Is it Possible to See Scripture Correctly?

The Church has failed to find consensus on doctrine. Can scripture be read and understood to bring unity? Perhaps we have lost the mysticism to see and hear God clearly.

Water is for cleansing but also something more. It is the potentiality for creation. Think of any act of creation�"the writing of books, the painting of portraits, the molding of clay, the birth of a baby. None of these are possible without a source of water.

Interestingly, we often speak of a “sea” of humanity. Humans are not usually “dry” but teeming with the potential of creation. Creation of the new Kingdom is drawn from this potentiality and is not easily achievable.

Think of the baptism of Jesus who came forth from the chaos of the living water1 that symbolizes this “sea of humanity.” To rise up from this sea into the air opened the Heavens to Him. His new eyes, the new life was to “see” the reality of God descending like a dove and to “hear” the voice of God speaking from above.

In a similar way, Christian baptism is so total that it results in the transfiguration of the participant who becomes the new Man and part of the new Kingdom. The Kingdom becomes visible to us because we have arisen from the sea of humanity to begin to see the Spirit descending. Our ears have become attuned to begin to hear the voice of God.

Many Christians do not agree we have new sight and hearing. Instead, they believe conversion is a rational experience, not mystical. Let me share the famous, “Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus” to help us see why mysticism can and should be part of our living experience. I think Christmas is still on our minds enough to quote it in its entirety.

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.2

This speaks of the spirit of Christmas that gladdens the hearts of children. That spirit is also our Spirit of life. We cannot contain God, separate Him, examine Him, and make Him fit into our rational thoughts and minds. Jesus is the ultimate example of what Man can become�"perfect in the sight of God and full of mystery. Thank God, He lives and lives forever to make hearts joyful. To not see through the splitting of the veil is to miss the joy. To not see the mysticism in Him living in us is to miss the mark. To not see how He enchants and rules our lives is to miss the meaning of life, the meaning of Christmas.

Where do we go wrong? In John 4:4, Jesus said that if we abide in Him, He abides in us. This means God lives in us and speaks through us. Many of us are uncomfortable with this concept because it is not fully rational, not fully understandable by our limited minds. The Spirit has descended like a dove and abides in us and is active and alive. Some Christians refer to this belief as “enchanted.” Those who do not believe this are referred to as “disenchanted.”

Most of the protestant reformation has become ultra-rational and disenchanted, denying anything that speaks of the mysticism of God. The abiding of Christ in us speaks of a great mystery, something beyond the mere words of scripture. Many in the church of Christ believe the Spirit is in us only to the extent we know scripture. This is to limit God. Can we fully know how Christ abides in us? No, but we can know that He does.

I recently listened to This is Water3 by David Foster Wallace. He tells a story of two young fish greeted by an older fish with the words, “Morning, boys. How’s the water?” The young fish continue on their journey, and one looks at the other and asks, “What’s water?”

When we are in the “water,” this deep sea of humanity corrupted by human motivation, the ultimate reality, the summum bonum becomes almost unseeable. The water blurs our vision. Fortunately, humans have freedoms. Our most important is that we choose the lens to view life through, a periscope of sorts.

If we fail to choose wisely, to raise our periscopes, we may frame scripture as a list of shoulds and should-nots that transforms us into judges or into Satans instead of members of the heavenly Kingdom. We argue over historical facts and discrepancies and differing translations instead of the Truth of Christ�"that He abides in us.

Here’s the Kicker:

To use scripture to attack, condemn, judge, or silence another is to become Satan.

Scripture is sacred and has a purpose, a meaning, a transformative power if we view and use it in the correct Way. Scripture is twisted to become satanic if used incorrectly.

Stating that caused me to shudder. To think that the Bible can be used for satanic purposes is not easy to face. However, I have discovered that to avoid the hard facts hurts God’s Kingdom. Our avoidance leads to destruction not growth. Not recognizing evil and not naming evil causes evil to proliferate out of control.

