II Timothy 2:8-13, 14-26

II Timothy 2:8-15 (NRSV)

⁸ Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel, ⁹ for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. ¹⁰ Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. ¹¹ The saying is sure:

If we have died with him, we will also live with him;

¹² if we endure, we will also reign with him;

if we deny him, he will also deny us;

¹³ if we are faithless, he remains faithful—

for he cannot deny himself.

¹⁴ Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. ¹⁵ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.

16-26

¹⁶ Avoid profane chatter, for it will lead people into more and more impiety, ¹⁷ and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸ who have swerved from the truth by claiming that the resurrection has already taken place. They are upsetting the faith of some. ¹⁹ But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness.”

²⁰ In a large house there are utensils not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for special use, some for ordinary. ²¹ All who cleanse themselves of the things I have mentioned will become special utensils, dedicated and useful to the owner of the house, ready for every good work. ²² Shun youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. ²³ Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. ²⁴ And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient, ²⁵ correcting opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth, ²⁶ and that they may escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. 

Year C

October 9-15

October 9, 2016

Title: Multi-tasking vs Single-tasking

Cross~Wind

Introduction

A few decades ago, if you had asked me about multi-tasking, I would have proudly said that I could handle many tasks at once. Some people suggested that multitasking is good for the brain. As I have aged, I think I have found that focusing on one thing at a time is a better plan. I came across an article that suggests that it was not good for me when I was younger either. I came across an article by Sandra Bond Chapman[1], director of the Center for BrainHealth, who does not think multi-tasking is good for the brain. Since I like studies of how the brain works, I had to read.   

"Multitasking is a brain drain that exhausts the mind, zaps cognitive resources and, if left unchecked, condemns us to early mental decline and decreased sharpness. Chronic multi-taskers also have increased levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, which can damage the memory region of the brain." 

It looks as if the brain has a design that involves doing one thing at a time. What feels like "multitasking" is actually more like mentally switching from one thing to another since it is impossible for us to do two things at once. If you are talking while driving, whether with someone in the car or the phone, you might blow past your exit or drive 20 miles without remembering how you got there. That frequent switching back and forth from task to task actually makes you less efficient, less focused and less productive because you are only thinking about those things on a surface level.

The solution, according to Dr. Chapman, is to focus on one thing at a time. She calls getting things done sequentially "Single-tasking," focusing completely on one task before moving on to another. It will increase productivity and strategic thinking. We become more efficient and have better quality work as we devote our mental resources to what really matters.

We may multitask because we are not able to set priorities for the use of our time and energy. This process begins to sound like much that we learn in spiritual formation.

In any case, if the design of the brain is toward focusing on one thing at a time, we might expect this principle to show up in our spiritual formation as well. After all, we believe, do we not, that the whole person is connected -- body, mind and spirit -- to God? Nevertheless, like the rest of our lives, we are often prone to spiritual multitasking. We can slip into thinking that keeping busy and gathering more information are signs of spiritual maturity. Churches tend to add more and more activities to the schedule. Some devout people feel like they are failing spiritually if they are not involved in multiple programs for learning and mission. Multitasking great things for God can easily make us distracted, exhausted and burnt out.  

Application 

Dr. Chapman offers her advice for getting your brain back in shape after being an exhausted multitasker:            

1. Give your brain some downtime. Step away from a challenging task periodically for a few minutes to give your brain room for the next inspired idea.

2. Focus deeply without distraction. Turn off the phone, shut down all those open windows on your computer and give your full attention to one task at a time. Work for shorter periods of intense focus, giving yourself a mental break in between.

3. Make a to-do list. Identify your top priorities for the day and check those tasks off the list first. Moving from one task to another in an intentional sequence makes for better productivity.  

