A simple faith or a simplistic theology? Part 3

This is the final part of my brief introduction to how  I perceive the Bible. It is my ramblings and I make no claim to authority.  I suggest all readers of scripture should concentrate on the text and context and not unthinkingly parrot uncritically the opinions of theologians and preachers.

So far I have considered the Old Testament to be open to different interpretations and that the Christian interpretation has been read back into it. The Old Testament cannot be read as pointing to Jesus to the exclusion of all other interpretations.

I have noted the centrality of the two Great Commandments to our understanding of Jesus. Now I move on to looking At the work of Paul as outlined in the Book of Acts and Paul's letters.

 Paul emphasises the divine nature of Jesus. Jesus is the Christ.  Paul makes it clear that being a Christian (note the term postdates Paul) is a complete break from Judaism. It is a separate faith and does not require adherence to any of the customs, practices or laws of the Old Testament or Judaism. In keeping with the second Great Commandment it is open to all, Jews and Gentiles, men and women.

Paul's letters were to individual churches and contain a mixture of encouragement, admonishment, advice and education. However I believe it is a mistake to elevate Paul's statements to one of equal status to those of Jesus. In my opinion where there is tension between the views of Paul and Jesus the latter must prevail always.

We must uderstand the context of Paul's letters. His audience was the church to which a letter was addressed and therefore should be read in that context and also with due regard to the societies of his time. Thus slavery and the inferior status of women is not condemned as it is today. We read Paul accordingly and not literally (although some churches do not recognise the equality of women).

In these short pieces I have attempted to state very briefly what I consider to be a biblical interpretation that is easy to understand and to outline a theology that places the emphasis on the centrality of Jesus. We must escape from the albatross of bible literalism which can and does distort the meaning of Jesus by its insistence that all the Old and New Testament is of equal importance and unerringly true. It isn't. There has to be discernment.