Studying Scripture Gives Us Hope Together

Homily for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost

Romans 15:1-7…………….Matthew 9:27-35

In the passage from St Paul’s Letter to the Romans that we read today, the apostle delivers a heartfelt exhortation on unity, harmony, and mutual support in the faith community.  But he includes, almost as an aside, a sentence that also deserves our attention.

He says, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.”  Instead of “steadfastness,” some translations say “endurance” or “patience.”

The point is that by studying Scripture we can gain understanding of God’s will for us, which will encourage us in hope.

But how can we know that we understand Scripture?

For St Paul, of course, Scripture meant the Old Testament, the Hebrew Scripture—the  Torah or Law, the Prophets, and the various other historical and poetical books known as the Writings.  Composing and sending his letters to various early Christian communities to advise them, correct them, and explain the message of Jesus Christ to them, Paul had no idea he was writing Scripture.  The Church added the Gospels, the Epistles, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Revelation of St John to the Bible as the New Testament.  And the Church decided not to put various other early Christian writings in the Bible.

The Church, founded on faith in Jesus Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit, and taught by Paul and the other Apostles, established the Bible.  The Bible did not establish the Church.  We need to keep this in mind when studying Scripture and when talking about Scripture with other Christians.

Since the time of the Protestant Reformation, which occurred late in the 2000 years of Christian history (about 500 years ago), Bible study among many people has emphasized individual understanding—that is, what this Scripture passage means to me—without much reference to Church history, cultural context, linguistic accuracy, or Holy Tradition, which is the passing down of understanding in the Church.  Unfortunately, this approach prevails today, especially in the United States among Evangelical and Fundamentalist Protestants, and even among many Catholics.

Another problematic and, I think, related way of studying Scripture is eisegesis—reading Scripture to find in it what we want it to say—instead of exegesis—reading Scripture to find out what it says. Individual interpretation and eisegesis do not promote the unity and harmony that St Paul urges upon us.  They lead to errors and divisions and intolerance.

At the same time, we understand that there is not only one right way to understand any passage of Scripture.  In fact, Scripture radically challenges the prevailing binary mindset of our age.  We want simplicity and facts; the Bible gives us complexity and nuances.  Its most recent parts date to two-thousand years ago.  It was written in languages that very few people now command with fluency.  It contains references and images that often don’t make much sense in our largely urban and technological society.  And it’s hard to understand because it deals with the mystery of God, who is, in the words of the Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, “beyond description, beyond understanding, invisible, incomprehensible.”  So we must approach it with steadfastness, endurance, and patience, using all of the wisdom, guidance, and scholarship the Church provides for us.

Consider the many ways we can study Scripture in accordance with Holy Tradition:

• We can choose from an overwhelming array of books, videos, podcasts, and so on.  Not all of them are trustworthy; some are actually dangerous, even those claiming to be Catholic or Orthodox.  Not all Bible translations are equally accurate and reliable.  We should ask a spiritual director, a priest, deacon, or other clergy to help us choose.

• We can take classes and participate in Bible study groups that use appropriate ways of interpretation.

• We should pay close attention to the words of the Liturgy, which is a rich tapestry of biblical quotations and references, and to troparia and other liturgical chants, which amplify and explain Scripture according to the mind of the Church.  We can also study the writings of the Church Fathers.

• We should listen carefully to the Epistle and Gospel readings in the Liturgy and to the prophetic readings on feast days, and to preaching that explains the readings and applies them to our lives.

Using these resources, we should all study the Bible individually, because greater understanding by each person enriches understanding in the community.  When one person shares the encouragement and the hope she or he has gained from studying Scripture, other people become encouraged and their hope increases.  And we should study Scripture together, because it has been “written for our instruction” so that we can grow in harmony and build up our neighbors.

In the Church, then, let us always seek understanding, instructed and encouraged by the Holy Scriptures, so that with one voice we may glorify the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and ever and to ages of ages.  Amen.