In 1986, Antonin Scalia smoked a pipe during his confirmation hearings to become a justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. What society considers an acceptable indoor fire container isn’t the only thing to change over the last four decades. During this week’s questioning of Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett, much has been made of the changes in the Senate’s approach to the confirmation process. For instance, Scalia was confirmed 98-0 and nominees from presidents of both parties routinely were approved by at least 80-percent of the Senate. Just as striking is the difference in the quality of discourse during the hearings.
Prior to our social media age, Senators asked tougher and more informed questions. Nominees gave more willing and thoughtful answers. In our current political climate; questions are for show and answers are designed not to reveal. Is it because we, as a nation, don’t think as deeply about questions of governance? Are we capable of understanding a nuanced answer about a difficult subject? The internet has put more information at our fingertips than any prior civilization could imagine. But are we smarter. The contrast between 1986 and 2020 would indicate we are not. Well, what if the same can be said of Christians.
Is our Bible knowledge better today than the mid-80’s? How about the early 1800’s? I have always been impressed with a letter Barton Stone wrote to an aspiring preacher in 18451. Before the internet, phone apps, and Bible programs, Stone expected preachers to read the Bible in the original languages. He recommended reading from a polyglot Bible with the New Testament in English, Latin, and Greek and the Old Testament in English and Hebrew while having a Greek Septuagint open at the same time. Stone recommended two Greek Lexicons, a Greek Concordance, works on church history (particularly AD 100-300), and even a few commentaries. However he added this caution on any interpretation of man, “Commentators generally labor to make the Scriptures bend to their particular systems, and to speak the language of Ashdod.” The same applies today.
So, how are we measuring up to that standard? I am humbled to know my abilities are found so wanting. It is my observation that Bible knowledge is on the wane among our current generation of Christians. There are certainly a number of young believers with solid Bible comprehension, but we need to humble ourselves and learn at the feet of the Master. Paul told Timothy, “what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”-II Timothy 2:2. If it were up to me to answer a question about the will of God, could I do it?
Judge for yourself whether we should start smoking a pipe indoors again. But let us all commit to becoming more familiar with the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. We could do with less television, radio, and social media and more Scripture. Allow me to close by quoting Stone again, “Forget not to mingle prayer to your God for direction into all truth, and that the wisdom from above may be afforded you.” Amen. Let’s get smarter!
1 Rogers, John. “The Biography of Eld. Barton Warren Stone.” Cincinnati, American Christian Publication Society, 1853. p97-100
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