Scripture references?
Posted on March 27, 2008
Filed Under bible |
I’ve been thinking about the idea that talks, or sermons, or other kinds of verbal instruction or encouragement, need to be peppered with actual Scripture references, as in the book, chapter, and verse numbers. I don’t agree with this idea. I think sometimes people go crazy inserting these references until all I’m hearing is a bunch of numbers instead of God’s truth presented uniquely through one of his children. This might sound snarky, but if all someone is going to do is quote the Bible, or worse yet, just give a list of references, I might as well stay home and just read it for myself.
I wonder what others think (that would be you) about that. I will be giving a talk soon that focuses on God’s truth. It never really occurred to me to insert Scripture references or quote Scripture directly. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot of Scripture in it, it’s just mostly my paraphrase. When I asked for feedback, one of the (anonymous) comments most frequently given was that there needed to be more Scripture references in it. I’m not a big fan of pulling out a verse here and a verse there to prove my point - I honestly prefer to take Scripture as a whole as I discern the character and nature of Jesus, and I think it is more important that Jesus is in my teaching than Scripture references. Maybe there is a great reason for putting in Scripture references, though, and I am missing it.
So what do you think, do you need Scripture references in your teachings, or is truth just truth?
Comments
6188 visits, 24 today
Powered by FireStats
“Come, let us proof-text each other.”
I prefer translations without verse numbers, which are a pretty recent invention anyway (which is why I think people who do all the hocus pocus phoney baloney numerology based on Bible chapter and verse numbers are hysterical - but I digress).
I think you can mention “As Paul said in his second epistle to the church in Corinth” and leave it at that. If people are familiar with their Bible, they’ll know, and if they’re not, it’ll make them go read the whole letter, so they get the whole thing in context and then can decide whether you were taking what was said in context as well. Chapter-and-verse-quoting leads too much to proof-texting IMHO, and that’s a Bad Thing, because out of context I can find a verse to support pretty much any old statement, correct or not, that I would want to make.
I’ll second Jim on the scripture-quoting tactic.
At Sunday School, I sometimes felt like I was being attacked with scripture rather than hearing it used to support someone’s argument.
When I recently read through a book designed to aid me in midlife, God’s name and God’s Holy Spirit seemed all through the book, but I don’t remember one scripture reference. However, the references sprang into my mind.
As a former journalist, I see how someone would try to boost credibility by including God’s Word, but any good thing can be taken to extremes. I side with your view that it isn’t always necessary.
For years I was the fast gun in knowing the ’scriptures’ better than most, and it seemed to come in handy as a pastor, BUT, I was wonderfully awakened through much consternation that in fact although knowing the scriptures, I did NOT know the Word!
It seems now because of this growing intimacy with the Word, He in his interacting in and with me, when He speaks, makes his heart/mind known to me, more often than not, a scripture just seems to pop into my mind.
Somehow in this deepening experiential knowing of Him, the scriptures have so much more interest to me now.
I like something I read recently, they said how in their opinion folks weren’t silly enough to worship the law written on stone anymore, but were overly fascinated with a paper gospel.
Its funny how anything can become a substitute for just Him.
Rich
I think you should quote scripture when it makes sense to.
If that sounds obtuse, I don’t mean for it to!
Jim Grey: that makes sense to me, maybe I am obtuse. hmm.
Rich: I have found it interesting to think “Jesus” whenever I read “the word of God” and see how that fits. Thank you so much for your insights re: paper gospel
Sam: it does seem like if we’ve read the Bible, then when we hear those truths coming from somewhere else, we could recognize them as scriptural without having the numbers.
Jim Lehmer: proof-texting is alive and well in churches all over this country. we can prove anything with some verse, can’t we? I find that maddening, yet I have done it.
There really is a balance here, as in all things. As a Christ-follower, Scripture is the basis for my “talk,” sermon, lexcture, or I’m just another person standing up there wasting people’s time with my opinion about life. Scripture is my authority…but it can be presented in the talk in different ways without quoting it endlessly in the King James Version, verse by verse.
As to giving the references, I often sat in the audiece, being the hungry reciever, speaker quoted or paraphrazed a verse, but never giving the verse, and I wanted so much to have it because it as it applied to my life at the moment. You never know what the audience needs.
In recent days it has struck me how in-offensive we Christ-followers try to be. We will go out of our way to NOT to sound like Christians. In my conversations with Mormons, they have no problem quoting the Book of Mormon. Jehovah Witnesses, the works of Joseph Smith. A follower of Islam will quote the Quran without hesitation. Perhaps we have forgotten that Christ “has not given us the spirit of timidity; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (1 Timothy 1:7)
Funny how we will boldly proclaim our liberty from the legalist-controllers in organized religion, yet our bravdo fizzles in the real world who watches the substance of our lives, not just the words we speak or scriptures we toss around.
Hey Dave,
I appreciate your perspective. I guess Jim Grey put it pretty succinctly when he said something like, quote scripture when it makes sense to do so.
Still, I have to be totally honest and say that I have no desire to sound like a Christian anymore. I just want to follow Jesus and perhaps one day sound a bit more like him. I’m fairly repulsed and offended by Christianity.
I have no desire to be like other religious types who quote their books but have no life inside them.
I do think that we have elevated the bible to divinity and made a god out of it. What Jesus has to say to us is more important than scripture. We search the scriptures to learn about God but we refuse to go to Jesus to receive life. Scripture becomes just another barrier.
Thanks for the thought provoking comment, Dave.
Hey Tina. I don’t think that I have ever really given it much thought before today.
I do sometimes feel there is lack of scripture reference in some talks, sermons,speeches…whatever you want to say. But then sometimes I feel people boast by including excessive amounts of scripture…almost as if to say look how much I know. I suppose I should give it more thought. Thanks.
Jess
I don’t agree with pulling scripture quotes into teachings just for the sake of having scripture there. I often find that when I am writing a blog that I am led to read certain passages that pertain to what I am trying to say.
If I feel that God is leading me to read these passages and they are relevant to what I am saying then I will include them in my post.
I figure it is the only way to keep myself on my toes and make sure what I am saying and feeling aligns with the teachings of Jesus.
Good thoughts, I really appreciate your honesty.
-Melissa
http://www.simplyonelife.org
Jessica, I hadn’t thought about it a lot until recently, either.
Melissa, Thanks for your thoughts about scripture. I think they’re good ones.