A Curriculum for Being a Faithful Church 4.1
(Developed by the MCBC Faith and Life Committee)
Beginning Well

Take some time for prayer. Ask the same
Spirit who inspired the words of Scripture so many
centuries ago to breathe once more, anew and afresh,
into your work together as you seek ethical guidance
and discernment through our sacred Scriptures.
 Perhaps pray the following:
Our Lord and our God,
now as we study your Word together, fill us with your Spirit.
Soften our hearts that we may delight in your presence.
Sharpen our minds that we may discern your truth.
Shape our wills that we may desire your ways.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.
“Twelve Paths and Six Ditches”
 Since March 2009, Canadian Mennonites have been in
conversation together about how we interpret the Bible
for ethical guidance.
 The title the General Board of Mennonite Church
Canada has given to this multi-year process is “Being a
Faithful Church (BFC).”
 As we’ve been talking about how to read our Bibles well,
we have agreed that we need to try to “stay on the paths
and avoid the ditches.”
 Discernment and feedback received from individuals
and congregations across Canada have been summarized
into the following “twelve paths” and “six ditches”…
Twelve Paths
The life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus are
central and serve as the critical lens of interpretation
that helps us understand all of scripture.
2. Context makes a difference in how scripture is
interpreted, understood, and applied for faith and life.
Context refers not only to the importance of
understanding the time and place out of which
scripture emerged and to which it was addressed. It
also refers to our time and place and how that impacts
our understandings of scripture.
1.
Twelve Paths
3. Scripture already interprets scripture. It is very
important to pay close attention to this inter-textual
interpretation because this already gives us essential
clues in the ways we need to understand how various
passages relate to each other.
4. Jesus also interprets scripture. One response focused
exclusively on trying to understand the “hermeneutics
of Jesus,” (i.e., how the Gospel writers portray the way
Jesus uses and interprets the Old Testament). It is
evident that we can learn much from that in our own
reading of scripture.
Twelve Paths
5. It is important to take the entire canon of scripture as
our base of operations for healthy hermeneutics. The
fact that scripture already interprets scripture compels
us to use the whole of scripture in order to better
understand each part.
6. Scripture persistently hopes that the letters of its words
will become a living word in a world in need of
redemption. This does not diminish the authority of
scripture, but sharpens it and makes it real in our
community and to the world. This pathway indicates
that other sources can illuminate what scripture also
teaches.
Twelve Paths
It is the Holy Spirit who guides the interpretive community
in faithfulness, and in faithfully understanding scripture for
our lives. This means that we must continually open our
hearts and minds to the work of the Spirit within and among
us. Without this, “the text is just black marks on the paper.”
8. Scripture calls us to remember that we are a part of a larger
story of “God’s love affair with the world.” The Gospel’s
command to go and baptize and the invitation to remember
the Lord ’s Supper are prime examples of when we “do not
forget” how God has accompanied us. The yearning to know
God is inseparably connected to “remembering” the story of
God, a story that we now acknowledge as our own.
7.
Twelve Paths
9. “Knowing” is inseparable from “doing,” “hearing” is
inseparable from “acting,” and “praxis [practice] is
indispensible for gnosis [knowledge].” Jesus’
hermeneutic also repeatedly indicates this critical
connection between “works [erga] and faith [pistis].” In
other words, on a hike we need to walk and not just sit
on the path and contemplate the map.
10. Scripture is a “delight” that serves also for devotional
refreshment and daily inspiration. The “delight” of
scripture is even greater when we can hike together
rather than going out on a lone trek.
Twelve Paths
11.
We need to see our interpretive community as larger than the
people we can see around us. The hiking trail we are on has already
been forged by many who have gone before us. They have left
markers on the trail to help those who come after and we will leave
markers for those coming behind us. This does not mean that we
can’t make the trail better, create short-cuts where advisable,
remove obstacles for better mobility, and so on. The interpretive
community extends geographically beyond those in our hiking
group; it is not restricted to our choice of time and schedule; and it
is not constrained by our particular agenda. We must affirm the
critical importance of those on the trail with us at this time – those
who have gone before, and those who are hiking at the same time,
but on trails that may be geographically and culturally distant from
us. The awareness of other hikers should not, however, close our
eyes to the contextual dangers lurking on our hike and the scenic
beauty that may highlight something new for us.
