What About The Bible?

SUN., FEB. 12, 1995, 5:35 AM
FARM, STUDY

Your class today will focus on The Bible, if your plan works out. This is Holy Scripture for the Christian faith, put together many years ago by men of some variety, but certainly not representative of all of My people. It had to be pertinent to the culture of that time, even as it was leading that culture to some higher morals and practices. I knew, of course, that there were other cultures, and the Bible, over these years, has been amazingly adaptable. Christianity has spread throughout the world, and it has been translated into many languages, even dialects.

The Bible is the story of My coming to a particular people back in time. I chose certain people to make My will tangible. I chose others to keep the story alive and accurate until it could be written. I knew cultures would change, but the Bible was to be a mystical “document” that would bridge these changes and differences.

I knew that slavery was not an institution that would last, but there had to be certain technological and cultural developments before the practice would no longer be viable. Now your culture has a different problem: freedom from slavery but not enough work for those with limited capacities. How does the Scripture speak to this dilemma of not have a place in the world of work?

In times Biblical women were generally considered to be the property and responsibility of men. Your culture struggles with the transition to a truly equal status for both sexes. Therefore certain passages must be ignored and others seen as more relevant.

You see, certain parts of the story are of importance to you, and other portions to others, with different needs and perspectives. The score for an orchestral symphony has many notes, but if you were playing the cornet in a performance of that work you would play only particular notes, not all of them. If each player does this, with skill, dedication, and responsibility the result is beautiful music. In a similar way, if each human would let the Bible lead her or his life, human society would be more harmonious. But not perfect, for the Biblical story is not the harmonious continuation of life in the Garden.

Your culture has trouble with both/and thinking. The New Testament story has Me, as Jesus, conceived by Me, the Holy Spirit, and born of an unwed Jewish girl. I grew up as a Jewish boy, but the Scriptures have only one story of My late childhood, and that is one that either tells of My early understanding of Myself as God Incarnate or tells of My disobedience to My parents’ will. Actually, of course, it tells of both. I was perfect… and imperfect. I was God, and I was a particular man. I was killed AND I gave My life as a sacrifice so that all might be saved… from eternal life in hell.

One verse says that I am The Way… no one comes to the Father but by Me. Is this a literal truth, or a mystical one? Have most humans, over these years, gone on to an eternity in hell? Come back after class. (6:26 AM / 2:45 PM) The Bible is “many things to many people.” It is a kind of chronological story, set in time and happening in a linear way in time. It is an adventure story, with lots of action. It is a classic love story… God’s love for people, a love that is spurned and then rekindled, repeatedly. It is a classic tragedy, with Me, as Jesus, giving My life so that sinners may be accepted for eternity. Out of this broken Body comes a mystical Body, the Church.