I would suggest that our text offers advice for getting the spirit back in shape after spiritual distractions have exhausted us spiritually. I have been thinking of how easy it can be to confuse busyness with meaningfulness. If we commit ourselves to conflicting concerns, surrender to many demands, and commit to too many projects, we could actually do some damage to what matters most. We may harm our capacity for a peaceful heart and life. Equally important, we may harm our ability to offer liberation from sin and healing to a spiritually sick world. Our work may not be fruitful because we have cut ourselves off from the wisdom that makes Christian life fruitful.[2]  In other words, we might need some time to step back from the pressing demands of the moment, re-focus our energy, and re-consider priorities. We may need to focus deeply and without distraction. I hope you will spend a few moments with me on the advice we get from our text. 

1. Present yourself to God as one approved by him.  

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth" (II Timothy 2:15).  

Focus each day on pleasing God and seeking God's approval and everything else falls into priority order. The spiritual distraction here is that many of us find it tempting to seek the approval of those around us. If we remember the heart of the gospel, allowing it to transform us each day, we will focus upon what matters.

We are to proclaim the gospel. 

"Remember Jesus Christ raised from the dead, a descendant of David -- that is my gospel," (2:8) 

I have shared with you recently the temptation within the church is to change the gospel in order for the culture to have a pleasant response in the culture to the church. We need to remember that the gospel, while addressing universal human desires and hopes, is always a challenge to the prevailing attitudes and beliefs of the culture. The question that we face is whether we are ready to pay the price of faithfulness to the gospel.

2. Be a worker who has no need to be ashamed.

Paul was not "ashamed" of the gospel, and we should not be either. It is the power of God for the salvation of the world (Romans 1:16). In verses 9 and 10, we read that Paul endured hardship for the sake of bringing the good news of salvation in Christ to others. Regardless of our occupations, the gospel ought not to be a secondary consideration. The gospel is not something you practice in the privacy of your home. The gospel touches every part of your private and corporate life. The gospel brings our lives in alignment with the way of Christ. That is why our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

3. Rightly explain (and represent) the word of truth.

To "rightly explain" means literally to "cut straight" the truth of the gospel. The word "explain" here comes from the root word "orthos" which means to make straight. If you are an orthodontist, you make the teeth straight. If you are “orthodox”, you are making straight Christian teaching. We do that by relying upon the word of truth.

Many of you know that I started taking the Bible seriously when I was around 15 years old. The Bible is our sacred book. It has formed and shaped Jews and Christians over the centuries. This text comes under attack from scholars and preachers. The secular culture will naturally attack it. Too many people have a superficial reading of the book. They come across they do not like or understand, and they dismiss it. I received my respect for this book from Pastor Joe and my SS teacher Earl. I had good professors in college and Seminary who continued that respect, even as we wrestled. You as, as Christians, we read from the standpoint of trustful confidence that the words of the Bible lead us to God and to the fullness of life. We let it define and transform our lives.[3] We need to come to the Bible realizing that its world is strange to us, and therefore, we should almost expect surprise.[4] The Bible will open new truths to us as our lives and needs change, and as the Holy Spirit works with the words of the Bible to help us encounter a new truth.[5] It takes time, but reading and studying the Bible can become a great delight as we learn a new way of living our lives and viewing our world.[6] Reading the Bible is like launching our little boat onto an unpredictable, uncontrollable sea. We depend upon the Holy Spirit to enliven our reading, and therefore a good reading of the Bible is a gift of God.[7]

Such focusing deeply upon the word of truth is the antidote to the distraction of "wrangling" arguments and distractions (v. 14) and profane chatter (v. 16). Our presidential candidates are hardly positive role models in this area. The immediacy of social media has opened the door for so much idle talk as well as harsh talk. One could cut through it all by speaking in a life-giving way rather than the junk so much of us hear every day. People chatter so much about things they would like to have. People chatter about what they dislike about themselves, others, and the world. We need some down time so that we can share out of the wisdom we have in Christ. Before we speak, we need to listen. We need some of that deep focus without distraction, for words will shape our actions.[8]

            Christianity has its form of a “to-do” list. Think of the simplicity of it all. To reach outside our passage, Jesus said the great commandment was to love God and the second was like it, to love your neighbor as yourself. Paul often discussed the importance of faith, hope, and love. Reflect upon the fruit of the Spirit or even I Corinthians 13. Reflect upon the Beatitudes. Make sure that you do not complicate Christian life. Behind it is the kind of simplicity we find in these passages. James 4:8 says we are to purify our hearts. When we do, we will not be double-minded, trying to satisfy the culture as well as the gospel.[9]  

