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In the previous essay, we looked at 1 Corinthians 15 and its implications for the reading of the Bible. Now I want to turn to Luke 24:44-49.

NIV Luke 24:44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
This text occurs in the climactic section of Luke’s Gospel. The risen Jesus meets with his astonished band of disciples and begins to prepare them for their ministry as apostles. Here are some of the highlights:

1) Jesus views his life, death, and resurrection as the fulfillment of Scripture. Notice Jesus’ use of the phrase “Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.” This is shorthand for the totality of Israel’s Scriptures. Jesus taught his followers to read the Scriptures messianically. In other words, Jesus’ followers read the whole Bible as a witness to the mission of God as fulfilled in Jesus. This does not mean, as it has in some quarters of the Church, that the Old Testament becomes a mere pool of proof texts for the coming of Jesus. For example, the whole purpose of the book of Micah was not to predict that Bethlehem would be the place from which the messiah would come (Mic 5:2). Rather the Church is to listen to the witness of the Old Testament on its own terms and to recognize a trajectory that points beyond its witness to the coming of God’s Messiah to usher in the age of salvation.

2) Scripture is to be read missionally. If most Churches do a good job recognizing and teaching Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament, it struggles in emphasizing the missional implications of this. Look again at verses 47-48. As a result of recognizing Jesus as the long-awaited messiah from God, the apostles are unleashed into the nations to be God’s witnesses. In other words, learning to read the Old Testament as a witness to Jesus is not about mere information it is about being transformed into a missional community with good news to share with the world. This will impact our reading of the Bible because it invites us to read Scripture missionally. That is we read the Bible not merely as a guide to personal piety or to create theological systems, but most profoundly in order to shape our own missional practice as we seek to live faithfully in our world as Jesus’ witnesses. The starting point for a missional reading of the Bible is the recognition of this reality. Christopher Wright in his essay “Mission as a Matrix for Hermeneutics and Biblical Theology” on page 109 asks, “Is it possible, is it valid, is it profitable for Christians to read the Bible as a whole from a missional perspective, and what happens when they do?” Wright, of course, believes that this is indeed the proper approach. Perhaps the pages of the New Testament bear witness to what happens when Christians do indeed read and act on the Scripture’s missional message.

3) The Spirit of God empowers the Church. Verse 49 promises the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples. This of course was fulfilled at Pentecost in Acts 2, but I want to suggest that this on-going reality has implications for our reading of the Bible. We do not read the Bible merely out of our own intellect, experience, education, and setting. Since the Spirit of God abides in each believer, it is important to recognize the role of the Holy Spirit in biblical interpretation. We do not read alone. Prayer for illumination is vital so that the Spirit of Truth may lead his people into the truth. I don’t want to overemphasize this aspect and I don’t see the indwelling of the Spirit as somehow legitimizing any or every reading of a text offered by a believer as there is a profound synergy involved in the interpretive process. But a text such as Luke 24 promises the empowerment of the Spirit in the life of the Church on mission. This implies, I think, guidance for the Church in its reading of the text as it seeks to bear faithful witness to the world about the salvation that God offers in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

These are some of my thoughts about the starting point for biblical interpretation.

Let me know what you think.

© 2006 Brian D. Russell

This past Tuesday evening after the conclusion of my Pentateuch class I was engaged in conversation by two of my brightest students. They were interested in talking about critical issues in the interpretation of the Bible and pressed me to discuss my own starting point for reading Scripture.

There are of course various ways to answer this question. I routinely point to two texts: Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 15 and Luke’s record of a conversation between Jesus and his disciples on the evening of Resurrection day in Luke 24.

We will confine ourselves in this essay to 1 Corinthians 15. This is a long and involved chapter in which Paul speaks boldly for the bodily resurrection of Jesus. For our purposes I want to read a smaller section (verses 1-8) and focus on its three verse core (verses 3-5).

NIV 1 Corinthians 15:1 Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

The Antiquity and Authenticity of Paul’s Gospel
In this amazing text, Paul reminds the Corinthian believers of the core of the Gospel that he had proclaimed to them. This core was foundational for their salvation. Verse 3 uses some interesting phraseology “For what I received I passed on to you” Paul is making an important historical claim here. What follows is not Paul’s personal Gospel or opinion - it is the Gospel that he received from other believers at the time of his own conversion. In Acts it appears that Paul was converted not long after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Thus, it is plausible to argue that Paul is talking about the Gospel as it was proclaimed in the mid-30s of the first century. The verses that follow (3b-5), though written by Paul to the Corinthians in the 50s actually bear witness to the earliest Gospel tradition of the Christian Church.

