The theme of a recent Sunday school lesson was how to rightly divide the Word of Truth by taking into account the correct literary, historical, and theological context of the Scripture. I found there was no shortage of experts already claiming this ability to properly interpret the Scriptures. There was only one problem–very few of these experts seemed to agree. Interesting.
Of course, there is plenty of information pulled out of context to suit personal interests, both Biblically and secularly. Most of it is propaganda where some faction is trying to manipulate others. Then there is another type where the individual is trying to persuade himself/herself despite evidence to the contrary. Those are the ones in 2 Timothy 4:
3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
Setting those aside, then what is the weak link for those that are sincere? I would suggest the theological context. There are plenty of literary and historical experts who can break that down. But unless it is interpreted in the correct theological context, the efforts are for naught.
My theological context is simple. It has to align with God’s plan which is:
. . . to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.(Col 1:27)
Take Jesus’ first miracle– turning the water into wine. I found no shortage of in-depth analysis and maybe their points were fine, but they missed the mark. So I’ll throw my hat into the ring with what I call the correct interpretation. To refresh you on the story:
John 2: 6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
We have the literary context–it was a wedding and they were out of wine. We have the historical context–weddings went on for a week and running out of wine for your guests was, well . . . a really bad thing. What about the theological context? Let me break it down quickly and simply.
The stone water jars are us. The number six is the number of man. The Bible is rife with images and metaphors referring to men as vessels, jars, pots, temple, etc. Sorry to offend those “vessels” that think they are something more, but the fact is that is all we are–vessels to contain something. The question is contain what? Simply stated, it’s a person.
To start with, we contain the false god represented by the water. This person is the sin spirit we are all born with and we take on the nature of what fills us. That is why we sinned.
When Jesus turned the water into wine, in one fell swoop he pictured God’s entire plan–how He would replace the sin spirit with His own through His death, burial, and resurrection.
Voila! The water turned into wine, the symbol of God’s Holy Spirit filling our created spirit. Now we can say:
2 Cor 4: 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
Which is Christ in us, the mystery unveiled! When he says, “. . . the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us,” that removes any trace of self-righteousness or self-effort. He did it all.
You see, we don’t now and never did have any power to be righteous or “good.” We are simply faced with a choice of who to contain. And we take on the nature of who we contain– either the false god or the true God. That should take away any false condemnation or any false pride in ourselves. Notice the stone water jars are still the stone water jars. They didn’t change. The contents changed. It’s the same with us.
The vessels are made out of many different kinds of materials to make up the body of Christ serving different functions. Some may not be as pretty by worldly standards as others but we all play the same role in God’s plan, to contain Him:
1 Cor 6: 19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Amen!
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Thank you! You’ve given me a whole new perspective on the miracle at Cana and the vessels that held the wine. Loved this: ” 2 Cor 4: 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. Which is Christ in us, the mystery unveiled! When he says, “. . . the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us,” that removes any trace of self-righteousness or self-effort. He did it all.”