Conclusion

Of course, we also need some spiritual downtime to focus our attention on God without distraction, and we need to make pleasing God a priority on our to-do lists every day. Single-tasking spirituality will lead us toward becoming healthier disciples of Jesus who are focused, effective and productive. The imagery of verses 20-22 is important here. We have the opportunity to become “special utensils,” holy and set apart, for God to work in and through us.  

"special utensils, dedicated and useful to the owner of the house, ready for every good work" (2:20-21) 

Are you ready to be a useful utensil to the owner, the creator, and the Lord of all? You see, as the text goes on to say, we are to allow the Lord to use us for divine purpose. We "shun youthful passions" and instead pursue the purity of "righteousness, faith, love and peace" and "call on the Lord from a pure heart" (v. 22)

²³ Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. ²⁴ And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient, ²⁵ correcting opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth, ²⁶ and that they may escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

            Let it be so. 

Going deeper

II Timothy 2:8-13 has the theme of encouragement in facing hardship. He is urging Timothy to remain faithful to the gospel, to the confession of faith, and to the word of truth. This will keep him from harmful speech that will primarily distract him from the gospel.

II Timothy 2:8-15 (NRSV)

⁸ Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David —that is my gospel, [He must give a positive presentation of the Word. He is to remind the people of the gospel Paul preached. The author reminds them of the heart of the gospel preached. Many scholars suggest that verse 8 contains the fragment of an early creed derived from Romans 1:3-4. The church united in this affirmation of faith. The creeds of the church do not included the phrase, “descended from David.” This reference to Israel is significant and will inform Paul’s understanding of God’s faithfulness in verse 13. Ignatius often referred to it.] ⁹ for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal [The only other time the word is used is in Luke in reference to the crucifixion.] But the word of God is not chained. [Paul is a model in the suffering that accompanies faithfulness to the gospel.  Paul here shows himself to be an example of the lengths a Christian can go to suffer for Christ’s sake. In addition, Paul here alludes to Philippians, in which he specifically rejoices in his imprisonment. There, he rejoices not only for his opportunity to witness to the guards (Philippians 1:13), but also for the courage it has given other Christians to preach the gospel even more boldly (Philippians 1:14). These words may very well be in view of Paul as he writes to Timothy. Government authorities can chain people, but not the gospel.]  ¹⁰ Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. [The suffering of the apostle is part of the plan of salvation.  He endures the suffering for the sake of others.  Christian salvation is a glorious one, in contrast to the present suffering.]

[Verses 11-13, for many scholars, are a liturgical hymn or solemn confession, probably for the occasion of baptism. The point is that there are great things for which to look forward, even if hardship is their present lot. The whole segment is written to encourage ministers to be faithful in their vows, recalling their baptism.]

¹¹ The saying is sure:

If we have died with him, we will also live with him; [Paul has a parallel thought in Romans 6:3-5, where he stresses that baptism means baptism into the death and even the burial of Jesus. Yet, as God raised Jesus, God will raise us. We unite with Christ in his death and resurrection.

¹² if we endure, we will also reign with him;

[The reference to endurance is a reminder that baptism is a beginning, not the end.]

if we deny him, he will also deny us;

[Another reference to denial is in the sayings of Jesus.

 

Matthew 10:33 … but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.] 

¹³ if we are faithless, he remains faithful—

[It may suggest that even if the believer is faithless, fails to keep vows, etc., God will be merciful.] 

for he cannot deny himself.

