The reasonable faith in the apostolic witness
So my first point this morning is to just to say that the gospels can still be defended as credible accounts of what Jesus actually said and did. Speculative theology about a “Jesus of history” does not take into account the very real probability that people in the early church would have been more interested to hear from people who were eyewitnesses and who had a proven claim of actually seeing and hearing Jesus. The words of the Jesus’ closest disciples would have been more valued than stories told by anyone else.
So we should not chuck away some of the early accredited tradition that says that a disciple of Jesus (the Beloved disciple) passed on his testimony to others. While the Beloved Disciple may not have written the gospel of John himself, certain well educated people close to him could have written the gospel on his behalf and from what he had taught them. There is also no valid reason to ignore the tradition that the gospel of Mark was written from what Mark heard from Simon Peter, and Mark probably also knew close disciples of Jesus.It is also widely recognised that blocks of Jesus’ sayings and teachings in Matthew and Luke have a common source Q and that much of this material comes from near Galilee could well have arisen from people talking about Jesus teaching even before he died on the cross.
In short; there is still a good basis for faith in the apostolic witness giving rise to the gospels and the teachings of the church, not something made up distinct from the real Jesus. Have confidence that the bible reveals the real Jesus.
Different ways of reading the bible
But now I want to turn to something else, it’s about how we read the gospels and other parts of the bible. It’s about how we get to know ad live the life of Jesus ourselves. There is a way of devotion called the Lectio Divina the “Divine Reading”. We take a passage of scripture, read it and think about it and then pray in response to what we have read.
But one of the insights of modern psychology is that we can all do this differently. Two psychologists David Kiersy and Michael Norrisey proposed four different basic Temperaments that can be related to people’s spiritual preferences and growth. Personality type and temperament applies to what we like in worship and even how we read the bible and grow in our relationship with God. We don’t all see the same things in a given passage of scripture. We don’t all hear the same things from the preacher either!
So let me tell you about the four personality temperaments and how they can affect how we read and use the bible.
Sensing-Judging (SJ)
In the USA SJs make up about 40% of the population but about 50% of church congregations. It’s probably similar here. So maybe about half of you will be SJs
You will focus on the concrete and details of a situation. You tend to like a well ordered liturgy and may appreciate a well ordered time of prayer. You will probably like anything that gives a sense of tradition and continuity. You feel strongly the call of duty and obligation and will want to read about the practicalities of you faith. But when reading the bible you should also use your imagination to think yourself into the story and become one of the characters to whom Jesus speaks. Think yourself into the text and hear what Jesus says to you though that encounter.
Sensing-Perceiving (SP)
SPs make up about 38% of the general population but may sometimes find life difficult in traditional churches.
You’re more impulsive and may not like routine. You don’t like formal prayers and liturgy but prefer to be spontaneous. You delight in the natural world and look for God’s goodness everywhere. You’ll like the brevity and the “get up and go” action of Jesus in Mark’s gospel.
You’ll be very concerned about how you can serve God through practical action. And so you need to listen to Jesus through the readings about how you may better serve God in others.
The Intuitive Thinkers (NT’s)
NTs are only a small fraction of the population so there may not be many here. You prefer the sort of analytical, scholastic and discursive approach with logical thinking. You’ll love the very philosophical discourses in John’s gospel and the passage we had today is “just up your street”. You’ll love the objective truth of Jesus as the One sent from God. When reading a passage you will look for the principles, the laws, virtues, the truths and teachings that are imparted. So when you read the bible reflect on those bits of truth and virtue from different angles. But be careful it does not just become an impersonal exercise. You need to do something in response to what you read, to put the principle into practice.
Finally - Intuitive-Feelers (NF’s)
NF’s make up about 12% of the population.
You will be creative and optimistic. You hate conflict and don’t take easily to negative criticism. You are compassionate and empathic, seeking meaning in everything. You will focus more on the personal relationships in the bible text. Luke’s gospel may be a favourite with Jesus the friend of sinners and the outcast. You need to hear the words of Jesus addressed to you in the text. You need to develop your imagination on how the text can lead you by entering into the picture of the people and circumstances in the stories. How do these relationships speak to you? What do they tell you about how you must grow?
So there – four ways in which me may think and read the bible differently.
You might find bits all these descriptions fit you sometimes, but often one way is more You than the others. The important thing about all this is that we each find ways in which the bible connects with our lives and we make time to make those connections with the world around us each day. We have to allow the voice of Christ to speak to us through what we regularly read. You really do need to pick up the bible each day and spend some time with Jesus in whatever way seems to most suit you. Make sure it is priority ant not an occasional extra.
St Mary's Church, Welwyn