The Bible As History, No Modernity Or Post Modern Goofiness In This Class

I started teaching a class this past Sunday on whether the Old Testament can be viewed as an account of a historical nature or if, as many modern and postmodern would have it, we should look at the Biblical narrative and accounts as myths, fables, or morality tales similar to parables in that they are only meant to teach us how to play nice and love one another but have no grounding within genuine history. Guess which side I’m taking?

It’s remarkable how much Jesus talked about events recorded in the Old Testament as if the events really, really occurred. Imagine that… He talks of the flood recorded the Genesis account in Matt. 24:36-39 as if it is a real event. He also speaks of Sodom and Gomorra as if they were real cities destroyed for their wickedness in Matt. 11:23,24 and Jonah as a real person swallowed by a real fish in Matt. 12:39-41.

In the texts we are looking at in our study it is clear that at no time is Jesus using the kind of language He uses when He teaches by parables, such as “the kingdom of heaven is like…” or ”the kingdom of heaven can be compared to…”, when referring to events recorded in the Books of Moses and the prophets! Jesus speaks to his hearers and to us of real events occurring within a recorded history.

Now it could be that I’m just cherry picking verses out of context except that the Gospel writers are very careful to tell us when Jesus is using parables to ‘splain things. In addition, Jesus always explains his parables to the disciples even if not right away (another case for is meaning is at the last supper, meaning, yes, He really did mean that the bread and the wine are His Body and Blood and not some allegorical representation supposed by my evangelical friends!)

What surprised me most about how the class started off (This if the first week of the study. I suspect I’ll spend three or four weeks on going over Jesus’ understanding of Scripture before moving on to a look at the evidence of the historicity of the New Testament.) was how these high school students were able state in an unsolicited manner and with a high degree of certainty that the Bible can and should be looked at as a historical document. I really assumed that their secular education would have beaten any notion of the historicity of Scripture completely out of their systems by now. I see so much influence of modernity and postmodern thinking that sometimes I take for granted that the youth might actually be on the right track and capable of critical thinking.

I was even pleasantly surprised when one of my students even recommended a book to me that his grandfather had given to him: Josh McDowell’s book “Evidence Demands A Verdict” for making a case that Scripture is historical in it's very nature. As the kids say: w00t!

There’s no doubt that it’s gonna be fun five or six weeks for everyone in the class.

The Favorite Niece Teaches Her Uncle

My favorite niece, Valerie, finished up the high school’s kid's Sunday school class on the Book of Jonah yesterday.

Boy howdy she did a great job in wrapping up the book with the contrast of Jonah’s temper tantrum outside of Nineveh and Yahweh’s patience, mercy, and grace with his rebellious and sinful children. The students, while a little slow to wake up, did a great job of participating with thoughtful answers that would make any Board of Education superintendent or parent proud!

At the beginning of the class, playing the part of the troublemaker, I asked what exactly were Valerie’s credentials and what gave her the right to teach. Taking her uncles tomfoolery in stride she told everyone that she is a deaconess, a highly trained professional church worker, in the LCMS.

All my favorite niece needs now is a call to a congregation (if anyone knows of a parish looking for a confessional deaconess? Give me a shout if you do) Until she does get a call, I’m gonna recommend that she replace that clown that normally teaches the high school class on Sunday morning because this girl rocks!

And just so ya’ll know; I’m not just saying that because she is my favorite niece but rather because it was real treat to hear a class taught by someone who is so solidly confessional. It’s a rare treat these days to see a class taught to youth that does not pander to the lowest commen denominator but instead seeks to elevate catachetical instruction by engaging the students on a level that parents, at the very least, demand from them in their secular high school even if such is not expected on Sunday morning.

Great job Valerie!

My Thesis’s Concerning The Catechesis Of Youth

1) Youth are able to be and therefore must be taught in-depth studies of Scripture.

2) Youth are able to be and therefore must be taught the historical confessions.

3) Youth do have the capability to understand the complex doctrines articulated in Scripture by the prophets of the Old Testament as well as Christ and the apostles of the New Testament.

4) Youth must be taught apologetics so that they will be prepared, upon leaving their first church home, to deal with world views contrary to those articulated in Scripture.