Christ’s Death and Resurrection
What is the core of the Gospel that Paul preached to the Corinthians? Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures“¦

These phrases are loaded with meaning that is easy for us to miss though hasty reading. For example, this confession uses the word Christ instead of Jesus. It is crucial for us to remember that Christ is a title and not merely an alternative name for Jesus. Christ is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Messiah. Both words carry the basic meaning “anointed one.” To identify Jesus as Christ is to make a substantial claim about Jesus. In other words, to confess Jesus as Christ is to say that Jesus is the long awaited agent sent by God to inaugurate God’s age of salvation in the world. The anticipation for this time is found in the pages of Israel’s Scriptures (our Old Testament). Paul’s Gospel however subverted much of the first century’s notions about the reign of the Christ by reference to Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. These categories subverted contemporary expectation and packed the Gospel with true power.

Christ died for our sins”¦ Notice that the confession adds an interpretive element. It does more than merely report the death of Jesus. It identifies Jesus as Messiah and it adds salvific meaning to his death. Here is the beginning of a theology of the atonement. What did Jesus accomplish on the cross? What is the meaning of his death? He died for our sins. Jesus was not merely an example of self-sacrifice or a model of love. His death impacted us in terms of our sins. If, as suggested above, this tradition derives from only a short time after Jesus’ death, this passage clearly shows that atonement theology has always been central to the proclamation of the Gospel.

That he was buried. This phrase in some ways seems redundant, but I think that it serves to emphasize the reality of Jesus’ death. Jesus was a lifeless corpse when he was taken down from the cross and laid to rest in the burial cave of Joseph of Arimathea. This phrase also stands in contrast with the following. Jesus was buried by means of human hands. This sets the stage for the divine act of power found in the Resurrection.

That he was raised on the third day. Here the tradition witnesses to God’s ultimate act of vindication. Jesus’ death on the cross and subsequent burial were not the end of the story. God has raised him up triumphantly and victoriously. The Gospel is rooted not merely in the triumphant coming of God’s messiah, but in the triumphant appearance of a crucified, buried, and resurrected Messiah.

Notice that in verses 5-8 Paul supports the Gospel claims through appeal to eyewitnesses. The Gospel that he preaches is not merely the accumulated story of people ““ it is the testimony of the Church. Flesh and blood people saw the resurrected Jesus. The Gospel then is not some spiritualized story or religious truths. It is rooted in profound historical claims.

According to the Scriptures
The tradition that Paul passes on the Corinthians twice uses the prepositional phrase “according to the Scriptures.” This is crucial for our own interpretive work. The Christian Church from its earliest preaching was steadfast in its belief that Jesus’ life and work were the climax of Israel’s own Scriptures. “Scriptures in 1 Corinthians 15 is a reference to the books known to us as the Old Testament. Although the death of Jesus was shocking, the earliest Christians in light of Jesus’ resurrected were convinced through the study of the Old Testament that it was God’s plan all along. In fact, in order to understand properly Jesus’ work and mission, one had to be immersed in the Old Testament Scriptures. The testimony of history is that God the Creator of the world sent his Son Jesus, Israel’s Messiah (Christ) into the world to die on the cross for the sins of humanity, to be buried in a grave for three days, and to be raised victoriously.

In terms of specific texts to which this tradition refers, scholars point to the following: death for our sins - Isa 53; raised on the third day - Jonah 2, Isa 53, Pss 16 and 22, and Hosea 6:3.
I think however that it is a mistake to narrow the focus of the OT only to these “proof texts”. Instead, the earliest Christian tradition invites us to read the Bible in two directions. From the OT forward in expectation of what God will do and from the New Testament back to the Old Testament to better under the person and mission of Jesus. A two way conversation between Old and New does the best justice to the discrete witness of each individually.

Conclusion
I point to 1 Corinthians 15 as a starting point for my own interpretive work because this text grounds me in the reality of God’s saving work in the world. Scripture testifies to God’s mission. This mission reaches its climax in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. I approach Scripture as a person of faith who seeks to understand the Gospel that has now profoundly shaped my own life so that through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit I may serve faithfully and witness to the love that God has shown us through his Son.

What do you think about these things? Any questions or comments?

© 2006 Brian D. Russell

I wanted to share with the readers of the Real Meal blog the contours of a book that I am hoping to write. Its tentative title is A Missiological Approach to Biblical Interpretation.

