The Bible - Tell It, Live It

We use the Bible in many different ways. Some may read it for the stories it contains. Others may appreciate it as literature. We may choose to meditate upon its verses and take God's words to heart. We may study it to learn what God has done and will do for His world. We may select texts in the Bible to fit our own ideas or we may come to God's word humbly, and learn if we are wrong.

At a recent conference two sessions were devoted to our use of the Bible. One was 'telling the Bible', the other was 'doing the Bible'. 'Telling' the Bible meant communicating the message of the Bible to others. 'Doing' the Bible involved letting the words in the Bible have an effect on our actions each day

God is not limited to the Bible in the way He speaks to us. He may speak through our Christian brothers and sisters, or through our leaders and their teaching and example. He may speak through circumstances, or even through other people who do not share our faith. God's Spirit may speak to us direct in our time of need. But if the teaching and example in the Bible is to profit us, we need to know about it, that it is there. We need to think it over, to 'read, mark, learn and inwardly digest'. We need to remember its words, and call them to mind, which may mean we should memorise verses or passages.

What follows is based on some of the thoughts which were shared in the conference sessions.

'Telling' the Bible.

This does not refer to telling people about the Bible, though this is something which has to be done, for in many places the Bible is not known, or it is not understood. Telling about the Bible is a subject in itself, but what we are thinking of here is communicating what we find in the Bible.

Of course, people ought to read the Bible for themselves. However, simply reading the Bible may not be enough. The days when in Britain children were taught to read the Bible as part of learning to read have gone. It may not be very practical to give someone a Bible and say 'read this', even if one points out a particular place to read. Some people are not attracted to reading, even if they know how. For them, to hear the Bible read aloud may be a possibility, but this implies attracting someone to the place where the Bible will be read (unless you are reading to him or her personally). There may be the difficulty whether 'Bible language' will be understood. It may be necessary to explain as you go along.

When the Bible is to be 'told' rather than just read, there is the danger of not being faithful to what it actually says. Here are some guidelines for those doing the telling: Telling should be accurate, not altering facts, or distorting the context. It should be authentic, keeping to the spirit of the original - not, for instance, telling a solemn incident in a jokey manner. And the telling necessarily has to be accessible, using language that the hearers will understand and is not 'above their heads'.

Of the various methods of 'telling' the Bible, which one is used will depend on circumstances, and the person or audience being 'told'. Is it a child, or a student, or a workman or a philosopher? Is the objective to tell about Jesus and what he did on earth, or to point out what is the Bible's moral teaching, or to say that God has a plan? In whatever way we approach telling the Bible, we must be clear and understandable, and most of all have a thoughtful love for the person listening.

One method, as just mentioned, is simply to read the Bible aloud, and let it speak for itself. This would suit well for such passages as Psalm 23, but might not work well for some of Paul's complicated arguments or for any passage which is difficult to understand. If you have to keep on stopping for explanations, you may lose the thread of the passage.

An alternative is to tell the Bible narrative in one's own words. Depending on the hearer, it may be necessary to expand the narrative so as to remove the need for explanations. On the other hand, for children one may need to simplify. Take care not to distort what the Bible is saying.

If the Bible speaks of something which is outside people's experience, it can be helpful to think of something within their experience which may teach the same lesson. For example, a version of the Good Samaritan could be told with a clergyman, a teacher and an immigrant in the roles of the Priest, Levite and Samaritan in Jesus' story. While this method can serve a purpose, take care not to give the impression that one is literally telling the contents of the Bible.

A method which goes one step beyond telling in one's own words, is to use a video or film. In so doing you are telling the Bible through someone else's eyes and ears, and it is particularly important to check out the presentation first before using it, so as to be satisfied that it is accurate to the Bible story or teaching, authentic in its spirit, and will not convey a wrong impression.

Much the same applies to Bible songs. For example, there is a children's song, "Peter and John went to pray, they met a lame man on the way. He asked for alms and held out his palms, and this is what Peter did say: 'Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!' He went walking and leaping and praising God...." (Acts 3.1‑8) This consists entirely of the words of scripture, altered just a little so as to fit a catchy tune, telling just the basic story of the miracle without the subsequent consequences recorded in Acts. So it seems good for the purpose of telling children the Bible story in an easy to remember form.

A different children's song goes like this: "The Lord told Noah there's gonna be a floody, floody... get those children out of the muddy, muddy... The Lord told Noah to build him an arky, arky, build it out of gopher barky, barky...." and so on. The animals came in by twosies, it rained and poured for forty daysies and drove the animals crazy, the sun came out and dried up the landy, so everything was fine and dandy... So " rise and shine and give God the glory, glory, children of the Lord." This song goes with a swing and is great fun to sing - for those who already know the correct Biblical story of the flood. But it glosses over the flood as a fearful destructive event, and it leaves a lot out. (Gen.6,7,8) Bible songs, in their right place, are a great blessing, but beware!

