As we have said - the Gospel is communicated by a diverse group of texts (including the gospels). They are not a single work, yet they form a unity of subject matter and purpose. They seek to bear witness to Jesus Christ in a particular context to a particular group of people. But the thing here is that that context has reached across the ages and those people groups have spanned culture, geography, history and time. The New Testament is a remarkable document which has inspired a vastly diverse collection of people to proclaim the Gospel. It has confronted, convicted and transformed people like no other document I can think of.
So, in conclusion of these introductory posts let me revisit our opening metaphor - building a computer. Hopefully by now you see that Callum's approach to building his computer is the better parallel for what our study of the Bible should be. We need to intimately know all the bits and pieces that comprise the work we believe to be the New Testament Scriptures. We need to know what each contributes. We need to know their limits. We need to know how to engage them to maximize their effect. Just as Callum maximized the performance of his computer we seek to maximize our biblical proficiency. That then is what we must be engaged in as we work through the gospels to hear the Gospel. As we work I believe we find our greatest hope in the fragments.
So, in conclusion of these introductory posts let me revisit our opening metaphor - building a computer. Hopefully by now you see that Callum's approach to building his computer is the better parallel for what our study of the Bible should be. We need to intimately know all the bits and pieces that comprise the work we believe to be the New Testament Scriptures. We need to know what each contributes. We need to know their limits. We need to know how to engage them to maximize their effect. Just as Callum maximized the performance of his computer we seek to maximize our biblical proficiency. That then is what we must be engaged in as we work through the gospels to hear the Gospel. As we work I believe we find our greatest hope in the fragments.
