What's The Hold Up?

You may be asking yourselves why have I not yet discussed the moral issues directly.  The reason is that a foundation must be laid before we build anything.  If we are to build a biblical understanding, we need a foundation for understanding a biblical worldview.  As we have discussed, the bible is read differently in different communities of faith.  We read the Protestant Christian scriptures.  We read them within the United Methodist community of faith. 

Methodism regards scripture as “containing all things necessary unto salvation.”  In other words, the bible’s purpose is less about legal rules to obey and more about revealing the savior to come to know and trust, follow His example, and become like Him in all things.  It is impossible for us to attain apart from the Holy Spirit enabling us.  For as Paul wrote…

“For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit (Rom. 8:3-4).”

Clearly, we are made to be moral.  We are made to be as Jesus is (Rom. 8:29). We are Christian, called and empowered to be “little christs” to walk worthy of His name (Col. 1:10).  To say the scriptures are not about rule following is not to say we are to ignore moral boundaries.  In fact, Jesus taught our righteousness must be greater than the righteousness of the Pharisees. In His Sermon on the Mount Jesus said,

 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven (Mat. 5:17-20).”

Bear in mind that Matthew is writing to a Jewish Christian congregation.  In his tradition believers in Jesus also kept observing all the laws and traditions of Moses, but they did so with anew liberalism, a new spirit.  This brought them into conflict with the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law.  Matthew’s congregation were likely excommunicated, cast out of the Jewish synagogue.  They were called “heretics,” unfaithful to the traditions of their fathers.  As you read Matthew you will find the fiery tension between His congregation of Jewish Christians and the synagogue(s) which have rejected them.

It is not that the Pharisees were particularly evil, although some used tactics to bring Jesus down in the eyes of his followers by setting traps through tricky debates on points of the law.  But Jesus is bringing a new covenant with newer possibilities for righteousness.  This is the righteousness that comes by faith in Jesus.  Paul teaches that the Spirit enables us to fulfill the law. 

Methodists teach that the grace of God is wooing us into relationship with God even when we are unaware and unbelieving. This grace works upon us to bring us to awareness of our sinfulness and our need for a Savior. Grace assists us to make the good confession and place our hope in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.  Through faith in God’s action in Jesus Christ we are set free from the power of sin to live a new life serving God in the power and purity of the Spirit.  Our faith in Christ continues to transform and shape us making us more and more like Jesus until His good work begin in us is completed on the Day of His return.

Grace is God Restoring All Creation to Excellence. We know excellence in humanity by looking upon Jesus, the Perfect One.  The work of the Spirit in our lives perfects us as we are lead by the Spirit and learn to follow His guidance, His wisdom and enjoy His peace and power.

This New Testament worldview drives evangelical Christianity.  It is through the death, resurrection and ultimate triumph of Jesus Christ that we read the bible and learn to be moral.  We lay down our lives, as Christ laid down His life for us in love.  We live victorious over sinful desires and passions as did Jesus through the power of God’s Spirit.  We work together building communities that reflect God’s right ways with love leading all we do for His glory. Our life together witnesses to God’s goodness.  Our outreach spreads the grace of the Lord into the lives of our neighbors.  We share good news and glad tidings because of the joy of knowing Jesus and sharing in His freedom and His life!

Only when we understand why the bible, are we ready to read the bible’s directives on moral behavior.  Read Colossians (only 4 chapters).  You will find it follows a format that begins with what God has done and is doing and will do in Christ followed by how we are now to live our lives in light of God’s redemptive work. Many of the New Testament letters follow this same pattern. Theology, talk about God, drives moral behavior. 

As you read the scriptures look first for what is said about what God is doing, then read a bout what you are to do in response to God's action as one of God's adopted children through faith in Christ.  As you hold up the example of God's actions, you will begin to understand why the moral teachings of the bible are meant for God's people to to hold up.

So that's the hold up...God's action and our response.

