1S8-12: How The Early Messianic Church Really Interpreted Scripture

We’ve been discussing the weaknesses of modern Systematic Theology and how it ultimately fails in its attempt to properly interpret Scriptural truth.

So now the question that lies before us is…

“Is there a better model we can use to understand Scripture?”

Well, I’m glad you asked because gosh dang homie, there is!

And it just so happens to be the very way that ancient Hebrew scholars and the first generation of Messianic believers interpreted the Bible.

Using this method, you can discard the 3000 or so denominational and dogmatic walls the Christian world has built up over the centuries.

Again, the problem with modern systematic theology is that it allows for only one best answer to each categorical question dealing with such complex matters like is the Law for gentiles or not, eternal security and the deity of Yeshua and so on.

The Bible was NOT created to be interpreted in that way.

Anyways, let’s move onto a better approach

Take a look at this picture below.

What have we got here?

Well, it’s a sheep pen.

Notice how a pen has four corners and there’s northern, southern, western and eastern boundaries.

Notice also how a pen allows for a lot of freedom of movement to operate in.

Now compare that to a wall that only has 2 sides.

With the wall model, you’re either in or you’re out.

Or you’re a believer or a damned heretic.

Again, this is Orthodoxy versus Heresy in action.

On the other hand, a pen gives any farm animal dwelling within it a lot of latitude to move from one end of the fold to another without being considered an “illegal immigrant” or a “heretic”.

It can move from the bottom corner to the top corner and everywhere in between.

As long as the animal stays within boundaries, it is safe.

If we have a group of sheep inside the pen, some of them might prefer one particular spot over another…

Because they all aren’t going to have the same tastes and preferences…

Just like some humans prefer avocado burgers with salsa and others prefer artery-hardening cheeseburgers with ketchup and mustard on them.

So in a nutshell, that’s the model I wanted to introduce to you.

Instead of putting up dogmatic walls where they aren’t necessary, let’s use the model of a sheep pen instead.

Now for those who object, ask yourself the following question.

“How in the heck can there be so many conflicting and opposing opinions on different theological topics among the most educated Bible scholars on the planet?”

Take the issue of the deity of Yeshua for example.

A trinitarian denomination will point to a set of verses that will indeed seem to support their view.

But when they take the “my verses are better than your verses” approach, you know what they’ve done?

They’ve just unconsciously erected a wall inside the theological sheep pen that blocks other verses which speak otherwise from entering into their minds.

This is precisely how religious dogmatism forms in the mind of man.

The “my verse is better than your verse” approach is the PERFECT example of “Orthodoxy & Heresy” in action.

That’s why we’ve got a Christianity today that operates more like a religious vending machine that pops out these ridiculous and rigid soundbites in response to what are actually quite complex theological questions.

This black-and-white systematic theological approach to Scripture has only resulted in two things.

FIRST, it has retarded our spiritual growth.

SECOND, it has created disunity where there should have been unity and as a result has broken down the fellowship between believers and especially between Jew and gentile.

Anyways, it’s one thing to explain a concept.

It’s quite another thing to apply it…

Which is what I’m gonna do the next time we meet.

I’m going to apply the sheep pen model to a couple of so-called non-negotiable doctrines the church has foisted upon the minds of mankind and see what we come up with.

See ya all next time.