5) Youth must be taught apologetics so that they will be prepared, upon leaving their first church home, to deal with the cults and sects whose theology is contrary to that which is articulated in Scripture but that makes the claim that they represent Christianity.

6) It is the responsibility of the community of believers gathered together as a congregation to instruct youth in all matters of the catholic faith as articulated in Scripture.

7) It is also the responsibility of the parents of the youth to instruct them in all matters of the catholic faith as articulated in Scripture.

8) To not properly instruct youth in all things concerning Christ is to reject and go against the very words of Christ and that of the apostles in Holy Scripture.

9) To not properly instruct youth in all things concerning Christ so as to attract individuals whom have no interest in Christian education also goes against the very words of Christ and the apostles in Holy Scripture.

10) To not properly instruct youth in all things concerning Christ is a failing of the vocations of parent, Sunday school teacher, members of the local congregation, and pastor and such a failing risks losing youth to a culture that rejects Christ and thereby Hell itself.

One Of The Best Series For Teaching Youth (And Oldsters Too!)

A commenter recently asked me if I was writing my own Bible studies or if I was using purchased material for my Sunday school class for high school students. I have written a goodly number of my own studies over the last ten years but the other person who shares teaching duties with me and I do occasionally use materials purchased from a variety of publishers.

The study on water that we are currently using is from the Fusion series published by the good folks at Concordia Publishing House. The neatest thing about all of the studies in the Fusion books is the manner in which they connect the dots between the Old and New Testament and in doing so spotlight Christ on every page of Scripture. The Fusion study of water is full of sacramental types that point to the antitype, Jesus and His work in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism and is an absolute hoot. From God at work saving eight people in the account of Noah and the flood, saving His people Israel when they’re backs were up against the Red Sea with Pharaoh and his chariots pursuing them, and to the saving and healing of a gentile leper named Naaman in the not so pristine waters of the Jordan River; Fusion makes it clear that all of Scripture points to our baptism into Jesus’ baptism where we are made new creatures and righteous on the account of Christ!

So often folks (youngsters as well as oldsters) know all the stories of the Old Testament but fail to see how all those stories connect with the Gospels and the work of Jesus. Fusion connects the dots in a clear and enlightening manner that is truly a joy to teach. All of the books in the Fusion series have an easy and accessible way about them that encourages dialogue while not dumbing the material down as so many studies geared to youth and young adults seem to do.

Also, with only a few tweaks, the books in the Fusion series could challenge any Sunday morning adult class and I would recommended them for the catechesis of oldsters without hesitation.

Youth And Uneasiness With God’s Wrath And Judgement

As we move through our study on how God uses water to create and destroy and to kill and bring to life in Scripture; one thing has become crystal clear: kids in high school absolutely love the “athletic” parts of the Bible.

Nothing gets my students “animated” like death and destruction by plagues, famine, and of course by means of our current study: water. Given the chance to draw a picture, a couple of the kids stepped up to the plate and sketched out a not so happy rendition of Noah’s ark floating on the water of a condemned earth. Departing from the cute motifs often seen taped up on nurseries and Sunday school classrooms, my students drew an ark floating on a world flooded by God’s righteous and holy wrath which included people drowning and drowned outside and beneath the ark. When the picture was done all were happy and justifiably proud of their work. Yep, they loves them some destruction and mayhem.

But guess what happened when someone added babies, pregnant women, and the elderly to those who had come under God’s righteous judgment on sinful mankind? Can you guess the class’s mood when they saw those who they are told always help and protect are also condemned to drown outside the safety of the ark along with the most vile murders and thieves?

I’ll admit that I was a bit taken aback with just how uncomfortable some in the class became with all of the human race falling under God’s judgment. More than one student explained that it just made them uneasy to see the “innocent” or weak drowned with the dregs of society. Some of the kids even had difficulty making eye contact during this part of the class. I guess cheering for babies drowning just ain’t as cool cheering for murderers getting their comeuppance.

