Struggling With Scripture

In its typically gentle, ironic voice, Anglicans Online currently zeros in on the pseudo-orthodox pretentions of Nigerian Bishop Peter Akinola, who “in a press conference, stated the formation of a separate conservative Anglican conference was due to some members within the Anglican family bringing ‘new principles’ to interpret the Scripture.”

Anglicans Online goes on to say that: ”the problem with all this is that knowing and understanding are entirely different. We know a man who has pretty much memorized the entire Bible. If you ask him to quote a passage, he can nearly always do it, but if you ask him what it means after he has quoted it, he just quotes it again…the very concept of doing anything with scripture besides reciting and memorizing it was quite outside his understanding."

This criticism of the Nigerian primate puts one in mind of the attitude of certain leaders in our own diocese, who cite “the plain truth “ of Scripture in order to avoid wrestling with the application of God’s word to the complicated realities faced by Christians in the world today.  Episcopalians have always been known for their knowledge of Scripture, and a willingness to apply a critical understanding to the texts we hold sacred.  This is nothing new.  Those who bemoan the application of new principals lack an understanding of Anglican and Episcopal tradition, or do they perhaps mislead in order to protect their own prejudices?

Indeed, knowing and understanding are completely different operations, intellectually speaking.  Pray that we who know the challenging words of Scripture may always struggle to find in them, and understand, the truth that sets us free?