How do you read God’s Word? How do you hear God’s Word? I think readers in the USA have a sanitized their hermeneutic. Many want a Bible that is “clean.” We want a Bible that resembles how we imagine our parents would have brought us to church--with pressed white-shirts, skinny black ties, and spit-shined shoes. We want a Bible that is clean and neat. Yet, the Bible is far from sanitized.
In the book of Philippians, the reader hears Paul call-out those in the local church who wanted to yoke the people with Jewish regulations. He did not mince his words when he called them: “dogs” (3:2) There is a discernible depth of passion in Paul. He wanted the reader to realize that no amount of outward behavior impacts the reality of God’s mystery of grace. That is why the reader must not sanitize the place of Paul’s emotion and rhetoric. There are those today who want to yoke salvation to works. It happens. It needs to be checked.
Then, when one continues reading, it becomes clear that Paul’s hot rhetoric has not cooled. He’s on fire. If the reader has allowed “heat” to be part of the Bible, then he or she will need to sit-down and hold on. Because Paul is about to set fire to his rhetoric. With passion he is going to keep things very real about salvation. Embedded in the passion and rhetoric is theology: soteriology and eschatology.
Paul will drop a bomb in Philippians 3:8, and proclaim that in all his rigidity to know God that: he counts them all but “dung” (KJV!). He knows that his right-standing only comes by faith in Christ (3:9). And, it is Christ he desires to know on earth (3:10), and in heaven (3:11).
Rhetoric. Passion. Emotion. And, all un-sanitized.
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