[The point is not a charter to sin or consolation to the frightened conscience. Paul already, in verse 8, had brought Israel into the reader’s view, through his reference to David. Much of Pauline literature wrestles with the conundrum of Israel: Theirs is the covenant with God, and yet they seem not to recognize Jesus as their long-awaited Messiah. Although Paul is convinced of the status and place of Jesus, he wrestles with the status and place of Israel. Romans 9–11 is the most poignant and extensive of his thinking through Israel’s place. Ultimately in Chapter 11, Paul concludes that Israel’s unfaithfulness was the cause of the Gentile inclusion, and the Gentile inclusion will cause Israel to become jealous and ultimately come to faith. Paul is entirely committed to the fact that God’s covenant with Israel stands, and it is God’s mercy that also includes salvation for Gentiles.]

[Verses 14-26 involve false teachers.]

¹⁴ Remind [Integral to Paul's initial appeal to remember the gist of the gospel is the imperative that Timothy must remind others of it. Receiving the good news is not solely a matter of personal edification. With the blessing of the gospel comes the responsibility of sharing it to edify the community.] them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. [“Dispute” in verse 14 is a reference to false teachers. They do not deal with substance. Paul shifts from broad theological claims to specific advice.] ¹⁵ Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth. [The competent minister expounds the gospel faithfully.]

[The word "explain" here comes from the root word "orthos" which means to make straight. As Christians, we read from the standpoint of trustful confidence that the words of the Bible lead us to God and to the fullness of life. We let it define and transform our lives.[10] We need to come to the Bible realizing that its world is strange to us, and therefore, we should almost expect surprise.[11] The Bible will open new truths to us as our lives and needs change, and as the Holy Spirit works with the words of the Bible to help us encounter a new truth.[12] It takes time, but reading and studying the Bible can become a great delight as we learn a new way of living our lives and viewing our world.[13] Reading the Bible is like launching our little boat onto an unpredictable, uncontrollable sea. We depend upon the Holy to enliven our reading, and therefore a good reading of the Bible is a gift of God.[14]]

            [Paul varies between broad and specific advice, from once-for-all declarations about Jesus to specific courses of action and the results these will bring us. The gospel may bring hardships, even imprisonment, but Paul, as an example to Timothy and the church, endures it for the sake of others’ salvation. So, too, Timothy ought to present himself to God as one approved. In doing so, in enduring, there is the assurance that one day he will reign with Christ.]

16-26

[Paul will contextualize and expound on the wrangling over words in verse 14 with what he writes in verses 16-19. He will name specific people (Hymenaeus and Philetus, v. 17) who are disputing about words (in saying the resurrection has already taken place, v. 18). Paul specifically says that such disputes and empty chatter are infectious, spreading like gangrene or cancer (v. 17), and they lead to godlessness.  Handling correctly the word of truth becomes important because apparently some people are not doing this. Paul’s words here echo themes developed throughout verses 8-14 and serve as a beautiful closing to this section of Scripture.]

[Verses 16-18 state, negatively, what he is to avoid.]

¹⁶ Avoid profane chatter, for it will lead people into more and more impiety, [the good minister will hold to the received faith, avoiding the nonsense of heretical teachers.  This refers to speculative philosophical efforts.] ¹⁷ and their talk will spread like gangrene. [Their teaching is like destructive disease.  The Pastoral Epistles use medical metaphors in I Tm 4:2, 6:4, Tit 1:15.  Thomas à Kempis noted:  

“I wonder why we are so eager to chatter and gossip with each other, since we seldom return to the quiet of our own hearts without a damaged conscience? The reason is that by idle chit-chat we seek comfort from one another and we hope to lighten our distracted hearts. And to make matters worse, we chatter most freely about our favorite topics, about what we would like to have or about those things we especially dislike!” 

Before you speak, Listen.

Before you write, Think.

Before you pray, Forgive.

Before you quit, Try.

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.

Watch your words, for they become actions.

Watch your actions, for they become habits.

Watch your habits, for they become character.

Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.]

Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, ¹⁸ who have swerved from the truth by claiming that the resurrection has already taken place. They are upsetting the faith of some. [Hymenaeus and Philetus are named as examples.  See 1:20 for Hymenaeus.  They are no longer members of the church but still make trouble.  They have missed the point of the Christian view of the resurrection.  They may have rejected a general resurrection in favor of only the baptismal significance of resurrection.]

