Bringing every text to Christ

[LeeJUk]

So I was listening to that broadcast of Dr. Tom Ascal

and he spoke a lot about Christ - centeredness and bringing ever text back to Christ in preaching but I'm looking for how to do it so that I can do it when reading.

Now I can't buy the books he mentioned at the moment but I wonder if any of you guys ask particular questions of texts to bring a verse, text or chapter back to Christ-centeredness.


For example the book of james is like a constant stream of rules, how do you bring back that back to Christ apart from "well Jesus enabled us to do this by his death and resurrection and the Holy Spirit living in us" often thats all i get if i try to bring things back to Christ.

thanks

 

[chbrooking]

often thats all i get if i try to bring things back to Christ.

That's quite a lot to get, actually. When it comes to 'rules', you need to recognize that the command always stands on our freedom from slavery to sin. It's not trite at all to recognize and proclaim this. It speaks to both our ability and our motivation.

We aren't supposed to look for Christ symbolized in every word -- that will quickly lead to allegory. But Luke 24:44ff makes it very clear that the entire Bible is about Christ, particularly his death, resurrection and church.

Historically, there were three approaches taken in this regard. There was allegory -- which is unfettered to an event, and tends to be a matter of eisegesis, where an extrabiblical philosophy is justified using the text. While this was once the predominant method of dealing with the text, it isn't really biblical interpretation at all.

The other two methods, both of which are biblically warranted, are typology and exempla. In typology, an event is seen to prefigure something that Christ would do. The obvious example is the exodus -- freedom from slavery in Egypt prefigures our freedom from slavery to sin. Here, it is very helpful to know the sweep of the redemption story, so that the event can be placed within the unfolding history of redemption.

Exempla is a matter of seeing in Christ an example to follow. This is often done negatively, or by contrast. For example, Onan's sin was really a matter of selfishness. He didn't want to lessen his inheritance. How wonderfully different is our savior, who did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing on our account. Far from protecting his inheritance, he opened an inheritance for us.

I don't know if this helps you or not. It would be easier to take a text and show you than to explain it in the abstract. But don't disparage the foundation and motivation for obedience to those 'rules'. After all, the gospel is to be the focus of all we do. And we can never hear it enough.

 

[willisadair]

If all you get is what you said then that is a wonderful place to start. How marvelous it is to really sit and think about how we can actually live righteously. That is the focus of James living righteously in Christ and not by the law. When you are really alive in Christ, James tells us that it shows up in our actions. This early church wasn't living it.

Have you thought about using the TULIP acronym as a guide to see Jesus in the scripture. Let's take a verse from James and apply it. I will use James 1:13 because its the first verse that comes to my mind.

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.


Total Depravity: Jesus, James tells us that you, the Father, and the Spirit do not lead us into temptation. Yet I am tempted all day long. I want to sin. I am a wretched man. I want to blame you for my sin. Why have you not delivered me from this pit of evil that is around me. This culture is evil Lord why did you put me at this moment in time?
Unconditional (Particular) Election: Jesus, you tell us also that you have bought us with a price but you did not do it because you saw anything in me that made me lovely to you before my salvation. I was your enemy yet you chose to shed your mercy and grace on me. How amazing Lord your love is for me. How can I understand the depths of your love when I am tempted to sin against you yet you do not hold it against me?
Limited Atonement: Jesus, you were despised, rejected, abused, spat upon, degraded, and murdered because of your unfathomable love for me. YOU LORD DIED FOR ME! HOW CAN THIS BE? Your mercy O' Lord is to great for me to ponder. Your love oh, Lord is to much for me.
Irresistible Grace: Yet, O Lord as I am tempted to wander away I know that you are my Shepherd and I shall not want. You leave the multitude for me and save me. Your grace is beyond measure.
Perseverance of the Saints: Lord on my own I will fall by following my own sinful wicked heart and sin. Yet, you Lord are Christ Victorious! You have conquered sin and bought me with a price and by you I can resist temptation. I trust you Lord that I can rely on your steadfast love and faithfulness that you will not lead me into temptation. Jesus you are my God and you are faithful. Thank you, AMEN.



I believe this is what Tom Ascol (not Ascal) is trying to get us to do. It is a wise thing to do. The book of James is a wonderful place to start. I do have one point of contention with what you wrote. You seem to imply disfavorably (maybe me I am just assuming this and if so I apologize) that James is just (or primarily) a book of laws. If you are assuming Law as in the sense of the Mosaic Law then you have missed the point of James. As did Martin Luther (and me the first dozen times I read it)! It is more akin to the book of Proverbs than the corpus in the Torah. It is not a stream of rules, it is a fountain for us to draw out the richness of the freedom we have in submission to the words of Christ who gives us his royal law "how we live with others, particularly brothers and sisters in Christ" (James 1:21, 2:1, 2:8). James is a wonderful place to find Christ. He is the direct person everything points to in James.

It is not as easy to find Christ in OT narratives. I think this is why so many in the Church have abandoned our history! Take for example 1 Kings 9:8 "For the whole house of Ahab shall perish: and I will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel." You might not readily see Christ in that passage or narrative or even that book! Yet, he is behind the surface. As C.S. Lewis would say "Aslan (Christ) is on the move." This book shows the great need for a Godly king. It also shows that God will take out evil Kings. In effect that verse teaches at the very least the necessity of the return of the King!

Keep reading and keep asking for God wisdom to help you see Christ (James 1:5, 4:2) in every narritive.

 

[LeeJUk]

nah i didnt mean in terms of mosaic law, i seen through the roman catholic interpretations long ago

thanks guys.

 

[Hippo]

The white horse Inn broadcast of May 17 2009 on "Christ Centered Preaching" is (as always) thought provoking.

White Horse Inn (Dr. Michael Horton) - Broadcast Archives

 

[Tim]

We aren't supposed to look for Christ symbolized in every word -- that will quickly lead to allegory. But Luke 24:44ff makes it very clear that the entire Bible is about Christ, particularly his death, resurrection and church.

Good point, Pastor Brooking. I was just thinking that it is much better to find Christ in the entire sacrificial system, rather than trying to find Christ in the gold plating on the furniture in the Most Holy Place.