The Supra-cultural Message of the Bible

As I dug into my studies this week after a brief break, I found that one of the themes I've encountered repeatedly over the previous two years kept coming back. That is the idea that the Bible - both the Old and New Testaments - has a relevant message for every people group in every place and culture of every time period of the world. It's the "supra-cultural" message of the Bible.

Grasping this gives us a little insight into why some things are left unanswered. Creation, for example, is presented in a way that is meaningful to an aboriginal bushman who looks up at the stars and wonders where they came from, as well as to a scientist who sees in the archaeological record distinct periods of time and the astronomer whose knowledge of deep space convinces him of design, not randomness. The basic story of creation is relevant to all cultures.

Another example: the Word of God tells us that God designed marriage to be a picture of Christ and the church, but doesn't spell out how we are to select a mate (other than specifying we should be equally yoked). Bible heroes had arranged marriages (Isaac and Rebekah), women were occasionally assertive (Ruth!), some appear as a partnership (Priscila and Aquila). Marriage is honorable, but we aren't told how to make it happen - so this teaching can be applied equally in all cultures.

Scripture also contains an answer to a supra-cultural mystery: evil, destruction. In all societies, we see so much potential alongside so much self-destruction. The Mayans with their calendars more advanced than ours practiced human sacrifice. Brilliant minds can still be evil minds. Destructive forces seem to be at work even in our plants as anyone who has seen a blighted crop can attest! The specifics vary, but the fact remains: This world is not perfect, even though it was created as good. What happened? Without a theological degree we can easily grasp the message of Genesis 3: man was tempted and sinned, and the result was death. Man's work became challenging; obstacles were in the way from that point on. Simple fact: Blight wasn't in the garden of Eden, but it was outside where they were cast away. And Adam and Eve carried with them the blight of sin.

So, this side of the cross, what are we to do? As Scripture unfolds, Genesis 1-11 spell out the problem but the solution is presented in Gen. 12:1-3 - Abram is chosen and told to go and allow God to bless other people through him. Rather than sit with the problem surrounding him, Abram will become part of the solution. As the story unfolds, we see God narrow the choice to a people through whom a Redeemer will come. Promises abound that this Redeemer will make all things right - including a creation that groans to be set free (Rom. 8). But the message is equally clear that, like Abram, we are called to be part of the solution.

Making sure that all people know the real story - not the warped one that was carried throughout the world and led to false belief systems, but the true story of God's original plan and the Redeemer He sent to restore the world to that purpose - is sometimes called "missions". But because of the priorities given in Scripture and the example of Christ, we know that while God cares about the soul, He doesn't ignore the needs of the body. So when we go out to meet those temporal needs, we call it "development" or, if the need is more immediate to a crisis, "relief".

As one reading from last year noted, it's not enough to say that "the church of God has a mission in the world." Rather, "The God of mission has a church in the world." He has a purpose to restore all things to Himself, and we are part of it. Wherever we are, we are called to be involved in God's mission to the world.