http://www.pastorontheloose.com/2009/11/how-lutherans-interpret-the-bible-and-the-elca-resolutions/ Sun, 11 Jul 2010 00:29:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 http://www.pastorontheloose.com/2009/11/how-lutherans-interpret-the-bible-and-the-elca-resolutions/comment-page-1/#comment-58 Terry Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:31:52 +0000 http://www.pastorontheloose.com/?p=158#comment-58 I’ve recently been reading the first half of John 3. Usually there’s some reason I decide what to read but often it’s the “random flip” method. In this case it was because of the Christ the King Sunday message and I knew Jesus mentioned “kingdom” in His discussion with Nicodemus. I have a couple of favorite bibles that I switch between and sometimes different versions can clear up my confusion although sometimes it just adds to it. It’s nice to receive the message in context (is that the same as remembering what was going on at the time?). It seems to me that Nicodemus and Jesus were alone. The reason I say that is because it was in the night. The second reason I say that is because Nicodemus apparently asks Jesus a question that a Pharisee should have known the answer to. We are always told, “There are no stupid questions”, but I’m putting, “How can this be?” on my list of questions not to ask Jesus. For me the context makes this story real. I can believe it really happened because of the details. People around Jerusalem knew who Nicodemus, teacher of Israel, was. Someone else must have been there to witness the event or it wouldn’t have been in John’s Gospel. That contradicts what I said about Jesus and Nicodemus being alone doesn’t it? Does a person need to be “born again” to get to heaven? Verse 3 (RSV) says that unless you are born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Verse 5 says that unless you are born of the water and the spirit, he can not enter the kingdom of God. Verse 16 says that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. That seems to contradict itself or at the very least have a different nuance. My ability to fully grasp what was said in this simple text is limited by it’s translation to the English language. It is also limited by my own capacity to understand physical/spiritual relationships. But I do know this. There is no IQ test to get to heaven which is very good news for me. So even though I have an out, I think I’m supposed to try to understand the bible. And when I do have an occasional breakthrough moment or new discovery, I’m supposed to share it. If you were able to ask Jesus a question, what would you ask Him? I’ve recently been reading the first half of John 3. Usually there’s some reason I decide what to read but often it’s the “random flip” method. In this case it was because of the Christ the King Sunday message and I knew Jesus mentioned “kingdom” in His discussion with Nicodemus. I have a couple of favorite bibles that I switch between and sometimes different versions can clear up my confusion although sometimes it just adds to it.
It’s nice to receive the message in context (is that the same as remembering what was going on at the time?). It seems to me that Nicodemus and Jesus were alone. The reason I say that is because it was in the night. The second reason I say that is because Nicodemus apparently asks Jesus a question that a Pharisee should have known the answer to. We are always told, “There are no stupid questions”, but I’m putting, “How can this be?” on my list of questions not to ask Jesus.
For me the context makes this story real. I can believe it really happened because of the details. People around Jerusalem knew who Nicodemus, teacher of Israel, was. Someone else must have been there to witness the event or it wouldn’t have been in John’s Gospel. That contradicts what I said about Jesus and Nicodemus being alone doesn’t it?
Does a person need to be “born again” to get to heaven? Verse 3 (RSV) says that unless you are born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Verse 5 says that unless you are born of the water and the spirit, he can not enter the kingdom of God. Verse 16 says that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. That seems to contradict itself or at the very least have a different nuance.
My ability to fully grasp what was said in this simple text is limited by it’s translation to the English language. It is also limited by my own capacity to understand physical/spiritual relationships. But I do know this. There is no IQ test to get to heaven which is very good news for me.
So even though I have an out, I think I’m supposed to try to understand the bible. And when I do have an occasional breakthrough moment or new discovery, I’m supposed to share it.
If you were able to ask Jesus a question, what would you ask Him?

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