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Ministry Workshop Notes

I am currently in Orlando at the Ligonier Ministries conference.  The theme of the lectures this year is “Tough Questions Christians Face,” and it has been a good mix of theology, worldview studies, biblical studies and ministry application.  There are thousands of people attending, and it’s really encouraging to see so many people interested in intellectual, passionate, orthodox Christianity.  As would be expected, there are plenty of clean-cut white guys in khakis and collared shirts (I numbered myself among these), and the mandatory detachment of 45-year-old Baptist pastors with crew cuts in suits (very nice guys), but there is a sizeable representation of cool people too: guys with tattooed arms and soul patches, girls with scarves, teenagers, and a bunch of serious young black men with portfolios.  Many people brought their kids too, all of which encourages me to no end that biblical Christianity is still reaching the world and is still relevant.

Praise be to God!

My favorite lecture of the day came from a man named Derek Thomas.  Being fairly new to the crowd I heard called “The Young and Restless and Reformed” I had not heard of him before, but I will be listening from now on.  He spoke on “How do we know which interpretation is right?”  He gave some very insightful remarks, which I will let him speak for himself when I bring the DVDs back to Georgia.  For now I wanted to share a very helpful guide to biblical interpretation which he outlined.

First, before he got into the plan, he gave one general rule as a starting point for interpretation: Begin humbly (and, I would add, prayerfully).  Always assume that the biblical writers were at least as smart as you are—if there seems to be a contradiction, they probably saw it too, and there is probably an accessible explanation for it.

Derek Thomas’ 10-Point Plan for Scriptural Interpretation

1. We must have a hermeneutic for ordinary people.

           -using the ‘ordinary means of grace’ (Bible studies, good preaching, dependable commentaries, et c.), a layman is and ought to be able to understand the fundamental truths of the Bible. 

2. Scripture has one meaning.

           -although it has many applications, there is one meaning to the text because behind all the authors lies one mind. 

3. Scripture is its own interpreter.

            -we cannot build a complex doctrine based on only one verse or word.  To that end, 

4. Interpret obscure passages in the light of those which are clear.

           -Thomas used the example of 1 Peter 3:19, “the spirits in prison.” Does it mean purgatory?  It cannot, based on the entire rest of the Bible.  Incidentally, he said he was not at all sure what it did mean, but was positive about what it did not mean!

5. Pay attention to genre.

           -is it a poem?  a historical account?  an apocalypse written in symbols? As beautiful as the imagery of the Psalms can be, in Thomas’ words, “God is not a chicken.” 

6. Remember that the writers sometimes said more than what they knew.

           -the Old Testament was written through historical people, by the Spirit of God who exists outside of time, so we are able and even required to apply an interpretation forward as well as backward historically through the books of the Bible. 

7. There is a difference between description and prescription.

           -when we read about a wish to dash children against rocks or Noah’s drunkenness, it’s not necessarily a license to do the same.

           -we must interpret the historical passages in the light of the didactic and the moral ones.

8. NO interpretation can ever contradict the Gospel!

            -does this need further explanation?

9. Be careful about word studies.

           -the etymology and cognates of shalom may or may not be helpful for truthful interpretation.  These make for great sermons, but not always great theology.

10. Beware of a ‘false Christocentrism.’

           -sounds heretical, right?  But that’s not really what he’s saying.  The point is, not every verse is talking explicitly about the person of Jesus (although you could sell a million copies of a book that attempted to show that). 

           -Rather than ask at every obscure verse “What is this saying about Jesus?” instead we should ask, “What is Jesus saying in this passage to me?”

Amen.

- Delivered at the 2010 Ligonier Conference on June 18, Orlando, FL

I think that’s a good way to think of God’s creation, too.

“Why does Shep think he can get onto everybody else about cussing too much, and then turn around and watch the movies he does? Isn’t that so hypocritical?” Lauren asked.

Matt answered, “Because he’s a sinner.”

Just like the rest of us.

What further answer is required? Should we be surprised or angry when we see the faults in others that we try so desperately to hide in ourselves? The ground is level, as the saying goes, at the foot of the cross.

Or, as an old Switchfoot song says,
“Nobody’s famous
and nobody’s fine
We all need forgiveness
We’re longing inside.”

*Shep’s true identity has been concealed to protect the guilty.

“Yes, it is!” I replied, “I just got it this weekend. How could you tell?”

“By the blue tag hanging off your shoulder, sir.”

I know, I know, pride goes before a fall. At least the ground was soft.

The ride took us over the northern end of Lake Lanier. It was amazing to see the mountains from that height, and to look down and see all the spring colors (never knew they looked any different before this year!) from above.

I love seeing things from a new perspective. Like learning a foreign language, a view from a different angle enhances and expands your own understanding of the world.

This is the city water treatment plant. It looks rather beautiful from up high.

None of the above.

The weevils come in the boxes.

Your pasta and grits are prepackaged at the plant with a good number of weevil eggs (“Now with more arthropods! Watch them grow!” reads the sticker). You consume them every time you cook. If you leave the box alone for too long after its “best by” date they’ll hatch into tiny visitors.

Yes, it’s gross. I’m sorry that you won’t be able to eat any of those items I mentioned for a week. But the weevils who shared your dinner last night have a serious spiritual implication too: How often do we look past our own faults and put the blame for the problems in our lives on something else? It’s always his or her fault. It’s just my circumstances. The devil is ruining my life.

People, circumstances, and Satan are all very real causes of life problems. But when they become an excuse to relieve ourselves from blame, we need to reexamine our own role in creating the evil in our lives. We carry the seeds of our own destruction in our souls. When they hatch, we have to remember that they, like weevils, do sometimes spread from another source, but more often come from within ourselves.

This isn’t supposed to send you on some major guilt trip. Rather, a realization of our inability to save ourselves paves the way for the awesome, wonderful joy of knowing that Christ has done it for us. A gift we could never pay back, a grace we could never earn.

As for the weevils? I hear that some people just cook them in along with their meal. After all, they’re just turning your carbs into protein for you.

I keep forgetting to go buy more, and recently I had myself convinced that I could make do for perhaps even a few more weeks if I only used a few grams of paste at a time.

Then I opened my bathroom cabinet.
Contained therein was an unopened, full size tube of Crest.

My toothpaste made me think of grace.

It may not be the most elegant analogy in the world, but I was reminded of how often I try to limit God’s grace in my life. I try not to bother God for his time. I try to keep to myself, not asking for too much. There are so many people who need much more than I do! Why should I deserve to approach God with my needs?

I struggle so hard to remember that he has called me his son, an heir to the riches of grace won for me by Christ. He’s always got time for me, and wants me to have life more abundantly.

In other words, I’ve always got a full thing of toothpaste in God’s bathroom.
You’re free to use that illustration.