Originally posted May 9, 2011, at Both Saint and Cynic. Republished with permission of the author.
If you found this letter tucked away in the pages of an old Bible, what would you make of it?
12/3
Dear Pat,
Do you remember that place by the lake — the one we visited back when Sam was in so much trouble? I visited it again last week. It hasn’t changed a bit, except that the old German woman is gone, of course. Being there made me think of you. The place seemed smaller, somehow, and lonelier.
As ever,
Jim
Is Pat male or female? What is Pat’s relationship to Jim? What kind of trouble was Sam in? Was it legal, financial, medical? When was this letter written? Where was Jim when he wrote it? Where was Pat? What clues does the letter furnish that might help answer any of these questions? What more information might you need?
This letter is what scholars call a “high context” document. It assumes a great deal of shared knowledge between author and reader. Outsiders can speculate about the letter’s meaning, but, without more information, they cannot draw many firm conclusions.
There are high context letters like this one tucked away in the pages of every Christian Bible. They are the Epistles of Paul.
When we read Paul’s letters we are outsiders. Paul and his intended audience had a pre-established relationship. They shared some common history and common knowledge that are not spelled out in detail. Sometimes Paul’s meaning may be clear to us, but very often we are left to speculate.
When we read the letters of Paul, we are reading someone else’s mail. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t read Paul’s letters. Nor does it mean that we can draw no meaning from them.
It does mean, however, that we should recognize that we are often left to speculate about the Apostle’s meaning, and we should always be a little hesitant to draw firm conclusions.
Find a link to Brant Clements’ blog Both Saint and Cynic at Lutheran Blogs.
This isn't entirely correct, especially the "firm conclusions" part. We do share one really important thing in common with Paul: Jesus Christ's death and resurrection as the one and only source of our salvation. That is how we can understand what Paul is saying, and why we can draw some "firm conclusions" about what the Apostle is saying.
Luther said that scripture is so simple a child can understand it. This article seems to say that only experts -- those with the correect gnosis (knowledge) --can interpret the Bible. If Paul was the author, that might be true. But the Holy Spirit is the real author, and He does not hide anything from us necessary for our salvation.
Brant, I love your insight and your analogy.
Peter, which blog is yours?
If I kept a blog, I'd never get anything done. One piece of mine was in Seeds of the Parish (see http://www.livinglutheran.com/seeds/does-science-cross-with-faith.html ). My theology is heaviliy informed by that of the retired Seminex professor Ed Schroeder and the Crossings Community. Ed keeps something of a blog, available at: http://www.crossings.org/thursday/2011/default.shtml
Peter: I never claim to be "entirely correct." :-)I think that your reply compliments my post. Of course there are firm conclusions to be drawn. I only advocate a measure of humility in interpreting texts that were written in a foreign language, in a different time and culture, to a people with a different world view.
Thanks all for your comments.
Chemnitz: I have written a lengthy reply to your comment over at my blog.
http://saintandcynic.blogspot.com/2011/06/children-and-phds.html