Identity Theft (1)
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky . . .” Genesis 1:26 NASB
Image – What is the meaning of the word “man”? When I was lecturing in Margate, South Africa, a Black woman in the audience told me that in her tribe a “man” means a married male. Until a male marries, he is a “boy,” no matter what his age. Her statement reminds us that the meaning of a word is found within the culture. There are no “universal” words. Unfortunately, this idea is rarely applied to biblical interpretation, for the simple reason that we think of the Bible as God’s universal proclamation to all humankind. Nothing could be further from the truth, as we shall see.
One of the principles of exegesis is understanding the text as if we were part of the original audience. In other words, we need to know what the words would have meant to the people who first heard them. Most believers realize the necessity of employing this principle, but unfortunately, most believers read the Bible as if it were written to them in their culture and context. They do so because they read through their own paradigm. Words like freedom, atonement, sanctification, deliverance, sin and worship are given meanings according to our culture and context. As a result, without realizing it we reshaped the text to fit the contemporary world.
There is perhaps no better example of this error than the Christian understanding of John 3:16. The words “love,” “world” and “gave” are not understood within the context of first century Judaism. Instead, they are given wider, universal Greek meanings. Love becomes a word about feelings, sympathy, empathy, emotional connection and passion rather than a word describing voluntary obligation toward another at cost to myself. “World” is typically understood as a description of humankind rather than kosmos. We don’t imagine that God has sympathy for rocks and trees and stars and moons. We think God sent His Son for us! And the word “gave” takes on the idea of a free gift, a present under the Christmas tree, rather than an action of enormous cost with inherent, mutually reciprocal obligations. You get the idea. The Bible was not written for us. Until we enter into the framework of the original audience, we will necessarily carry our cultural meanings with us into the text.
For these reasons, I have been bothered by the way that we read the Genesis account of the formation of Man. The account was written for an audience recently removed from the polytheism of Egypt. That same audience was surrounded by pagan mythologies offering alternative accounts of the relationship between the gods and men. The author of the account was trained in the inner circles of Egyptian royalty with its practices of polytheistic worship. In other words, the language and meaning of the Genesis account must be discovered within the culture of the ancient near-East, not within the framework of a Greek-based empiricism. Genesis is not science. It is deep myth. That does not mean it isn’t true or it didn’t happen (both “true” and “happen” also carry paradigm meanings) . The word “myth” in contemporary culture usually means something like “fable,” which implies fiction. But this is not a correct understanding of “deep myth.” A deep myth is a cultural explanation of the reason, purpose and origins of the world. Every tribe has such explanations. These explanations provide the tribe with a justification for its place in the world, its purpose and its reason for being. Our Greek-based culture replaces these tribal explanations with “scientific” accounts, but our scientific accounts strip the explanation of its real power – the power to explain why things are the way that they are. Science may tell us how the world began (at least in theory) but it is powerless to tell us why the world began. This is the purpose of deep myth. Without an answer to the why question, we are left in a world where men make up their own reasons for existing and where the universe is ultimately the result of blind accident. Genesis is not written as science. It is written as an explanation of purpose. Re-reading Genesis in this way causes substantial shifts in our exegesis. None is more important than the shift in the meaning of the word tselem (image).
Before we begin to study this word in depth, ask yourself if you read the Genesis story as an explanation of purpose rather than an account of the mechanics of creation. Ask yourself what would make sense to the first audience. Ask yourself if the Genesis account supplies you with the why of your existence? If you can’t answer these questions, maybe it’s time to go back and read the story as tribal beginnings.
Topical Index: Genesis 1:26, image, tselem, tribal
How bout’ that slave “mentality”. Do you want those chains off?!! Do you want to be free?
A good beginning and this fits well with my understanding of Scripture as it developed through seminary and on through to now. As Skip reminded me a few days ago, it is about the journey. The question that continues to haunt me as I continue my journey is that to understand the Scripture, how do I get to understand it as its original hearers understood it. I have not been there. I have been steeped in the understanding as though written for me alone (Any one remember Faith at Work?). I have never been shown how to enter the original cultural setting. Maybe this is to become part of my journey.
Yes, indeed, Roy. We have much to learn and unlearn.
Shalom!
just a thought:
It wouldn’t make sense to the original culture either without the Spirit of God explaining it to them, just like He would have to, to our human mind. No human can understand the Mind of God without the Spirit of God.
