Bible Topics

I listened to the program (public radio) on the Church and the Bishops. There were some good points raised by the callers but the answers had many weak spots. The key mistake was the description of the Last Supper. This was the "Friendship Cup" at the end of the Passover meal. For centuries, it was the symbol of the Passover Lamb and the friendship that should exist among the people present. Jesus passed the Friendship Cup around and told them that from now on, it was to be a symbol of him and the friendship he had established. His followers were to act and spread this friendship to the whole world.

Theirs was the authority but it was to be the leadership of the Shepherd (pastor) and the firmness of the Kepha (foundation stone). As a pastor, the authority was to be out in front leading and calling all to follow to the green pasture, fresh water, afternoon rest, and the safety of the fold at night. As the Kepha, it was to be the firm foundation on which all confidence was based.

The shepherd figure stresses how well the leaders must know the personalities and needs of the flock and minister to each. The Kepha stresses that firmness of the sharing or community is found in the leader. The picture is simple.

There is no place in the NT that speaks of belonging to a "church." Jesus always talks of living in the society in which you are and bringing alive his ideas and ideals. Paul was the only one who founded separate groups much as the Jews had done. Only toward the end of his letters did he begin to get the full notion that Christ talked about.

The Church drifted farther and farther into the quagmire of rules and laws and rubrics. The fight with Luther and the Council of Trent sounded the death knell. On the TV program the other night, the speaker said the first light was seen in John XXIII. Then he died and the old ideas revived.

That one lady on the TV show the other night really hit the nail on the head in talking about the Church. She said explicitly, "The Church is not some special organization. It is a group of people, motivated by the ideas and ideals of Christ, in the midst of society with its various peoples and cultures. The purpose of this group is to spread harmony, community and sharing among all the people around them."

I have developed these ideas in all the writing I have done in the past few years. I taught these ideas over the years and they gradually became more and more clear to me.

This morning, I read the Creation Story, the Abraham Story and the Moses Story. The original study of the Bible as we had it in elementary school was called "Bible Stories." This is named correctly. The whole Bible is a collection of stories written to describe the relationship between Yahweh and people. The writers and teachers were always describing the "why" of life and not the "what."

The basic idea of God was that he was a surrounding presence and wanted people to establish peace and harmony with each other and with him. The rules were short and exact and covered every aspect of life with each other and with God.

The greatness of Jesus Christ is that he came from a family who really believed what they had been taught. Then he and his cousin, John, discussed these ideas until they felt they had to do something about their convictions.

The whole picture is beautiful and easily grasped. It is to be manifest in the daily lives of people.

Yesterday, I spent the morning on the "Moses Story." He was certainly the central figure of the whole Bible. He is presented as a hesitant leader at the start. He feared the big problems that lay ahead and tried to get out of the responsibility. However, he did a great job of leading in spite of the difficulties.

He developed the Ten Commandments which became the basic law for all generations after him. The prophets and leaders who followed him were explaining his ideas.

When Christ came along, he built completely on Moses. His basic point was "you heard it say of old (by Moses), now I'm telling you." Jesus kept a real continuity with Moses.

Moses had a quick temper. He was threatened with death on many occasions. Finally, he did not get to lead the people into the Promised Land. He saw it from the east side of the Jordan and then died. Joshua led the people across.

There is no doubt that his is the central figure in the story of Judaism and Christianity. It is a story that I like to read.