Twelve Paths
12. Jesus is portrayed as “consistently interpreting
scripture in reference to, and with regard for the
needs/realities of “the least” - the most needy and
vulnerable (the poor, the sick, the foreigner/outsider,
women, social outcasts...).” God’s intention through
scripture is to bring wholeness to creation, justice to
the orphans and widows, sight and healing to the blind
and the lame, reconciliation and salvation to the
sinners.
Six Ditches
1.
The desire to keep Jesus central to hermeneutics at
times leads some to disconnect him from his own
scriptural roots (The Hebrew Bible) and his own
social/political context in 1st century Palestine. We
need to avoid both of these ditches and not leave Jesus
without a context.
Six Ditches
2. We should avoid the temptation to set the Old
Testament aside. The Old Testament is part of our
scripture for at least two reasons: i) The New
Testament is grounded in Old Testament language,
images, quotations, and assumptions and therefore the
two Testaments cannot and should not be separated; ii)
The Old Testament speaks to things that the New
Testament may not highlight. “All of scripture
witnesses to God’s revelation.” “Both Testaments carry
a living word of God for us.” “Our task is to attempt to
discern how all of scripture might function as a word
from God to us.”
Six Ditches
3. We need to avoid proof-texting. “Prooftexting is
essentially the use of a text to support or reject a
position without giving sufficient attention to the
meaning and function of that text in its historical and
literary setting in the Bible, and without bringing it
into dialogue with other texts particularly relevant to
the issue.” This definition highlights the importance of
both context and canon for healthy interpretation.
Six Ditches
4. We need to avoid generalizations without having
immersed ourselves in particular texts. This is the
opposite of proof-texting and is equally detrimental to
theological discernment. Some of the most common
generalizations are: “the Bible says,” or “all we need is
love,” or “let’s just focus on justice.” Each of these
generalizations needs to be understood from particular
texts.
Six Ditches
5. “We should not assume that our own context is either
static or normative when interpreting the Bible.” The
Apostle Paul says that “now we see in a mirror dimly...
now I know only in part.” (I Corinthians 13:12). This is
an important reminder that we live in a changing
context, and our understandings are partial.
6. We should not try to subject God to our ideology. The
gift of scripture is that it may challenge rather than
support our preferences.
for Apartheid
and Racial Segregation
A Case for Apartheid/Racial Segregation
Biblical interpretations used to
undergird Christians’ defence of
apartheid and racial segregation in
South Africa and the USA included the
following:
A Case for Apartheid/Racial Segregation
 God’s command to “be fruitful and multiply” included
the separation of the diversity of peoples (Genesis
1:28).
 Path #1o: Scripture is a “delight” that serves also for
devotional refreshment and daily inspiration. The
“delight” of scripture is even greater when we can hike
together rather than going out on a lone trek.
 Read Genesis 1:27-28 devotionally. What about this text
inspires you? Does this apartheid interpretation of
Genesis 1:28 inspire you (rhetorical question!)? Why
not?
A Case for Apartheid/Racial Segregation
 God “fixed the boundaries for the peoples” and “divided
the entire human race” (Deuteronomy 32:8-9). The story
of Babel (Genesis 11) and the creation of different races
was a “high point” in the Afrikaner reading of the Biblical
narrative.
 Path #8: Scripture calls us to remember that we are a part of
a larger story of “God’s love affair with the world.”…
 How do you see the story of Babel contributing to the larger
biblical “love story of God”?
A Case for Apartheid/Racial Segregation
 This fixing of boundaries by God is again reaffirmed in the
New Testament: “[God] allotted ... the boundaries of the places
where they (the nations – ethnos) would live” (Acts 17:26-27).
 Ditch #3: We need to avoid proof-texting. “Proof-texting is
essentially the use of a text to support or reject a position without
giving sufficient attention to the meaning and function of that
text in its historical and literary setting in the Bible, and without
bringing it into dialogue with other texts particularly relevant to
the issue.” This definition highlights the importance of both
context and canon for healthy interpretation.
 Is this interpretation an example of inappropriate proof-texting?
Why or why not?
