I can already hear the accusations of heresy.
Let me clarify; the Bible, by itself, interpreted by yourself, is NOT the word of God.
Listen, if you’re a believer you are part of the body of Christ which is his church. Therefore, the Spirit of God lives in you.
Let the mind of Christ interpret the scriptures. I am not referring to some personal, subjective interpretation. The bible is not meant to be a personal rule book on how to believe and act. It is not intended to be privately interpreted for your own successful Christian life. It is intended to be a collection of books used in the collective body of Christ which is the church. The church is a collective community that when gathered together becomes a powerful expression of the mind of Christ. The bible, rightly used in the context of the Church throughout history has always shaped the individual hearts of those in Christ’s body.
We must read the scripture accompanied by, what the writer of Hebrews calls, “the great cloud of witness.” That is, we must find ourselves reading along with the centuries old historical church. Let us also read corporately, in collective awareness that we have the mind of Christ. Let us seek, through the indwelling Spirit of God to apply it within the context of our contemporary world.
“Whatever is bound on earth,” Jesus said, “is bound in heaven.” He continued; “whatever is loosed on earth is loosed in heaven.” This “binding and loosing” has been taking place throughout history as the gathered community has sought to know the mind of Christ and understand what scripture is saying. All this “binding and loosing” has been an ongoing practice throughout the centuries since Christ’s resurrection and ascension.
If the word of God is indeed “living and active,” then we must seek to breathe in its life. Let us exercise its truth so that we may strengthen our corporate muscles. We must allow the scriptures to stretch us in order that its skin may become tightly wrapped around our lives. In addition to all this let us become more and more aware of the scripture’s skeletal structure that have been formed throughout history. May we together as one person, become fully formed into the life that the scriptures are producing in us through this living, breathing and active word of God.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