 ¹⁹ But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” [Numbers 16:5] and, “Let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness.” [The heretical teachers cannot upset the foundation of the church established by God.  Here are the ultimate certainties, the stable ground upon which Christian teaching rests.  God will expose the false teachers and cast them out.] 

²⁰ In a large house there are utensils not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for special use, some for ordinary. ²¹ All who cleanse themselves of the things I have mentioned will become special utensils, dedicated and useful to the owner of the house, ready for every good work. [The author deals with degrees of honor.  Why are there such wicked persons in the church?  The answer is allegorical.  In plain language, it is reality.  Just as there are utensils of varying quality in the house, so in the church there are ministers of varying quality.  Purification can still take place.]

            [Verses 22-26 deals with the teacher's behavior.]

²² Shun youthful passions [could mean various unmanageable tendencies.  They would be the opposite of righteousness, faith, love, peace.] and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, [all of which keep the church together] along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

[So let us on the occasion of a confession speak on this theme: Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing as we base our meditation on the Apostle James' words in the Fourth chapter of his Epistle, verse 8: Keep near to God and he will keep near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded, because only the pure in heart are able to see God and consequently keep near to him and preserve this purity through his keeping near to them; and the person who in truth wills one thing can will only the good, and the person who wills only one thing when he wills the good can will only the good in truth.

 --Søren Kierkegaard, "Purity of heart is to will one thing," in The Essential Kierkegaard (Princeton, 2000), 271. 

To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything is itself to succumb to violence. More than that, it is cooperation in violence. The frenzy of the activist neutralizes his work for peace. It destroys his own inner capacity for peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of his own work, because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful.

 --Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander (Crown, 2009), 81.] 

 ²³ Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. [This verse is the theme of the whole letter, the rest being exposition.] ²⁴ And the Lord’s servant [the technical sense of minister] must not be quarrelsome [ministers are to avoid arguments] but kindly to everyone [ministers to focus on kindness], an apt teacher, patient, ²⁵ correcting opponents with gentleness [defining what an apt teacher is]. God may perhaps grant that they will repent [such a method of teaching may bring some to repentance] and come to know the truth, ²⁶ and that they may escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

---

[1] Chapman, Sandra Bond. "Why single-tasking makes you smarter." Forbes Website. May 8, 2013. forbes.com. Retrieved April 1, 2016.

 

[2] To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything is itself to succumb to violence. More than that, it is cooperation in violence. The frenzy of the activist neutralizes his work for peace. It destroys his own inner capacity for peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of his own work, because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful. --Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander (Crown, 2009), 81.

 

[3] William C. Placher says that, when we read a text like the Bible, we must read from a standpoint of trustful confidence that these words really are the words of God for life. Placher proposes replacing the current "hermeneutics of suspicion" with a "hermeneutics of trust."

 

We trust the Bible because we have come to trust the God about whom it tells us. The process moves in a kind of circle: We also trust in that God in significant part because of what we learn in the Bible. Nor should Christians look, I think, for a single entry point into this circle.

                No one doctrine provides the foundation on which we believe all the others. We find ourselves trusting, in a way we sometimes find ourselves in love, without being able to define the steps that led to that state, the elements that shape our trust are all tied together in complicated ways.

                Even a complete systematic theology will not fully explain such matters, but it follows that we cannot work out even a fairly good doctrine of Scripture without, for instance, a doctrine of the Holy Spirit and then ,in turn, a doctrine, of the Triune God.

 

to trust the Bible, to let it define our world and provide a language for thinking about the world, can transform our lives. But it does not make understanding the Bible easy. The challenge is clear for us to be biblically literate in our churches if we are to experience a new Pentecost. (Quoted in Carnegie Samuel Calian's Survival or Revival [Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998].)

[4] Karl Barth said that the epistles, come to us as, "Letters From a Stranger." Perhaps that is a good way of approaching Scripture. All of it comes to us as letters from a stranger. We enter into "the strange new world of the Bible" and expect to be surprised. I think we preachers need to cultivate, in our congregations, a greater expectation of surprise. Surprise is an essential requisite for the faithful reading of the Bible.