A Case for Apartheid/Racial Segregation
 Pentecost produced the principle of everyone hearing “God’s
great deeds in our own language” – and this justified separate
racial churches, according to language groups: in South Africa,
an Afrikaans church, an English church, Xhosa, and so forth;
and in the USA, all-white and all-black churches (Acts 2:6-11).
 Paths #3 and 5: Scripture already interprets scripture. It is very
important to pay close attention to this inter-textual interpretation
because this already gives us essential clues in the ways we need to
understand how various passages relate to each other. It is
important to take the entire canon of scripture as our base of
operations for healthy hermeneutics. The fact that scripture already
interprets scripture compels us to use the whole of scripture in
order to better understand each part.
 How would this interpretation change if the rest of Acts (eg. 13:1;
17:10-12) were taken into consideration? How do Paul’s letters (e.g.,
Galatians, Romans 16) and Revelation 5:9 interpret Pentecost?
A Case for Apartheid/Racial Segregation
 The Exodus story was persistently used to describe the
amazing taking of the land in South Africa by the Afrikaner,
who understood themselves to be God’s chosen people of the
Promised Land. In the USA, the Exodus story was used to
undergird the racist doctrine of Manifest Destiny (Exodus
23:30: Numbers 33:55-56).
 Ditch #5: “We should not assume that our own context is either
static or normative when interpreting the Bible.” The Apostle
Paul says that “now we see in a mirror dimly... now I know only in
part.” (I Corinthians 13:12). This is an important reminder that we
live in a changing context, and our understandings are partial.
 How did the Afrikaner and southern USA context shape (misshape!) the interpretation of the Exodus story?
A Case for Apartheid/Racial Segregation
 The unity of slave and free, male and female, Gentile and
Jew was seen as a “spiritual” unity, which continued to
underline the need for physical separation (Galatians
3:28).
 Path #1: The life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus
are central and serve as the critical lens of interpretation
that helps us understand all of scripture.
 How do the life, teaching, death and resurrection of Jesus
unite the spiritual and the physical (rather than dividing
between them)?
A Case for Apartheid/Racial Segregation
 Paul insisted on obedience to the laws of God and of
human beings, with the state as the agent of God
(Romans 13:1-7).
 Path #2: Context makes a difference in how scripture is
interpreted, understood, and applied for faith and life…
 How does the immediate textual context of Romans 13:1-7
(12:9-21 and 13:8-10) help us to interpret this text?
A Case for Apartheid/Racial Segregation
SUMMING IT UP!
 From this study, what have you
learned about the hazards of reading
the Bible for ethical guidance?
 What further questions has this
session raised for you?
A Curriculum for Being a Faithful Church 4.1
(Developed by the MCBC Faith and Life Committee)
Beginning Well

Take some time for prayer. Ask the same
Spirit who inspired the words of Scripture so many
centuries ago to breathe once more, anew and afresh, into
your work together as you seek ethical guidance and
discernment through our sacred Scriptures.
 Perhaps pray the following:
Blessed Lord,
who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
Grant us to hear them, read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them,
that we may embrace and ever hold fast
the blessed hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in our Saviour, Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and forever, AMEN.
for Civil Rights
and Opposing Apartheid
A Case for Civil Rights
and Opposing Apartheid
Biblical interpretations used to
undergird the Christian civil rights
movement in the USA and opposition
to apartheid in South Africa included
the following:
A Case for Civil Rights
and Opposing Apartheid
 The Exodus story reveals how God does not demand obedience to
oppressive rulers. The Israelites, while slaves in Egypt, were led by
God in a social revolt.
 Ditch #2 and Path #12. We should avoid the temptation to set the Old
Testament aside. Both Testaments carry a living word of God for us.
Our task is to attempt to discern how all of scripture might function
as a word from God to us. Jesus is portrayed as “consistently
interpreting scripture in reference to, and with regard for the
needs/realities of “the least”—the most needy and vulnerable...”
God’s intention through scripture is to bring wholeness to creation,
justice to the orphans and widows, sight and healing to the blind and
lame, reconciliation and salvation to sinners.
 The foundational and formative story of the Jewish people is a story
written “from below” by the powerless. In what ways is this important
for the rest of Jewish history? Is this reading an appropriate
application of the Exodus story to our present contexts of social
injustice? Why or why not?