Another method of telling the Bible is by acting a sketch or short play (this is something different from the more extended versions to be seen on TV). A lot of the sketches that one encounters nowadays are rather like the parables that Jesus told, stories, not necessarily factual, that make a particular point. They are based on the Bible, but they 'tell the Bible' in only a general sort of way. Rather different was the attempt over fifty years ago by J B Phillips, the translator, to tell the gospel story in twenty six short plays. [Published 1959 as 'A Man called Jesus'] These were written for the BBC with children in mind. It is interesting to notice how the writer was setting out deliberately to 'tell the Bible', and met the problems involved. There were problems of selection - what stories to include, which to leave out. There were problems of imagination in turning a chapter of the Bible into a play - to put Jesus' sayings into a setting where people said all sorts of things which are not recorded in the scripture, but which they might realistically have said. Understanding character, and reproducing the words people are recorded as saying, but why did they say it, and in what tone of voice? For example, in telling the story of Zacchaeus, the criticism of consorting with him is put into the mouth of Judas "Master, this man is the biggest swindler of the lot. Surely you're not going to stay with him! Why, people don't even speak to him unless they have to!" Then the words Jesus used to explain his actions are expanded: "Remember, all of you, that whatever he has done, Zacchaeus is as truly one of God's people as any one of you. I am entering the house of a man whom you regard as an outsider: and if in your hearts you are criticising me, remember what I have said before: The Son of Man has not come to call the righteous together, but to seek, and to save, the lost." (Luke 19.1‑10) J B Phillips has used a certain dramatic licence, but one feels that his work is accurate so far as it goes, and the picture he gives is authentic, true to the biblical background and the characters of those involved. Whether his plays are as effective in communicating the gospel today as they were fifty years ago is an interesting question. A contemporary comment on them was 'The great value of these plays is the writer's purpose, namely that children should see and hear and feel for themselves, without prejudice or unreality, the kind of people who played their part in the world into which Jesus came, their response to him, and Jesus himself as he appeared to them and made himself known to them.'

The objective for all of us in telling the Bible must surely be to bring people 'face to face' with Jesus.

'Doing' the Bible

The Bible is there to be acted on. 'Don't just listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says! Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and straight away forgets what he looks like.' (James 1.22)

The Bible can help us learn how to live. 'All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly prepared for every good work.' (2 Timothy 3.16) 'Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.' (Colossians 3.16)

God writes his story in the Bible. We read God's story in the Bible. We start putting it into action. God carries on writing his story in our lives.

It is easy to say, 'This is what the Bible says. So do it.' If we are going to obey the Bible just like that, without question, we need to be very sure that the Bible is actually saying what we think it does. We also need to be sure that the words in the Bible do apply to our own situation. It is wise to study very carefully what the Bible is saying.

As an example of careful study, take the example of what it says about being kind. No one would doubt that we should be kind, but by studying the teaching about kindness, we may find this quality growing in us.

There is a lot of kindness about in the story of Boaz, Naomi and Ruth. 'Then Naomi said to her two daughters in law, "May the Lord show kindness to you as you have shown to your dead and to me." (Ruth 1.8) Boaz.... "The Lord bless him!" Naomi said, "he has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead. This man is one of our kinsman redeemers." (Ruth 2.20) Boaz said to Ruth, "The Lord bless you, my daughter. This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier." (Ruth 3.10) Seeing the kindness shown in this story is an example to us.

Peter said (Acts 4.8‑10) "Rulers and elders of the people, if we are being called to account today for an act of kindness to a person who cannot walk, then know this: it is by the name of Jesus that this man stands before you healed." Showing God's kindness is more than just being nice!

Paul said (2 Cor. 6.4‑10) 'Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance, in troubles, hardship and distress; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; through glory and dishonour, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; sorrowful. yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing and yet possessing everything'. This for us is a challenging example - kindness when under pressure.

Paul wrote to the Colossians (3.11‑14) 'Here there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, Barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and in all. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these other virtues, put on love which binds them all together in perfect unity. v.15, Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.' Kindness is part of a way of life, a set of virtues to develop, a discipline to adopt.

The Bible gives us examples that instruct us and inspire us. It gives us practical advice. It challenges us and sets out to persuade us. It tells us stories which intrigue us and engage our feelings, to think what we would do or how we would feel. It offers us a way of life, a new set of values that help us to work out our salvation. It offers us a new source of motivation, remembering, guidance and strength, the Holy Spirit. It introduces us to Jesus, who calls us to follow Him.

So what one thing are you going to take from what the Bible tells us today?
ACJ