Some discussions in our hermeneutics classes have made me wonder – are we just too spiritual?
Don’t get me wrong. The classes have been amazing. Seeing so many people from local churches – many fairly new believers – give up their Saturdays to learn how to study and interpret the Bible – incredible. And they’re not sitting there checking Facebook all day – they’re engaged. Maybe we’re a little too engaged sometimes – admittedly, the discussions sometimes get a little out of control!
As you might imagine, many of the insights of others at these classes are much better than mine. Thank goodness for that!
But when you get a group like that together, of men and women, from four churches in the area, you get an interesting perspective. We’re all talking about important, deep things of life. And you start to notice some tendencies that we have – ways we emphasize different things – that could be good or bad.
Here’s one thing. We’re starting to talk more about interpretation and application. This past week we were studying the book of Obadiah, and we also got into Psalm 51. One of our tendencies is to go immediately to how we need to behave ourselves. We shouldn’t be proud – We should trust the Lord – We shouldn’t steal – Thank goodness we’re not proud like the nations in Obadiah!
Now these are actually good answers. Ok, that last one might be pushing things a bit! But hey, we can indeed learn moral lessons from the Bible. We should obey the Lord. But it’s easy to focus on “doing better” and to miss the gospel, isn’t it? After all, everyone in the book of Obadiah is under judgement – Israel was judged, Edom was about to be judged, the nations would be judged – the only “good guy” is God (and perhaps His “Saviours” in vs. 21). And yet somehow we wait for His salvation.
But here’s the other tendency we have (does your church have it?). We have a tendency to interpret everything “spiritually”.
Oh, but, we’re supposed to be spiritual, right? As Paul said to the Corinthian church, “…we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.” (1 Corinthians 2:13) In fact, he complained that the Corinthians weren’t spiritual, and that they should be (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).
Well, that’s right – we should be spiritual. But what does that mean?
Maybe when you hear “too spiritual” you think of the old saying – too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good. This could refer to someone who is all talk – full of “Amens” and “Hallelujahs” but who rarely gets their hands dirty in the “real world”.
Well, that’s not really what I mean. And I wouldn’t rush to accuse my brothers and sisters here of that. Though I’m sure we all have our days.
This is what I mean (if you’ve stuck with me this long!). We seem to be quick to interpret the Bible in a purely spiritual way – that is, in a way that is unearthly. For example, we act as if this life doesn’t matter. All that matters is some vague reward in “heaven”. We should love – something very intangible – we should worship – equally vague – – –
After all, the Old Testament was all about the promised land of Canaan, the New Testament is about the promised land of heaven, right?
This could be a reaction against much of the false preaching people hear – preaching that emphasizes an immediate experience or a promise of earthly wealth and health to all who will claim it and have enough faith. True enough – this world is not always a bed of roses for the faithful (Hebrews 11:32-39).
Then again, the Bible is incredibly grounded. Not just the Old Testament. After all, the Son of God became a MAN, right? He was born, like we are. When the time came to begin His public ministry, what did He teach? How to treat your wife. How to resolve disagreements. How to give to the poor.
And He started healing the eyes of the blind – their physical eyes! Giving power to the lame to jump around. Raising the dead!
And what does “spiritual” mean, anyway? Something that’s not real? Of course not. When Paul talked about the new bodies that we will receive at our resurrection, he called them “spiritual bodies”. And yet he used the illustration that there are many different types of bodies – animal bodies, human bodies – even “heavenly bodies” like the sun and moon. And we know that the “spiritual body” of Christ could eat and take a stroll with his friends.
Part of being spiritual is being aware that life is more than what is immediately apparent to us. If I can’t see it and touch it at this moment – that doesn’t mean it isn’t real. In fact, there is a life that is far greater than this brief life we live now.
Even the New Jerusalem of Revelation comes to earth.
That’s a great example, actually. Over and over the Bible tells us of salvation coming from Jerusalem (see Psalm 14:7; Isaiah 46:13; Isaiah 59:20; Obadiah 17). Is that referring to some heavenly place in the future? Well, that could depend on the context, of course. But just a reminder – our Saviour left his actual footprints in Jerusalem. And He offered up the final sacrifice on a cross just outside the city. And a few weeks later, the Apostles stood up among the crowds and preached the gospel as we know it today.
Salvation came from a city in the Middle East, a little less than 2000 years ago. Who would have believed it?
The Scriptures are very real, grounded, physical. If we miss that – yes, it could lead to not leading our lives as fully as we should – it could lead to ignoring the good works we should be doing. But it could also give the subconscious impression that matters of “faith” are ethereal and unreal and not really a part of my everyday life.
Read Colossians if you want to see how this works. Colossians 1 – all was created by, through, and for Christ. He keeps the universe running. He rose physically from the dead. And He is the head of the Church. Through His flesh He saved us. He gives us the strength to toil in this world, doing good.
And finally, in Colossians 2:3, Christ is described as the One “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” That which we know, that which we understand, it is all in Christ. Mathematics, biology, engineering – even learning not to be proud – it’s all in Him.
Should we be “spiritual”? Yes, by the Bible’s definition, we most certainly should be. But as we read, we will start to discover that being “spiritual” means we’re a lot more present in this world than we thought.