A Case for Civil Rights
and Opposing Apartheid
 God raised up prophets who consistently denounced the
prevailing ethos and social standards of their day, and
who were engaged in civil disobedience (Isaiah 1:17; 20:1-6;
Jeremiah 22:3; Amos 5:11-15).
 Path #9:“Knowing” is inseparable from “doing,” “hearing” is
inseparable from “acting,” and “praxis [practice] is
indispensible for gnosis [knowledge].” Jesus’ hermeneutic
also repeatedly indicates this critical connection between
“works [erga] and faith [pistis].” In other words, on a hike we
need to walk and not just sit on the path and contemplate
the map.
 How does Isaiah 20:1-6 illustrate path #9?
A Case for Civil Rights
and Opposing Apartheid
 There are many biblical stories that turn the spotlight on
the struggle of the poor against violent and oppressive
powers (e.g., the story of Jezebel and Ahab in Naboth’s
vineyard, 1 Kings 21:1-16; Jesus’ story of the Good
Samaritan, Luke 10:25-37).
 Path #5: It is important to take the entire canon of scripture
as our base of operations for healthy hermeneutics. The fact
that scripture already interprets scripture compels us to use
the whole of scripture in order to better understand each
part.
 What other stories can you think of?
A Case for Civil Rights
and Opposing Apartheid
 The book of Daniel contains three key stories of faithful
civil disobedience (Daniel 1, 3, 6).
 Ditch #5: “We should not assume that our own context is
either static or normative when interpreting the Bible.” The
Apostle Paul says that “now we see in a mirror dimly... now I
know only in part.” (I Corinthians 13:12). This is an
important reminder that we live in a changing context, and
our understandings are partial.
 Does our societal context have any connections with
Daniel’s? Is it appropriate for us to relate the actions of
Daniel and his friends to our own context?
A Case for Civil Rights
and Opposing Apartheid
 Romans 13 cannot be read in isolation of Revelation 13.
Governments are not necessarily benign. They can also be
beastly, blasphemous and oppressive.
 Path #3: Scripture already interprets scripture. It is very
important to pay close attention to this inter-textual
interpretation because this already gives us essential clues
in the ways we need to understand how various passages
relate to each other.
 Why do we need to read both Romans 13 and Revelations
13? What imbalances or mistakes in our attitudes toward
governing authorities could result if we would choose to
listen to the exclusion of the other?
A Case for Civil Rights
and Opposing Apartheid
 When faced with a choice between disobeying God or civil
authorities, the choice for Christians is clear (Acts 5:28; see
also Acts 4:19-20).
 Ditch #3: We need to avoid proof-texting. “Proof-texting is
essentially the use of a text to support or reject a position without
giving sufficient attention to the meaning and function of that
text in its historical and literary setting in the Bible, and without
bringing it into dialogue with other texts particularly relevant to
the issue.” This definition highlights the importance of both
context and canon for healthy interpretation.
 Acts 5:28 is the key “civil disobedience” verse in our Bibles. Yet it
is a single verse. So is this a case of proof-texting? Why or why
not?
A Case for Civil Rights
and Opposing Apartheid
 If God makes no distinctions between people of different
races, then neither should we (Exodus 23:9; Romans 10:12;
Gal 3:28). Martin Luther King Jr. was fond of pointing out
how God had created all people from one man (Acts
17:26).
 Path #8: Scripture calls us to remember that we are a part of
a larger story of “God’s love affair with the world.”…
 In what ways does the creation story set the stage for “God’s
love affair with the world”?
A Case for Civil Rights
and Opposing Apartheid
 Jesus willingly laid down his life to redeem people from
every tribe, tongue, people and nation (Revelation 5:9).
Surely this gives equal dignity to all people.
 Path #6: Scripture persistently hopes that the letters of its
words will become a living word in a world in need of
redemption. This does not diminish the authority of
scripture, but sharpens it and makes it real in our
community and to the world….
 Revelation 5:9 is clearly poetic. In what ways can this poetry
become a “living word” to us?
A Case for Civil Rights
and Opposing Apartheid
SUMMING IT UP!
 What have you learned further about
the joys and possibilities in reading
the Bible for ethical guidance?
