Interpreting Scripture

Years ago I read something in Rob Bell's Velvet Elvis that I haven't stopped thinking about since. In one chapter (I forgot where exactly) he said that no one really follows the Bible; we all interpret it. At first I was a little confused, but then I realized he was right.

Throughout the history of Christianity, we've seen Scripture being interpreted and reinterpreted again and again. As soon as Christians believe that the finally got it all figured out, some one will take a second glance at the Bible say, "Wait a minute!" We've seen this during the Reformation, the abolitionist movement, the Civil Rights Movement, and the current Emerging Church movement. Every new generation goes back to the same book to see if maybe the previous generation got it wrong.

One thing I never understood is why a lot of Christians insist that their interpretation of the Bible is the only correct view of Scripture. Are the Anglicans totally corrupt because they ordain women? Does God lovethe Calvinists more than the Arminians? Are the Mennonites heretics because they believe in nonviolence? This is why I think there's room at the table for different interpretations, because I think we can all learn something from each other.

Now, before I go any further, let me make one thing clear: I AM NOT SAYING THAT YOU CAN INTERPRET THE BIBLE ANY WAY YOU WANT! Despite my sometimes unorthodox views, I do believe the Bible reveals God's Word. Unlike Thomas Jefferson, I don't cut out passages I don't like. Instead, I try to explore those difficult passages through different lenses, like their historical context. I may not always get it right (for example, yesterday's post stirred up some controversy), but I try.

Christianity is a living organism that's continually growing and evolving. And the way it grows is through our interpretation of the Bible.

Why I Am An Egalitarian

There's been a lot of talk on the Christian blogosphere lately about biblical gender rolls. It started a few days ago when Matthew Paul Turner responded to John Piper's comments about women in the workplace (which is odd, because I thought we settled this issue in the 1970s). I don't usually talk about biblical gender rolls because I'm not really an expert in the subject. But after doing some research, I now consider myself an egalitarian when it comes to gender rolls, and here's why . . .

Patriarchy was never God's intention.

According to the Bible, God told Eve that Adam would rule over her after they ate the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3:16). Before that incident, Adam and Eve were both on equal terms; the Bible says she was a "suitable helper" to Adam (Gen. 2:20-22). As John R. Coats explains in a recent Huffington Post article:

In Hebrew, the phrase is "'ezer kenegdo," which, for centuries, has been translated as "helper," or "helpmate" -- the little woman. But biblical scholars Robert Alter and Richard Elliot Friedman, their arguments convincing, translate the phrase, respectively, as "sustainer beside him [the man]," and "a strength corresponding to him." In other words, the woman was created in order to be a partner -- an equal partner. Moreover, given that "adam" is the Hebrew word for "human," not "man," Eve is as much an "adam" as Adam. In fact, regarding the first creation story, scholar Tamara Cohn Eskenazi writes, "By referring to 'adam', the text is not describing an individual but a new class of beings that comprises female and male from the start, both of them in God's image. ... Our humanity comes first; our sexual identity next."

Later on in Galatians 3:38, however, Paul says that there is "neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female" in Christ. (Emphasis mine) In the kingdom of sin, there is division and separation; but in the Kingdom of God, there is unity and equality.

"But wait," you might say, "what about 1 Corinthians 11:2-11, or 14:34-35? Or what about 1 Timothy 2:12-15?" Indeed, these are the verses many Christians use to support the "barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen" view of women. So I browsed around the Internets, and I found this article by N.T. Wright about the subject. I recommend reading the whole thing yourself, but I'll try my best to summarize.

First, with the whole "women should be kept silent in church" thing, Wright believes Paul was referring to women in certain churches that would gossip and chat among themselves during the sermon. Wright goes on to explain that "in Paul's day . . . gender was marked by hair and clothing styles." The women would cover their heads, and the men would go bare headed. So when Paul said women should keep their heads covered, he was telling men and women to be themselves when they worship.

