At the beginning of 2012, I started a "Bible reading plan." No, not the read-through-the-whole-Bible-in-1-year kind (although, there's nothing wrong with that attempt. I wonder what the completion rate on that one looks like, though?) This one is called a 180-day "bird's eye view" of the Bible. I am LOVING it. You can check out this plan and others, if you're interested, here: http://blog.buckheadchurch.org/2011/12/19/your-2012-bible-reading-plan/
I'm loving this Bible reading plan for a few reasons:
1) I'm reading and learning lots of Bible stories that I've never actually read before
2) I'm discovering more about God's character
3) I have direction for where to go when I open my Bible in the morning
It has seriously been a really great (and easy - it's only one chapter per day) addition to my daily faith life in the past 5 weeks. Since I started, I've read chapters in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, and Psalms. While I'm pretty familiar with the gist of Genesis, Exodus, Ruth, and Psalms... it's safe to say that those other books have not been on my must-read list lately. I'm so glad for a little nudge to check them out... I'm learning so much!
So, here are my three big takeaways from my first 5 weeks in the Old Testament:
1) The Israelites were a hot mess... and we are the Israelites. So, this "birds-eye view" plan just gives the general through-line of the Bible story. And let me tell you, so far the story is going a lot like this:
-Israelites whine and complain
-God rescues them
-Israelites turn away from God
-God redeems them
-Israelites forget God's blessings
-God reminds them
-Rinse and repeat.
It's seriously ridiculous. I want to be like "HELLO! Are you all idiots!? Do you not remember what God has done for you over and over and over again?" And then, just as that rampage is flying through my head, I'm reminded that this is the story of God's chosen people. This is my story. I'm just as bad as they are, if not worse, and God's grace, mercy, and forgiveness for me is never-ceasing. When will I remember and believe?
2) I'm not sure that God's reverance for human life is quite as strong as we think it is. I believe that it's part of our nature to think that God thinks of death in the same way that we do. As I learn more of the Old Testament story (and reflect upon those New Testament stories that I already know), I'm growing more and more convinced that God cares deeply about eternal life, and cares... well, less deeply, about our life-span on earth. I'll tell you what, people die in the Old Testament like it's no big deal. People are burned, cities are ravaged, innocent children are slaughtered left and right. And, for what it's worth, God certainly doesn't even spare his own people most of the time. It's just interesting... and it's changed my previous conception of God's perspective on life and death.
3) God's story is absolutely full of unlikely heroes. Holy cow! I am loving learning more of the Bible stories that I suppose lots of people learn (or remember?) from Sunday school. I'm so intrigued by Joshua, Gideon, Esther, Samson, Hannah, Samuel, David, etc. (I've omitted the other awesome and wonderful people that I already knew a lot about lol). It is crazy and ridiculous the people that God chooses to do his work. If you think the apostles were a rag-tag army... the prophets and people carrying on in the Old Testament are no better, for the most part. And I love that. It is SO COOL to me. I guess what I'm learning (backwards lol) is the consistency of the Bible and God's story for our redemption. It's not just that God's power is made perfect in Paul's weakness... it's that it has been made perfect in human weakness from the dawn of time and will continue to be so through the end of time. There are so many themes that I've attributed to God through my study and knowledge of the New Testament that I didn't even realize were played out long before Jesus came on the scene... it's really awesome and reassuring to recognize that consistency.
So, there you have it. Who knew the Old Testament was so rich!? haha
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bible. Show all posts
Monday, February 6, 2012
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Living the New Testament minus Christ?
I, W, have been reading a fascinating book lately, and if you've been anywhere near me or spent longer than 10 minutes in conversation with me than I have probably told you about it. It's the first book I ever downloaded to read on the "IBooks" feature of my Ipad, and while I enjoy the convenience, I am most definitely sad about not being able to lend the book to someone else or regift it to my sister.
This interesting, inspiring, hilarious and sometimes painful book is The Year of Living Biblically by A. J. Jacobs.
I had heard about it when it first came out, and honestly, I happened to pick it simply because IBooks was offering a free sample and it was highly recommended in the "Bookstore." Here's the premise:
A 30-something writer who grew up culturally Jewish but identifies as Agnostic has a kid. He realizes that he needs to impart some sort of moral code to his wild animal-like child (...he is a 2-year old boy, after all!), so he sets out on a journey to try to discover what the Bible REALLY says by living according its rules in a very literal sense.
The first 8 chapters he dedicates to living the Old Testament literally. This gets comical as he makes his way around NYC each day with all-white, single-fiber clothing with tassels on the corners and the commandments bound to his forehead, money tied to his hand, and a beard that is just as untamed as the hair around his temples. He throws pebbles at adulterers and sacrifices a chicken and blows a rams horn at the start of each month. He also tries his best not to lie or lust over other women, to discipline his son out of love, and to avoid his wife at all costs, much to her dismay, during the days which she is "unclean." To help guide his journey, A.J. meets with MANY different advisors who he deems to be literalists-- a Hasidic rabbi, an amish man, Jehovah's witnesses, etc. As such, I have learned a lot about these various religions and sects, and have enjoyed the book very much.
And then, at month 9, he turns his focus to living the New Testament literally. I have been waiting for this moment for the whole book, ready to see him living out the teachings of Christ.