The First Commands

So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” – Gen. 1:27-28

The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” - Gen. 2:15-17

The first commands or directions from God to humanity are recorded in the two creation stories in Genesis 1 and Genesis 2-3. In the first story God creates humans in His image and gives these directions:

1) Procreate and fill the earth with the human species (Done That!)
2) Subdue the earth by governing the animal kingdom (Done a poor job!)

To "rule over" is to govern one’s subjects, not to exterminate them. While we have named all the animals and created safe habitats for them, many species have become extinct because we humans have not learned how to share this planet with the animals that depend on the free things of God’s good earth. Nor have we have learned how to share with each other.

In the second creation story the author moves to a more localized story than a general one. It is the story of God’s garden or orchard. Many kings of the ancient world kept courted gardens... beautiful, fruitful, and magnificent with flowing pools. These gardens were a sign of the gods' blessing on the king and his kingdom. In a similar way Eden is the King of the Universe’s garden and God created Adam to tend it.

Babylonian myth has the gods creating humanity as a slave race to build the great walled city states of the ancient near east.  The God of the bible is generous, giving Adam freedom to eat of any tree in the garden (Man was initially vegetarian). There was a singular exception.  Adam was told not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. To break this command would bring death.

So we arrive at two more commands

3) Tend and work the Garden of Eden for God
4) Do not eat from the Tree of Knowledge of God and Evil

Do these early directives to humans apply to us today? One's response to this question is dependent upon how they understand scripture. (See post "Toward a Biblical Understanding")

Some have taken the command to “rule over” the animals and “tend and work” the garden as a theology for ecology, to care for plant and animal life as a caretaker does for a garden or wildlife preserve. Some accept the command to be fruitful and multiply as meaning make lots of good little church going babies. This sentiment is present in Malachi’s writings against intermarriage between Jews and Gentiles. God wants godly offspring (Mal. 2:1).

But if we read Genesis 1-3 as written to Israelites, it may carry a very different meaning for us. To be fruitful is to be a living sign of God’s blessing upon this people who serve Him. God takes the unformed barren earth and makes it fruitful, teeming with living creatures. In the same way God makes a once barren womb bear children or a people who were once no people at all into a great nation, a holy people (1 Pet. 2:9-10). God blesses His chosen and blesses those who bless Israel (Gen. 12:2-3). The prosperity of God’s people is a sign of God’s blessing, providence and approval.

Does that mean Christians should pursue wealth as a means to be a sign of God’s blessing? How does the covenant with this chosen people drive US foreign policy and voter support for Israel? Do you think God commands Americans to support the nation of Israel in its political, military and economic policies concerning the Palestinian population and other Arab neighbors? Is America cursed if we do not?

What if we understood the Garden of Eden as a special place set apart from the rest of creation where humans serve God and care for His work under His generous blessing as a model for how life in the covenant community is meant to be? How might church life be lived out if we tended to the work of God? How would life in our church be if we did what God commanded and did not do what God restricted to keep us from death?

What moral direction do you think these stories give to Christians for the living of their lives? Recognize that there is no written Law of Moses. Man heard from God and knew in his heart what was right for him to do, care for God’s works and be fruitful as a sign of His blessing. He also knew he was to trust God by not eating the forbidden fruit. He understood that God was protecting him from death. But as the story of Adam and Eve illustrates, within the very nature of humanity is a fear that keeps us from fully trusting God and His life giving commands. The serpent gives voice to this fear.

"No! You will not die," the serpent said to the woman. "In fact, God knows that when you eat it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil (Gen. 3:4-5)."

We worry that perhaps God is keeping us from the good stuff.
We fear God rules over us by keeping us ignorant.

What would you say your understanding of good conduct or moral behavior is as a result of reviewing these stories?

I consider the dominance of humanity throughout the planet, depleting natural resources, human suffering due to political inefficiency and in some cases pure evil, and the declining state of the environment.  It leads me to conclude that commands to the first humans do not apply or at least need to be heard differently.  To be fruitful and multiply doesn't mean simply procreation.  Speaking anew the command is to nurture life and support people who find life difficult.  It is to love my neighbor.

