“Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numb 12:3).
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt 18:20).
Bible study
Bible study has many purposes, and much has been written on how to study the Bible. It is quite noticeable that when you go to a Christian bookstore, there is usually a bookcase of Bibles, one of commentaries and Bible lives, and about 10 on “Christian living” or “Christian novels”, which is reflective of the priorities on most who frequent such stores. On the other hand, in most Bible School bookstores (if they have one, and unfortunately many do not), the ratio is almost reversed between “living” and commentaries. So from such anecdotal information one might conclude our focus is where it ought to be — on Bible study.
But for what purpose? And how do we, or should we, go about it? I sometimes wonder whether the Christadelphian community is more focused on the leaves on the twigs on the branches on the trees in the forest, than on the way our studies should help and mold us, or even inform us about our beliefs.
One example: I have attended Bible Classes on the Psalms which basically worked on the principle of examining each word in the original Hebrew (or at least in the version to be found in Young’s concordance), and then looked up the various ways each word was used in the Old Testament. This approach might be appropriate as part of a doctoral thesis (indeed it has been so done by at least one brother), but not for the purpose of “training in righteousness”.
Another example: in this issue we continue in our studies on “the doctrines to be rejected”, but you can scan our literature for most of these doctrines and find none, or very few. In our series we have not yet got to the one that says “That the observance of Sunday is a matter of duty”. Apart from one rather brief reference in “The Christadelphian”, I can find no account of what it means to our Christian life. All the other references are in lists of “Doctrines to be rejected.” So the BASF, apparently, although it forms the basis of our inter-ecclesial fellowship, seems mostly to be used only to defend what we perceive as error, not as a guide to our behavior. Of course, the “Commandments of Christ” do indeed cover our walk in Christ, but they are referred to only occasionally (e.g. I Believe by Bro. A. D. Norris).
The purpose of Bible study
There are many identifiable areas where Bible study is of assistance. First, a few relevant Bible passages:
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding” (Prov 9:10).
“If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them” (John 13:17)
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David” (Isa 55:1-3 NIV).
“For whatsoever things were written from a time were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Rom 15:4).
And of course:
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim 3:16-17).
So some thoughts on the “why” of Bible study1
- To reflect on the whole purpose of God, and understand its scope, purpose, and means.
- A pleasurable exercise which gives its own rewards throughout the process. It informs and gives life meaning and hope.
- To understand God, and His plan and purpose. To guide a disciple’s life. To understand the universe in which we live. To help others come to a knowledge of God.
- To transform the disciple into the image of God and Christ. To communicate that image to others.
- Study for study’s sake, apart from being “a weariness to the flesh” lacks any power, it is more akin to faith without works.
- To learn how to behave and what to do! To forgive when you do not want to, it to be kinder than you might otherwise be.
- To learn to be ready, to be faithful, and by God’s grace enter the kingdom. And to be able and brave enough to witness to our faith, to have the confidence to be able to witness to the glory of God. To love.
- To challenge perspectives or to re-familiarize the student with the content.
The trap of accepting the opinion of others
Now to return to the two quotations as the head of this editorial. The first is:
“Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numb 12:3).
A typical quote based upon this passage is:
“Moses, notwithstanding the fact that he was the powerful leader of a million men and women for forty years, was a meek man. Evidence of this aspect of his character occurs in the record in connection with a challenge to his status by Miriam and Aaron. While upholding his authority and leadership, Moses was willing to accept a personal insult without recrimination. This incident revealed his true strength of character: his meekness was not his weakness.”2
Now most modern translation use the term “humble”, not meek and the NET Bible has the following note over the word “humble”:
“The word עVנVו (’anav) means ‘humble.’ The word may reflect a trustful attitude (as in Psa 25:9, 37:11), but perhaps here the idea of ‘more tolerant’or ‘long-suffering.’ The point is that Moses is not self-assertive. God singled out Moses and used him in such a way as to show that he was a unique leader.”
I am of the opinion that in the context, Moses was more “long-suffering” and hence miserable3than meek. He rarely acts meekly in the Biblical records, certainly after the departure from Egypt.
Now for the second:
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt 18:20).
This quotation is most frequently used for comfort when only a small number of disciples can gather together. For example:
“It should never be forgotten that by our relationship together we are blessed to share in united worship. Whether our home is in a large city, where we can benefit from regular meetings with brethren and sisters, or in a small isolated rural village, where transport difficulties make such meetings a rare and additionally special event, we can take comfort from the Saviour’s words…”4
But is this what it means in the context of the passage? If you read the passage, it is clearly considering the case of disagreements between brethren, not about isolated groups of believers. More properly one might say the meaning is that this is the assurance of Jesus that where two or three are agreed about matters concerning disputes between brethren (or sisters), the Lord will be there answering their prayers. He will uphold the righteousness of God and help the brother who is guilty of the sin in question.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One