GODISNOWHERE

(This is the second post in an occasional series on interpreting the Bible. The first installment is located here.)

What do you think the title of this blog post means? If you stare at it, you can detect a phrase: “God is nowhere.” But “God is now here” also works, doesn’t it? Which one is correct and how do you choose?

(By the way, I realize I’m using a Christmas image in April, but it looks good!)

I suspect that many people feel just as stumped when it comes to the meaning of the Bible. They read verses or chapters but struggle to make sense out of them. They hear sermons but wonder whether the explanations are true.

When I was working on my doctorate at Marquette University, I studied the writings of Bernard Lonergan, a Jesuit philosopher and theologian. He proposed that a fourfold process by which human beings come to know anything: experiencing, understanding, judging, and deciding. Combining these activities results in knowledge.

His theory of cognition may sound esoteric, but it has a practical impact on your spiritual life. It can help you to study the Bible. In fact, the following portion of Scripture demonstrates this structure:

“As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men” (Acts 17:10-12).

Before delving into this passage, let’s set the stage. The apostles Paul and Silas had preached the gospel to the residents of Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-4). When many believed their message, the religious folks got so riled up that the apostles had to flee the city (Acts 17:5-9).

Paul and Silas then traveled to the nearby city of Berea and, as before, shared the good news of Jesus with that community.

Experiencing

According to verses 10 and 11, the apostles entered the synagogue and preached “the message.” You could say that the audience “experienced” the gospel; that is, they heard what Paul and Silas had to say about Christ.

If you want to learn about the Bible, you will have to experience it. Read it, listen to it, sing it out loud if you want to, but give your soul something to ponder. Don’t deprive yourself!

Understanding

The Bereans “received the message with great eagerness” (vs. 11). Did they comprehend what Paul and Silas communicated?

How likely is it that the Bereans would be riveted by something that sailed over their heads? Wouldn’t they have complained or, if that failed, just walked away?

Since the residents took in the gospel with gusto, they must have understood it.

As you read God’s Word, you’ll encounter difficult sayings, unfamiliar historical references, and challenging admonitions. Before you react to these, make sure you’ve grasped the points being made. God’s Spirit will help you to understand the main ideas of His Word.

Judging

Did the Bereans agree with Paul’s assertions? You can understand a belief, a concept, or a proposal without buying into it.

After hearing the gospel and interpreting what it meant for them, the Bereans had to evaluate it. Was Paul telling the truth about the mission of Jesus? Was their interpretation of his sermons right? How would the Bereans figure it out?

They had to ask questions about the Bible. They needed to research the Word to verify or refute the claims of the gospel. And that’s just what they did; the curious ones “examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (vs. 11). They compared Scripture with Scripture. They took what what was familiar from the Bible to judge this novel message.

And Paul’s preaching passed their tests. The Scriptures support the gospel – Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world!

So go ahead and examine what you hear and what you read. Bounce your theories off other people and get their feedback. This won’t offend God; to the contrary, His Word can handle it! It’s how you confirm biblical truth and protect yourself from errors, mistakes, and heresies.

Deciding

Now what? The Bereans had debated the gospel and determined that Paul’s message was correct. How should they respond to it? What demand did it make on them?

Faith! The gospel calls for faith in Jesus Christ. “As a result, many of them believed” (vs. 12). The Bereans learned, but they also acted. They not only discovered the possibility of salvation in Christ;  they also received that gift.

Once you’ve weighed your options about a Bible passage and settled on a conclusion, what do you do with it? What demand does that teaching make on your life? Is the Lord telling you to love others? If so, then your thoughts, feelings, and words about love aren’t enough; you’ll have to back them up with action.

This is how one studies the Bible:

• Experience: take in the Word
• Understand: wrestle with its meaning
• Judge: weigh your ideas about the text
• Decide: act on what you’ve learned

Follow this pattern and you’ll grow as a disciple of Jesus; you’ll learn to think like He does. Your spiritual knowledge will go from this (GODISNOWHERE) to this (God is now here)!