Now with 1 Timothy 2:12, we need to go back a verse. In verse 11, Wright explains that Paul permits women to study the Word, but in verse 12 he reassures his audience that he's not suggesting women should completely take over the leadership. Wright translates 1 Timothy 2:8-15 as this:

So this is what I want: the men should pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, with no anger or disputing. 9In the same way the women, too, should clothe themselves in an appropriate manner, modestly and sensibly. They should not go in for elaborate hair-styles, or gold, or pearls, or expensive clothes; 10instead, as is appropriate for women who profess to be godly, they should adorn themselves with good works. 11They must be allowed to study undisturbed, in full submission to God. 12I’m not saying that women should teach men, or try to dictate to them; they should be left undisturbed. 13Adam was created first, you see, and then Eve; 14and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived, and fell into trespass. 15She will, however, be kept safe through the process of childbirth, if she continues in faith, love and holiness with prudence.

So yeah, that's my take on things.

Monday Morning Awesomeness: 06/28/10

Today's Monday Morning Awesomeness is brought to you by the dB's. Enjoy!

Lessons From Mickey and Mallory

My taste in movies is very . . . unique. Instead of heart-tugging romantic comedies, or big-budget action flicks, or gross-out comedies, I always opt for the bizarre disturbing movies that will seriously eff with your head. Some of my favorite movies include Donnie Darko, Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, and Pink Floyd: The Wall. So it was only naturally for me to finally see Oliver Stone's 1994 assault on the senses known as Natural Born Killers.

Call me a sicko, but I thought it was great!

I avoided this movie for years because all I heard was how shocking and violent it was, so I was expecting major blood and guts flying around. The truth is, compared to Dawn of the Dead and the Saw movies, Natural Born Killers isn't that gory. What makes the movie shocking, though, is how the violence is glamorized. Stone isn't trying to encourage people to go on shooting sprees, but he is saying that the media has a sick way of glamorizing violence, so if you find yourself rooting for Mickey and Mallory Knox, don't worry because that's the whole point of the movie.

There's this one scene where the tabloid reporter Wayne Gale is interviewing Mickey for a live TV event. Gale is trying to understand why Mickey and Mallory killed all those people. Mickey downplays the impact of their abusive childhoods, and instead explains it's just nature.

Mickey: It's just murder. All God's creatures do it. You look in the forests and you see species killing other species, our species killing all species including the forests, and we just call it industry, not murder. But I know a lot of people who deserve to die.

Wayne Gale: Why do they deserve to die?

Mickey: I believe they got something in their past, some sin, some awful secret thing. A lot of people walking around out there already dead. They just need to be put out of their misery. That's where I come in. Fate's messenger.

According to Mickey, no one is really innocent; everybody has "the demon" inside. In fact, the characters that are supposed to be the "good guys" in the film--Gale, Jack Scagnetti, and Warden Dwight McClusky--are just as sick and evil as Mickey and Mallory. Scagnetti chokes a hooker to death in a motel room, McClusky is sadistic towards his prisoners, and Gale only cares about one thing: ratings. So Mickey is right: no one is truly innocent.

Maybe that's why we are so fascinated by mass murderers. On one hand we're thinking, "How could anyone do such a thing?" But on the other hand, we recognize a little bit of ourselves in these murderers. We know that rage, anger, hatred, and desire for vengeance. It's in all of us. True, not everyone is going on shooting rampages, but Jesus said hating your brother is just as bad as murder. And if that's true, then I must be Jack the Ripper!

While Natural Born Killers isn't the most spiritually redemptive film in the world, it's a pretty accurate depiction of the depravity of man.

And The Winner of "Evolving in Monkey Town" Is . . .

Krista!

Please email me your contact info at tmamone [at] hotmail [dot] com

(I guess it's safer to write your email address like that)

Stuck In A Moment

It's been a couple of days since my last real blog entry (if you don't count Monday's Monday Morning Awesomeness video). I don't really have any deep theological issues I want to discuss, so instead I thought I'd give everyone a short update on my life.

Remember a few weeks ago when I said I was going through a pretty bad depression spell? Well today I'm starting therapy again. It's with a new doctor, so it might take a while for us to really figure out what's going on in my head. But hopefully we can work something out.

I can't get into the nitty gritty details, but I'm in this weird place where I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing, or what to believe. I'm sure this storm will pass within a week or two, but right now it feels like I'm stuck in a moment and I can't get out of it (to borrow a U2 lyric).

