Random Rant #1

From the book Knowing Scripture by R.C. Sproul--

The Point--Historical Narratives Are to Be Interpreted by the Didactic

One of the chief reasons why this rule is important is to warn against drawing too many inferences from record of what people [in the bible] do. For example, can we really construct a manual of required Christian behaviour purely on the basis of an analysis of what Jesus did? So often when a Christian is faced with a problematic situation, he is told to ask himself, "What would Jesus do in this situation?" That is not always a wise question to ask. A better question would be, "What would Jesus have me to do in this situation?"

Why is it dangerous to simply try to model our lives after what Jesus did? If we try to model our lives precisely according to Jesus' example, we may get into trouble on several counts. First of all, our tasks as obedient children to God are not exactly the same as Jesus' mission. I [Sproul] was not sent into this world to save men from their sins. I can never speak with absolute authority about anything like Jesus did. I cannot go into the church with a whip and drive corrupt clergymen out. I am not the Lord of the church.

Second, and perhaps not so obviously, Jesus lived under a different period of redemptive history than I do. He was required to fulfill all the laws of the Old Covenant including dietary and ceremonial laws. Jesus was being perfectly obedient to the Father when he was circumcised as a religious rite. If I become circumcised, not for reasons of health or hygiene but as a formal religious rite, I am by that rite, repudiating the finished work of Christ and bringing myself back under the curse of the OT law. [A serious sin] Here is where the Epistles are so very important. They do call us to imitate Christ at many points. But they help us delineate what those points are and what they are not. [bolding added]

A third problem with emulating the life of Jesus is in making the subtle move from what is permissible to what is obligatory. For example, I know men who argue that it is the Christian's duty to make visitations of mercy on the Sabbath day. The argument is that Jesus did it on the Sabbath day and therefore we should.

Now the subtlety is here: that Jesus did such things on the Sabbath reveals that such activities do not violate the Sabbath and are good. But Jesus nowhere commands us to do them on the Sabbath. His example shows that they may be done, but not necessarily that they must be done then. He does command us to visit the sick but nowhere stipulates when that visitation must take place. That Jesus remained unmarried shows that celibacy is good but his celibacy does not demand that marriage be repudiated, as the Epistles make clear.

There is another serious problem with drawing too many inferences from narratives. The Bible records not only the virtues of the saints but their vices as well. The portraits of the saints are painted wart and all. We have to be careful not to emulate the "wartiness." To be sure when we read of the activities of David or Paul, we can learn much since these are the activities of men who achieved a high degree of sanctification. But should we emulate the adultery of David or the dishonesty of Jacob? God forbid.

Apart from extrapolating points of character and ethics from the narratives, there is also the problem of extracting doctrine. For example, in the narrative of Abraham's offering Isaac on the alter at Mount Moriah, he is stopped at the last second by an angel from God who says, "Abraham, Abraham! Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me" (Genesis 22:11-12) Note the words, "now I know." Didn't God know in advance what Abraham was going to do? Did he sit in heaven in a state of divine anxiety awaiting the outcome of Abraham's trial? [ ... ] The didactic portions of Scripture preclude such inferences. yet, if we established our doctrine of God purely from narratives such as this one, we should have to conclude that our God is "ever learning and never coming to a knowledge of the truth."

Building doctrine from narratives alone is dangerous business. I am sad to say that there appears to be a strong tendency for this in the popular evangelical theology of our day. We all must be careful to resist this tendency.