GRACE COMMUNION INTERNATIONAL Winter 2012/2013 Growing Together in Life & Faith Scripture: God’s Gift Page 3 Vol. 9 No. 5 ChristianOdyssey.org EDITORIAL By John Halford Here Be Dragons CONTENTS riving around the Bible Belt states in enigmatic enough without additional cul- 2 Editorial the USA, you will sometimes see a tural barriers. For example, Revelation 17: Dbumper sticker that proclaims, “The 3-4 describes “a woman sitting on a scarlet Bible says it. I believe it. That settles it.” Sim- beast that was covered with blasphemous 3 Scripture: God’s Gift ple and straightforward, right? names and had seven heads and ten horns. I wish it were. But in my nearly 50 years The woman was dressed in purple and 5 Thinking Out Loud of ministry, on all five continents, I have scarlet, and was glittering with gold, pre- learned that it is not always simple and cious stones and pearls.” At least those of If I Were God straightforward. I agree that if the Bible says us from a Judeo-Christian background have it, I should believe it and do it. The key is to no trouble recognizing this vision as ma- 6 Angry At God? Build a understand what it is the Bible is saying. levolent. But what is a Chinese person, who Bridge and Get Over It! Recently, while in Hong Kong, I vis- has grown up believing purple and scarlet ited with some Chinese friends that I have are the colors of celebration, and dragon- known for several decades. We were young like creatures are a symbol of good luck, to 7 The Parable of the Ugly Cat and idealistic when we first met, full of con- make of it? fidence that we understood “the truth.” Maybe these are extreme examples. But Our conversation reminded me how we all approach the scriptures with cultural 9 Four Kinds of Nothingness Westerners underestimate how strange the baggage that can get in the way of under- Bible can seem to someone who approach- standing. So perhaps it is not as simple as 11 Strip These Words From es it from a Chinese Your Communication background. Even what Our conversation reminded me we would consider an how Westerners underestimate obvious teaching can be 13 For the Love of God how strange the Bible can seem riddled with contradic- Missing In Action … to someone who approaches it tion. Take, for example, Good News? what Jesus said in Luke from a Chinese background. 11:11, to illustrate God’s overflowing love for us. “Which of you fa- “The Bible says it. I believe it. That settles 14 Bible Study: thers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him it.” God’s Word must not only be timeless; Good People Needed a snake instead?” it must also be timely. In this issue, we are My answer would be “Yuck! No way.” beginning a series of articles by Gary Deddo But, my Chinese friends explained, the obvi- that will help you discern the true intent of 14 The Greeks Had a Word for It ous answer for them is, “Of course he would God’s Word, no matter who you are and if he could afford it.” You see, snake meat when or where you encounter it. 15 Tammy’s Turn is a delicacy in their culture, to be enjoyed In the first installment, Gary shows how on special occasions. So the simple and God did not leave his Word frozen in time. Oh Come, All Ye Wasteful straightforward reading of this scripture He stays involved, working to preserve it, would lead to an opposite conclusion than and through the Holy Spirit, helps us to in- 16 Hmm… was intended. terpret and apply it intelligently, whether we The symbolism in Revelation is quite live in the first century or the twenty-first. CO Subscriptions are sent electronically via email, All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, visit www.christianodyssey.org to subscribe. Print- are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Ver- ed copies are available through HP Magcloud. For sion®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, by Bibli- subscriber services in the U.S., phone 1-800-423- ca, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights 4444. reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. Editor: John Halford. Managing Editor: Michael Winter 2012/2013. Vol. 9 No. 5. Morrison. Proofreader and Copy Editor: Janet Contributions: Christian Odyssey gratefully ac- Christian Odyssey (ISSN 1937-500X) is published Shay. Circulation: Celestine Olive. Media Coor- cepts contributions to help meet publication four times per year by Grace Communion In- dinator: Nathan Smith. Publisher: Grace Com- costs. If you would like to help us bring the good ternational, PO Box 5005, Glendora, CA, 91740. munion International. President: Joseph Tkach. news of the gospel of grace to others, send your Copyright © 2012 Grace Communion Internation- Notice: Christian Odyssey cannot be responsible contribution to Grace Communion International, al. All rights reserved. Christian Odyssey is available for the return of unsolicited articles and photo- PO Box 5005, Glendora, CA, 91740, or goto www. on the Internet at www.christianodyssey.org. graphs. gci.org/donate. 2 Christian Odyssey | Winter 2012/2013 Cover photo, 123RF Scripture: God’s Gift By Gary Deddo he Christian church down through the to sort out these issues, hoping I could find some wisdom in it all, ages has always regarded Scripture as indis- not only to help me, but to pass on to others. pensable for its worship, devotion and life. Scripture is so essential to the Christian faith that nearly Its very existence is bound up with it. The every denomination of the church has some official statement church would not be what it is without it. about the importance and place of Scripture. These summaries THoly Scripture is part of the air it breathes can be a good place to start reflection on the nature, purpose and and the food it eats. right use of Scripture. Grace Communion International’s state- I learned of the importance of the Bible as a young child and ment is brief, to the point and fairly comprehensive: “The Holy was encouraged and taught to read it and memorize it. I studied Scriptures are by God’s grace sanctified to serve as his inspired it both on my own and with others, and I’m glad I did. The study Word and faithful witness to Jesus Christ and the gospel. They of the Bible has always been an essential part of my ministry are the fully reliable record of God’s revelation to humanity in serving others, whether it was teaching it, preaching from culminating in his self-revelation in the incarnate Son. As such, it, studying it with small groups of Christians or referring to it the Holy Scriptures are foundational to the church and infallible when counseling others. When I attended seminary, my primary in all matters of faith and salvation.” focus was the study and interpretation of Scripture. It was so I’d like to explore with you what’s behind this theological important to me that I was willing to try to learn Hebrew and summary of our denomination’s understanding of Scripture. We Greek to see if I could understand it better! do so not so we can enter into endless debate or prove ourselves Along the way, I learned there were various ways the nature superior to other Christians who might take a different view. and place of Scripture were understood and also a variety of And I don’t think we simply want a theory about it. We seek ways to make use of it. Some of those explanations and ways of understanding of Scripture because we value it highly and want approaching Scripture seemed better than others. Some ways to honor and make proper use of it. We want to handle it well so seemed to actually lead to the misuse of Scripture or even make we can get the most out of it. This is what Holy Scripture itself it irrelevant. I ended up reading books and even taking courses encourages us to do. 123RF Winter 2012/2013 | Christian Odyssey 3 We also can recall that others in church history have benefitted greatly through a deep understanding of Scrip- ture and how to interpret it. But in the end I think we want to grasp and use it well because we hope to get to know the God of the Bible, in whom we put our faith, even better. By God’s grace Many of us have sung the child- hood song that says: “Jesus loves me, this I know—for the Bible tells me so.” And that’s true enough. However, there’s a different way to sing that verse that is also true: “Jesus loves me this I know—so the Bible tells me so!” This second way is reflected in the GCI state- ment that the Bible is God’s gift to us, a gift of grace and therefore of his love. Because God loves us in and through Christ, he has graciously provided us We have been told that the Spirit can and his written Word. has empowered first the prophets of the God didn’t have to do so, but his Old Testament and then the apostles of love for us, his creatures, has moved the New Testament. him to provide us with his Word in written form. God’s love for us comes first, and this led to his provision of the Bible. We wouldn’t not just to creaturely ideas or realities.