So, what is the biblical basis for believing scripture can be used for satanic purposes? Well, Satan himself shows us in Luke Chapter Four. He begins by urging Jesus to turn stone into bread. This is reminiscent of God’s miracles in the wilderness. Manna came from heaven, and the rock yielded water. It’s also reminiscent of the widow’s flour and oil in First Kings Chapter Seventeen. Elijah told the widow that the flour and oil would not run dry until the famine ended. Jesus turned water into wine and fed the five thousand later in His ministry. Jesus as God provided for His people and must be trusted to do so today.

The next temptation of Satan was to offer Jesus the nations to rule. Was Satan’s rule of the world found in scripture? Yes. First John 5:19b, “the whole world lieth in wickedness.” Whenever leaders pursue their own wealth, pleasure, and honor, Satan rules. Leaders who succumb to this three-fold sin of pride are plucking the fruit from the tree to embrace the devil. How many rulers during the life of Christ rejected God? Most if not all, and that included corrupt Israelite rulers. Jesus became the world’s only King when He died upon the cross and was crowned with thorns. He rejected the shortcut Satan offered.

In the last temptation, Satan quotes Psalm 91:11-12: “For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.” And, again, this is something we see fulfilled in the life of Christ. All pain, suffering, and even death was conquered by His resurrection because He endured the cross by the help of God the Father.

Scripture is often used today to promote Satan’s three false ideas. Last week, I talked a little about how we are urged to provide for ourselves. Men, especially, are told to meet the needs of the family, to be the protectors and the providers. On the surface, this sounds right, but it’s not�"it’s never we who provide but God. Listen to Jesus: “Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these (Luke 12:27).” Endless toil is not the answer to our troubles�"it’s often the cause. God is and has always been the answer. In the next few weeks, I plan to write more about the Machine that has grown and devours because of incorrect beliefs about work. Life is to be lived and enjoyed, not endured in endless labor. Please understand that I am not saying work is bad. Work is good if we allow God to work through us, but few in our busy modern world are able to do so fully. We’ll see why in a few weeks.

Our work is not about directly meeting our needs or the needs of our family. Instead, our work reconciles the world to Christ. When we cast all our cares on Him, He feeds and cares for us, but not always in the ways our worldly selves might desire. We must learn to be content in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. Jesus came to give us rest, not to increase our labors.

Others believe that scripture will keep us safe and secure in this life if we have enough faith. While some truth clings to this statement (Satan’s lies are about spinning falsehoods with truth into webs that entangle us), our abundant life given by Christ is not necessarily safe and secure as the world counts safety. Many use the following scripture incorrectly: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).” First, God was not speaking to individuals but to the nation of Israel. Second, the Israelites were going to be in captivity for seventy years. How safe and secure is that by worldly standards? Here’s the thing: Even in captivity, our focus remains on the summum bonum. Worldly wealth, pleasure, and honor is often part of the so-called prosperity gospel. God is not simply a mother who gives milk and comfort. Kingdom dwellers must not expect to be pampered and cared for. Instead, Kingdom life is a community effort, a oneness in which all seek the summum bonum. Our lives will not be without trials and tribulations, but if we understand that these often bring about good for all�"our families, our churches, our nation, our communities�"then we can bear this harsh life with greater equanimity. If we think Christian lives are all sunshine and roses, we wonder why God punishes us when tough times come. Many turn away from God when He fails to be the Santa, the bringer of all good things, that sometimes is preached from the pulpit.

And the last incorrect way we view scripture satanically is to think we can check things off a list to be right with God. Salvation is an ongoing trinity, not a checklist. Salvation begins with justification, becomes sanctification, and results in glorification. It is not a one and done event, but a life lived for God. God alone saves. How?

God the Father sent His Son for justification;

the Son gave the Spirit for sanctification;

the Spirit brings us to the Father for glorification.

