Article XV - Of Speaking in the Congregation in Such a
Tongue as the People Understand
It is a thing plainly repugnant to the Word of God, and the
custom of the primitive church, to have public prayer in the church, or to minister the
Sacraments, in a tongue not understood by the people.
An astonishing and horrible thing has
been committed in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule
by their own power; and My
people love to have it so. But
what will you do in the end? (Jeremiah 5: 30-31)
There are two reasons to talk: (a) You want to be heard; or
(b) you want them to understand.
When you want to be heard, it doesn’t matter that your point has
already been made. You’re still going to
stand up and repeat the previous point because it’s your turn to talk and you
want to be heard.
But there are consequences.
Between the 4th and 16th centuries, the Catholic
Church outlawed re-translating the Bible from Latin into the local language. The Church declared it a crime punishable by
death for a layperson to own, possess, or read a Bible. It was 1969 before the
Catholic Church officially allowed mass to be conducted in a language other
than Latin. For all of those centuries,
the Church wanted to be heard, but it didn,t really want the people to understand.
.jpg)
And that is how anti-Semitism became common in a religion founded
by Jews. That’s how doctrines, traditions,
superstitions, and atrocities that obviously contradict our own sacred text became
so historically celebrated that, we’re still trying to unravel ourselves from
their legacy. Church leaders who wanted
to be heard but didn’t want the people to understand are the reason that the Dark
Ages were so dark.
As Jesus said to the Pharisees, we commit terrible errors when we don’t
know the Bible nor the power of God. (Matthew 22: 29
God wants the people to understand.
In the Old Testament, Ezra the scribe was the leading academic
expert on the Law. In Nehemiah chapter
8, Ezra gave a 3+ hour reading of the Pentateuch (the first 5 books of the
Bible). Ezra thought it all needed to be
said, but he realized that it would be difficult to understand all at once.
So, the scribe assigned group-teachers to disperse throughout the
crowd, read back scriptures during Ezra’s lecture, and make sure that every
resident of Jerusalem understood what the Bible said. All of this happened during Ezra’s
reading---- in real time.
Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin,
Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah,
and the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place.
So they read distinctly from the book,
in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading. (Nehemiah 8: 7, 8)
It’s not that hard to be heard.
It’s takes a lot more effort to make sure that the people understand
what they hear. To make sure that the
people understand, you have to give them the same access to the Word that you
have. You have to push them to read, to
question, and to not just take your words for it.
If you believe that you degree or title entitles you to unquestioning
obedience, then you think waaaayy too much of yourself, because Jesus didn’t
even profess that status.
When a lawyer questioned Jesus, the Lord didn’t respond, “Don’t
you know who I am?” Jesus replied, “What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?” (Luke 10: 26)
Jesus wanted him to understand.
At 12 years old, Jesus dominated a scholarly discussion with the
premier theological minds of the Jewish Temple school. But, when He went out in the boondocks to
teach, he used metaphors about planting and reaping. When He taught to urban crowds, he talked about
servants working in a master’s house.
When He evangelized fishermen on the Sea of Galliliee, He showed them
where to get their biggest catch ever and then talked to them about becoming spiritual
fishers of men.
Without condescending to anyone or dumbing down the text, Jesus used
language that the people understood.
If at the end of your time on the platform the people can say “He
sho’ did preach,” but they can’t say what they learned, then you were heard,
but they didn’t understand.
If at the end of your time in the spotlight, the audience is
impressed with how smart you are and all that you have done and achieved, but
they don't have new information or methods to improve their lives; you were
heard, but they don’t understand.
As a member of the congregation-audence, you may prefer to be entertained than to be taught so according to your own desires, because you have
itching ears, you heap up for yourselves
teachers who turn your ears away from the truth and aside to fables (2 Timothy 4: 4). But, that's not what God wants for you.
A church that wants to be enabled and entertained but not taught is “a thing plainly repugnant to the Word of God.”
God wants His people to understand His Word.
---Anderson T. Graves II is a writer, community organizer
and consultant for education, ministry, and rural leadership development.
Rev. Anderson T. Graves II is pastor of Miles Chapel CME Church in Fairfield, Alabama; executive
director of the Substance Abuse Youth Networking Organization (SAYNO); and director of rural leadership
development for the National Institute for Human Development (NIHD).
Subscribe to my personal
blog www.andersontgraves.blogspot.com .
Email atgravestwo2@aol.com
Friend me at www.facebook.com/rev.a.t.graves
You can help support this ministry with
a donation to Miles Chapel CME Church.
You can help support Rev. Graves’ work
by visiting his personal blog and
clicking the DONATE button on the right-hand sidebar.
Support by check or money order may be
mailed to
Miles Chapel CME Church
P O Box 132
Fairfield, Al 35064
No comments:
Post a Comment