There are any number of really lame seminary jokes. None more referenced around our school than the old joke that you can have Exegesis, Ixegesis, and JustJesus. For those who might be shaking your head and wondering what that means, it's referring to the fact that there is proper exegesis (what the text actually said), ixegesis (what I think the text said), and JustJesus (I don't care what the text said unless it came from the mouth of Jesus.) These are very common attitudes within the Church. Sadly, those interested in exegesis are the vast minority because, let's face it, it's all about what the Bible means to ME.
If you are a reader who tends to let your Bible study fall away from the proper exegesis and linger on the other two, than I would like to post a word of warning. Not in condemnation, but in a spirit of honesty. Consider the new book Judith of Nazareth, now available from LBI Institute. Why do I mention this book? Because it is a perfect example of what happens when we stop caring what the Bible actually says and instead choose to believe that it was written just for us. Judith of Nazareth is a loose copy of the Gospels with a simple Find and Replace function run. Jesus is now Judith, and several parables have been changed. We now have the Prodigal Daughter. And worst of all, we no longer have the Lord's Prayer. We now have the Lady's Prayer. Virtually all references to any maleness have been eliminated in favor of female language.
The reason? Because the Bible is too patriarchal and women find it offensive. We are told by LBI that this will allow more women to come to God through a new understanding. Now, women will truly be able to understand the Bible. Never mind that Christ's words were nearly heretical in his day, that women received more rights among his followers then anywhere else in the era. Forget that the New Testament is already a virtual compendium of vibrant women. Don't concern yourself with the fact that even the Old Testament has nearly as many brave and bold women as it does men. Women need to be told the story through a truly feminine perspective. But at what cost?
This is an awful example of what happens when we become convinced that we are more important than the text. We allow our own race, sex, disposition, etc to dictate what we will believe rather than the Bible. We are no longer a people of the Book. Instead, we are a people for ourselves who want to make the Book, and God, in our own images. Now you might say, "You're a white male, it's easy for you to say." To which I reply, "Bull." The Bible wasn't written for white men. It was written half a world away by cultures greatly differing from my own. Have too many people tried to make it "white?" Certainly. But there are sections of the Bible that challenge me as much as they do any female. And what do I do about it? I grow up. I let God do what he seeks to do through me and to me. Why? Because the Bible isn't about what I want, it's about God. There is no doubt in my mind that soon enough I will open my Bible again and be challenged by something I read. And the process will start again slowly (so slowly) giving up my will and allowing God to change me. Not the other way around. The call of Christ is to be formed in his image, not to make his image my own. That would be one seriously flawed God.
Those who seek to change God because of their own weakness are false teachers who lead others away from the truth. They have no life in Christ and they have no inheritance in the Kingdom.
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