My goal in writing this book is to empower readers of the Bible to recapture the missional center of the Bible and transform contemporary communities of faith into mission-focused Churches. It includes an overview of the Bible as a witness to God’s mission (missio dei) in the world and practical information on how to implement a missional reading of the text our local communities of faith. I will bring together my experiences both as a biblical scholar and as a practitioner. Thus, A Missiological Approach to Biblical Interpretation will serve as a guide for helping the Church to recapture its missional center by showing how the Scriptures seek to (re)convert the Church to mission and to invite those in the World to convert to God’s mission.

Table of Contents:
Chapter One: The Current Problem
This chapter will explore various current approaches to reading the Bible and argue that a missiogical approach provides the clearest lens for appropriating the theological witness of Scripture for the Church.

Part I: Seeing Big Picture: Creation –> New Creation
The Canon witnesses to the mission of God in the world (mission dei). These four chapters will trace the missio dei through the biblical story and its implications for the people of God in order to demonstrate the centrality of mission in the biblical witness.

Chapter Two: Creation and Fall

Chapter Three: The Mission of Israel

Chapter Four: The Mission of Jesus

Chapter Five: From Church to New Creation

Part II: Implementation
Chapter Six: Constructing a Missiological Reading
This chapter lays out the assumptions and methodological steps of a missiological reading of the Bible.

Chapter Seven: Old Testament Examples
This chapter offers concrete examples of how a missiological reading can be applied to a variety of Old Testament texts.

Chapter Eight: New Testament Examples
This chapter offers concrete examples of how a missiological reading can be applied to a variety of New Testament texts.

Chapter Nine: Transforming Our Communities: A Conversion to Mission
This chapter focuses on the need for converting contemporary communities of faith to God’s mission and the role that a missiological approach to Scripture plays in this move.

Chapter Ten: Engaging Our World - Becoming Biblical Missiologists
This chapter focuses on the need for the people of God to engage the world with the Gospel and the role that a missiological approach to Scripture plays in the conversion of the world to the way of Jesus Christ.

I would be interested in reading your responses to this outline:
What is missing from it?
With what authors should I be in dialogue?
What do you find confusing about the above outline?

Copyright 2006 Brian D. Russell

Here is a reflection on one of my favorite Resurrection stories:

NIV Luke 24:36 While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 37 They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. 38 He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.” 40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate it in their presence. 44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.

My friend Frank’s dream of visiting the Holy Land had finally come true. He had planned his trip carefully and his visit culminated in an Easter Sunday visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This ancient Church is revered by many Christians as the traditional site of Jesus’ burial and resurrection. As Frank waited in a long line of pilgrims, his anticipation and excitement built. His mind wavered back and forth between images of all the sites that he had visited over the past week and thoughts of standing in the place where Jesus was purported to have been buried following his crucifixion. Finally, it was his turn to enter into the sepulchre itself. Amazingly, Frank’s initial response was not the anticipated euphoria of experiencing a sacred site. Instead, Frank reported feeling a deep disappointment. He caught himself muttering aloud, “Why did I wait so long in line. It’s just an empty tomb!” A woman nearby heard Frank’s soliloquy and interjected, “Sir, isn’t that the point? It is an empty tomb because Jesus is alive.” Frank smiled at these words and realized their truth. His heart beat strongly for the overwhelming sense of joy and peace that came upon him at that moment. Christ is risen, indeed!

Our text from Luke’s Gospel finds Jesus’ disciples in a similar mood on the first Easter Sunday. They are perplexed, disappointed, troubled, and frightened about the events of the last couple of days. In a little more than a week, they had experienced the exuberance of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem as the crowd welcomed him as a long awaited figure of royalty. They had listened to him dispute with officials and religious leaders. They had witnessed his arrest and the sham of a trial that ordered his execution. Most troubling of all, they saw firsthand his brutal death on a cross between two criminals. They had even heard his sorrowful cry “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” These were men who had give given up everything to follow Jesus because they had believed the he was the long-awaited messiah. But now he was gone. Or was he?

Luke 24 contains a series of encounters that would transform a group of frightened and confused disciples into an organized movement of passionate apostles who would live out their days as world-changers. What happened to make this possible? Is the story of Jesus’ resurrection a credible report or is it simply too good to be true?

