Bible the Most Critical Component of Contemporary Essay

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The most critical component of contemporary Bible studies is making scripture relevant. An ancient text may not seem to have messages that modern readers can understand, but the challenge of reading the Bible with fresh eyes is not insurmountable. In fact, the rewards of reading and applying the Bible are infinite. As McKnight (2008) states, "no one does everything the Bible says," (p. 12). The Bible was written for an ancient audience with specific concepts and stories relevant to them. It is a mistake to read the Bible as if the same social and political realities exist today. Reading to retrieve, as McKnight (2008) puts it, is like taking the easy way out but it will have less relevance and meaning for the modern reader seeking truth. It is both impossible and undesirable to try and squeeze the realities of the post-modern world into the construct of ancient Israel. For this reason, reading with tradition in mind involves retaining core concepts. It means distilling the Bible's essence and distributing that essence to a modern day congregation. Sprinkling the holy water of truth in this manner will mean that young listeners will hearken to the word of God. The Bible will be meaningful only when its essence takes center stage.

Ephesians 3:14-20 is an uplifting passage with universal merit and application. It is a prayer, and a deep meditation, rather than a parable or an admonishment of any kind. As a prayer, the passage is less burdened by anachronism than other Biblical passages. This passage encapsulates the notion that the Bible is all about essence, and not about literal or "fossilized" interpretations (McKnight, 2008).

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul speaks directly to an audience in the ancient social and cultural milieu. Paul was visiting Ephesus on his mission to spread the Word of Christ. Although not technically his people in terms of being from the same background, the Ephesians were a group of open-minded listeners willing to receive the Word of God and apply that to their own lives. During the time Paul spoke, the Roman Empire had expanded deep throughout the Middle East and Asia Minor, where Ephesus was located. The people were exposed to a number of competing pagan gods, and had been for years. Likewise today, Christian listeners and readers of Ephesians are exposed to American television and other distractions that might lead a person astray. Paul's message to the Ephesians remains culturally relevant. Revisiting Ephesians today to a group of open-minded listeners will have the same essential effect.

To best interpret a passage from Ephesians or any other gospel text, Duval & Hays (2012) recommend a multi-step procedure that begins with "grasping the text in their town," (p. 42). Grasping the text in their town takes the reader to Ephesus, where Paul spoke the words contained in what is now the epistle of Ephesians. Ephesus is described as a major "port of entry" to Asia Minor, both literally and figuratively (Herrick, 2004). Paul was here attempting to establish and root Christian churches, to bring the light of Christ to the people. The same dynamic takes place today, but before applying Ephesians to the post-modern world, it is important to grasp the text in the town of Ephesus.

In Ephesians 3:14-20, Paul offers a prayer that the Ephesians can take to heart and use in their daily spiritual lives. The prayer begins with a simple suggestion to "kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name," (Ephesians 3:14-15). In fact, the original Greek word patria (meaning family) is of the same root as pater (meaning father) (Bible Gateway, 2013). God the Father is the primordial seed of the family of human beings; it was so then in Ephesus as it is today. Paul continues to pray "that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being," (Ephesians 3:16). The "glorious riches" referred to are spiritual, not material. When Paul delivered his sermon with this prayer to the Ephesians, it must have uplifted the spirits of his audience just as it uplifts the spirits of modern readers today.

The reason for the prayer, according to Paul, is "so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith." This line is a cornerstone of the passage, as it reveals Pauline theology and philosophy. For one, Christ "dwells" within the heart. To the ancient ear, the concept of God residing in the heart must have dealt a resounding blow to the then outmoded pagan beliefs that Paul was attempting to cast out of the spirits of the Ephesians.

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Moreover, Paul here emphasizes the most important aspect of prayer: faith. Through faith, and faith alone, one attains salvation.

Once faith has been developed, Christ is welcome to dwell within the heart of the petitioner. The petitioner becomes "rooted and established in love," (Ephesians 3:17). Here, Paul draws a symbolic and metaphoric connection between Christ's "dwelling" in the heart of the faithful and the state of being "rooted and established in love." Being rooted and established connote a sense of home. Likewise, to "dwell" somewhere means to live somewhere. Paul is saying, Christ dwells within us, and we dwell within Christ. This is a fundamental theological tenet of Christian faith. It is as relevant today as it was to the ancient Ephesians.

Paul also prays for the people, that they may have "power…to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ," (Ephesians 3:19). The power is, moreover, shared by and among "all the Lord's holy people." That is, all the people who have faith in Christ. In Grasping God's Word, Duvall & Hays (2012) suggest "measuring the width of the river to cross" between the time of the ancients and today. With regards to Ephesians 3:14-20, the width of the river is relatively small. There are few barriers to applying the words of the Pauline prayer to modern life. No significant differences exist in this minds and hearts of Christians then, versus the minds and hearts of Christians now. In Christ, time is meaningless. Faith transcends time. The width, length, height, and depth of Christ's love are as incomprehensible now as they were then. Christ's love is far beyond anything that human beings can comprehend. The Ephesians were as hungry for Christ's love as anyone in any modern congregation. We might be able to read the Bible on our smartphones now, but our hearts and minds have changed little since the time of ancient Ephesus.

Step three in the Duvall & Hays (2012) analysis is crossing the principilizing bridge to apply the essence or spiritual meaning of the text to the lives of modern Christians. In this case, there are few principilizing bridges to cross except the same ones that might have existed when Paul spoke. There will always be doubters in the audience, those who will question the extent or value of Christ's love. Paul is not concerned about doubters in this passage, and neither should we be as we envelop our soul in the richness of Christ's love. Spreading the word of the gospel will help to dispel the doubts that might prevent a person from being open to Christ. The love of Christ "surpasses knowledge," according to Paul (Ephesians 3:19). No amount of intellectual theory or questioning can bring a person to know Christ. Christ's love is only comprehensible in the heart. Being "filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" is a poetic reference to the soul's being nourished by Christ (Ephesians 3:19). The ancient and the modern listener will need to pray, not taking any actual physical action, to understand the importance and relevance of Christ's love. No ritual, no ablution, no religious practice whatsoever is necessary to grasp God's love and dwell with and within the Holy Spirit. Paul continues to pray, noting that God can and will "do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us," (Ephesians 3:20). The words of Paul are esoteric, and many readers from both modern and ancient times might have temporarily struggled to internalize these words. To the ancient mind, ritualism was important as the Bible shows how pagans used idol worship and other means to forge connections with the spiritual world. Their work was for naught, because Christ can only dwell within the soul that is open via faith. Jewish custom and ritual is also unnecessary for receiving Christ's power and love.

Given that the width of the river to cross is small, the principilizing bridge is likewise a short one. The theological principles contained in Ephesians 3:14-20 are linked closely with the principles in the rest of the gospel because the central message is that faith opens the soul to Christ's love. Moreover, Christ's love is literally "immeasurable." One of the prevailing motifs in Paul's prayer is that of measurements. Paul refers….....

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