But there's a major problem. The man doesn't believe in the divinity of Christ. He was raised a Jew, after all, and just cannot accept that Christ is Lord.
And it got me thinking. Can we gain anything from the New Testament without a belief that Christ is the Savior?
I honestly have struggled with this for a few days. One part of me says, "Of course! Whether or not Christ is involved, it's still a good moral teaching to love one another, and to treat others as you'd like to be treated, and to respect your parents, etc." Another part of me says, "No way! All of the teachings in the New Testament revolve around a shift in thinking away from punishment toward undeserved grace, and there is no way to understand true grace unless a person understand's the sacrifice of Jesus."
And then there is another layer, which is that through Christ we are able to die to our old sinful nature (or rather, our sins have died with Christ if we accept His atonement for them), so if a person chooses NOT to accept Him, are they even capable of following of Christ's teachings that direct us to act unselfishly and illogically the way a follower can through the gift of the Holy Spirit within us?
And what about the issue of honesty? Can a person believe that Jesus' teachings are good, and then decide that Christ was lying about being the Son of God? A person would have to believe that at some point in the Bible, things stop being true. That Jesus isn't who He says He is, that He isn't going to do what He says He will do, that He isn't as important as He makes himself out to be. Can a person gain any meaningful moral teaching for a person who they believe (even at the necessity of preserving their own beliefs) is a liar and a fake?
It's an interesting topic, this idea that the New Testament might be relevant to some people without the divinity of Christ. To be honest, I cannot see how, and I realize this post may be controversial. It's not intended to be, nor is it intended as an attack to those who do not believe in Christ as the Messiah. Rather, it's just some of my recent musings as I read about a Jewish man trying on the New Testament for size without accepting what, in my mind, is an absolutely essential part of it.
What do you think? Is it possible to live the laws/rules/suggestions/recommendations of the New Testament without believing that Christ is our Savior? Could someone who is a believer live it better?
This interesting, inspiring, hilarious and sometimes painful book is The Year of Living Biblically by A. J. Jacobs.
I had heard about it when it first came out, and honestly, I happened to pick it simply because IBooks was offering a free sample and it was highly recommended in the "Bookstore." Here's the premise:
A 30-something writer who grew up culturally Jewish but identifies as Agnostic has a kid. He realizes that he needs to impart some sort of moral code to his wild animal-like child (...he is a 2-year old boy, after all!), so he sets out on a journey to try to discover what the Bible REALLY says by living according its rules in a very literal sense.
The first 8 chapters he dedicates to living the Old Testament literally. This gets comical as he makes his way around NYC each day with all-white, single-fiber clothing with tassels on the corners and the commandments bound to his forehead, money tied to his hand, and a beard that is just as untamed as the hair around his temples. He throws pebbles at adulterers and sacrifices a chicken and blows a rams horn at the start of each month. He also tries his best not to lie or lust over other women, to discipline his son out of love, and to avoid his wife at all costs, much to her dismay, during the days which she is "unclean." To help guide his journey, A.J. meets with MANY different advisors who he deems to be literalists-- a Hasidic rabbi, an amish man, Jehovah's witnesses, etc. As such, I have learned a lot about these various religions and sects, and have enjoyed the book very much.
And then, at month 9, he turns his focus to living the New Testament literally. I have been waiting for this moment for the whole book, ready to see him living out the teachings of Christ.
But there's a major problem. The man doesn't believe in the divinity of Christ. He was raised a Jew, after all, and just cannot accept that Christ is Lord.
And it got me thinking. Can we gain anything from the New Testament without a belief that Christ is the Savior?
I honestly have struggled with this for a few days. One part of me says, "Of course! Whether or not Christ is involved, it's still a good moral teaching to love one another, and to treat others as you'd like to be treated, and to respect your parents, etc." Another part of me says, "No way! All of the teachings in the New Testament revolve around a shift in thinking away from punishment toward undeserved grace, and there is no way to understand true grace unless a person understand's the sacrifice of Jesus."
And then there is another layer, which is that through Christ we are able to die to our old sinful nature (or rather, our sins have died with Christ if we accept His atonement for them), so if a person chooses NOT to accept Him, are they even capable of following of Christ's teachings that direct us to act unselfishly and illogically the way a follower can through the gift of the Holy Spirit within us?
And what about the issue of honesty? Can a person believe that Jesus' teachings are good, and then decide that Christ was lying about being the Son of God? A person would have to believe that at some point in the Bible, things stop being true. That Jesus isn't who He says He is, that He isn't going to do what He says He will do, that He isn't as important as He makes himself out to be. Can a person gain any meaningful moral teaching for a person who they believe (even at the necessity of preserving their own beliefs) is a liar and a fake?
It's an interesting topic, this idea that the New Testament might be relevant to some people without the divinity of Christ. To be honest, I cannot see how, and I realize this post may be controversial. It's not intended to be, nor is it intended as an attack to those who do not believe in Christ as the Messiah. Rather, it's just some of my recent musings as I read about a Jewish man trying on the New Testament for size without accepting what, in my mind, is an absolutely essential part of it.
What do you think? Is it possible to live the laws/rules/suggestions/recommendations of the New Testament without believing that Christ is our Savior? Could someone who is a believer live it better?
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