[5] Martin Luther stressed the importance of the Holy Spirit in a dynamic, faithful, relevant reading of Scripture:

 

This striving for a true understanding of the scripture, with its concern for the Spirit, is of necessity concerned with the present existential situation. For the Holy Spirit is a present and life-giving Spirit, by contrast to the letter which owes everything to the past and consequently speaks of the past.

                Thus...the hermeneutic principle from which Luther starts, with its antithesis between the letter and the Spirit, also leads him to the realization that the understanding of the scripture is not something that can be preserved and passed on. As existential life continues, so the understanding of the Scripture is a continuous task that can never be brought to a conclusion. For there is a constant threat that an understanding once achieved will cease to be the Spirit, and return to being the mere letter, unless it is constantly attained anew and made one's own. Thus unceasing progress is necessary in the understanding of scripture. The Spirit turns into the letter; but the letter must in its turn constantly become the Spirit once again. One state of understanding is always the letter from which the Spirit comes in the next stage. - Gerhard Ebeling, Luther: An Introduction to His Thought, Philadelphia: Fortress, 1972, pp. 97-100.

[6] It is not the right human thoughts about God which form the content of the Bible, but the right divine thoughts about men. The Bible tells us not how we should talk with God but what he says to us; not how we find the way to him, but how he has sought and found the way to us; not the right relation in which we must place ourselves to him, but the covenant which he has made with all who are Abraham's spiritual children and which he has sealed once and for all in Jesus Christ. It is this which is within the Bible. The word of God is within the Bible. - Karl Barth, The Word of God and the Word of Man, Douglas Horton, trans., New York: Harper & Bros., Harper Torchbooks, 1957, p. 43

[7] In one of his sermons, Origen has a beautiful metaphor for what it is like to read the Bible. It is like launching our little boat onto an unpredictable, uncontrollable sea. In our reading, we are dependent upon the Holy Spirit to enliven our reading. Good biblical interpretation is ultimately a gift of God.

 

The further we progress in reading, the greater grows the accumulation of mysteries for us. And just as if some one should embark on the sea borne by a small boat, as long as he is near the land he has little fear. But when he has advanced little by little into the deep and has begun either to be lifted on high by the swelling waves or brought down to the depths by the same gaping waves, then truly great fear and terror permeate his mind because he has entrusted a small craft to such immense waves. So we also seem to have suffered, who small in merits and slight in ability, dare to enter so vast a sea of mysteries. But if by your prayers the Lord should see fit to give us a favorable breeze of his Holy Spirit we shall enter the port of salvation with a favorable passage of the word. (Origen, Sermons on Numbers 23.4.)

[8] Thomas à Kempis noted:

 

“I wonder why we are so eager to chatter and gossip with each other, since we seldom return to the quiet of our own hearts without a damaged conscience? The reason is that by idle chit-chat we seek comfort from one another and we hope to lighten our distracted hearts. And to make matters worse, we chatter most freely about our favorite topics, about what we would like to have or about those things we especially dislike!”

 

Before you speak, Listen.

Before you write, Think.

Before you pray, Forgive.

Before you quit, Try.

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.

Watch your words, for they become actions.

Watch your actions, for they become habits.

Watch your habits, for they become character.

Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.

[9] So let us on the occasion of a confession speak on this theme: Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing as we base our meditation on the Apostle James' words in the Fourth chapter of his Epistle, verse 8: Keep near to God and he will keep near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded, because only the pure in heart are able to see God and consequently keep near to him and preserve this purity through his keeping near to them; and the person who in truth wills one thing can will only the good, and the person who wills only one thing when he wills the good can will only the good in truth.  --Søren Kierkegaard, "Purity of heart is to will one thing," in The Essential Kierkegaard (Princeton, 2000), 271.

 

[10] William C. Placher says that, when we read a text like the Bible, we must read from a standpoint of trustful confidence that these words really are the words of God for life. Placher proposes replacing the current "hermeneutics of suspicion" with a "hermeneutics of trust."

