An independent paper prepared by Victor Knowles for The Stone-Campbell Dialogue

June 5,6, 2005

Skillman Church of Christ

Dallas, Texas

 

 

HOW I UNDERSTAND SCRIPTURE

 

 

The theme of this Stone-Campbell Dialogue is “How We Have Interpreted the Bible.” As an invited observer of these important meetings, I asked Robert Welch if it would be acceptable for me to submit an independent paper. He graciously agreed. So, for what it is worth, here are my thoughts on the subject for those who would like to consider them.

 

My title is somewhat different than the theme. First of all, I am only speaking for myself and not the fellowship which I am a part of, the conservative Christian Churches/Churches of Christ. Second, I chose to use the word “understand” rather than “interpret.” There is so much interpretation that can go into “interpret” that I felt more comfortable with “understand.” I hope you will understand!

 

Even by using the word “I” in the title, I have to be careful. Because I have edited a journal in the Stone-Campbell Movement for 22 years, [i] I know how editors can come off to readers. I have never desired to be one of those “editor-bishops,” nor do I now. I hope my use of “I” only reflects my personal practice and does not inject anything else into the mix.

 

I do not write this paper as a learned scholar or noted divine. So that you will know where I am coming from, permit me a few lines to tell you about my background. I was born in 1945, the son of a minister, Dale V. Knowles, who himself was a 1940 graduate of Cincinnati Bible Seminary. My father studied under the “Old Guard” at that respected institution: Ira Boswell, R. C. Foster, and Ralph Records. I am a 1968 graduate of Midwestern School of Evangelism, [ii] a small but influential conservative Bible college founded in 1947 during the days of battle between emerging Independents and the Disciples of Christ.

 

The co-founder of Midwestern, Donald G. Hunt, son-in-law of the late Archie Word, helped shape my thinking on how the Bible should be understood and applied. Hunt, the editor of The Voice of Evangelism, [iii] is also the author of a number of books that were formative in my thinking, even before I enrolled at Midwestern in 1964. They include The Unfolded Plan of God and 52 Simple, Stimulating Studies. One of his latest books, Simple, Stimulating Studies About the Bible, published in 2000, contains several helpful chapters on biblical interpretation.

 

The textbook we used for hermeneutics class was David R. Dungan’s 1888 classic, Hermeneutics. I was also influenced by Bible commentators like B. W. Johnson (The People’s New Testament with Explanatory Notes), J. W. McGarvey and Philip J. Pendleton (commentators for Standard Publishing’s Fourfold Gospel, Commentary on Acts, and Commentary on Thessalonians, Corinthians, Galatians, Romans), and several others. Evangelical writers whom I have relied upon for imparted wisdom in post-graduate years include G. Campbell Morgan, J. Sidlow Baxter, Herbert V. Lockyer, and J. Vernon McGee, all staunch conservatives. Radio preachers also played their part in my education. The aforementioned McGee, Church of the Open Door in Los Angeles, James Montgomery Boice, 10^th Presbyterian in Philadelphia, D. James Kennedy, Coral Ridge Presbyterian in Florida, and V. E. Howard of the Churches of Christ “International Gospel Hour” have all influenced my thinking to one degree or another.

 

 How I approach Scripture. I come to Scripture believing it to be the divine word of God (2 Timothy 3:16). “My heart is leaning on the Word, the written Word of God. Salvation by my Savior’s name, Salvation through His blood.” [iv]   I must come to Scripture in faith if I am to be rewarded by a study of the GodÕs word.

 

And it is my firm conviction that Scripture is the full and final revelation of God (Hebrews 1:1). I live just a few blocks from a United Church of Christ. The sign in front of their church reads, “God is still speaking,” (notice the use of the comma, rather than the period). They also display a large banner emblazoned with the words, “Never place a period where God has placed a comma,” (again, no period). The implication appears to be that God is still speaking today – especially in the areas of being "open and affirming" to gays, lesbians and “transgendered” persons. My thoughts are that we should never place a comma where God has placed a period – period! In these last days God has spoken to us by His Son. Where Scripture speaks, God speaks.

 

(An aside. Judith Hoch Wray, a lesbian Disciple minister, recently said, “More than 60 churches and ministers of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) have declared themselves “open and affirming.” Committed to all persons – especially lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered persons – into their life and leadership.” [v] Frankly, I was pleased that only 60 churches and ministers have made that declaration. I honestly thought it might be more. From my vantage point with the conservative Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, I know this issue is a huge barrier to unity with Disciples.)

 

If the God who created the universe has seen fit to speak to me, it would be sheer ingratitude on my part not to consider what He has said. These are not mere words of men. Paul praised the Thessalonian believers not only for their reception of the word but their perception as well. “And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the words of men, but as it actually is, the word of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). In my 22 years of unity work, I can meet men on no other ground than this. [vi]

 

 I approach Scripture believing that it is true, necessary and relevant to the times. I believe that it has eternal value. If God has seen fit to commend me to the word of His grace, and He has, then I am under compulsion to read it, ponder it, meditate upon it, and do my best to come to an understanding of what He is asking me to do. Most of all, I must put His word into action. I do not wish for the fall of my spiritual house (Matthew 7:24-26); nor do I wish to be a self-deceiver by failing to do what the word says (James 1:22). Our great temptation in our movement is to have a fixation on interpretation (which often results in a suffocation of application).