Kay
While I agree that the Spirit is involved in understanding the things of God, it must also be true that the language used has to make sense to the people who hear it. God does not speak gibberish nor does He reveal Himself in words that no one understands. He is not like the Greek oracles. If this is true, then we must always ask what the words would mean to those who heard them first. We cannot simply say, “Well, God told them what it means.” That is the equivalent of saying that we don’t need to study Scripture, we just need to let the Spirit tell us what it means. You and I both know how many errors have come from that kind of epistemology.
No I am not saying leave out the culture setting which has always been very helpful to me to see how the Lord related to the people He was speaking it to so I understand what He means, nor am I saying the study of His Word is not needed. I am just saying all our mental figuring out will be futile if you leave out the fact His Spirit translates His mind to our spirit or it would just be understood from our brain level as the study of a good history book. There are lots of things the culture and other avenues He has given us that can help us with the picture, but only He, as the Author of the book, has the original understanding of what He meant. If I really want to know He is able to show me the deeper meaning in His mind, which it is obvious you hunger for that or you would not search out all the avenues that you know. I have found He can direct me down the right avenues to find the Truth if I really want to find Him. He says if you search for Him with all your heart you will find Him and it has proven true over and over for me, and, yes, it is an ongoing process, but He has never disappointed my search.
Kay
I agree with you Kay that YHVH is quite able by His Spirit to lead us into all truth and the deeper meaning in His mind. However I’m much more careful these days not to adopt deep meanings and act on them without searching out the plain sense meaning to the original audience as thoroughly as possible first. This includes seeking good counsel from those who are better equipped to know than I am with the limited resources at my disposal.
If I’m feeling pressured to act on something and I don’t have that, then I pursue study first and counsel next to confirm that this is what YHVH truly wants from me or is it a test of whether I will stand firm against deception. It’s not that we don’t trust My Elohim. It’s that we know all too well the devices through which our enemy operates.
If I’m simply trying to understand something and don’t have the context I leave it on my gigantic back burner and am careful not to try to teach it to anyone until I do have the plain sense meaning to reference from. Everything needs to be plumb with the cornerstone to make the building solidly stand.
Yeshua’s words meant something specific to His audience. We need to know what that was if we are to enter into that audience in a helpful and meaningful way.
Shalom Shalom
Thank you Kay ! I understand exactly what you are saying and mean.
Isn’t it wonderful to be learn you are wrong! It is time for all of us to repent. Repent? repent according to culture? repent according to context? What is that book you hold in your hand? A German Bible? A Spanish Bible? A (shudder.) Greek Bible? _no. No, no and no. The word of the LORD stands forever- in any language. This Book, G-d’s Book is not the “book of the month”. It is not the Anglicized version of Christianity, Catholicism or any other “religion” or race. It is not on an equal par or plane with the Quran or the Book of Mormon. There are other “good books” in our culture and in other cultures as well. Might as well say- all roads lead to heaven. We’ll all get there if we try. All it takes is education and culture and the right suit of clothes..- gotta look good for the cameras (in any culture..)
Is this what we have? Cultural Christianity? If they (we all know who “they” are) don’t sing the “gospel hymns” that I know and love then certainly “they” don’t know the Savior. There is, after all- only one brand of gospel that needs to be proclaimed and it the one I once knew and “grew up with..”
~Other sheep have I which are not of this fold..~ – Who said that? Where did “that” come from? It came, dear friends, straight out of a book, – G-d’s book. The Lamb’s Book of life.
I have a dear friend who is a (shudder?) Methodist. Guaranteed he knows and loves our dear Savior. He knows (and loves) G-d’s book too. But, He is a Methodist. I know another who is Church of Christ. I don’t believe some of what they (we all know who “they” are!) teach, but I know this man knows and loves the LORD. I know several people who have a Catholic background, who know, serve and love the LORD Jesus (who is the) Christ.
(Good question Skip..”What is a man?” -even the word of G-d asks: “what is man?..”) One of the most blessed statements ever to leave the mouth of man is this: “Christianity is not a religion- it is a relationship.” Oh, how I need to be reminded of this and what a comfort it offers me. I, (even I) can have personal relationship with my Creator- and so may you. G-d is worth knowing- in any culture. The word of G-d is to (my friends) “Whosoever will.” Get it? Got it? Good.