Jesus told his disciples that it is God's desire for his disciples to bear much fruit, fruit that glorifies Him. Love full grown is the fruit God desires. It comes by a relationship with Jesus Christ. I remain in Him and He remains in me (John 15:1-17)

"This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love (Jn. 15:8-9)."

I understand "to tend" to God’s garden means to care for the work of God. It is to treat with sacred respect His creation, but not to worship created things. It is to recognize myself as a reflection of God’s divine image and to live as He lives and do as God does. To govern over the animal and plant kingdom is to do so as God’s emissary as His trusted steward given responsibility over His property. All the earth, all creation is God’s possession. I adopt an attitude as God’s trusted servant and make decisions that are for God’s best interests.

The way to know what is best is to ask God. Searching the scripture may cause me to hear Him speak to me. Praying to Him, I may hear His decision. But when there is no clear direction from God, the servant trusted to represent Him must choose. That is best carried out in community where others can counsel me. To be biblically moral, I must obey God’s voice and His written commands if I truly love Him, if I am going to be a worthy servant.


“If you love me, you will obey what I command” – Jesus (Jn. 14:15)

It Was Good

And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. - Gen. 1:3-4


Had you ever thought of the creation story in Genesis chapter one as a moral story? There is a value of "good" reckoned on the works of God in this story. God first made light and separated it from darkness. The light God made was "good." The sky was good; the dry land was good; trees and grass, the fish, birds, sun, moon and stars, and all living things were good. Humanity created in God's image was also seen by God and called "good.". Indeed God looked upon all He had made and it was "very good (Gen. 1:31)."

What does good mean here? What is light and darkness? Notice that the light is made independent of the sun. The sun, moon and stars do not come until the fourth day. Vegetation that requires sunlight to grow comes into being before the sun is created. Might the light separated from darkness point to holiness separated from the profane or the common? Might the pure radiance of God be portrayed by light and the evil of chaos and death be represented by darkness, the absence of light?

God spoke and Abram came out of the land of the Chaldeans to be the father of a great nation, a holy people unto God (Gen. 12:2; Ex. 19:6). Abram separated from pagans.  Jesus taught that the Jews were light to the world (Mat. 5:14). And the apostle Paul wrote:

You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness (1 Thes. 5:5).

The Hebrew word translated to "good" can mean "excellence; the best; pleasing to the eye."  The same word is used to describe moral excellence, being a pleasure to God.

In 3 days God forms the earth by separating light from dark, waters from sky, and dry earth from seas. The next three days God fills the earth with life. And on the seventh day God rested making the day holy.  The Lord is doing the same thing through Israel.  He forms a holy people by separating them from deeds of darkness through the light of the Law.  Jesus Christ, God's Son is the Light of the World.  Christ is the fulfillment, the completion of God's work through Israel. And God fills His church with the Holy Spirit.  He fills His church with life and beckons them to remain faithful so they might enter into His rest, His eternal sabbath (Heb. 4:1-2, 8-11).

God invites us to share in His sense of time. We are to separate ourselves from the things of darkness which lead to barren wastes and death.  We are to be fruitful through good works for God's glory and fill the earth with His praise as we march ever forward for the completion of all things and the promised rest for all who love God.

Indeed, it is very good!

And the Moral of the Story is...

"And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily." - Mat. 1:19

This is the first mention in the New Testament of a moral. But what is the moral behavior? This verse illustrates that morals are taught not simply by relaying rules. Morals are taught in narrative, implied to the audience. Often there is present an assumed understanding of the background to the story. Contemporary readers must rely on biblical commentators, dictionaries and encyclopedias to understand the background so we can listen as the first century churches heard it.

