two ideas that cannot be harmonized.
  • The author of 1 Chronicles believes that David was a good king, while the author of 2 Samuel believes that David was a bad king. Certainly, David did both good and bad things, but the authors’ disagreement is deeper than a mere perspective on David’s reign. If you placed both authors in a room, they would likely have a heated debate as to whether or not David was a good king. 
  • Matthew believes that Jesus upholds and fulfills the Jewish law while John has Jesus speaking against the law and the temple. Obviously Jesus does both, but there is tension here that cannot be easily harmonized. 
• My point is this, the biblical authors have disagreements that go deeper than a mere difference in perspective. This is not to say that both are not true, but it is to say that they cannot necessarily be harmonized.

Disagreements and Contradictions Should Not Bother Us

• Christian faith is built upon contradictions. Is God one or three? Is Jesus human or God? Both options contradict one another. Someone cannot be both three and one at the same time. A person cannot be human and God at the same time. Yet, Christian faith says yes, though we cannot fully understand how it works. Christian faith is built on contradictions that we hold in tension with one another, not fully able to harmonize or explain. 
• The witness of the Bible works the same way. Was David a good king or a bad king? On the surface we would say that both cannot be true at the same time, and yet they are. 
• Did Jesus uphold the law or speak against it? Both. 

If This is True for the Bible then It Must Be True for the Church

• The church, like the Bible, must learn to have dialogue with the people we disagree with. We must realize that there is always more than one way, and sometimes more than one right way, to look at a topic. 
• Abortion
  • I am pro life. 
  • The question of abortion is not really the question of ending a human life, at least that’s not how any pro choice person I’ve ever met talks about the topic.
    • Government controlling our choices
    • Where does life begin? Conception or implantation?
    • Rape? Incest?
    • Freedom to abort the pregnancy when life is on the line
    • The health of women who choose to have an abortion
• Homosexuality
  • I believe living a homosexual lifestyle is a sin
  • Nature versus nurture? 
  • Greek word translated homosexuality 
  • Modern understanding of a sexual orientation 
  • Can we disagree on the issue? 
• Who decides what is considered a “fellowship issue?”
  • The Gospel
• Note that Paul, with one exception, never promotes disfellowship, despite some of the horrible things going on in the churches to which he writes.
  • In Paul’s letters, we are only getting half of the conversation. Paul had long relationships with most of the churches he wrote to. We don’t know everything Paul talked with them about. In the case of Corinth, we don’t even have all the letters he wrote to them. It is interesting that when Paul writes to the churches he doesn’t have a direct relationship with he isn’t as harsh. 

What I Am Not Saying

• I am not saying that truth is relative.
  • There is objective truth, but how do we access it with our individual presuppositions and biases?
  • Do we not seek truth and overcome our biases by being in dialogue with one another about these important topics? 
  • Is it not important for us to continue to learn and challenge our beliefs? 
  • Knowledge, by necessity, exists within communities. 
  • Truth is not always propositional (e.g., love).
• I am not saying that churches should not take a stand.
  • I believe every church needs to take an official stance on important issues. 
  • However, I believe churches should continue to dialogue with people who disagree with them. 
  • I believe a church should allow members who disagree with their stance as long as they do not push an agenda. 
  • I do believe there are instances where some form of church discipline might be necessary. 
• I am not saying that the Bible is not inspired.
  • C.S. Lewis