TTTMOTC
Brian, over at BeanQuest, has started a series of posts on Things That Turned Me Off To Christianity. One of those things was "terminology" which he said now, looking back, was just "silly." But I don't think it's so silly. What else could possibly explain the seemingly infinite number of Bible translations that exist in the world today? There's no doubt that it presents a huge hurdle for the unchurched. I also struggled with terminology growing up. I still do. This subject deserves more time and attention than I have to give to it right now. But Brian mentioned one particular instance of terminology that struck a chord with me because my friend, Lyn(don), actually wrote an entire sermon about it. And, after re-reading his sermon, I think I'm going to have to start calling him (Brook)lyn. ;-)One of Brian's questions was, "Is He "The Son of God" or "The Son of Man"?"
With Lyndon's permission (in exhange for a small stipend), here are a few excerpts from his sermon (you can read the whole thing here)...
"And aren't nicknames what other people call you? You don't choose your own moniker, do you? Sounds presumptuous. Call me Brooklyn. What is that about? No wonder it fell flat, right? People don't easily latch on to titles they don't own or understand.
Imagine the reactions, then, when Jesus appeared on the scene proclaiming himself to be . . . the Son of Man! The Son of . . . Man. The Son of Man? What does that mean?
As you know, our Advent series is titled, "Here Comes the Son." And we're considering Jesus, the Son of God, the Son of David and the Son of Man. When we very spiritually and pietistically determined who would preach on what topic (we drew lots) and I found out I was preaching on the Son of Man, I got to thinking, "I know very little about that subject."
So this will be a first for me. Maybe a first for you, as well. A freshman encounter with Jesus, the Son of Man. Sorta like a blind date. We're a bit uncertain as to who it is we're going to meet. We sort of know who he's not - a military figure - but do we know who he really is?"
So if terminology befuddles the theologians, should we really be so ashamed to admit that it befuddles us at times too? That's why we call it "Bible Study" instead of "Bible Club."
posted by Gwynne @ 7:36 PM
3 Comments:
Thanks for sharing this-both of you! I'm not one to get hung up on terminology too much, but it's still helpful to have a more complete understanding of terms that aren't quite clear.
I think this is one of the preacher's primary roles...to clarify what the scripture means (and, btw, it can only mean one thing - what the author intended it to mean; although actually understanding that meaning can be a challenge) and then helping the congregation of believers apply that message to their lives. Thanks for allowing some of my thoughts help in the process.
Jennifer, while Brian points out some of the funnier ("sillier") gripes he had with terminology, it can be a serious issue. Which is why we have preachers, indeed. Thanks Lyndon!
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