Reading the Bible in the 21st Century

8/13/2019 Reading the Bible in the 21st Century

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Copyright 2012 ~ Yeshua21.Com

Reading the Bible in the 21stCentury

Language and culture change over time and the rate of change has been accelerating

tremendously in the modern and (so-called)post-modernage. As such, it is difficult enough to

retain a good sense of the literal meaning of these ancient texts, much less to really stay

connected to them in spirit and in truth. Clearly, some set of hermeneutical principles (orgeneral interpretive framework) is required if we are to begin to make sense of the Bible in the

21stCentury. And while most people absorb some such set of principles as they attend church

or from materials that they read in conjunction with their personal bible study these often

emphasize doctrinal and dogmatic belief to the detriment ofliving faith in the living Word ofGod. As such, for those who feelstuckin their current understandingfor those who feel a

pressing need togrow in grace and knowledge of the truthbelow are some additional

interpretive guidelines to consider. These are the same guidelines that are operating (bothimplicitly and explicitly) inGetting to Know Jesus in the 21st Century. As you continue study

the written word, consider the possibility that:

1. The written word points to the Living Word.

2. The I Am Presence within us IS the living Christ.

3. Faith or Belief Trust and Reliance

4. The Carnal Mind The Egoic Mind

5. The Cross of Christ is Our Cross

1. The written word points to the L iving Word. ChristISthe Way, the Truth, and the Life. We

have reverence for the scriptures because they point us to Christ, but we should not become so

obsessed with the letter, that we miss out on the Spirit:

You search the Scriptures, forin them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which

testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life (John 5:39-40).

It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit

and life (John 6:63).

As such, we should take care not to mistake the map for the territory; nor the word water for

the substance that quenches our thirst. The primary value of the written word is its capacity topoint us to the Living Word.
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2. The I Am presence within us IS the living Christ. By virtue of our existence as human

beingscreated in the image of God(i.e.created in Christ)we have a very intimate point of

contact with God (and with the living Word of God) which is the I Am presence or the image

of God within us (aka Christ-in-you). While on the one hand, the scriptures point us to the IAm presence which ISthe living Christ, on the other hand, as our recognition of thisaware

presence grows from day to day, the written word also tends to become more alivei.e. increasingly relevant and meaningful.

It is worth noting, at this point, that our emphasis on the I Am presencehas nothing to do withbeing selfish or having a me first attitude. Rather, it is about stilling ourselfish mindby

the grace of God and through the power of the Holy Spiritand becoming trulyunselfishin

contemplation of the Divine presencewhich is with us always, here and now. Learn to feelthe

I Ampresencein the stillness of the present momentin the space between the out-breathand in-breath, for example, or in the silence between each heartbeat. Then, as you read

references to God or Christ (or the Spirit of Godor the Word of God) in the scriptures, dont

imagine somestrange forceor alien beingthat exists totally otherthanand apart fromyou, but

remember the presence of God that IS within yourealizing that we are, indeed, reconciled toGod in Christ; and that, indeed, we live and move and have our being in Him:

Indeed he is not far from each one of us. . . . as even some of your own poets have said, For we

too are his offspring (Acts 17:27-28).

As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us . . . The glory that you have

given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me,

that they may become completely one (John 17:21,22,23).

We are One in the Spirit and our point of entry into this dynamic Oneness is the I Am presence

within us which IS the living Christ.

3. Faith or Belief Trust and Reli ance. The Greek word forfaith in the New Testament

is usually some variation ofpistis. The verbpisteuois often translated believe but did not

originally have the heavy connotation of intellectual assent or dogmatic belief that it does

today. Indeed, whengetting to know Jesus, it is better to think offaithin terms of trust andreliance rather than belief, in the modern sense of the word.

Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts (I John 5:10).

In the final analysis, to really live byfaithis to trust in andrely on the I Am presence which IS

Christ-in-you.
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4. The Carnal Mind The Egoic Mind. Unfortunately, the tendency of many Christians over

the centuriesin a kind of legalistic zeal or ascetic enthusiasmhas been to disparage the body

and to condemn natural appetites,per se. This has introduced much unnecessary conflict into thelives of many Christians and has also resulted in both a misunderstanding of and a reactionary

rebellion against the biblical condemnation of the flesh or the mind of the flesh. One way

to compensate for this is to understand that the carnal mind, in scripture, is roughly equivalent towhat is referred to, in more modern parlance, as the egoic mind. The egoic mind is thefalse, mind-made sense of self which attempts to persuade us that we exist separate from God,

separate from other human beings, and separate from creation as a whole. The egoic mind is one

of the by-products of our having eaten of the forbidden fruit (i.e. the fruit of the tree of theknowledge of good and evil), as portrayed in Genesis 3. Moreover, the egoic mind is thefalse

self-image which continues to tempt usaway from the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Always

anxious about the future, the egoic mind is constantly attempting to control and

manipulate people and circumstances to itsadvantage (always judging; always pursuing thatwhich it erroneously judges togoodand always attempting to avoid that which it erroneously

judges to be evil). And by virtue of the egoic mind, natural appetites are often amplified,

multiplied, distorted, and redirected into endless combinations of self-destructive potential. Incontrast, by trusting in and relying on the I Am presence, we are no longer enslaved by the

mind of the fleshas we put on the new man which is created after God in righteousness and

true holiness (Ephesians 4:24KJV) and which enjoys the peace which passes understanding

(John 14:27). Consider the following verses in this light:

Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come fromyour cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit

murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts

(James 4:2).

Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is

opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to

each other, to prevent you from doing what you want (Galatians 5:16-17).

I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives inme. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave

himself for me (Galatians 2:19-20).

If we wish to declare war on our bodies and mistrust every instinct and every appetite as sinful,

there will be no end to the conflict (cf. Romans 7). But if we realize that it is the mind of the

fleshi.e. the egoic mindwhich plots and plans and generates so much sin and suffering in

our own life and in the lives of those around us, we can begin to circumvent these conflictsthrough the power of the Spirit as we trust in and rely onthe I Am presence which ISthe living

Christ. As such, when you read about the flesh or the mind of the flesh or the carnal

mind (or the old man) in the New Testament, try substituting the word ego or the phrase

egoic mind and see if it makes more sense that way.


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5. The Cross of Christ is our Cross. When you read about the cross, realize that the cross of

Christ is our cross, too. We are called to

drink that cup and being baptized with that baptism (Mark 10:38; Matthew 20:22;John 18:11);

present our bodies a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1); give up our own priorities and submit to Gods will for our life (Philippians 3:7-9;

cf Luke 22:42).

Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it

(Luke 17:33).

Whereas, the carnal oregoic mind is more than willing to exploit others in an effort to satisfy its

desiresand in its futile attempts to evade suffering and deaththe mind of Christ accepts thewill of the Father, unconditionally, and recognizes that we are members one of

another. Bytaking up our cross and truly trusting in Christ are enabled, by the grace of God, to

fulfill the two greatest commandments: 1) Love God with all our hearts, and 2) Love ourneighbor as ourselves. As such, we would do well to keep in mind that the cross of Christ is our

cross, too.

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So, as you continue read and study the written word, keep these 5 principles in mind and try

them on from time to time. The chances are very good that doing so will enhance your

understanding of scripture and help you to grow in grace and knowledge of the truth:

1. The written word points to the Living Word.

2. The I Am Presence within us IS the living Christ.

3. Faith or Belief Trust and Reliance

4. The Carnal Mind The Egoic Mind

5. The Cross of Christ is Our Cross


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Reading the Bible in the 21st Century