Why Pastors Should Work Hard to Write Well
Pastors should work hard to become clear, competent writers.
That’s the thesis. Here’s the outline: two caveats, three reasons, four suggestions.
One of the major reasons I started this blog was to become a better writer. Now, I just need to use it to write instead of simply linking to others’ writing.
Baby steps.
The Holy Spirit and Biblical Interpretation
Scott Hafemann in his commentary on 2 Corinthians 3:14–15:
Thus, Paul’s recognition of the root problem behind Israel’s rejection of the gospel demonstrates that the Spirit must create within us a willingness to accept God’s Word so that, being receptive to its message, we will be more apt to comprehend its meaning. Paul’s argument from the Scriptures as common ground with his opponents assumes that the role of the Holy Spirit in biblical interpretation is not to provide God’s people with hidden information or insights into the Scriptures, but to change their moral disposition (cf. 3:14).
The “Mount Everest of Pauline Texts”
Dr. Matthew Barrett in the opening paragraph of his article, What is So New About the New Covenant? Exploring the Contours of Paul’s New Covenant Theology in 2 Corinthians 3, written for The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology:
Second Corinthians 3 is a hotly debated and difficult text. For example, Thomas Schreiner says 2 Corinthians 3 is “one of the most controverted texts in the Pauline corpus,” and is “full of exegetical difficulties and knotty problems.” David Garland believes the passage is “notoriously obscure” and Anthony Hanson says it is the “mount Everest of Pauline texts as far as difficulty is concerned—or should we rather call it the sphinx among texts, since its difficulty lies in its enigmatic quality rather than its com- plexity?” The result has been a hermeneutical maze of literature almost impossible to navigate.
We’re currently working through 2 Corinthians as a church and I’ve been attempting to climb “Mount Everest” all week long in preparation for my sermon on 2 Corinthians 3:7–18. I feel like I need at least another month or two to write this one.
Knotty indeed.
A Word of Caution Regarding Bible Reading Resolutions
Sam Allberry:
This is truly frightening: it is possible for us to hold to the authority of God’s word, and to never miss a day of carefully reading our Bible, and yet all the while neglect coming to Jesus. There is a way to be biblical but not relational. But it makes us into a Pharisee, not a disciple. Biblical it may be, in one sense, but in a way that is profoundly unbiblical. […]
But what matters most is love for God. So I say to myself and to you: read the Bible in 2017. Read it, not to “conquer” books of the Bible or to “get them under your belt” (scare-quotes entirely necessary). Read it to kindle a fire for the Lord. Read it to prove his love for you, not to prove your self-discipline to him or to others.
Consider covering up the dates on your Bible reading plan. This doesn’t solve the problem, of course (which is ultimately a matter of the heart), but it’s a step in a healthy direction.
Lincoln Students React to the Election
Margaret Reist, reporting for the Lincoln Journal Star, did an excellent job of capturing the post-election reaction of students in Lincoln, a Refugee Friendly city. I think it’s safe to say these Lincoln Public Schools teachers and administrators earned their salaries this week.
Lincoln High School principal, Mark Larson:
“When students began to enter the building there was a palpable tension, a palpable anxiety in the air,” he said. “You could feel it. Students were raw yesterday, emotionally. More than any other day that I can remember in my career.”
And it wasn’t just the older high school students who were affected:
At Belmont Elementary, a first-grade student in Laurie Martinez’s English Language Learner class raised her hand.
“How soon am I going to have to go back?” she asked.
Martinez said she was not prepared for first-graders to be worried about the election.
“I was naive,” she said.
Sportscaster Ernie Johnson’s Take on the Election
Ernie Johnson’s thoughts on the presidential election. https://t.co/mONk8ZCcBY
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) November 11, 2016
In case you haven’t seen it.