Putting Things Together

I used to think I could put those boxed up cabinets together without using the instructions.  You know the kind that you scatter all the parts around the living room in what you are sure will be a 15 minute project.  Three hours latter you are taking it apart for the second time because there were too many parts left over and the ones that were attached to the conglomeration didn’t swing right.  Now you are looking for the instruction pages that were thrown away with the packaging.

Now, I get the instructions out first and actually read through the whole thing.  Then I return to step one and follow the directions carefully.  What seemed to me to be a waste of time at first, was finally realized to be the quickest path to a completed project.  (Don’t get me wrong, I still refuse to stop anyone for directions when I am driving… I know where I am… just need to go back a block or two and make that other turn!)  However, if I were to put a second piece of whatever kind of furniture (or toy, or whatever) together that was just like the first one, I would keep the instructions close by for reference.  But I wouldn’t need to go meticulously step by step as I did the first time.  And if I did a third one, I would use the directions less.  Eventually, I could probably do it without the directions at all.

I would like to point out something though.  Memorization of the instructions was not what allowed me to come to the point where I could do the project without referring to them.  What actually happened was I began to understand the concept of how the project looked when finished, what the major components were, and how and when they went together. 

Often people’s approach to learning the ways of God is the same.  Trial and error is a painstakingly slow process that may not ever get you to the intended goal.  When learning spiritual truths that are new to you, the instructions (Bible) are vital.  When learning, each individual point must be carefully grasped. But equally important is the ability to connect those points to others, which begins to develop larger concepts that help us to gain a small picture of the subject of study. As we begin to carefully continue assimilating factual statements into our reservoir of knowledge, more and more connections are made… like pieces of a puzzle.  This is a process where memorization is great help.

However, as our knowledge reservoir increases we must begin to form concepts into which the bits of knowledge that continue to accumulate can be placed.  These concepts must continually be adjusted as we learn more and more factual information.  A dangerous tendency however is too start developing formulas, which resist any type of change to their structure.  Formulas tend to continue focusing on adding more and more supporting facts, thus seeking to prove the formula as opposed to allowing new knowledge to shape a more flexible concept.

Jesus’ method of teaching was parabolic, which almost entirely was conceptual in nature.  That is to say His teaching required the engagement of the student’s mind as the stories (or story forms) he shared became the structure (concepts) into which spiritual “facts” could be placed.  Most biblical debates revolve around biblical “statements” and less around biblical “concepts”.  There is not much debate as to what the parable of the sower means… especially as Jesus gave the meanings for us!  But great debates arise as statements in the bible are considered. 

“I will open my mouth in a parable…” the Old Testament prophesied the manner of Jesus’ teaching.  “Without a parable spake he not unto them.”  The New Testament agrees.  It is important to go beyond the “classic” parable when the teaching of Jesus is considered, for much of even his terminology is parabolic.  While His discussion with Nicodemus is not termed a parable, it uses parabolic language almost exclusively:  Born again (illustrating salvation) is one instance of parabolic terminology.  The wind (illustrating the moving of the Spirit) is another.

The subject of tongues is a much debated one.  However, the concept from which it emanates is rarely, if ever, debated.  Infrequently is it ever taught.  Jesus, and Moses stated it… “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” and “the word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart…”  Tongues proceeded according to the scriptures as “the Spirit gave the utterance”.  The Spirit filled the heart and the tongue spoke!  There are many more examples… but that is the nature of conceptual thinking.  Once a biblical concept is in place many statements align with the concept making proper understanding much easier. 

The gospel is a concept which was literally given to us by the Lord’s passion.  The story of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus brings images to our minds.  They are not difficult images.  As we use these images to place factual statements from scriptures into, a very efficient and organized way of interpretation begins to be put into place.  Using these three images many scriptures make perfect sense.  Once in place the concept cannot be totally forgotten even if a person were to try… for whatever reason.  A biblical fact can be moved around from one doctrinal position to another without too much trouble, but a biblical concept cannot.  A concept is an enlargement of one’s thinking and once the mind grasps a larger concept it can never be shrunk back to its former size.  No wonder it was the preferred, prophetically announced means of teaching by Jesus!  I can never “un-think” the story of the treasure in the field.

One last example is what is often referred to as the “great commission”.  While not going through it in great detail here, we know that most denominations use the words of Jesus… “of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” in there baptismal rites.  But what if repeating the words of Jesus to the exclusion of the intent of Jesus was taking place in those instances?  Would it be too far-fetched to understand that in His statement to the disciples He was (once more) putting forth a concept to be understood, rather than a formula to be repeated?  When Nicodemus first heard the term “born again”, he tried to see it with a literal interpretation, but Jesus corrected his thinking by helping the seeking Pharisee see beyond the statement and into the concept.  It is most apparent that this is the case here as well, as there is no bible example of anyone being baptized using the words “of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”.  

We see then, the superiority of conceptual thinking as opposed to factual thinking.  Concepts give a broader picture to a particular subject and help us to properly “place facts” into their intended contexts.  While strictly factual thinking becomes a chaotic jumble of information relying on our own judgment for interpretation… which leads to the forbidden “private interpretation” spoken of by Peter.  It is important to remember that our concepts must be based upon the stated facts.  That is why in the beginning we must use the factual method until the first concepts (however small) begin to take shape.  Kind of like carefully using the directions when we first start assembling our “out of the box” project in the living room.

After so after I get the concepts, I can now look at all the pieces of the unassembled “whatever” on the living room floor and confidently know that in a little while there will be a completely ready to use “whatever” standing there.  And there are no parts left over!