Does “whosoever will” include the Dutch people groups? (good morning brother Kees!) Does “whosoever will” include the Jews? (most assuredly). Does “whosoever will” include the (shudder…) Greeks? Yes, (praise G-d) it does. The pagans? The heathen? even Democrats? – O friends of all cultures, creeds and colors- “hear the word of the LORD”- for faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of the LORD. It is not culture. – Love not the world. It is not by education. It is not by works of the flesh- we cannot (no one cannot) “earn” our way into the favor of G-d. Salvation/deliverance is the gift of G-d. In any language, in any culture- salvation is the gift of G-d and (Praise His Name) anyone- any man, any woman, any child, anywhere- may receive this gift. Not one is excluded, Christ died for sinners. (Yes, that was a period at the end of that statement. Once again.. “Christ died for sinners.” Red, yellow, black, white, rich, poor, male , female, Italian, Swahili- from every nation, tribe and tongue- the gospel of Christ is universal. -“Whosoever will” may come and drink of the Water of Life freely.
Words do have meaning. Just to utter “trunk” leaves everyone hanging. Tree trunk? Car trunk? etc.- But oh!- to study the words of G-d found in our Him-book! Greek words- Hebrew words- what we need is a website and a teacher dedicated to revealing, word by word, precept upon precept, line upon line- the “words” of G-d found in the “word of G-d”, our Bible. For He, (our Master-Teacher) has said- “the words I speak unto you- they are breath and they are life.” Not my words,..- His. -I’m just the messenger boy.
Not to leave anyone in suspense,- the answer to the “why” question is: “Because G-d so loved the world..”
Cultural context is of the utmost importance. Going deeper into this text, I found “DNA” encoded at a 5 letter skip distance.
As we know, DNA is a CODE within our bodies that carries genetic information. Yaacov Rambsel, in his “Cryptic Dictionary of Genesis”, also found the words “man, woman, blood, and bone” encoded in the same area.
This information being found in the same area of the scripture that states “let us make man in our image” is ASTOUNDING!
God’s Word is like no other book written.
Let is ponder it carefully, and seek to DO what is required.
As it is written “Be still, and KNOW that I am God”.
Amen, brother Ron.. -“as it is written..” – study to show yourselves approved unto G-d..- study what? – the word(s) of G-d. If we wish to know the will of G-d, the ways of G-d, the wisdom of G-d- all are clearly contained within the Book of the ages- the living word of G-d.
~ For the word of G-d is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart ~ (Hebrews 4.12)
~ “Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces”? ~ (Jeremiah 23:29)
~ and they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? ~ (Luke 24.32)
~ So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it ~ (Isaiah 55.11)
~ NUN- Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. ~
(Psalm 119.105)
~ but the word of the LORD remains forever. – And this word is the good news that was proclaimed unto you ~ (1 Peter 1.25)
Wow, what an article, Skip, meat-full! Amein! YHWH created the world with a purpose! Everything is for functions, for purposes.
The word good should be translated as functioning.
YHWH saw that everything was functioning, as HE created them to be.
These days, we see the purposes and functions are losing their roles, families dysfunctional, men not fulfilling their roles in leadership, and homes (generally speaking, thankfully NOT all men have lost that)
women as well, compelled to work as the men to provide, upsetting YHWH’s plan for her to stay home,
becoming more and more independant, losing their feminity; just to name a few examples.
Shalom!
I agree with your assessment of loss of purpose in our society, but I am not sure that it is correct to say the purpose of men is leadership and the purpose of women is to stay at home. Those are past cultural interpretation that must also be examined. The Genesis prime directive does not imply that women are domestic caretakers and men are civil leaders. In fact, if anything it might suggest just the opposite.
I agree; not entirely home caretakers, Skip, but sort of family affairs, which is a major role, not placed in a secondary role as in these days. It is not an easy paradigm shift in mindset, getting back to the ancient cultures.
Look forward to your studies on this. Thank you.
Maybe more should be added, such as losing our ‘common sense’/wisdom, discernment, judgment, sensitivity, responsibility, a live conscience, and the fruit of the Spirit.
Having a sound knowledge of the cultural background is vital to fully grasp the context of what the writers are trying to convey, and to whom, and under what circumstances when it was written.
Thank you, for such insights, Skip.
Yes, clearly we need to appreciate all of the actions that God takes in order to understand what it means to be human within the context of the biblical account. Being compassionate, showing mercy, forgiving, protecting, sustaining, nourishing and many more like the ones you added.