 

We trust the Bible because we have come to trust the God about whom it tells us. The process moves in a kind of circle: We also trust in that God in significant part because of what we learn in the Bible. Nor should Christians look, I think, for a single entry point into this circle.

                No one doctrine provides the foundation on which we believe all the others. We find ourselves trusting, in a way we sometimes find ourselves in love, without being able to define the steps that led to that state, the elements that shape our trust are all tied together in complicated ways.

                Even a complete systematic theology will not fully explain such matters, but it follows that we cannot work out even a fairly good doctrine of Scripture without, for instance, a doctrine of the Holy Spirit and then ,in turn, a doctrine, of the Triune God.

 

to trust the Bible, to let it define our world and provide a language for thinking about the world, can transform our lives. But it does not make understanding the Bible easy. The challenge is clear for us to be biblically literate in our churches if we are to experience a new Pentecost. (Quoted in Carnegie Samuel Calian's Survival or Revival [Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1998].)

[11] Karl Barth said that the epistles, come to us as, "Letters From a Stranger." Perhaps that is a good way of approaching Scripture. All of it comes to us as letters from a stranger. We enter into "the strange new world of the Bible" and expect to be surprised. I think we preachers need to cultivate, in our congregations, a greater expectation of surprise. Surprise is an essential requisite for the faithful reading of the Bible.

[12] Martin Luther stressed the importance of the Holy Spirit in a dynamic, faithful, relevant reading of Scripture:

 

This striving for a true understanding of the scripture, with its concern for the Spirit, is of necessity concerned with the present existential situation. For the Holy Spirit is a present and life-giving Spirit, by contrast to the letter which owes everything to the past and consequently speaks of the past.

                Thus...the hermeneutic principle from which Luther starts, with its antithesis between the letter and the Spirit, also leads him to the realization that the understanding of the scripture is not something that can be preserved and passed on. As existential life continues, so the understanding of the Scripture is a continuous task that can never be brought to a conclusion. For there is a constant threat that an understanding once achieved will cease to be the Spirit, and return to being the mere letter, unless it is constantly attained anew and made one's own. Thus unceasing progress is necessary in the understanding of scripture. The Spirit turns into the letter; but the letter must in its turn constantly become the Spirit once again. One state of understanding is always the letter from which the Spirit comes in the next stage. - Gerhard Ebeling, Luther: An Introduction to His Thought, Philadelphia: Fortress, 1972, pp. 97-100.

[13] It is not the right human thoughts about God which form the content of the Bible, but the right divine thoughts about men. The Bible tells us not how we should talk with God but what he says to us; not how we find the way to him, but how he has sought and found the way to us; not the right relation in which we must place ourselves to him, but the covenant which he has made with all who are Abraham's spiritual children and which he has sealed once and for all in Jesus Christ. It is this which is within the Bible. The word of God is within the Bible. - Karl Barth, The Word of God and the Word of Man, Douglas Horton, trans., New York: Harper & Bros., Harper Torchbooks, 1957, p. 43

[14] In one of his sermons, Origen has a beautiful metaphor for what it is like to read the Bible. It is like launching our little boat onto an unpredictable, uncontrollable sea. In our reading, we are dependent upon the Holy Spirit to enliven our reading. Good biblical interpretation is ultimately a gift of God.

 

The further we progress in reading, the greater grows the accumulation of mysteries for us. And just as if some one should embark on the sea borne by a small boat, as long as he is near the land he has little fear. But when he has advanced little by little into the deep and has begun either to be lifted on high by the swelling waves or brought down to the depths by the same gaping waves, then truly great fear and terror permeate his mind because he has entrusted a small craft to such immense waves. So we also seem to have suffered, who small in merits and slight in ability, dare to enter so vast a sea of mysteries. But if by your prayers the Lord should see fit to give us a favorable breeze of his Holy Spirit we shall enter the port of salvation with a favorable passage of the word. (Origen, Sermons on Numbers 23.4.)