 What further questions has this
session raised for you?
A Curriculum for Being a Faithful Church 4.1
(Developed by the MCBC Faith and Life Committee)
Beginning Well

Take some time for prayer. Ask the same Spirit
who inspired the words of Scripture so many centuries ago to
breathe once more, anew and afresh, into your work together
as you seek ethical guidance and discernment through our
sacred Scriptures.
 Perhaps pray the following:
Blessed you are, Lord, great God,
for the testimonies of the prophets we bless you.
For the statutes of the prophets we bless you.
For the gospel of Christ and the witness of the apostles
we bless you, O glorious God.
Grant to us the Spirit of your glory
and the brightness of your presence
that we might read your word and understand.
Through Jesus Christ, our gracious Lord. AMEN.
for Christian Support
of State-Sanctioned Violence
A Case for Christian Support
of State-Sanctioned Violence
Biblical interpretations used to
undergird state-sanctioned
“redemptive violence” have included
the following:
A Case for Christian Support
of State-Sanctioned Violence
 In early Old Testament times war was often seen as a “holy
war,” a conflict initiated and led by God (Exodus 17:16;
Numbers 31:3). At times God even declared the destruction of
anything that breathes (Deuteronomy 20:16-17). During these
“holy wars,” God’s people performed sacrificial rites to ensure
God’s continued support (1 Samuel 7:8-10; 13:9). The sacred ark
of the covenant, symbolizing the presence of God, was at times
taken into battle (1 Samuel 4:3).
 Path #5: It is important to take the entire canon of scripture as
our base of operations for healthy hermeneutics. The fact that
scripture already interprets scripture compels us to use the whole
of scripture in order to better understand each part.
 Is it possible for Anabaptist Christians to acknowledge and even
accept the “holy wars” of the early Old Testament times as a part
of the whole story of God and God’s people? What justifies our
saying, “That was then; this is now”?
A Case for Christian Support
of State-Sanctioned Violence
 War is never a good thing, but sometimes it is necessary in a
world filled with sinful people (Romans 3:10-18). How can it be
possible that war was only God’s will in the Old Testament if
God does not change (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17)? And if God is
not against all war, can we say that Jesus is against all war,
when he is always in perfect agreement with his Father (John
10:30)?
 Path #4: Jesus also interprets scripture. One response focused
exclusively on trying to understand the “hermeneutics of Jesus,”
(i.e., how the Gospel writers portray the way Jesus uses and
interprets the Old Testament). It is evident that we can learn
much from that in our own reading of scripture.
 How did Jesus interpret his Bible when it comes to violence (see
especially Matthew 5:38)?
A Case for Christian Support
of State-Sanctioned Violence
 In Old Testament times “sanctuaries” were established to
protect victims of abuse and violence (Numbers 35:11-24;
Deuteronomy 19:1-14). If we are to have sanctuaries in our
culture, these will need to be protected with police and/or
military power.
 Ditch #4: We need to avoid generalizations without having
immersed ourselves in particular texts. This is the opposite of
proof-texting and is equally detrimental to theological
discernment. Some of the most common generalizations are: “the
Bible says,” or “all we need is love,” or “let’s just focus on justice.”
Each of these generalizations needs to be understood from
particular texts.
 In what ways is this point an unhelpful generalization of God’s
provision of those “Cities of Refuge” in the Old Testament times?
What other biblical texts should also be taken into consideration?
A Case for Christian Support
of State-Sanctioned Violence
 The culmination of history is described in militant language with
Christ the conquering commander coming to judge and make war
“with justice” (Revelation 19:11-21). Non-violent and pacifist
strategies must be postponed for a future time when God has finally
put all things to rights. Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount
(Matthew 5:38-48) belong to this future eschatological age.
 Path #6: Scripture persistently hopes that the letters of its words will
become a living word in a world in need of redemption. This does not
diminish the authority of scripture, but sharpens it and makes it real in
our community and to the world. This pathway indicates that other
sources can illuminate what scripture also teaches.
 The militant and violent interpretations that have plagued Revelation
throughout history are largely due to an enormous misunderstanding of
the nature and function of the ancient genre of apocalyptic literature.
How might reading other ancient Jewish apocalypses help us to
understand what Revelation is actually affirming? What other sources
might help us out?