It would’ve been all too easy for me to slam the kids, as so many often do (especially many in youth leadership positions within our own beloved synod who talk of community built on service in soup kitchens and such and coffee shop emoting apart from the community we are when we go to Church to hear His Word preached and receive His gifts in the Sacraments administered rightly), with a lecture on the keeping of the Law so that they can live transformed lives. It would be easy to tell them they just need to do better to live more sanctified lives so that they may have the assurance that they never will suffer the wrath that they deserve as they have inherited Adam’s curse. There was a time when I would’ve piled on with more and more law as so many did with me in my own youth. But, that was in the before times, in the long, long ago.

Living sanctified and good lives may be called for in Scripture but such is a result or an effect of the Gospel but not the Gospel proper. The Gospel is that Jesus took all the wrath that we, if we are honest here, so justly deserve upon himself and made satisfaction on the cursed tree at Golgotha. (John 1:29, and also Romans 3:21–26 and 4:5)

In our baptism, our old sinful selves are drowned and we are recreated as new creatures and brought into the ark of God’s one holy and Church catholic by the water and His Word. (Romans 6:4 and Titus 3:4–7)! Those kids shamed with the understanding that they along with all of humanity are under the curse of the law knew that they deserved to be drowned but they didn’t completely understand when they came out of the water of their baptism they were just as safe as Noah in the ark.

The rest of the class was all Gospel in that we were assured, not by Mr. Gillespie’s word but by God’s Holy Word that God saves His people not on account of their own righteousness but the account of His only begotten Son’s work at the cross. I assured them that through Baptism the Lord made them heirs of heaven itself and as heirs they could be assured that were baptized into the ark eternal; Christ’s Church now and forever.

It was good to see that they understood that they were poor sinful creature deserving of God’s wrath. It was even better seeing the little light bulbs go off over their heads when they understood that they did rise out of the water of their baptism a new creation and placed aboard the ark of the Church. It was good to see that they understood sacramental nature of Noah’s story. It was good to see that they were able to join with Saint Peter and say in confidence that “Baptism saves.” Amen!

Back From Vacation And Into The Sunday School Classroom

Ah, back from vacation and finishing up the teaching on a class about the sacramental nature of water in the creation story to our high school to the high school class… Life is good.

The only time we deviated from the lesson was a brief excursus into Biblical inerrancy and textual criticism issues. One of the students is sure that the Bible we have today is does not contain Paul’s, Peter’s or John’s original letters much less the Gospel accounts because “there has to be mistakes because it’s all a copy of a copy of a copy.”

Yeah, I’ll be happy to take up the inerrancy issues as soon as we are done with our study of God using water for salvation in both the New and Old Testaments. The student that made the statement above didn’t know quite what to say when I said that we would be happy to address the issue but that we would have “play CSI and follow the evidence.” I think that there are a great many people that are simply afraid to conduct such a study because they believe that the extra-Biblical authors and sources as well as sciences such as archeology will contradict Scripture when that is not the case at all and no reason to not hold such apologetics classes for youth as well as adults.

One thing our class has never shied away from is dealing history and science. Both these fields of study are the Christian’s friend and can certainly be brought in to teach especially when it comes to both textual criticisms. Yeah, we’ll get to that…

Today’s Quote Of The Day

So, I was in my Sunday school class for the high school youth this past weekend and here’s how the conversation went down:

Youth #1: Mr. Gillespie, are we going to have Bible study tonight?

Me: Well, as I’m not the chair or even on the Board of Youth (our terms only go for two years although as anybody who reads this blog knows I’ve been very active with teaching the ragamuffins for going on eight years now and plan on continuing to do so) this year so it’s not up to me when or whether our, eh, your Sunday night Bible studies are run or even continued.

Youth #1: They had better keep doing them, we love ‘em!

And next came today’s quote of the day from our declared atheist who always attends our Sunday night study;

DA: Yeah, they better continue it or I’ll teach it myself!

For just a moment the room was dead quite as the teacher was grinning ear to ear barely able to contain himself.

New Sunday School Rules

Here’s how the conversation went down:

Me: What the heck did you just say?

Student: What?

Me: I said, what the heck did you just say?

Future Church Worker: Are you saying you don’t like Bon Jovi?

Me: First rule of Mr. Gillespie’s Sunday school class; you do not quote big hair bands!

FCW: But the song is about prayer..

Me: The second rule of Mr. Gillespie’s Sunday school class; you do NOT quote big hair bands!

Student: I like Poison, are they ok?

