A Starting Point

As I posted at the end of November, my passions are discipleship and hermeneutics. I suppose a goal I have is to incorporate those two concepts into each post. So today I want to set forth some goals. We are starting a conversation, and when you start a conversation (or anything for that matter) it is best to start out with some goal or goals in mind. Sometimes the goal is to find something out, sometimes the goal is to come to a resolution, and sometimes the goal is to achieve something. Whatever the case may be, if you start down a path without goals, chances are you won't accomplish much.

In two of his books (The Complete Book of Discipleship and Choose the Life) Bill Hull explains that the chief goal of the disciple's life is transformation. Specifically, he lists out six specific areas of transformation that each of us should have as our goals. In this order, he says we should set the goal to achieve:

1. A transformed mind: believing what Jesus believed;
2. A transformed character: living the way Jesus lived;
3. Transformed relationships: loving the way Jesus loved;
4. Transformed habits: training the way Jesus trained;
5. Transformed service: ministering the way Jesus ministered; and
6. Transformed influence: leading the way Jesus lived

[Note: In Choose the Life, Hull does not include #4: transformed habits]. So these are the specific ways we should seek to live out the goal of transformation. It sounds like a lot, but there is a reason Hull mentions them in this order. As in most numbered lists, you start with # 1 and work your way to the the final number. So, if we start with a transformed mind, or believing what Jesus believed, perhaps it is best to figure out what Jesus believed (Genius! I know, you don't have to tell me). However, we will save that for another post.

Before we really get to a place where we dig into what Jesus believed, it may be best to take a minute and lay out the reasoning behind hermeneutics (principles of interpreting the Bible) and why we should even spend the effort to pursue such a thing. So often we open up our Bibles and take the chance that somehow we will have a revelation from God about what it means. By no means am I saying we should not simply open up our Bibles and read them, but let's be honest; if we all did that, and we all came to different conclusions, then we are all making Jesus out to be someone different. I am not saying that we are each making up our own Jesus, but it has that potential. So we spend the effort to consider what the original author intended to communicate in order to help us understand what Jesus believed, how he lived, how he loved, how he trained, how he ministered, and how he led. Then we can translate it into our lives and be transformed more and more into the image of Jesus.

One caveat to the whole practice of interpreting the Bible: it is a lot like theology. Theology is more of a discussion or dialogue than it is a conclusive science. We should always seek to pursue theology with much humility and not much testosterone. In the same way, the way we interpret the Bible should always be an ongoing conversation with others. There are certain points being made everyday that challenge what many scholars have previously concluded. So as we begin the dialogue about being transformed and learning how to interpret the Bible, let's all keep our minds and hearts open to each other, the Holy Spirit, the Word, and the God we seek to know better through their leading.

So here we go with some food for thought. I would love for us to discuss some of the points I have made, so here are some questions to talk about.

• We want to become like Jesus. Paul says Christ will be formed in us (Galatians 4:19). Why are we being formed into the image of Jesus? Why is that our heart's desire, to what end?
• Also, how does our knowledge and understanding of the Bible affect how we follow Jesus?
• Why is it so important to study the Bible? What do you think?
• What thoughts or questions do you have after reading all of this?

I look forward to some good discussion about this!