Interpretation

It can be fascinating and quite amusing to hear children putting their interpretation and spin on Bible stories

One youngster described Lot’s wife as a pillar of salt by day, but a ball of fire by night!

Another said Samson had slayed the Philistines with the axe of the apostles and that the Egyptians had drowned in the desert.

And eight-year-old was sure that the Seventh Commandment says thou shalt not admit adultery.

Moreover the Golden Rule for some youngsters is very straightforward: do one to others before they do one to you.

But of course on this Bible Sunday we need to remind ourselves that its not just small children who indulge in biblical interpretations that can be very varied and even conflicting. 

We’ve only to read the current issue of the Church of Ireland Gazette to realise that the debate on human sexuality prompts a range of interpretations. Also in this issue Gregory Cameron, the Assistant Secretary of the Anglican Communion, is at pains to correct a leading historian who he alleges interpreted his views in a way that was totally unjust and downright misleading.

So never mind children, adults, even learned adults, can get things a bit mixed up. Interpretations can be treacherous and destructive of a better understanding.

We can be too hasty sometimes to interpret things, including the Bible, to suit our own purposes or argument or even prejudice.

Certainly the Book of Leviticus seems to play a big part in the sexuality debate, at least on one side of it.

But we won’t go into all that this morning. Suffice to say Leviticus is certainly one book we need to treat with a degree of caution and common sense.

Leviticus 21.16 for example says: “None of you who has any eye defect may come to make an offering to God.” So your optician may have the last word on whether or not you can celebrate the Holy Communion?

Nevertheless the House of Bishops in a pastoral letter put great weight on what they describe as “the witness of the scriptures”. It is this witness that draws us to understanding the Mind of Christ.

It is this “witness” that directs our path, shows us the right way to live, stirs us to discipleship and encourages faith.

But human interpretation of Scripture may not always be so positive and stimulating. As the bishops said: “searching the scriptures will mean engaging with the God-given gifts of the cumulative insights of the Christian tradition, and of human reason.”

We need to be prepared to “reason together”, even to disagree. Its been said that in searching the scriptures we need to give ourselves room to breathe and to listen to one another. We need also to have the courage to say what we think and to ask questions.

“Whatever you say, say nothing” is not an option.

And we need to be prepared to be surprised, even to change our mind.

The story goes that a burglar was counting his luck. He had found an open window and he was inside with no problems. He knew exactly what he was after and it was all so easy. As he began to gather up a number of beautiful ornaments and put them in his sack a voice said: “Jack is watching you”.

 Well, he froze. Nothing happened. He moved to gather up some more ornaments. Again the voice said: “Jack is watching you”.

His heart missed a beat. Then, his eyes accustomed to the gloom, he spotted a parrot in its cage in the corner.

With a huge sigh of relief he went over to the cage. “Hello Jack”, he said, “ whose a pretty Polly then?” At that the parrot fixed his beady eye on the burglar and said softly: “My name is Tom, Jack is the rottweiller”.

We need to be careful how we interpret things; we need to take a really good look from all sides, as we search the Scriptures.

St Augustine described the Scriptures as “the letters from our heavenly country”. He said the bible was an inspired book.

Well, a literary critic might well say the same thing and marvel at the inspirational prose and wonderful craftsmanship of the writers.

The historian will identify the rich vein of historical data and records and appreciate the inspired selection of such material.

The romantic will warm to the human interest in the stories of real people and their relationships, the tales of adventure, of love and despair, of tragedy and hope.

But none of these things is what Augustine had in mind.

John Newman shared Augustine’s sense of Biblical inspiration. He said: “Though the Bible be inspired, it has all such characteristics as might attach to a book uninspired – the characteristics of dialect and style, the distinct effect of times and places, youth and age, or moral and intellectual character – in spite of its human form, it has in it the Spirit and the Mind of God.”

 So we are urged to “search the scriptures” and to find there inspiration and encouragement. As Christians we understand the Bible as that which God caused to be written for our learning, for rebuking, for correcting, for guiding.

“Holy men of God wrote as they were moved – inspired by the Holy Spirit”.

When Philip asked the Ethiopian nobleman: “Understand then what thou readest?” The nobleman replied: “How can I except some man should guide me”.

Today we can be thankful for so many study materials. We have every opportunity to breathe in The Word of God.

The Word – a refining fire, burning the dross and helping us to see true values like pure gold.

The Word – of joy in creation for “the rivers clap their hands, the mountains shout and sing for joy”.

The Word – of wisdom in Christ, “learn of me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls”.

The Word – of compassion, reconciliation and hope.

The Word – of mystery and revelation, the ‘still small voice’ of comfort and understanding.

So on this Bible Sunday and day by day may the Holy Spirit inspire us in our searching of the Scriptures and, in the words of the collect, “draw us nearer to God, causing true religion to increase and abound amongst us.”

Amen.