Me: Get out of my class, now!

Admonished!

Admonished:
Pronunciation: \ad-ˈmä-nish\
Function: transitive verb
1 a: to indicate duties or obligations to b: to express warning or disapproval to especially in a gentle, earnest, or solicitous manner

I was admonished on Sunday by my missus for not properly conducting a Sunday school class. We got a “bit” sidetracked when one of my students took us down the evolution bunny trail. My missus’ complaint was that she felt she was sitting in a science class and we shouldn’t be spending all our time addressing the problems with scientific models that claim with certainty to have proof for evolution as fact.

We talked about finding carbon 14 in diamonds when there should be none if diamonds are really as old as the models say. We talked about finding soft tissue from dinosaurs supposedly tens of millions of years of old. We talked a lot about the science of oil and how we find oil in places where there were no forests as well as the recent discovery of a bacteria in the Amazon that produces oil from decaying leaves that have just fallen off the trees.

I will never dismiss a question from our youth as long as it is remotely on topic. The first youth’s question concerning order from entropy and evolution was well within bounds of where i was at so I thought I would briefly take it up. The problem is that one question led to another and all these put together did take up a large segment of our class. My thinking was that since our kids hear that science is infallible I’d address the evolution issue by talking about science.

After class my missus informed me was not amused with our science lesson and admonished me to talk more about Jesus next time. She was clearly not pleased that I talked for some twenty odd minutes before I took up what a day means in Genesis. At the end of the day she was right and I do need to keep better control of the discussion so that all loose ends can be tied up in our allotted forty five minutes. A Sunday school class should clearly proclaim Christ and I did indeed get off track.

However, we’ll need to take up a few more science lessons as Christians don’t, or at least shouldn’t, hide from scientific topics and debate. I see way too many folks that are ignorant of all the cool new discoveries in the scientific realm or simply afraid to engage in a debate because of a fear of being labeled flat earth freaks. That is a sad state of affairs really as science is just now catching up to what creationists have confessed to be true all along.

Chronicles Of Narnia, Veggie Tales, And Teaching Children Part 2

In this post I’ll finish answering A.L.’s email question concerning Veggie Tales. A.L. had written me the following email (sorry for taking so long A.L.!):

Frank,

Just out of curiosity - I know you like the "Chronicles of Narnia" SNL skit, but what is your take on the comparing and contrasting of Christ's sacrifice and the life of the Church with the Chronicles? I have an issue with it because I don't want my kids to see a lion in a movie and think "Gee, he's like Jesus!" Same thing with "Veggie Tales" - I don't want them to think a piece of asparagus died on the cross for them. A cartoon/fictional movie should be just that and shouldn't involve elements of our Faith because that's just like the Churches that lower themselves by bending with society for the sake of attracting the unchurched. I'm not a big CS Lewis fan to begin with, but I'd love to hear your opinion. I have relatives who are die-hard Veggie Tales fans and I think it's disgusting - hence my post about people who will try to influence my child's spirituality. These are the same people who have a problem with Harry Potter - although I see that as entertainment as I do Star Wars because it doesn't bring in Christianity at all. Let me know your take –

A.L.

Most folks think I’m completely unqualified to give an opinion as I don’t have any children of mine own. However, I think not having kinder does allow me a certain unbiased perspective.

I think if you want to throw a tape of Veggie Tales in to entertain the little tykes, that’s ok, sort of. I see absolutely nothing wrong with Veggies Tales just as I see nothing wrong with Thomas the Tank Engine. In fact, I can barely see any difference between the two shows for the little ragamuffins. Why would I say that? Allow me to ‘splain myself.

There are just as many mentions of Jesus in Veggie Tales as in Thomas the Tank Engine. A.L., if you are looking to instruct your child(ren) in the Christian faith you would get more mentions of Jesus in either book by Joel Osteen, and believe you me, that ain’t much so I would probably avoid him as well. (I think Osteen mentioned Jesus, what was it, three times in his last book?) The question then becomes this; what does Veggie Tales teach and if Christ is absent, can the Christian faith be properly understood and taught?

