Amahoro 2012 bible

The Bible: Library for African Transformation?

All of Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, rebuke, correction, and training in right living, so that God’s people may be up to the task ahead and have all they need to accomplish every good work.

(2 Timothy 3:16-17)

The word of God is alive and moving, sharper than a double-edged sword, piercing to divide between soul and spirit joints and marrow, able to judge the thoughts and will of the heart.

(Hebrews 4:12)

Around your tables:

What is one way the Bible has helped or blessed you in your

life?

The Bible is indeed a blessing when properly used ...

focus on big issues

empower the powerless

lead

stimulate thought

The Bible is indeed a blessing when properly used ...

but it can be abused.

distract from big issuesfocus on big issues

impose control over othersempower the powerless

mislead lead

stop thoughtstimulate thought

slaverysciencepoverty

the Bible& Slavery

The African slave trade spanned 450 years. It involved the kidnapping of 11.5 million Africans. Billions of people today still profit and suffer in the aftermath of it.

Leviticus 25:44-46

Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids. Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land; and they shall be your possession. And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever.

Other passages in the Old Testament frequently cited by Old South proslavers--

Exodus 21:2-6 (relating to the slavery of poor Hebrews)Deuteronomy 15:16-17 (also relating to the slavery of poor

Hebrews)--Genesis 9:26-27 (relating to the curse of Canaan to legitimize

racism)

“There is nothing, not one word, in the Old Testament to condemn, but very much to establish, enforce, and regulate slavery.”

(Proslavery literature, Nellie Norton)

New Testament Passages used to support slavery:Ephesians 6:5-8 (exhorting servants to be obedient to their

masters)Titus 2:9-10 (also exhorting servants to be obedient to their

masters)Colossians 3:22-24 (requiring slaves to obey their masters)

“…in the catalogue of sins denounced by the Savior and His Apostles, slavery is not once mentioned

… not one word is said by the prophets, apostles, or the holy Redeemer against slavery … the

Apostles admitted slaveholders and their slaves to church membership, without requiring a

dissolution of the relation.”

from a popular book from that period:

“… the Bible is a pro-slavery Bible, and God is a pro-slavery God,”

“… the North must give up the Bible and religion, or adopt our views of slavery.”

Summary of the Biblical Argument:The Oracular Decisions of God have positively

declared that the Slave-Trade is intrinsically good and licit, [and that the

holding of slaves] is perfectly consonant to the principles of the Law of Nature, the Mosaic Dispensation, and the Christian Law … [Thus slavery has] the positive

sanction of God in its support."

Raymond Harris, Scriptural Researches on the Licitness of the Slave-Trade.

Around your tables:

If you could go back into the early 1800’s to counter this

way of using the Bible - also using the Bible, what would

you say?

the Bible& Slavery

the Bible& Science

Use of the Bible Against the Copernican Theory

Ecclesiastes 1:4-6The Earth abideth forever. The Sun also riseth, and the Sun goeth down and hasteth to his place where he arose. The wind goeth toward the south and turneth about unto the north.

Psalm 93: 1...the world also is established that it cannot be moved.

Psalm 104:5 Who laid the foundation of the Earth, that it should not be removed forever.

2 Kings 20:11And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the Lord: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.

Joshua 10:12-14Then Joshua spoke to the Lord, in the day that he delivered the Amorite in the sight of the children of Israel, and he said before them: Move not O Sun toward Gabaon, nor thou, moon, toward the valley of Ajalon….

And the sun and moon stood still, till the people revenged themselves of their enemies. Is not this written in the book of the just? So the sun stood still in the midst of the heaven, and hasted not to go down the space of one day. There was not before nor after so long a day, the Lord obeying the voice of a man, and fighting for Israel.

Contending against Copernicus: Martin Luther in one of his "Table Talks” (1539):

People gave ear to an upstart astrologer who strove to show that the earth revolves, not the heavens or the firmament, the sun and the moon....This fool wishes to reverse the entire science of astronomy; but sacred Scripture tells us [Joshua 10:13] that Joshua commanded the sun to stand still, and not the earth.

From Melanchthon: "The eyes are witnesses that the heavens revolve in the space of twenty-four hours. But certain men, either from the love of novelty, or to make a display of ingenuity, have concluded that the earth moves; and they maintain that neither the eighth sphere nor the sun revolves....Now, it is a want of honesty and decency to assert such notions publicly, and the example is pernicious. It is the part of a good mind to accept the truth as revealed by God and to acquiesce in it."

John Calvin cites Ps. 93:1 in his Commentary on Genesis:

"Who will venture to place the authority of Copernicus above that of the Holy Spirit?"

Around your tables:

Why do you think these Christian leaders could not

accept the findings of Copernicus and Galileo?

What was their concern or fear?

the Bible& Science

the Bible& poverty

Japan : The Ukita family of Kodaira CityFood expenditure for one week: 37,699 Yen or $317.25

Italy: The Manzo family of SicilyFood expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11

Germany: The Melander family of BargteheideFood expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07

United States: The Revis family of North Carolina. Food expenditure for one week $341.98

Mexico: The Casales family of Cuernavaca Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09

Poland: The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-JeziornaFood expenditure for one week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27

Egypt: The Ahmed family of CairoFood expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53

Ecuador: The Ayme family of TingoFood expenditure for one week: $31.55

Bhutan: The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03

Chad: The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23

Jesus said (Matthew 26:11),

“The poor you will have with you always, but you will not always have me.”

