“Luke Timothy Johnson said once that expecting folks to fall in love with scripture through the historical-critical method is like expecting someone to fall in love with someone via autopsy.”
From Father Everett on Twitter
Dissection and examination may lead to discovery of facts about the kingdom of God but it won’t draw one into relationship with the King.
I was a nit- picker of Scripture in a critical kind of way for years…. confused by things that appeared to be conflicts or contrary to what a “good” God would do. I finally got it through my culturally-clouded, stiff-necked, stubborn head that God meant it when He said,”my thoughts are not your thoughts nor are your ways my ways.” I learned also that God is not required to answer all my questions … Deut 29:29: “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” It was at the hardly-tender age of 43 sitting on a pew in a small UMC in Feb 1997, listening to a wonderful sermon on Romans by a very smart and biblically challenging elder, (who was drummed out of ministry by the congregation and the conference “system” shortly thereafter), that I surrendered my mind to God…. I remember explicitly praying as I sat there, “I’m not sure I know what the implications of this are, but I am going to quit quibbling about things I don’t understand. Please guide me into understanding your Word through your Holy Spirit according to your timing and your purpose for my life…” That day changed my life in some serious ways that would not be fully evident for another 20 years. And God was with me every step of the way!