The New Testament and Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) are the essential documents of the Christian Faith. For Christians, there are no more important writings than these.
It is, however, important to read them wisely, being aware of how they came to be and avoiding the modern trap/heresy of literalism.
From Oral to Written
The New Testament began, as with all sacred writings, as a series of oral stories passed among those who had known Jesus. Since books were hand transcribed, very expensive, and rare, oral stories were crucial. The New Testament came to be written down because the eyewitnesses began aging and dying as time passed. There was concern for preserving the sacred tradition. So, written documents began emerging. Scholars believe that there was a “proto-Gospel” spoken of as the Q document that was passed among the writers of the first three Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke, known as the Synoptic Gospels. These Gospels appeared in written form between 60 and 70 CE, 30 years after Jesus’ death. John did not appear until about 90 CE, when his central question was, “Why haven’t the Jews all converted?” He blames the Sanhedrin, along with Pilot, for the trial and crucifixion. Unfortunately, this has added to antisemitism over the centuries. John also wrote to attract adherents of the Greek mystery and gnostic religions of the time, who often spoke in terms similar to the opening of the Gospel.
A different kind of history
While the New Testament contains considerable history, it is not primarily a book of ‘objective’ recordings as we think of history today. It is a book of proclamation by a community of faith. Part of what being a Christian means is to be in conversation with the Bible as a proclamation of faith. While Christians believe scripture is divinely inspired, it was not considered so when written but was declared so (canonized) over time.
The Bible needs to be taken seriously but not literally. Nowhere in the Bible does it ever demand that we believe every word exactly as written.
The Bible contains a great deal of history, which is often confirmed by archeological evidence and other documentation. Still, it is a history written with standards different from modern history. In the historical documents of those times, there is very little stress on exact dates, times, numbers, and even exact places. For example, we do not have to believe that Methuselah was 963 years old. (Even Yoda knew 500 years was quite enough!) Stating this age, the Jewish community said Methuselah was a deeply respected elder in his community. It was also common in writings from other Mesopotamian cultures to make similar claims about the age of leaders.
Deeper than literal truth
The Bible speaks in Spiritual truth, which is MORE than literal truth. Its language is often metaphorical and figurative. Many of Jesus’ most memorable and important teachings are in the form of parables with numerous potential meanings. Christian life is nurtured by being in constant dialogue with these stories and their often multiple meanings for our daily lives.
The meaning goes deeper than the literal, factual level to the spiritual and existential meaning in the midst of our daily lives. For example, in Matthew 5:27-30, Jesus is recorded as suggesting we should gouge out an eye or cut off a hand rather than sin. This is not meant as some sadistic command to dismember ourselves but a statement of the level of commitment required of those who genuinely wish to follow his path.
Another example involves the miracle of feeding the five thousand (Luke 9:10-17). The miracle is not in concocting food from thin air but in having an impact on people. The compassion that Jesus had for the crowd spread like a benevolent various. As they experienced his compassion for them, these strangers shared whatever food they had. The sharing was a measure of his impact on the crowd. This spreading of compassion is a significant message in our time. Like the disciples in the story, we are often skeptical that this can work. But by multiplying love and compassion, Jesus multiplied the loaves.
Problems with literalism
The literal interpretation of the bible has three problems.
- First, it was never intended to be read that way.
- Second, it shuts down our conversation. Feeding five thousand becomes a miracle that occurred centuries ago and is never to be repeated. Actually, it is a living challenge for us to repeat it in our time.
- Third, it asks us to forsake our God-given intelligence and swallow things whole. The Loving God would not give us gifts of understanding and critical thinking if they weren’t intended to be used.
Another example of the difference between literal and spiritual truth: I do not believe the world was created in 168 hours (seven days) as described in Genesis. The number of days or hours isn’t the point. The point is that the Earth and cosmos were created, and God was the energy that initiated a coherent process that brought us to where we are today. We can trust evolution AND Genesis while taking neither one literally.
To say this in a provocative way, I don’t really know or, for that matter, care if Jesus was factually raised from the dead or if the tomb was literally empty. What I do know is that there was a resurrection in the disciples. In a remarkably short period of time, they evolved from a motley crew of defeated, bedraggled followers to strong, faithful, faith-filled leaders who continued to experience the presence of their leader among them. The empty tomb is many things; among them, it is God’s way of resurrecting them and us.
So as progressive Christians in the 21st century, we approach the Bible with all of our strengths, talents, intellect, and questions. In this way, we stay in conversation with its true wisdom and avoid the modern heresy of literalism. We can be in constant conversation with the Bible as we find our way on the Christian path, where we are met every day with awe and wonder at God’s creation.
Resources:
Besides my own theological education way back in a previous lifetime (the 1970s) and decades of reflection on these issues, I am most recently influenced by the writings in Marcus Borg’s books The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith and Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time: The Historical Jesus and the Heart of Contemporary Faith. I highly recommend both books. Like so much else, they are available on Amazon.