Adultery, in this case the assumed unfaithfulness by Mary betrothed to Joseph, was an offense deserving death according to the law of Moses or Torah (Dt. 22:20-21). The Torah is the first five books of our Bible. You will note that stories fill these books. There are long lists of rules and procedures, too. But morals get passed along through memorable stories about Adam, Cain, Noah and Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Aaron and Joshua. The scriptures are filled with an ongoing narrative about God's redemptive work through Israel. This narrative passes along morals.

Joseph shows mercy by not prosecuting Mary to the fullest extent of the law. The moral here being communicated to us is mercy, to withhold the punishment the crime deserves. Joseph is referred to as a "righteous man" in this verse. We may know what righteous means, but what did it mean to Matthew? Matthew is written to a Jewish Christian community. Much of his work shows how Jesus fulfills the law and the prophets. He often quotes Old Testament scripture to show how Jesus fulfills messianic prophecy and other aspects of Moses, Psalms or prophetic literature.

In this context to be righteous is to fulfill the scriptures, to be law obedient.  Righteousness is not simply keeping the letter of the law, it is producing the desired effect of law observant communities such as peace, justice and generosity. The letter of the law called for Mary's death because she had become pregnant when betrothed to Joseph. Though no one would be able to produce a witness, no court would likely accept her explanation that she had been impregnated by the Holy Spirit. Joseph, though heartbroken, decided to divorce her quietly without dragging her before the rulers of the synagogue or elders of the city.

This speaks volumes to the kind of ministry their son, Jesus, will have. He will be at odds with those keepers of the letter of the law who weigh people down. They strain a gnat, but swallow a camel whole (Mat. 23:4, 24). They do not accept Jesus' interpretation of law. An excellent example is His healing of persons on the sabbath. The Pharisees taught that healing on the Sabbath was against the command to cease all work on that day. Jesus told them if their sheep fell in a pit on the Sabbath, they would work to rescue the animal. How much more then should people bound by illness be rescued (Mat. 12:9-12)?  Jesus will choose mercy over judgment again and again.  His brother James wrote, " Mercy triumphs over judgment (Jms. 2:13b)."

There is a spirit to the law that legal writ cannot adequately communicate in every instance. That is why we keep making law upon law to cover every loophole that presents itself. But the spirit of justice, righteousness and mercy knows intuitively how to behave in most situations. Difficult moral decisions call for a lengthier period of discernment which is best carried out in community.

Morality then is not simply rule following. In the New Testament it is following the example of Jesus, becoming as He is.

As we study the New Testament we will find rules, commands and exhortations given directly like "love your enemies."  But we will also find morality implied through story and dialogue.  Keep your spiritual ears open and listen for the moral of the story.

Lord, help us to pursue righteousness as Joseph did. Give us ears to hear You and hearts to obey You. in Your powerful name. Amen

The Moral Question

Jesus was approached by a young wealthy man of status and authority who asked Him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life (Mk. 10:17)?"  An evangelical Christian would respond, "accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior."  But Jesus surprises the young ruler and us by replying with His question, "Why do you call me good?"

When we talk about morality, we are talking about those behavioral boundaries that shape persons within communities.  These boundaries will be different for different communities.  How one defines "good" and "bad" "right and wrong", "righteous and sinful" is dependent upon the community in which they relate to others.

A community is a network of relationships.  My son, Anthony, primarily relates to a community on the Internet through the XBox gaming system.  It's the main way he visits with friends. Many are scattered across the country and some are overseas in other countries.  They all come together for one purpose, to play the video game.  They shout, laugh and jeer one another in male comradery.  And how does the gaming community establish what is "good" in their estimation?  A kill shot with a double tap to a zombie's head is "good."  To have the highest number of kills against alien armies invading Earth territories is "good."  To join a game with others as a teammate and help them win, watching your teammates' backs is "good."  And to share insights and gaming skills with newer players is always an appreciated "good."

So you can see "good" behaviors that lead to the quality of goodness will vary from community to community.  For a real shock read about the male rites of passage of the Sambia of Papa New Guinea (http://www.ndnu.edu/about-us/mission_diversity/documents/Herdt-RitualsofManhoodMaileInitiationinPapuaNewGuinea-cln.pdf).  Our western sense of what is good causes shame to even read about the abuse of Sambian boys to make them into men.

