The Basis for Theological Engagement

 

Some years ago I had coffee with a man of God whom I value highly. The atmosphere at the time was beyond awkward. You see I had listened to him preach a sermon on Genesis 3 in which he had seemed to trivialise the Fall. I had written saying that to trivialise the Fall was by implication to trivialise the Cross which was its antidote.

As we drank our coffee his displeasure was unmistakable:

“You and I have nothing in common,” he said, “We do not even have a basis for discussion.”

In reply I said, “Can I suggest two things which might form a basis?”

“Firstly, the Bible is the Word of God” I thought he might buy that because after reading the Scripture in a service he would conclude with, “This is the Word of God”

“Secondly, that Jesus Christ is the interpretive master key that unlocks the whole of it.”

After some hesitation he agreed, and though to this day some awkwardness persists in our relationship, we do have a basis for theological engagement. 

I heard one of our ministers say, “The Bible is a contested authority today” which of course begs the question, “By whose authority is it contested?”

I heard another of our ministers say, “The Bible is not our only authority, there is the authority of experience.” Referring to the Wesleyan Quadrilateral.

It seemed that he was regarding the four items of the Quadrilateral as four legs of a table whereas it is clear that with Wesley Scripture was always the supreme authority, the secure bedrock on which the tripod of Tradition, Reason and Experience stood. There was no question of an adversarial or alternate relationship between the Bible and Experience.

Of course, The Bible is not our only authority, a maths textbook has authority for instance. There is veracity in many writings, indeed in many religious writings. The point here is that the Bible is acknowledged as having supreme authority. It has canonicity, it is the yardstick by which the truthfulness of other authorities is measured, not only in matters of Faith and practice, but at least in matters of Faith and practice.

I heard yet another of our ministers refer to “recent revelation.” Yes, there are fresh discoveries in the field of science for instance, but I think he had in mind an extension to the canon of Scripture, something like the Book of Mormon, inserted between Revelation and the maps. It’s an interesting conjecture as to what such a book might be called. Perhaps one might hold a competition as to the best title for such a book. 

Regarding Jesus Christ as the Interpretive master key for unlocking the whole of Scripture, it is not enough that our hermeneutic have Christological content, it needs to be Christocentric.

Everyone in town would like to hitch Jesus to their wagon, to co-opt Him to their particular hobbyhorse or crusade. We all bring our own biases, hurts and life experiences into play when we study the Scriptures, but by keeping Jesus central in this, we will discover our biases corrected, our hurts healed and our eyes opened to God’s truth as it stands revealed in His Word. 

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life, but it is they that bear witness of me” says Jesus.

 

Peter Frow

September2022