Prayers and endless cases of beer good thoughts are well appreciated.

Monday Morning Awesomeness: 06/21/10

Since this is the first official day of summer (according to the calendar), here are the Sundays with "Summertime."

Free Book Giveaway: Evolving in Monkey Town

I've been a huge fan of Rachel Held Evans ever since I first read one of her articles on Burnside Writers Collective. She always makes me think critically about my faith, and ask questions that I never had the courage to ask before. Which is why I'm really excited about the publication of her first book Evolving in Monkey Town.

And the book hasn't disappointed me, either!

It's funny, heartbreaking, thought-provoking, and, most importantly, honest. Whether your faith is strong or as small as a mustard seed, Rachel's story is sure to start some conversations. In fact, I have an extra copy of Monkey Town to give away. There are three ways to enter:

1. Leave a comment below.

2. If you use Twitter, tweet this message: RT @tmamone Free Book Giveaway: Evolving in Monkey Town http://nblo.gs/4Yet8

3. Listen to my interview with Rachel on Coffee Chats and leave a comment.

I'll announce the winner next Friday, the 25th.

Does Biblical Literalism Matter?

I used to think that in order for me to be a Christian, I had to be a literalist. The way I saw it, if the account of Creation in Genesis 1 was just a myth, then that meant the Gospel was just a myth, and then I'd be wasting my time believing in something that wasn't real. But after doing some research, I now hold my beliefs with open hands, rather than a white-knuckled death grip.

I wish other people could do the same, though. On one hand there are those who swear up and down that Genesis chapters 1 through 3 accurately describe 100% how the world was made and how it got so screwed up. On the other hand, you have people who say that was just a metaphor. But what if it doesn't really matter whether the story of Eden is true or not? What if Christians have debated its literalism so much that they missed the point of the story? To me, it doesn't really matter whether or not there was
literally a Garden of Eden, or a talking snake, or forbidden fruit. The message of that story--how mankind walked away from God's way, and how God's grace prevails over our sinfulness--is what matters the most to me.

What do you think? Does biblical literalism matter?

UPDATE 06/17/10: I hate to sound like a name-dropper, but last night I shared this idea with Brian McLaren in an email, and today he posted it on his blog!

Possibly Starting a Pub Theology Group

When I was in college I was involved with Campus Crusade for Christ. We were a pretty tight group. Even after we graduated college we would still met up for Bible study every Friday night, and then eat out at IHOP. Since I've been a loner for most of my life, it was a great way for me to step out of my proverbial shell and actually experience life. Unfortunately, when my parents and I moved to Easton, I had to say goodbye.

Since then, I haven't been involved with any Bible study group. In fact, I don't really have many Christian friends here in Easton. All of my current Christian friends are people I've met online, and even though they are all really great friends, I still miss that one-on-one face-to-face interaction with people. Don't get me wrong, though; online communities are great. I feel like some of the people I've met via social networking are some of my closest friends. But if I just sit in front of a computer all day, I'll end up missing out on a lot.

So I have an idea: start a local pub theology group! For those who don't know, a pub theology group is where you meet with friends at a local pub, and discuss different theological issues over drinks. Technically it's nothing new; people used to meet up in pubs and discuss theology during the Reformation. I think this would be great way to meet local Christians and get a conversation going about what it means to be a Christ follower in the 21st century.

There's just one problem: I have no idea how to start a pub theology club!

I have a pretty good idea where we might meet (the Washington Street Pub here in Easton), but how should I get the word out? How frequently should we meet? How do I pick out a topic?

Any ideas?

Monday Morning Awesomeness: 06/14/10

Today's Monday Morning Awesomeness is brought to you by Matthew Sweet. If you're a doubting worshipper like me, this song is for you.



I don't know where I'm gonna live
Don't know if I'll find a place
I'd have to think about it some
And that I do not wish to face
I guess I'm counting on his
Divine Intervention

I cannot understand my God
I don't know why it gets to me
One day my life is filled with joy
And then we find we disagree
All depending on his
Divine Intervention

Does he love us does he love us?
Does he love us does he love us?
I look around and all I see is destruction
We're all Counting on his
Divine Intervention

When he comes the sun shine
When he comes the sun shine
Sunshine, the sunshine
Here it comes...

