Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. – 2 Timothy 2:8-10 (NIV)
In the span of 27 hours last week, I found myself needing to explain how the Lutheran tradition approaches interpreting the scriptures and how that shapes our approach being a disciple of Christ active in the world today four different times. Each of the four were non-members of St. Matthew but had some type of interest in the Lutheran tradition generally and St. Matthew more specifically. One was coming from what we might call a progressive Christian framework, another from a conservative tradition, one from a nominally Christian viewpoint, and the fourth a non-specific moderate mainline Protestant tradition. In each case, there was a moment in each conversation when the person’s mouth dropped open in shock because the way I talked about the bible was mind-blowing for them. Each of them found something deeply challenging in the Lutheran approach, because it did not fit their preconceived notions. It did not fit the usual ways that they have been taught to divide ideas into dichotomies like liberal/conservative. For each of them there was some mix of fascination and horror as their basic assumptions were challenged.
What did I say that was so challenging? It was different for each person. The very fact that there is a “Lutheran hermeneutic,” that is a particular way that Lutherans approach interpreting the bible, was the first level of challenge. Most people tend to assume that reading the bible is straightforward. You read the words and do your best to make sense of them. The Lutheran understandings that the bible speaks in many ways – sometimes God’s Word as law, sometimes as Gospel, sometimes addressed universally, sometimes to particular situations, sometimes as human perceptions rather than the Word of God – is disorienting. Another disorienting aspect is that biblical interpretation, for Lutherans, is not an individual task. It is the work of the church as a community of believers, engaged in deep discussion to discern the meaning and application.
Obviously in the space of a few paragraphs I can’t cover the full range of how to approach biblical interpretation. If you are interested in, you can get a bit more depth by joining the Wednesday evening Zoom class at 7:30 on Oct. 19! For now, how would you approach having someone question you on how you have come to believe what you believe? Certainly people are more likely to start such conversations with me, and I am practiced in having those conversations. Yet, the people that most need to have such conversations are ones who would never approach a pastor. They are wondering and struggling, but assume that the church only gives trite pat answers. Might there be ways that you become comfortable enough with your faith that you radiate a sense that people can approach you with their questions? What support and resources might you need to get to that place? The people are there with their questions. Might you be someone they turn to with answers?