Luke 24 reports a series of incredible events that followed Jesus’ death on the cross. First, in 24:1-12, a group of women including Mary Magdalene go to the tomb, but discover that its stone seal has been rolled away. They enter the tomb and find that Jesus’ body is not inside. Suddenly they are confronted by two angelic beings who announce that Jesus has risen. They immediately go and report this encounter to the remaining eleven disciples, but they do not believe their report. Peter runs to the tomb to see for himself, but leaves confused and perplexed. Second, 24:13-35 narrates an unusual encounter on the road to Emmaus, a small village seven miles from Jerusalem. Two of Jesus’ disciples were traveling to Emmaus when they were joined by Jesus himself. They, however, did not or could not recognize him. They entered into conversation with this “stranger” about Jesus. They testified to the earlier report by the women. Jesus then immediately rebuked them for failing to see that everything that had happened to Jesus, his suffering and death, had been foretold in the Scriptures. Upon reaching Emmaus, they exhorted “Jesus” to stay with them. As they gathered at the table for a meal, Jesus took bread, gave thanks for it, broke the bread, and distributed it. At this moment, the eyes of the two disciples were opened and they recognized Jesus. Jesus immediately disappeared.

The two disciples arose at once and raced back to Jerusalem to share this experience with the others. Upon arriving the Eleven were already gathered together, declaring the resurrection of Jesus. The two disciples recounted their story and while they were talking, Jesus himself appears, saying “Peace be with you” (24:36).

What is striking about his encounter is the reaction of the disciples. Verse 37 tells us that they were startled and frightened by Jesus. This may seem astonishing to us who would love to have been a fly on the wall on that Sunday so long ago. Why were they frightened? How could they have been so clueless?

Perhaps the story of the Resurrection has become a bit too domesticated for us. We have grown so accustomed to it that we take it for granted. Think about it for a minute: How many dead men and women do we know who have come back to life? Most of us have lived long enough to know that the grave marks the end of life. Most of us have been to dozens of funerals, but it would be a safe bet to say that none of those honored at a funeral have shown up at subsequent family events! Dead men and women do not rise. This is true in 2006 as much as it was true during the 1st century at the time of Jesus’ death. Ancient people were not any more naïve about the finality of death than we are today. How many of us really believe that Jesus’ body was literally raised from the dead?

Yet, our text asserts just this. Many of us may relate to the reaction of the disciples in verse 41 “While in their joy they were disbelieving…” The fact that Jesus stood before their eyes was simply too good to be true. Why? If Jesus were truly alive, then this would mean that he really was the long-awaited Savior from God. If Jesus were truly alive, then everything that he taught and promised would be validated. If Jesus were truly alive, then life would be different. If Jesus were truly alive, the disciples’ lives would suddenly have infinite value and potential because this same Jesus had called them as his initial followers.

Jesus breaks through the disbelief of the disciples with a simple gesture. He requests some food and eats it in their presence. Apparently, this is enough to gain a hearing with them. In verses 44-48, Jesus offers what must have been the greatest Sunday School class ever taught. He opens their minds to the Scriptures and carefully instructs them on how the Scriptures had forefold his suffering, death, and resurrection and that the result of this would be the proclamation of salvation to all nations beginning with Jerusalem. Jesus then appoints them as his witnesses and promises a power from on high to accomplish the mission.

What is the word here? It is quite simple. Jesus’ resurrection is not merely a story of hope for the future. It is a commission to participate in God’s plan of salvation. In light of Jesus’ resurrection, his Church is called to mission. The mission begins in our present location and extends to the world. Mission becomes the reason for the disciples’ continued existence on earth. By being witnesses to the resurrection, they become ambassadors who will carry its true significance to all persons in all places. The resurrection proclaims the possibility of forgiveness and transformation. The world as we know it does not have to be the final word. God intends something better and greater, and he has given this message to Jesus’ followers.

What about us? What does the resurrection mean for us today?
If Jesus is alive today, we have the hope of true and authentic transformation in our lives.
If Jesus is alive today, we can offer the world substantial healing.
If Jesus is alive today, we can live courageously for an ethic greater than our own personal comfort and indulgence.
If Jesus is alive today, we can console a grieving family with the hope of a final resurrection.
If Jesus is alive today, we can work meaningfully on behalf of the poor and disenfranchised.
If Jesus is alive today, we can surrender all of our foibles, infirmities, sins, gifts, talents, and ambitions to God and allow God to raise us to a new life in which we begin to embody Jesus’ values and reflect his character to the world around us which so desperately needs voices of hope and light.

