Scriptural Interpretation - Are We Consistent?

Throughout the New Testament, the slave-master relationship is used in an allegorical manner to point to the relationship between the disciple and God. In our present Western circumstances, we dismiss slavery as something that is not honoring to God. Another Scriptural allegory that is used to represent the relationship between Christ and the church is the groom-bride relationship. While all Christians recognize this allegory in Scripture, some give it greater influence and priority over other allegories. More specifically, in today's modern debate over homosexuality, it seems as though this allegory is revered in more conservative circles. I wonder how we as believers can use this allegory in an argument against homosexuality, while at the same time read allegories about slavery and still argue against slavery? This seems like an inconsistent interpretation of Scripture. What are we to do with this? Are we willing to admit that we think slavery is right? Do we explain away this difference by pointing to other Scripture that verifies our theology? Do we reconsider how we make the interpretive choices that we make? Do we deemphasize this allegory and search the rest of Scripture to discover what we believe?

I think the allegory of the relationship between Christ and the Church being similar to the relationship between a groom and a bride is beautiful! I wouldn't see anything wrong with the bride-groom relationship. In fact, as an engaged person myself, this allegory is gaining a greater depth and width of meaning and is helping me to appreciate a different aspect of God and to love the church in ways that I hadn't prior to being engaged. And in some strange way, I also see the allegory of our relationship with God being like that of a servant/slave and master as meaningful as well. You see, as it connects with God and all of who God is, it works! But, it doesn't work the other way around! It is an allegory that is meant to point us upward. It is meant to be understood in its purest sense. Not as the relationship between a fallen and wicked master and his brutalized slave, but rather between a good master and a cared for slave. This is why, we needn't dismiss it when we see it as an allegory, rather than as a directive. Or perhaps, if we want to see it as a directive, we can only see it as a directive in the case of a holy relationship that is freely chosen, just as our relationship with God is to be.

Comments

Katie Z. said…
your post made me think of how hard I wrestled with the images of slavery used by Paul last summer. Here is a sermon that came out of that wrestling.
11:03 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

They touched Jesus, but then, how did they pray?

I'm sitting in my room praying and thinking, "After the resurrection did the disciples pray to Jesus?" Just imagine this with me for a moment. You have spent the past 2 - 3 years of your life following this intriguing man around, your feet are calloused, your memory is overflowing with moments around the campfire or dinner table, and you've been challenged to completely shift your Jewish worldview. And then he is gone. Just as quick as he came, just as brief as the moment he walked the shoreline past your fishing boat and called out to you, he is gone. And you are left knowing you've met an incredible man who was more than a man -- a man who was somehow divine. Now there is no one around you analyzing deep fulfilled Christological theological concepts, but there are plenty of Greek voices and new philosophical ways of contemplating life's happenings, there are Jewish commentaries, and there are the conversations that have happened along the roadside. An...
Read more

Palm Sunday School Lesson for Teenagers

Scripture: Luke 22:17-20 Topic: When Jesus ate with his Disciples Background: This lesson would be taught during a Sunday morning breakfast club for teenagers. Once a month the youth meet to cook breakfast and then we try to relate the lesson to food. Last time the Middle School breakfast club met a middle school student led his peers in a devotional that went through the various stories of Jesus sharing food with his disciples. This Sunday we are going to focus on one of those stories and how it relates to Easter. Opening: 1. Ask, “Have you ever helped plan a party?” a. Ask the students to share about the various things they did to prepare (send invites, decorate, blow up balloons, set the table, plan games, order food). 2. Say, “For some families, Easter is a time of celebration, a party of sorts.” a. Ask, “What does your family do to celebrate Easter?” (family gets together, we eat dinner together, Easter egg hunt, attend church se...
Read more

Sabbath

Genesis 2:2-4 (The Message) 2-4 By the seventh day God had finished his work. On the seventh day he rested from all his work. God blessed the seventh day. He made it a Holy Day Because on that day he rested from his work, all the creating God had done. This is the story of how it all started, of Heaven and Earth when they were created. If God the greatest worker rested, why don't we?
Read more