 

Finally, I try to approach Scripture prayerfully. In the flyleaf of the Bible I used in Bible college, I wrote some advice from my mentor Donald G. Hunt: “The most important time of day is when I read and when I pray.” I often pray this prayer: “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law” (Psalm 119:18). I have the assurance that if I lack wisdom (and I do!), I should ask God, and it will be given to me (James 1:5). Meditating on the meaning and purpose of Scripture is also invaluable (Psalm 1:2; 119:148).

 

How I understand Scripture. As stated earlier, I am using “understand” rather than “interpret.” I agree with David R.Dungan (1837-1921) that God does not inspire the interpretation. Is Scripture inspired? Surely. Is our interpretation of Scripture inspired? Hardly. Too many good men have differed to say that one man’s method of interpretation is superior to his brother’s. Surely a century of debating the issue of instrumental worship in worship and still coming down on opposite sides of the issue is proof of this.

 

I also concur with the learned Dungan when he said, “A correct hermeneutic would go far toward healing the division of the church.” But even Dungan, irenic soul and unity lover that he was, recognized that “among the purest and best of earth, there are many differences of faith and practice” which “cannot be accounted for upon the basis of dishonest, nor upon the ground of general ignorance.” Still, he contended, “he who can bring before the world a correct system of interpretation, will do more to heal the divisions than any other man of this world.” Would to God that were true!

 

 I do not expect to understand everything I read in Scripture. There are some things that we will never know, perhaps never even need to know. When I was in Bible college I recall Hunt saying, “Beat not thy brains out to fathom the unrevealed” when we came to 1 Corinthians 2:10 and “the deep things of God.” Deuteronomy 29:29 has always impressed me. “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” The “secret things” might include things like “times and dates,” which we are not to know (Acts 1:7). I believe that everything we need to know is revealed in Scripture

(2 Peter 1:3).

 

My personal method of trying to reach a correct understanding of Scripture.

This is what I do. I don’t mean to say it is what anyone else must do. It helps me in “hearing His voice in every line, making each faithful saying mine”. [vii]

 

1.       Start with prayer. “Give me understanding to learn your commands” (Psalm 119:73). Prayer should be a first response, not a last resort.

2.       Read the text in its context. “A text without a context is a pretext.” Ask, “What is the ‘therefore’ there for?” Sometimes you have to go back a few chapters or even to the beginning of the book to determine the context. It is good to remember what the context of the entire Bible is – redemptive love.

3.       Compare the text with other passages. The best commentary on Scripture is Scripture itself. I try to compare Scripture with Scripture before going to any Commentary.

4.       Read what others more learned than yourself have written. Wisdom did not begin with me nor will it die with me! I am finite. God is infinite.

5.       Ask yourself a series of vital questions.

a.       Who is speaking?

b.       To whom is he speaking? “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” (Acts 8:34)

c.       For what purpose is he speaking? What is the writer’s intended purpose?

d.       In what dispensation is he speaking? (Patriarchal, Mosaic, Christian)

6.       Interpret a passage or word literally unless there is some "common sense" reason not to.

7.       Strive to arrive at a reasonable conclusion. Will this conclusion, reached after much prayer, study and meditation, have universal recognition and acceptance? Will it have the “all men everywhere” effect desired?

8.       Put it into practice! What good is a proper interpretation if there is no practical application? “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22). Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is alike a wise man (but)...everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man...” (Matthew 7:24,26).

 

 Some random thoughts in closing. This paper, while not intended to be scholarly, is one man’s honest attempt at explaining how he comes to understand Scripture. The theme of Scripture is revealed in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The unity that we seek is always and only “in Christ.” The closer we get to Christ the closer we will become to one another. The things that are Christ-centered and cross-focused are the most important things. J. S. Lamar (1829-1908) [viii] had an approach to Scripture that, if followed, might have altered the course of the Restoration Movement. In an address "The Essential, the Important, the Indifferent," [ix] Lamar contended that “the absolute essentials of objective Christianity are those the reception of which makes a man a Christian.” Things that are “important” do not impart life, but are for “nourishing and developing” that life. Things that are “indifferent” may have some importance to some but may be totally insignificant to others. These are the many opinions over which we have tragically divided and sub-divided for a hundred years and more.

 

                  It is interesting to me, and instructive as well, that the two things that seem to unite us still as a movement are the ordinances of Christian baptism and the Lord’s Supper. And why would that be so? Because both baptism and the Lord’s Supper are Christ-centered and cross-focused. We are baptized into Christ (Galatians 3:27) – into His very death itself (Romans 6:3-5). And the bread that we break, and the cup that we drink – is it not a participation in the body of Christ and the blood of Christ

(1 Corinthians 10:16). It is a most sacred place where we “taste afresh the calm of sin forgiven.” [x] You can’t get closer to the cross than baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The closer we get to the cross the clearer the import of Scripture will become.

Victor Knowles is founder and president of POEM (Peace on Earth Ministries), Post Office Box 275, Joplin, MO 64801. He has edited One Body since 1984 and is a coordinator of the Restoration Forum, a contributing writer to The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell Movement, and is an invited observer of The Stone-Campbell Dialogue.

Email: victor@poeministries.org Website: www.poeministries.org.