06-22-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
June 22, 2024
I didn’t expect that! 

Those words are often said in the world of archeology. Yesterday, I read a fascinating article about a recently discovered shipwreck that was almost 3,500 years old. It was more than a mile under the Mediterranean Sea and more than 50 miles off shore. Those who study such things did not believe ships at that time had the capacity to cross over the Mediterranean. Instead, it was believed that they hugged the shore, moving from port to port. Not only did they find jars containing food and other items to trade, but it tells us that the navigational abilities of those living 3,500 years ago were much better than we previously imagined. And then in Crete, during the construction of a new airport, workers recently found what would later be determined to be 4000-year-old structures, including a 19,000-square-foot building of which no one knows its purpose. As I often say, I am geeky this way, but as smart as scientists are these days, I love it when an unexpected finding turns previously held beliefs upside down.

Along with archeological discoveries are new discoveries about the Bible. Sometimes a new finding sheds light on something Jesus taught. Other times, there is new insight on a literary genre that was previously misunderstood, or in some cases, a word that has been mistranslated. The impact of these new discoveries is often rather small, but there are times when it is pretty consequential. Tomorrow, we are going to look at a word that appears only two times in the New Testament, but a word that was probably coined by Biblical writers as it does not appear anywhere else in Greek or Roman literature before it appears is 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy. Some translators admitted they did not know how to translate the word, and I find that honesty helpful. Others made guesses, often influenced by their own bias or insecurities. Sadly, we are learning that some of those guesses were probably wrong, and even more concerning is the damage those guesses have caused.

I hear people say, “Just pick up the Bible and read it. All will become clear.” There are passages that I believe are beautifully simple and require very little interpretation. But what happens when someone picks up a Bible and begins to read a passage with an English word that may in fact be wrong, misguided, and even damaging to some?

O God, I believe you are always leading me to greater understanding, which is often found through hard questions, deeper exploration, and a recognition of my own bias. Keep me moving forward. Amen.