There has been an ongoing discussion between Scripture and its relation to tradition and how our pre-concieved ideas, church dogmas, and repetition of stories in the Bible and how that effects our understanding of the meaning of Scripture. But let me give a few examples of what we have been taught and does what we believe really come from scripture or a subculture of interpretation and tradition about these texts?
1. Doubting Thomas: Why do we refer to Thomas as "doubting Thomas" when there is only one text that shows this failure? Why don't we call the disciples "betrayers of Jesus" or "denying Peter?" Are we not selecting one instance and universalizing it in this instance and not others who do similar things? If Thomas died a martyers death for Jesus, why do we continue to refer to him as the 'doubter?"
2. The Prodigal Son: The Prodical supposedly squandered his inheritance on wild parties and wild women? But how do we know this? Does the Bible actually say this is what the Prodical son did or is this an accusation by the older brother? If there is so much sibling rivalry here, why take the older brother's word for it? The son surely squandered his inheritance but the biblical text actually does not say how he did it?
3. The inn keeper in the birth of Jesus story: How many times have we heard not to be like the innkeeper who had no room for Joseph and Mary in the Inn. Is the innkeeper a negative or positive model in the biblical text? Most people assume bad but where in the text does it say he was bad? Should the innkeeper throw paying customers out? Did Jewish hospitality demand he go the second mile and provide for this young pregnant couple with the place he did provide? Can it be we have heard the story of the bad and cruel innkeeper for so long that we can't see him any other light?
4. Nicodemus coming to Jesus at night: What about the cowardly and fearful Nicodemus who does not even have the courage to come to Jesus in the day but comes at night. Is there anything in the text itself that says that Nicodemus was cowardly or fearful? Were most meetings held at night and could not the night more show the spiritual darkness of Nicodemus for one who was supposed to have been enlightened? How is Nicodemus portrayed in the rest of scripture? Fearful or brave? Cowardly or courageous?
Do not all of us bring some baggage to the biblical text? Is that what the Bible really says or is it something someone else told us it says?
1. Doubting Thomas: Why do we refer to Thomas as "doubting Thomas" when there is only one text that shows this failure? Why don't we call the disciples "betrayers of Jesus" or "denying Peter?" Are we not selecting one instance and universalizing it in this instance and not others who do similar things? If Thomas died a martyers death for Jesus, why do we continue to refer to him as the 'doubter?"
2. The Prodigal Son: The Prodical supposedly squandered his inheritance on wild parties and wild women? But how do we know this? Does the Bible actually say this is what the Prodical son did or is this an accusation by the older brother? If there is so much sibling rivalry here, why take the older brother's word for it? The son surely squandered his inheritance but the biblical text actually does not say how he did it?
3. The inn keeper in the birth of Jesus story: How many times have we heard not to be like the innkeeper who had no room for Joseph and Mary in the Inn. Is the innkeeper a negative or positive model in the biblical text? Most people assume bad but where in the text does it say he was bad? Should the innkeeper throw paying customers out? Did Jewish hospitality demand he go the second mile and provide for this young pregnant couple with the place he did provide? Can it be we have heard the story of the bad and cruel innkeeper for so long that we can't see him any other light?
4. Nicodemus coming to Jesus at night: What about the cowardly and fearful Nicodemus who does not even have the courage to come to Jesus in the day but comes at night. Is there anything in the text itself that says that Nicodemus was cowardly or fearful? Were most meetings held at night and could not the night more show the spiritual darkness of Nicodemus for one who was supposed to have been enlightened? How is Nicodemus portrayed in the rest of scripture? Fearful or brave? Cowardly or courageous?
Do not all of us bring some baggage to the biblical text? Is that what the Bible really says or is it something someone else told us it says?
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