A Case for Christian Support
of State-Sanctioned Violence
 Romans 13:1-7 appears to support the legitimate authority
of government to insist that Christians participate in wars
and conflict. Christians’ responsibility to obey their
authorities who are charged with the protection of their
citizens may include the use of lethal violence through
police and/or military force.
 Ditch #6: We should not try to subject God to our ideology.
The gift of scripture is that it may challenge rather than
support our preferences.
 Is it possible that the reason Romans 13:1-7 is so very popular
among many western Christians is that it seems to affirm
and even justify, rather than challenge, our cultural
ideologies about legitimate violence?
A Case for Christian Support
of State-Sanctioned Violence
 Does Jesus’ commitment to the poor, the marginalized, and
the victims of oppression justify the use of redemptive violence
for the welfare and benefit of victimized persons? The
overturned tables of money-changers in the temple (John 2:1317), some say, is an indication of how Jesus’ wrath against
victimizers is “holy wrath” that justifies extreme, and
potentially violent, measures also from the church.
 Ditch #1: The desire to keep Jesus central to hermeneutics at
times leads some to disconnect him from his own scriptural roots
(The Hebrew Bible) and his own social/political context in 1st
century Palestine. We need to avoid both of these ditches and not
leave Jesus without a context.
 Is Jesus really acting violently in the Temple? Or is this an acted
parable that is rooted in his own Jewish story? What is Jesus
declaring about the Temple, the beating heart of the Jewish
nation?
A Case for Christian Support
of State-Sanctioned Violence
SUMMING IT UP!
 What else are you learning about the
challenges of reading the Bible for
ethical guidance?
 What further questions has this
session raised for you?
A Curriculum for Being a Faithful Church 4.1
(Developed by the MCBC Faith and Life Committee)
Beginning Well

Take some time for prayer. Ask the same Spirit
who inspired the words of Scripture so many centuries ago to
breathe once more, anew and afresh, into your work together
as you seek ethical guidance and discernment through our
sacred Scriptures.
 Perhaps pray the following:
Almighty God, you have spoken to us through your Son.
Let your written Word now be spoken and heard by each of us.
Give us ears to hear and hearts to understand,
that we may not refuse your calling or ignore your voice.
May we all be taught by you through your powerful Word.
Bring our every thought captive to obeying Christ,
to the glory of your holy name. AMEN.
for a Peace (Pacifist)
Church Identity
A Case for a Peace (Pacifist)
Church Identity
Some biblical
interpretations used to
undergird our peace
(pacifist) church
identity are:
A Case for a Peace (Pacifist)
Church Identity
 The holy war tradition of the Old Testament should be
read alongside the voice of Isaiah who suggests that the
Suffering Servant (not King David, Joshua, et.al.) is the
paradigm that best reflects the will of God for his people’s
use of power (Isaiah 40-55).
 Path #4: Jesus also interprets scripture. One response
focused exclusively on trying to understand the
“hermeneutics of Jesus,” (i.e., how the Gospel writers
portray the way Jesus uses and interprets the Old
Testament). It is evident that we can learn much from that
in our own reading of scripture.
 How does the sacrificial death of Jesus open up for us this
new understanding of the “holy war” tradition?
A Case for a Peace (Pacifist)
Church Identity
 The Exodus story suggests that we need to “stand still” and
“see the mighty acts of God” (Deut. 4:34; 5:15; 2 Chron.
20:17), rather than engage in violent revolutionary activity
for the purpose of liberating the oppressed.
 Path #10: Scripture is a “delight” that serves also for
devotional refreshment and daily inspiration. The “delight”
of scripture is even greater when we can hike together rather
than going out on a lone trek.
 Reading devotionally can mean reading from a divine
perspective rather than a merely human-centred point of
view. How does our reading of the Exodus story change
when we read this story to witness God’s deliverance rather
than human beings waging war?
A Case for a Peace (Pacifist)
Church Identity
 The whole of the biblical canon is to be read through
Christo-centric lenses (Luke 24:27; John 5:39-40): namely
that the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus
are the normative paradigm for social, political, and
ethical action.
 Path #1: The life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus
are central and serve as the critical lens of interpretation
that helps us understand all of scripture.