Deuteronomy ...

Around your tables:

Why might some people read the Bible in a way that

makes them care about the poor ... and others read it in

a way that makes them careless about the poor?

the Bible& poverty

the Bible & slavery, science, & poverty,

& the environment, women, other religions, gay people, albinos, the

mentally ill, tribalism, health, prosperity....

Is the Bible the box, or is it a door out of the box?

Is the Bible a lens - or more like a set of adjustable binoculars?

Is the Bible a rule-book full of easy answers- or a library of questions and struggles that

challenge us to become more open to God’s wisdom?

Three first steps in rediscovering the Bible as a library of transformation ...

1. See the Bible as pointing to Jesus, not to itself ... let Jesus’ life and teaching become the lens through which we read Scripture.

Jesus says (5:39), ‘You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you

possess eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me…’

Jesus said (in Matthew 5) ...Do not think that I have come

to abolish the law or the prophets. To the contrary: I have not come to overturn them but to fulfill them....You have heard it said ...

Jesus said ...Do not think that I have come

to abolish the law or the prophets. To the contrary: I have not come to overturn them but to fulfill them....You have heard it said ...

But I say to you ...

Jesus said (Mark 2:17) ...The sabbath was made for human beings, not human

beings for the sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord

even over the sabbath ...

Paul said ...Circumcision doesn’t count for

anything. The only thing that matters is faith expressing

itself in love. (Galatians 5)

Paul said ...... the letter kills, but the Spirit

gives life. (2 Corinthians 3)

Derek Flood graphically displays Paul’s edited quotation of Psalm 18:41-49 and Deuteronomy 32:43 in Romans 15:8-10. Notice what Paul picks to retain and what he chooses to reject:

For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name.” (Ps. 18:41–49).

Again, it says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people...

Derek Flood graphically displays Paul’s edited quotation of Psalm 18:41-49 and Deuteronomy 32:43 in Romans 15:8-10. Notice what Paul picks to retain and what he chooses to reject:

For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: “I destroyed my foes. They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—to the LORD, but he did not answer…. He is the God who avenges me, who puts the Gentiles under me…. Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name.” (Ps. 18:41–49).

Again, it says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants; he will take vengeance on his enemies and make a t o n e m e n t f o r h i s l a n d a n d people.” (Deut. 32:43)

Flood concludes: “Paul is making a very different point from the original intent of these Psalms. In fact, he is making the opposite point—we should not cry out for God’s wrath and judgment [on the other], because we are all sinners in need of mercy.” He concludes, “This is not a case of careless out-of-context proof-texting; it is an artful and deliberate reshaping of these verses … from their original cry for divine violence into a confession of universal culpability that highlights our need for mercy.”

1. Read Scripture with Jesus as the focal point ... 2. Read Scripture in light of the big story ... which is???

A key question:What is the shape of the biblical narrative? What is the storyline of the Bible?

(A pre-critical question)

Hell

Salvation

History/

The world

Fall

HeavenEden

Hades

Atonement, purification

Aristotelian

Real

Fall

Into Aristotelian

Real

Platonic IdealPlatonic Ideal

Destruction, defeat

Civilization, development,

colonialism

assimilationBarbarian/ pagan world

Rebellion

into barbarism

Pax RomanaPax Romana

Is there an alternative understanding?

Exodus: Liberation & Formation


Genesis: Creation and Reconciliation


Genesis: Creation and Reconciliation

Isaiah: Peaceable Kingdom - Justice and Mercy


G

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n

e

s

i

s



G

e

n

e

s

i

s


HUMAN DESTRUCTION

HUMAN VIOLENCE

HUMAN EXPLOITATION

save, salvation, Saviorrighteousness, peaceforgivenessdisciplegood newskingdom of Godword of God

Different story?Different meanings!

1. Read Scripture with Jesus as the focal point ... 2. Read Scripture in light of the big story ... which is God’s unfolding, expanding work of creation, liberation, and reconciliation.

3. Never simply quote a chapter and verse to end a discussion.

Instead, put texts in conversation - and join the conversation.

Stories in conversation ...David, Goliath, and the Temple

Two ArksSarah/Isaac, Hagar/Ishmael

Pharoah, SolomonJacob and Esau

Joshua, Jesus, and the Canaanites

1. Read Scripture with Jesus as the focal point ... 2. Read Scripture in light of the big story ... which is God’s unfolding, expanding work of creation, liberation, and reconciliation.3. Read the Bible as stories in conversation ... and you are a vital part of the conversation!

All of Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, rebuke, correction, and training in right living, so that God’s people may be up to the task ahead and have all they need to accomplish every good work.

(2 Timothy 3:16-17)

The word of God is alive and moving, sharper than a double-edged sword, piercing to divide between soul and spirit joints and marrow, able to judge the thoughts and will of the heart.

(Hebrews 4:12)

The Bible: Library for African Transformation

Amahoro 2012 bible

Spiritual

Transcript of Amahoro 2012 bible