While doing some reading tonight, I came across two unusually remarkable reasons for exegesis (biblical interpretation): conversion/mission. Imagine, some think that reading the bible is just an attempt to understand its literal meaning and not a regard for the authentic understanding of the real truths and wisdom it communicates through the Divine Law. Another insight that I stumbled across is that many modern religions, and some older ones too, view the love which Paul speaks and that which Christ demonstrated in the Bible applies to every single person alive on this earth through their entire lifetime. Let’s address the second insight first.
As I recall reading Paul’s many writings and even John in revelation to the seven Churches, these apostles disliked lots of people. Paul was always writing about individuals and groups causing discord within the community. Paul demanded that they reform or otherwise be shunned and removed from the community. Paul advised the Churches on many occasions to disassociate with followers who did not conform to the words of Christ. John also talked about the instability of some of the seven churches and their lax submission to the words of Christ. And what about the Church Fathers. These guys were always railing about some heretic creating confusion among the believers. These heretics were declared apostates and were often called spawns of Satan. They were thrown out of the church and stripped of their ecclesial positions. The church fathers were constantly fighting against the various heresies that reared their ugly heads.
So I marvel at the modern churches today. According to many, even some in the Catholic Church, the love of which Christ demonstrated and Paul spoke of so eloquently is supposed to be a gooey kind of love. These superficial churches and leaders have the mindset that the church must open its doors and windows to every sinner and expose these violators to all of the other humbled members of the community. And this open door policy must be applicable to everyone at all times. Unrepentant homosexuals, divorced and civilly remarried, pedophiles, corrupt priests, radicalized persons, criminals, and any other type of depravity should be allowed to participate in the Church without impunity or reform. According to these all-encompassing bleeding hearts , if these reprobates are not allowed to commune, the church is somehow not being inclusive and is unloving to God’s creation. Well I recall from the stories in the Bible that Christ healed a lot of sinners, and that included prostitutes, tax cheats and fornicators. But He always said repent and sin no more. I don’t ever recall Christ coming into contact with the previously forgiven sinner a second time who had managed to return to a life of sin. We can only assume that they repented and reformed their ways permanently. I can only imagine Mary Magdalene having sex with some Roman guards after Christ forgave her. Do you really think that Christ would have let her stick around with He and the apostles. So you sinners, who keep on sinning when you know that you are in fact continuing to break God’s laws, must stop your whining when the Church wants to exclude you. Can you see that the Church offers forgiveness but you lack gratitude? Your lack of prudence exposes your intemperance and pride. You think the Church must accept your continued violation or else the church is somehow not inclusive and unchristian. You are absolutely wrong and any church or leader who believes otherwise has been fooled and overcome by Satan himself.
And now my first insight. I have been fooled all along my journey. When I began seriously reading the Bible, I wanted to understand what it meant to be called a sinner and I wanted to learn how to be forgiven and how to become a follower of Christ. I knew my soul was in a state of confusion, but I never fully realized the flux I was in until I had a conversion experience. I then began to gain wisdom, truth and knowledge as I read the Bible. I came to realize that the sewer I was in was caused by my self-idolization. I reformed myself and not with the help from another human being as Paul and the apostles managed to accomplish. I did it with the help from the man above. And I started writing to help others on their journey to salvation. I continue to read and as I was reading about exegesis, I assumed that everyone understood what the bible says and the steps needed to be converted along the path to salvation. But I have come to realize now that everyone takes different learning paths and we are all in various stages of knowledge, repentance and forgiveness. When I was a horrible sinner, I read the bible a little but didn’t care what it meant and didn’t want to understand the truths it proclaimed. My free will did not want to listen and understand, I guess. God finally forced me to read with an understanding heart. And now I understand. He converted me and changed me. But I find that it is still very hard to refrain from sin.