In each part of salvation, two of the Godhead will work in us, through us, before us at three different times. It is an ongoing past, present, and future event. What must we do? Our minds must believe and accept that Christ is God’s Son; our hearts must be open and yielding to the work of the Spirit; our souls must be carried upward to the Father. When we understand that God is at work in each of the three aspects of salvation and our job is to accept His work on and in and through us, then our trust in God deepens and grows.

Of course, scripture has been and continues to be used incorrectly in a myriad of ways. But these three are the ones highlighted by the temptations of Christ. Let’s look a little closer at how Jesus handled each one.

Reaching Out

Jesus made three “it is written statements”:

(M)an shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God (Luke 4:4).

Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve (Luke 4:8).

Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God (Luke 4:12).

First, note that “every word of God” is to be known and understood, not parts of the Bible that resonate, but every word. How many of us can say that we know and understand every word of God. I know of no one audacious enough to declare they do. All of us are learning, knocking, seeking, asking. If we’re not, we’re doing it wrong. This means that no one has the full words of life. We may have partial answers, but no one will have everything correct. This means that the more who participate, the more knowledge can be shared and corrected when necessary. Paul gives rules for worship in First Corinthians, Chapter Fourteen. Scripture knowledge, according to Paul, is a communal learning, open to all who participate orderly. Yes, Paul includes women. Next week, we will explore more of how Paul’s words have been misunderstood. For now, note that he sought to impose order onto a chaotic environment. Anyone not edifying the congregation was told to be silent. Or as Jesus put it, “Get thee behind me, Satan.” Satan is chaotic and disruptive, and that is not the Way of Christ. All are invited to the table. All participate, all commune, all give, all receive. It’s quite apparent that no one can know every word of the Bible perfectly. The structure of our churches in which one person brings us the lesson and is often exalted as one who knows more is not the biblical model that Paul presents in First Corinthians.

The second point Jesus made to Satan was that God alone is worshiped and served. We often forget this and put either ourselves or others front and center. God is the summum bonum, the treasure we seek. The Holy Spirit is within us, the Father leads us, and the Son walks beside us. So, all Three Persons of the Godhead live, move, and have their Being with us. What does this mean? It means that we seek God, the treasure, in the soil of our own soul and in the souls of others. God is omnipresent. One reason it is scary to have God with us is because some have claimed to be God’s oracles and have led others astray. This is why a diligent community, seeking, searching, asking, is so important. When each person is honored and respected, then it becomes more difficult for a group to be controlled by the Mansons, Jones, or the Heaven Gates among us.

The third way Jesus rebuked Satan was to say that God is not to be tempted. To tempt God means to put something ahead of Him. This breaks our unity with God and throws us off course.

Here’s the Thing:

In every situation, every place we go, even if we meet Satan or evil face to face, we stay true to our highest aim, no matter if we are crucified.

The meeting of primary needs for food, water, air, and shelter should not be our highest aim. The quest for security and safety should also not be our highest aim. Bringing heaven to earth, the act of reconciliation, is our mission, our job, the great commission, our highest aim. The Way of Christ will bring us into conflict with the world, but we stand firm. “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong (1 Corinthians 16:13).”

We stand firm against twistings and misunderstandings of scripture that come about because of assumptions, presumptions, and preconceived views that are satanic.

Scripture is the sacred word of God but is not the Word. The Word or Logos is the Messiah. The Sacred Scripture is where we find His story. Scripture can be and often is misused by Man. It is not enough for the Bible to say it, for us to believe it, and for that to settle it because no one knows and understands all of scripture except Christ. The Logos must be sought within scripture and within God and within our fellow Man and within ourselves.

We must go through it until we arrive and see our Father running to greet us. To reach that day, we must arise from the watery grave and blink away all that blurs our vision. We must shake the water from our ears.

Then, we hear the voice of the Father and see the Spirit descending like a dove. We become enchanted.

May it be so.

Amen.