Open Letter to Ken Silva and Chris Rosebrough

UPDATE 03/25/11: I don't really talk to Chris anymore, so what I wrote here still stands. I do respect him as a human being, though.

* * *

Hey guys,

I hope you don't mind, but as a brother in Christ I need to talk to you about something. I've been to your websites and read your blogs, and while I understand the need to have the right theology (I gave some good examples of bad theology last week), your methods of rebuking and teaching disturb me. As 2 Timothy 2:24-25 says, "The Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth." (Emphasis mine) But when I read your blogs, I see no kindness, patience, or gentleness. I see nothing but finger-pointing and name-calling.

For example, Chris, you recently compared the Emerging Church to facism and socialism. To me, that's something Glenn Beck would say, not Jesus (unless it's Tea Party Jesus). Also, one of my friends recently had to block you from following him on Twitter because time and time again you've twisted his words and taken them out of context.

Your biggest targets are my friends in the Emerging Church. While it's true that I don't always agree with everything my friends say, the whole point of the emerging conversation is that we are all on a journey to understanding God. Sometimes we get it wrong, sometimes we get it right. But for the most part, my emerging friends and I are dedicated Trinitarians who take the Bible seriously (although we may have different ways of interpreting scripture). The point is that we acknowledge that none of us--whether we identify ourselves as emerging or Reformed--have all the answers. Michelangelo once said, "I am still learning," and that's our motto.

If you disagree with us, that's perfectly fine. I think we all need to be called out every once in a while. However, I ask that you please be respectful, humble, and gracious. You can't convert people with bullying.

Peace,

Travis

The Doubting Worshiper

If I may be frank, for the past couple of weeks depression's been kicking my ass big time. I don't want to get into the details, but during this rough period God has felt far away. When I cry out for help, I hear nothing. It made me wonder if perhaps the past ten years of following Jesus had been just a waste of time.

The other night, however, I picked up my pocket-sized Gideons Bible and skimmed through the "Where to find help when . . . " section in the front. I looked up Depressed and flipped to Psalm 34: "I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears." (V. 4) Then I looked up Faith fails and came across Psalm 42:5--"Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God."

Needing peace: John 16:33--"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Weary: Matthew 11:28--"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

And as I skimmed through Scripture, two words kept popping up in my head: Follow Me. Maybe it was that still small voice, or maybe it was just the wine talking (I drank two glasses before I picked up my Bible). But the next morning I still couldn't get those two words--Follow Me--out of my head. "But I don't have my crap together," I thought. Then I remembered that neither did Jesus' original disciples.

One of my favorite passages is Matthew 28:16-18. The disciples meet the resurrected Jesus on the mountaintop. "When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted." It's interested to point out that the text does not say, "Some worshiped, but some doubted." Nope. It says, "They worshiped Him, but some doubted." In other words, among the throngs of worshipers, there were some that wondered if it was all true. Does Jesus reject the doubters. Nope! Instead He reassures them by saying, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations. . . And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

So that's where I am right now: a doubting worshiper. And I'm fine with it, because I think Jesus' grace is bigger than my doubts.

Monday Morning Awesomeness: 06/07/10

Lisa Gungor recently stopped by the Relevant Podcast to sing her song "Jesus and John."



I was in tears by the end of this song.

Hard Without Shoes

This week Soles4Souls is having its third annual Barefoot Week in order to raise awareness for the estimated 300 million children around the world who can't afford shoes. For an entire week, S4S staff members went to work barefoot and encouraged others to do the same. My work's dress code would not allow me to participate, but today I decided to give it a try.

And let me tell you, being completely barefoot for an entire day is not as pleasurable as it sounds!

When you are out of that comfort zone of plush carpets and air conditioning, it's quite the wake-up call once your feet make contact with hot black pavement. Especially on a hot summer day! If you've ever tried walking on hot beach sand, imagine it a few degrees warmer and you'll get an idea of what it feels like.