What about us? What if Jesus truly is alive today? What if following Jesus means a radically new life in which we begin to experience the life of the age to come in our own day? Too good to be true? Some would say, “Yes.” The earliest Apostolic witnesses tell us, “No. Jesus is alive and the world will never be the same!” What do you say?

Copyright 2006 Brian D. Russell

I can see Jesus carrying his cross all alone,
He took on our flesh so far from his rightful throne.
Disregarded his name
He embraced the cross
And its shame
To save the lost.

He’s the Son of God, carrying the sins of the world

I can see Jesus wearing a crown made of thorns,
In the anguish of death, feeling humanity’s scorn.
His Father’s will to obey
He died on the tree
To set us free
And show the way.

He’s the Son of God, healing all the pain of the world.

I can see Jesus crying to all “It is done,”
Creation’s redeemer, our Lord God’s victory won.
The offer is made
The price has been paid
To give us life
And end all strife.

He’s the Son of God, still reaching out to us today.
He’s the Son of God, still reaching out to us today.

So see through the pain
The means to all gain
For its true
He died for you.

He’s the Son of God, carrying the sins of the world.
Amen.

© 2006 Brian D. Russell

Several news sources are reporting on the public unveiling of the Gospel of Judas. A National Geographic special will be aired tomorrow (Palm Sunday) evening.

I am not an expert on extra-biblical sources from the period of the early church. For deeper discussions about the specifics of the Gospel of Judas, I would suggest checking out the following blogs by some leading evangelical NT scholars: Scott McKnight and Ben Witherington as well as the following for an overview and translation of the Gospel of Judas.

Here are some of my own thoughts. As you might expect, they are missional in nature.

1) Threat or Opportunity. Too many of us in the Church react in “knee jerk” fashion to every unveiling of new evidence from the ancient world about our faith. If the discovery appears to validate some aspect of our faith, we hail it as “proof” of the truth claims of Christianity. If the find appears to challenge our understanding of the Christian story, we immediately move to debunk or marginalize the data itself or question of the motives of the scholar who published the find.

Frankly, I am grateful for such media blitzes that sensationalize finds such as the Gospel of Judas. Whenever the “buzz” offers the opportunity for conversation about Jesus, we need to learn to take advantage of such times. Rather than being defensive or quick to debunk a friend or co-worker, we should listen carefully before speaking. When we do speak, let us do it with words seasoned with salt and with an invitation to study the Bible together.

2) The Gospel of Judas is the product of Gnostic Christianity. The original Greek form the Gospel of Thomas derives from the mid to late 2nd century A.D. and is thus several generations removed from the time of the historical Jesus and the age of the Apostles. In contrast, the New Testament Gospels were produced within a generation of the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is important to note that the copy being hailed as a major find is a Coptic translation of the original. The translated copy is from the 4th or 5th century. It is assumed that this is an accurate translation of a document mentioned by Irenaeus in his dispute with gnostics in the 2nd century, but there is no extant Greek copy to verify this assumption.

The Gospel of Judas will likely tell the world more about the beliefs of the Gnostics than provide any illumination of the faith of biblical Christianity. It certainly points to the diversity among those communities that look to Jesus as the source of their faith, but it in no way suggests that “orthodox” communities were wrong or bigoted in judging the Gnostic sect heretical. An analogy in today’s world would be the relationship between pseudo-Christian groups such as the Church of Latter Day Saints or Jehovah’s Witnesses and Christian denominations that hold to orthodox confessions of faith.

There are many issues with Gnosticism, but let’s suffice to say that it does not take seriously the historical claims of Christianity about Jesus’ death and bodily resurrection. The Gospel of Judas is an interesting find, but it will not provide any real challenge to the biblical portrait of Jesus’ life and ministry.

3) Followers of Jesus Need to Know The Story. If we are going to engage in spiritual conversations with people who are interested in Jesus, then we need to know the biblical story. We need to be grounded in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. These are our foundational documents. In the post-Christian world in which we live, we need to be smarter and more informed than previous generations of believers. The world in which believers and non-believers alike at least knew the biblical story is long gone. At the same time, there is an overwhelming amount of information available to world. The Church can make no claim to be able to control access to information (nor should it), but Christians can serve a vital role in the world as interpreters of information. The hoopla around the official publication of the Gospel of Judas offers just such an opportunity. Are we ready to take advantage of it?

I would be interested in reading your responses to this essay or in hearing any questions that you have.

© 2006 Brian D. Russell