 This path and point are basically identical! What specific
events in Jesus’ life exemplify this? (See, e.g., Matthew
26:50-54; Matthew 21:1-11; Luke 9:51-56.)
A Case for a Peace (Pacifist)
Church Identity
 Ethical guidance should come first and foremost from the key
teachings of Jesus, such as the Sermon on the Mount: “You
have heard that it was said…. But I say to you: Love your
enemies.”
 Path #11: We need to see our interpretive community as larger
than the people we can see around us. The hiking trail we are on
has already been forged by many who have gone before us. They
have left markers on the trail to help those who come after and we
will leave markers for those coming behind us….
 How do we know this principle is correct? What other hikers
throughout history as well as from other parts of the world would
also counsel us to make Jesus’ key teachings central for our ethical
guidance?
A Case for a Peace (Pacifist)
Church Identity
 The baptism/commissioning of Jesus is understood as
clarifying that God’s preferred way is to combine kingship
(Psalm 2: a royal Psalm) with suffering servant-hood (Isaiah
42: a Suffering Servant), as indicated by the voice from heaven.
 Ditch #2: We should avoid the temptation to set the Old
Testament aside. The Old Testament is part of our scripture for at
least two reasons: i) The New Testament is grounded in Old
Testament language, images, quotations, and assumptions and
therefore the two Testaments cannot and should not be
separated; ii) The Old Testament speaks to things that the New
Testament may not highlight. “All of scripture witnesses to God’s
revelation.” “Both Testaments carry a living word of God for us.”…
 What aspects of Psalm 2 and Isaiah 42 become more clear to us
through the baptism and commissioning of Jesus?
A Case for a Peace (Pacifist)
Church Identity
 The temptations of Jesus are understood as refusing the
Davidic assumptions for Messiah-ship; or more strongly
stated, the Davidic assumptions about ruling the nations
is depicted as satanic (Mt. 4:1-11).
 Ditch #1: The desire to keep Jesus central to hermeneutics at
times leads some to disconnect him from his own scriptural
roots (The Hebrew Bible) and his own social/political
context in 1st century Palestine. We need to avoid both of
these ditches and not leave Jesus without a context.
 How do Jesus’ Davidic roots help to inform our
understanding of his temptations?
A Case for a Peace (Pacifist)
Church Identity
 The lengthy and very detailed ethical and life-style
instructions in how to live a life “not conformed to this world”
(Romans 12) are understood as authoritative and normative for
the life of Christians now. Hence, Romans 13:1-7 must be read
in the context of Romans 12 as well as 13:8-10.
 Path #9:“Knowing” is inseparable from “doing,” “hearing” is
inseparable from “acting,” and “praxis [practice] is indispensible
for gnosis [knowledge].” Jesus’ hermeneutic also repeatedly
indicates this critical connection between “works [erga] and faith
[pistis].” In other words, on a hike we need to walk and not just sit
on the path and contemplate the map.
 Romans is usually considered one of the most densely theological
books of the Bible. So the balancing practicality of Romans 12-13
is especially invaluable to us for our own “doing” and “praxis.”
What specific “works” in these two chapters can you identify that
can help us to live a life “not conformed to this world”?
A Case for a Peace (Pacifist)
Church Identity
 “The Lamb that was slaughtered” is the image that best defines
the vocation and “the power of the Lion,” and the only one
“capable of opening the scrolls” of history (Revelation 5).
 Path #7: It is the Holy Spirit who guides the interpretive
community in faithfulness, and in faithfully understanding
scripture for our lives. This means that we must continually open
our hearts and minds to the work of the Spirit within and among
us. Without this, “the text is just black marks on the paper.”
 This path could (and should) be applied to every one of the
points above in each case study. Pray that the Spirit will lift the
words of Revelation 5 off the page, and that the evocative poetry
of this chapter will fire your imagination for peacemaking in the
way and the Spirit of the Lamb.
A Case for Christian Support
of State-Sanctioned Violence
SUMMING IT UP!
 What else are you learning about the joys and
possibilities of reading the Bible for ethical
guidance?
 What further questions has this session
raised for you?
 Please reflect upon the entire study, and don’t
forget to send these reflections to Willard
Metzger (wmetzger@mennonitechurch.ca).