So what is the mission of the Church Christ started? The natural and divine law must be proclaimed to all who want to listen and even to those who do not want to listen. And it must be proclaimed again and again. Everyone must be given a chance to hear and see. But their must come a time in the life of each and every individual when the opportunity to listen, understand and accept the proclamations come to an end and decisions have to be made. Paul and the apostles did not leave a wide window of opportunity in those early days. The churches today seem to never want to close the window.
As I recall reading Paul’s many writings and even John in revelation to the seven Churches, these apostles disliked lots of people. Paul was always writing about individuals and groups causing discord within the community. Paul demanded that they reform or otherwise be shunned and removed from the community. Paul advised the Churches on many occasions to disassociate with followers who did not conform to the words of Christ. John also talked about the instability of some of the seven churches and their lax submission to the words of Christ. And what about the Church Fathers. These guys were always railing about some heretic creating confusion among the believers. These heretics were declared apostates and were often called spawns of Satan. They were thrown out of the church and stripped of their ecclesial positions. The church fathers were constantly fighting against the various heresies that reared their ugly heads.
So I marvel at the modern churches today. According to many, even some in the Catholic Church, the love of which Christ demonstrated and Paul spoke of so eloquently is supposed to be a gooey kind of love. These superficial churches and leaders have the mindset that the church must open its doors and windows to every sinner and expose these violators to all of the other humbled members of the community. And this open door policy must be applicable to everyone at all times. Unrepentant homosexuals, divorced and civilly remarried, pedophiles, corrupt priests, radicalized persons, criminals, and any other type of depravity should be allowed to participate in the Church without impunity or reform. According to these all-encompassing bleeding hearts , if these reprobates are not allowed to commune, the church is somehow not being inclusive and is unloving to God’s creation. Well I recall from the stories in the Bible that Christ healed a lot of sinners, and that included prostitutes, tax cheats and fornicators. But He always said repent and sin no more. I don’t ever recall Christ coming into contact with the previously forgiven sinner a second time who had managed to return to a life of sin. We can only assume that they repented and reformed their ways permanently. I can only imagine Mary Magdalene having sex with some Roman guards after Christ forgave her. Do you really think that Christ would have let her stick around with He and the apostles. So you sinners, who keep on sinning when you know that you are in fact continuing to break God’s laws, must stop your whining when the Church wants to exclude you. Can you see that the Church offers forgiveness but you lack gratitude? Your lack of prudence exposes your intemperance and pride. You think the Church must accept your continued violation or else the church is somehow not inclusive and unchristian. You are absolutely wrong and any church or leader who believes otherwise has been fooled and overcome by Satan himself.
And now my first insight. I have been fooled all along my journey. When I began seriously reading the Bible, I wanted to understand what it meant to be called a sinner and I wanted to learn how to be forgiven and how to become a follower of Christ. I knew my soul was in a state of confusion, but I never fully realized the flux I was in until I had a conversion experience. I then began to gain wisdom, truth and knowledge as I read the Bible. I came to realize that the sewer I was in was caused by my self-idolization. I reformed myself and not with the help from another human being as Paul and the apostles managed to accomplish. I did it with the help from the man above. And I started writing to help others on their journey to salvation. I continue to read and as I was reading about exegesis, I assumed that everyone understood what the bible says and the steps needed to be converted along the path to salvation. But I have come to realize now that everyone takes different learning paths and we are all in various stages of knowledge, repentance and forgiveness. When I was a horrible sinner, I read the bible a little but didn’t care what it meant and didn’t want to understand the truths it proclaimed. My free will did not want to listen and understand, I guess. God finally forced me to read with an understanding heart. And now I understand. He converted me and changed me. But I find that it is still very hard to refrain from sin.
So what is the mission of the Church Christ started? The natural and divine law must be proclaimed to all who want to listen and even to those who do not want to listen. And it must be proclaimed again and again. Everyone must be given a chance to hear and see. But their must come a time in the life of each and every individual when the opportunity to listen, understand and accept the proclamations come to an end and decisions have to be made. Paul and the apostles did not leave a wide window of opportunity in those early days. The churches today seem to never want to close the window.
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