Christianity is a community centered around the belief that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Messiah promised through Israel.  This belief goes far beyond Israel's hope in a religious and political savior.  Christians believe that Jesus is God.  Therefore His teachings and example are of the highest authority for this community of "little Christs."  He chose apostles to go and make disciples of all nations, to baptize them into the body of Christ, His church, and to teach them to obey everything He has commanded (Mk. 16:15-16; Mat. 28:18-20).  Since these apostles were given His authority, the authority of His name, and His promise to be with them in this ministry, the apostles' teachings too have been revered as authoritative for the life of the church (Acts 2:42; Eph. 4:19-22).

Today there are "Red Letter Christians" who hold that those parts of the New Testament that are from Jesus' mouth are their chief authority (http://www.redletterchristians.org/start/), especially the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5-7.  Another set of Christians may say the teaching "God is love" is their chief  authority.  Anything that does not resemble love is not of God and can be excluded from church doctrine (1 Jn. 4:7-21).  This is what we in clergy circles call "a gospel within a gospel."  It is when one part of scripture is the canon, the measure, by which all other parts are read.

I feel John Wesley's gospel within the gospel is found in Galatians 5:6, "the only thing (in Christ) that matters is faith working through love."  Faith in Christ drives our loving actions, for it is Christ's love which compels us.  Our gratitude for salvation in the cross and resurrection of Jesus makes us want to serve Him and please Him.  We die to our old selves, serving our own selfish and sinful inclinations, and rise to live a new life as Jesus' slave.  He is Lord.  Jesus is our master.  But our obedience comes not out of fear, but love. Perfected love does not fear God's judgment.  Perfected love recognizes God as loving and merciful, right and true, powerful and ultimate (1 Jn. 4:17-19).

Where does one get these ideas that define how we think about ourselves as Christians?  It is from a community of faith reading, interpreting and applying the writings of the bible.  Faith Communities shape how we understand ourselves before our God.  Many people read scripture, but find it difficult to understand.  The Holy Spirit directed Philip the evangelist to an Ethiopian eunuch reading the prophet Isaiah.

When Philip ran up to [the chariot], he heard him [the Ethiopian eunuch] reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you're reading?"

"How can I," he said, "unless someone guides me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

To move toward a biblical understanding of Christian morality, one must do so in the context of a community that helps them to understand.

I belong to a United Methodist community of faith, but I am the product of many communities, not all of them faithful to Christ.  For instance I am influenced by the community of Rock music fans.  I lift my smart phone with the Zippo lighter app to sway to great songs, keeping a rock 'n' roll tradition going back to the 1960's and 1970's.

What communities, what networks of relationship, are shaping you? 
Who is helping you to understand what is "good?"

Jesus told the rich young ruler, "there is only One who is good-God (Mk. 10:18)."

Here is the full account from the New Revised Standard Bible, the approved text of the National Council of Churches, of which the United Methodist Church is a part.

"As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ¹⁸Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. ¹⁹You know the commandments: “You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honour your father and mother.” ’ ²⁰He said to him, ‘Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.’ ²¹Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money^* to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ ²²When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

23
Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’ ²⁴And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, ‘Children, how hard it is^* to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ ²⁶They were greatly astounded and said to one another,^* ‘Then who can be saved?’ ²⁷Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible (Mk. 10:17-27).’"

What is most telling about this story is what Jesus cites as the moral laws to follow to be "good."  Note that these are from the ten commandments, but the list is missing the commands about our relationship to God.  Read Exodus 20:1-17 and compare. You will find outward laws cited by Jesus, that which can be judged by men, but not inward behaviors, those that are known by God and the person.  Jesus exposes the rich young ruler's inner disposition.  His love of money is greater than his love of God.


