Valiant for Truth - Revelation

A recent story appeared on the web about an image of "Jesus" appearing on a Walmart receipt. You can find the story and image here. No one wants to question the sincerity of the couple who believe God blessed them. But is it impolite to ask the question, How do they know it's Jesus?

No sooner after worship on the Lord’s Day do we leave our sanctuaries that we find ourselves rubbing shoulders with unbelievers who may ask us for the reason of the hope that lies within us. Others (sometimes believers) may challenge our basic, orthodox beliefs. Are we as church leaders prepared to offer biblical responses? Are God’s people equipped to give proper answers?

In The Word of God for the People of God, J. Todd Billings provides a grounded and carefully argued case for the importance of a theological interpretation of Scripture. With the breakdown of the Enlightenment and the myth of the autonomous interpreter, Billings asserts that all readers come to texts with assumptions and their own preunderstandings. 

In the last blog entry I said that I would recommend several primary sources for the history of Christian exegesis. The history of biblical exegesis has been as varied as the church’s history has been. So any recommendations I make do not necessarily reflect my own theological views; nor does the following list claim to be comprehensive or a complete representation of the diversity of church’s interpretation of Scripture.

The sufficiency of Scripture is closely related to the inspiration and authority of the Bible. When we speak of the inspiration of Scripture, we refer to the fact that the various books of the Bible have their origin in the will of God. The books of the Bible have been breathed forth by God the Holy Spirit through the agency of human writers (2 Timothy 3:16).