Last Sunday I did the first of two sermons on “The Bible”.
I made the following points:
- The Bible is not A book – it is 66 books
- There is a variety of literature – myth, story, poetry, prophetic utterance, short story,
- This literature was written over a period of 1200 years by many different authors – most of whom are unknown.
- These documents were gathered and collated over a period of time.
- The authors were not writing “Holy Scripture” that name was given to the later.
We then looked at the Hebrew Scriptures a little more closely:
- Three main sections
- The Law or Torah
- The Writings
- The Prophets
The Torah or Law is the first five book of the Hebrew Scriptures – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In these we find myths that had their origin in the oral tradition, Adam and Eve, Noah and his family. These are in the first eleven chapters of Genesis, We then meet Abraham and Sarah and the stories of Isaac and Jacob. This is followed by the Saga of Joseph that get him and his family into Egypt. T he stories in the Book of Exodus tells of a central event in the Hebrew peoples faith journey – the escape from oppression and bondage into the wilderness and eventually the possession of the land promised to Abraham. In Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy we discover how they became a nation and how they developed rules that helped them be a community.
The Writings include Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. We sang two psalms from Hebrew scripture.
The Prophets are divided into two sections – early and later prophets – and are separated in our Bible by the Writings. The later prophets are also divided into major and minor prophets. The task of the prophet was to challenge Israel when it ignored or acted against the covenant it had with YHWH their God. They spoke out against the injustices which Israel enacted. One writer says that the task of the prophet was to interfere with injustice.
Why should we as Christians bother with the Hebrew Scriptures?
- Jesus was a Jew, These were the scriptures that were an integral part of the culture in which he as raised. They helped to shape his understanding of his own life and mission. They help us to understand that too.
- They are worthy of study as great literature in their own right.
- In them we meet people like us attempting to make sense of their lives and their faith. We see them struggling through difficult times and celebrating good times. We get an inkling to understand something of our own journeys. Sometimes we even come face to face with ourselves in these stories.
This Sunday I will be looking at the literature we find in the New Testament.
We are still at level 2 – so level two requirements need to be observed – social distancing etc. It is not compulsory to wear masks during the service but we encourage you to do so.
See you Sunday.
Jim
OOOOOOO
A LETTER FROM THE MODERATOR OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Kia ora and warm greetings This week we have a massive push for vaccination with the Government initiative: Super Saturday: Get vaccinated | Unite against COVID-19 Where does the PCANZ stand on this?
While we have no official policy the biblical text has plenty that can help us in our decision making.
Firstly, there is the central tenet of love for neighbour. In this case, our thinking needs to be very focused on what will help keep our neighbours safe.
Secondly, there is the biblical call to respect those who govern us. In this case political parties from a variety of sides of the political spectrum are united around the need for as many as possible to get vaccinated. And they are strongly supported by the vast majority of people working in the medical and scientific sectors.
I urge you to consider these 2 elements of biblical faith very carefully in your decision making. I have made my choice – for the sake of my neighbours (children, grandchildren, parishioners, golf club members, people I pass in the supermarket, people with underlying conditions or who need hospital beds for non-COVID related issues) I have taken seriously the advice of political leadership and I got vaccinated as soon as I could!
There is another biblical tenant that is so important at this time – the call to pray for our nation. I know that has been ongoing in the churches during this COVID season but it would be great for that to become a very concerted effort this week – a SUPER SUNDAY – Let’s Pray I have also found the lastest statement of The Inter Church Bioethics Council helpful and have attached that for your consideration.
Hamish Galloway
Moderator Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa NZ
Note: The Statement by InterChurch Bioethics Council. Some copies will be available on Sunday at Church. It is quite a large document – and too big for e-news.
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