And don't get me started on gravel parking lots!

The sad part is my temporary discomfort is actually a reality for millions of children around the world. I can easily put on some flip-flops if I can't take the pain, but what about all the children who can't afford even one pair of shoes? They don't really have that option, do they?

Mother Teresa once said, "If sometimes our poor people have had to die of starvation, it is not because God didn’t care for them, but because you and I didn’t give." I think I'll go through my closet and pull some shoes I haven't worn in a while. There are people who need them more than I do.

Arizona Backpedaling

Normally I don't talk about politics here on my blog, but I have to say something about what's going on in Arizona.

According to the Arizona Republic:

A group of artists has been asked to lighten the faces of children depicted in a giant public mural at a Prescott school.

The project's leader says he was ordered to lighten the skin tone after complaints about the children's ethnicity. But the school's principal says the request was only to fix shading and had nothing to do with political pressure.

The "Go on Green" mural, which covers two walls outside Miller Valley Elementary School, was designed to advertise a campaign for environmentally friendly transportation. It features portraits of four children, with a Hispanic boy as the dominant figure.

R.E. Wall, director of Prescott's Downtown Mural Project, said he and other artists were subjected to slurs from motorists as they worked on the painting at one of the town's most prominent intersections.

(Emphasis mine)

Seriously folks, what year is this? It's like ever since Arizona adapted its stricter immigration policy (which I'm not a big fan of) the whole state's been backpedaling towards social injustice.

If I may, I would like to share a few Bible passages with the fine folks of Arizona:

"Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt."--Exodus 23:9

"The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God."--Leviticus 19:34

"For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."--Galatians 3:27-29

We can argue all day how these verses apply to undocumented immigrants, but one thing is clear--God has a heart for the outsider. The Kingdom of God is not some exclusive club where you have to look a certain way, or make a certain amount of money, or have all your crap together. God wants all people to come to Him and be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). The Kingdom of God is an inclusive, not exclusive, kingdom.

Is that too hard to comprehend?

*UPDATE: The mural will NOT be changed!

Help My Unbelief

If you've ever seen the TV show The X Files you probably remember a post Mulder had in his office that had a picture of a UFO, and underneath were the words, "I want to believe."

That's how I am when I go through periods of doubt. I want to believe, but I'm not sure if I can. I'll read something that challenges the doctrines I cling onto so tightly, and then I go through a "dark night of the soul" period where I don't know what I believe in anymore. Were the past ten years of following Jesus just a waste of time? Was I better off as a nonbeliever?

Last week while I was on my blogging break, I asked some friends what sustains their belief in God, and I got some pretty good feedback. One person said, "Jesus," another said, "Creation," and another said, "My community of believers." Those three answers stuck out the most, because those are the same reasons why I haven't completely abandoned God yet.

First, there's Jesus. When I read about His ministry and His Kingdom, I can't help but want to be a part of that. I want to see a world where human beings are reconciled with God and each other. The way of Jesus is so radical compared to the ways of this world: materialism, hatred, selfishness, greed, apathy, etc. It's a new way of living I deeply desire.

Then there's creation. Have you ever had some one give you a birthday gift that was so wonderful you took good care of it everyday, and every time you saw the gift it reminded you of the person who gave it to you? That's how I feel when I see the stars, forests, and sea.

Finally there's the community of saints. Sometimes God makes more sense to me when I hear what He's doing in other people's lives. For example, last week I interviewed Brandt Russo for Coffee Chats. He spent a lot of the time talking about how God's grace helped him recover from pornography addiction. While Brandt was telling his story, I felt like God was nudging me saying, "See? I told you I make all things new."

Maybe during those moments of doubt, I'm not losing my faith in God, but in absolute certainty. It's been said that the opposite of faith is certainty, so maybe if I stop clinging onto doctrines so tightly I can leave more room for God in my life. Don't get me wrong, I still believe in the Nicene and Apostles Creeds. However, I approach faith now as a student willing to learn, rather than a professor with everything perfectly defined in hundreds of volumes on my shelf.

(Wow, nice metaphor!)

Like the man with the sick son, I'm praying, "Help my unbelief."