In the pursuit of morality, we must decide what we are really living for.  We must decide which community voice will help us pursue our goal in life.  We must learn to filter out the voices that pine for our attention and distract us from our pursuit.  We must dedicate ourselves to learning the traditions of our faith community so we can be formed to read the scriptures for ourselves and apply the Word to our lives.

For myself, I believe each Christian has an ultimate goal to become as Jesus is.  This requires me to get to know Him, both personally and within community, through study, prayer, worship and service.

"For those whom he [God] foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family (Rom. 8:29)."

Is it vain to pursue becoming just like Jesus? Perhaps on my own strength, it is.  But with God, all things are possible.

Toward A Biblical Understanding

Anytime one says they want a "biblical" anything, it is a pursuit wrought with complexity.  The bible of the Protestant is not the bible of the Roman Catholic, or of the Orthodox church.  The bible of the Southern Baptist is not the bible of the United Church of Christ.  While Protestant Christians have the same collection of books in their bibles, they have different approaches to translation.  Some say the King James Version is the only true bible.  Some say the best bibles are the ones that are easily read by contemporary culture.  The grand English of King James is inaccessible, they argue, to most of our increasingly  illiterate society in American.

And that is just the written complexity.  Then there are traditions of interpretation and application that differ from church to church, person to person.  Some read the bible accepting each word on the page to be straight from God's mouth.  Indeed, scripture itself witnesses to this view.

Jesus in a debate with priests and teachers of the law said,

"Isn't it written in your law, I said, you are gods ? If He called those whom the word of God came to 'gods'—and the Scripture cannot be broken— do you say, 'You are blaspheming' to the One the Father set apart and sent into the world, because I said: I am the Son of God? (Jn. 10:34-36) 


In this case He is reasoning that scripture is solidly authoritative and never changes.  It is revered as such by the Jews and the early church.  


Paul instructs his protege Timothy that "All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17)."


Peter says of the prophets' writings,


"you should know this: no prophecy of Scripture comes from one's own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, moved by the Holy Spirit, men spoke from God (2 Pet. 1:20-21)."


Others read the scripture as a collection of writings by limited and fallible humans that wrote according to their faith. While their writings are inspired and good for instruction, they are not writing in stone so as to enslave the church under the tyranny of an unchangeable law.  


Paul wrote how in Jesus Christ the old "everlasting" covenant had given way to a new covenant through Jesus Christ.  Old customs and restrictions of the former covenant did not apply to Gentile converts.  His most striking example of this is in Galatians.  God established with Abram an everlasting sign of the covenant through circumcision (Gen. 17: 13b-14).  But Paul states, in light of what God is doing in Jesus Christ, "in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love (Gal. 5:6)."


So we see with in scripture itself a departure.  Where some would keep the church under the strict literal interpretation of each word and verse recorded in our canon, our measuring rod, others would appeal to what God is doing as the greater authority.


"He (God) has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit produces life (2 Cor. 3:6)."


As I step forward toward a "biblical understanding" of morality, I have to decide which bible, of which interpretative camp do I stand.  For myself I tend to gravitate toward the view that scripture has one singular purpose...to put readers in a saving relationship with Jesus Christ.


Jesus told his religious opponents, "You pore over the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, yet they testify about Me. And you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life (Jn. 5:39-30)."


The United Methodist Church's doctrine of scripture says that the bible "containeth all things necessary unto salvation (UMC Articles of Religion; Article V)." In that I understand that the bible is less about rule and letter of the law and more about an unfolding revelation of God's work of redemption through Israel and Israel's promised Messiah, Jesus Christ.  Once the heart understands what God has done, is doing and will do through Christ, a decision must be made.  Belief or unbelief in this biblical narrative is essential to receiving the gift of eternal life, the saving knowledge of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit.


In summary, a biblical understanding is to accept the scriptural revelation that God so loves the world that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die an atoning death and to rise from the grave conquering it's power.  Through faith humanity shares Christ's  victory over sin and death.  And God builds His holy community who reflect His goodness. 


Next let's us tackle what me mean by "morality."