Vasta N. Kamara

THE BIBLE IS NOT A DEVOTIONAL

N.T Wright in his book Scripture and the Authority of God puts into perspective the place of the old testament scripture within the Christian church beginning with the time of Jesus.

Wright in the first chapter brings to light the fact the the bible gets its authority from God and therefore the bible minus God has no authority in itself. He also talks about how the bible is a story that we can individually relate with and not a rule book. The scriptures in the bible not only convey a message but are God’s avenue to work in us and through us. I agree with Wright when he says that through the scripture God is continually revealing himself to and within the world that he has made.

The next chapter on Israel and God’s Kingdom people, N.T Wright describes scripture as a record of God’s response to evil and suffering in the world with the stories of God and his people Israel. It is through these experiences and stories that we see the establishment of the kingdom of God and the establishment of God’s kingdom purposes here on earth. Scripture is therefore not just a reflection of stories of what happened but a continued voice of God to us and a call to obedience. I totally agree that indeed God continues to speak to us through the scriptures and that is the only way one can explain an old testament story or word being alive and an inspiration today.

In this chapter three Wright brings Christ into the picture as the one who came to fulfil what the law had failed to accomplish. Jesus offered to God the obedience through which the Kingdom would be accomplished thereby breaking the stronghold over sin and establishing God’s Kingdom on earth. Unfortunately we have not embraced the finished work of Christ and as a result have continued to put scripture between God and us and between us and others.

Chapter 4 The word of God in the apostolic church

Here we see the approach of the early apostolic church to scripture. The old testament was the core of a book of a people being transformed. NT Wright says “…the New Testament understands itself as the new covenant charter, the book that forms the basis for the new telling of the story through which Christians are formed, reformed and transformed so as to be God’s people for God’s world.”

 

Chapter 5 is on the first sixteen centuries. What stands out in this chapter are the four senses of scripture  interpretation that Wright describes.

1. The Literal which refers to how the writers understood what they were recording.

2. The Allegorical where Christians discovered or imputed “Christian” elements in non-Christian verses.

3. The analogical sense which is a way of discovering in the text a picture of the future life

4. The moral sense which is a way of discovering lessons on how to behave hidden within the texts which were not straight forwardly teaching such a thing.

Wright in this chapter makes a crucial point about how we have made scripture a mere feel good devotional document or rule book stripping it of its authority and this has left us with lasting problems.

We therefore should stop trying to prove scripture looking for revelations and remember that scripture is supposed to be transformational in all aspects of life. Let it do its work.

Chapter 6 The challenge of the enlightenment

Wright acknowledges the fact that everyone values enlightenment ways of thinking and therefore does not dismiss enlightenment thinkers. He however notes some of the abuses and some of the goals of enlightened thinkers who sought to undermine the Bible. His emphasis here is on finding a balance.

Chapter 7 Misreading of scripture

Here Wright presents two categories, Right and Left and their misreadings:

The right politically referring to the conservative evangelicals. Then the left who are the philosophical, relatively speaking, rationalistic side. Each of these sides reacts to the other in various ways which creates major problems.

Chapter 8 How to get back on track

Scripture's authority is only present when it is used correctly and that is to fulfil the church’s mission. He noted that the authority isn't in telling people what the bible says but in understanding the scriptures. It is in formation of mind and community. 

 

I will conclude by saying that it has been very enlightening to reading the book scripture and the authority of God because in so many ways Wright flashed the beam lights at a number of areas in my life. I was reminded of the reality that the bible is not just a devotional book that i pick up and read to tick a box or to look for revelations but that the scriptures are actually God breathed and have authority. Authority to cause the transformation that God has intended them to cause in me and through me.

I should therefore drop the mentality of working the scriptures in me and finding hidden meanings or revelations and let God work in me through the scriptures.