Veggie Tales just as with Thomas the Tank Engine teach morality and nothing more. Yes, they have fruit and vegtables acting out Bible stories, but what is the value of any story that doesn’t point to the Crucified Lord’s salvific work that conquered sin, death, and the devil by offering up Himself as the atoning sacrifice on the cross? Let’s look at what Jesus himself says in John 5:37- 47:

And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. “I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

Christ clearly says all the Scriptures point to Him. The Pharisees read and knew their scriptures as well as anyone, but they couldn’t see Jesus in them. What value is the Torah and the prophets if they don’t declare the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world? No value at all if you ask me.

Jesus also taught on the road to Emmaus in Luke chapter 24:25-27:

Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

See A.L., the point of Scripture is to point to crucified and risen Jesus and His work. The question I have is why do some parents seem to think that Veggie Tales actually do that? Yes, they do teach kids to be good, nice and moral and not bow down to giant chocolate rabbits but the videos fail to point to Jesus. In this regard, as with all of God’s good and righteous Law we fail on every account, hence the need for Jesus.

I’ve heard more than one parent say they use Veggie Tales to supplement what their kids learn at church. With the state of Americanized Christianity being what it is, this is bit disturbing. A majority of churches and a goodly number of Lutheran churches as well, are not teaching even the basics of Christianity. With so many churches becoming seeker sensitive and more closely resembling Dr. Phil’s self help hour in order to find one’s purpose in life, why not sit down and actually teach your kid(s) instead of letting the talking vegetables do it?

I think that if you are just looking for entertainment, Veggie Tales will fit the bill, sort of. If on the other hand, you are looking for teaching that focuses on Christ and His gifts, Veggie Tales falls short of the hitting that mark and ends up smelling like rotten tomatoes.

Compliment Of The Year For 2007

And the compliment of year for 2007 goes to…..Will! Will is a student in my Sunday school class as well as an active participant for our congregation’s youth group.

So what was his compliment? “Mr. G., when we first came here I didn’t really think I’d like to go to Sunday school class. Most of the other ones that I’d been to treated us like we were stupid or something. You never talk down to us and that’s cool. We get enough of that in school and other places.”

Thank you Will! I’ve always taught you guys the way I do because I know you guys are not idiots. You guys also have the advantage of understanding that Christianity didn’t begin the day you were born and that’s something many an adult has a great deal of difficulty with.

Sometimes we adult types think the world evolves around us (something you guys are often accused of) and are burdened with notions of how we want things to work. Too often we adult types talk big about having the faith of a child but then fall back on philosophy 101 to make defense of theological positions instead of Scripture.

So at the end of the day, this adult could not receive no higher compliment than a thank you for not treating you like you’re stupid.

The picture in this post is Will posing, while playing pizza crust Jenga, for a picture that he knew would be posted here. Not only is Will exceptional bright, he’s clearly showing what a good sport he is.

Preparing For Sunday School

I apologize ahead of time for the lack of a decent post this week. I’m out of town and stuck in a rat trap hotel trying to put together my Sunday school lesson. Needless to say, that task will certainly be keeping me busy.

This Sunday we start our study on the Confessio Augustana. Last week our vicar gave a history lesson on the politics and the different theological battles going on that led up to the reading of the Augsburg Confession in 1530 at the Diet of Augsburg.

Where do we start? Why, at the beginning of course:

Article I: Of God

1] Our Churches, with common consent, do teach that the decree of the Council of Nicaea concerning the Unity of the Divine Essence and concerning the Three Persons, is true and to be believed without any doubting; 2] that is to say, there is one Divine Essence which is called and which is God: eternal, without body, without parts, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness, the Maker and Preserver of all things, visible and invisible; and 3] yet there are three Persons, of the same essence and power, who also are coeternal, the Father the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And the term "person" 4] they use as the Fathers have used it, to signify, not a part or quality in another, but that which subsists of itself.
5] They condemn all heresies which have sprung up against this article, as the Manichaeans, who assumed two principles, one Good and the other Evil: also the Valentinians, Arians, Eunomians, Mohammedans, and all such. 6] They condemn also the Samosatenes, old and new, who, contending that there is but one Person, sophistically and impiously argue that the Word and the Holy Ghost are not distinct Persons, but that "Word" signifies a spoken word, and "Spirit" signifies motion created in things.


Yep, I’m going to have fun!