While the ideal method of interpreting the Bible stirs great debate among theologians, seminarians, and intellectuals, average people living in a multicultural world are typically not very concerned with these debates; they just want to know how to understand the Bible. Led by the belief that God desires to communicate with each group in a culturally relevant and understandable way, author Philip McCarty offers a unique perspective as he examines the Bible as a cross-cultural text designed to speak to all people. McCarty, who earned degrees in Bible, religious education in pastoral studies, and Christian thought, begins with an in-depth analysis of the Bible and the role that translations play in communicating to multiple cultures. As he moves into a careful examination of the basics of hermeneutics and the ways in which God communicates with humans, McCarty encourages students of Scripture to ask the right questions and obtain the right answers. Finally, McCarty discusses why the Bible continues to be a pillar of the church community's culture and how its scripture connects to each individual. And God Said, "Let's Babel" offers valuable insight into why the Bible is a cross-cultural document, how that affects the church as a whole, and what all this knowledge means to spiritual seekers around the world.
And God Said, "Let's Babel"
The Bible As Cross-Cultural CommunicationBy Philip McCartyiUniverse, Inc.
Copyright © 2012 Philip McCarty
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4759-6558-2Contents
Introduction..........................................................xiChapter 1: The Cross-Cultural Bible...................................3Chapter 2: The Cross-Cultural Design of the Bible.....................9Chapter 3: The Benefits of Translation................................19Chapter 4: The Basics of Communication................................29Chapter 5: The Stew of Meaning........................................37Chapter 6: How God Communicates with Humans...........................43Chapter 7: The Basics of Hermeneutics.................................55Chapter 8: A Transcultural Hermeneutic................................63Chapter 9: Jesus's Hermeneutic........................................69Chapter 10: Using the Transcultural Hermeneutic.......................79Chapter 11: The Church................................................87Chapter 12: What about You?...........................................97Notes.................................................................103Glossary..............................................................109Bibliography..........................................................111Index.................................................................115
Chapter One
The Cross-Cultural Bible
The Uniqueness of the Bible
• Written during a 1,500-year span
• Written over forty generations
• Written by more than forty authors from every walk of life
• Written in different places
• Written at different times
• Written during different moods
• Written on three continents
• Written in three languages
• Subject matter contains hundreds of controversial subjects
• Conclusion of continuity
—Josh McDowell, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, pp. 16–17
McDowell uses this list to correctly show that the Bible is a book that is unique above all others. His focus is on the concluding point, which states that, in spite of all the differences that could have occurred, the Bible has continuity in relation to controversial topics. He explains that a controversial topic is one over which people disagree. The Bible has impeccable continuity in all of the controversial topics it addresses. McDowell and others correctly believe this demonstrates that it had a single author. While this is important, I have come to a conclusion that does not include McDowell's final two points.
Most people would not consider the Bible to be a multicultural book. But when I look at this list, I see its multicultural aspects. People often say that the Bible is about only one people, the Jews, and their culture. While it is true that the Jewish people are often the focal point of the Bible, Jewish culture, like many others, underwent many changes during the writing of the books that comprise the Bible. As we will see, their ideas, customs, skills, arts, etc., along with their worldview and individual perspectives, changed greatly through the generations.
Written during a 1,500-Year Span
Moses began writing the first books of the Bible around 1440 BCE. The Apostle John wrote the final books sometime around 90 CE. This is a span of about 1,500 years. Over this amount of time any population's culture will change. Internal influences like technology, language development, economic emphasis, and population growth will lead to transformation, as will the exterior influences of trade, contact with foreigners, and immigration.
Written over Forty Generations
Each generation has its own cultural variation; this is most readily apparent when several generations live together. Each generation has its own way of communicating, which is why parents, grandparents, and teenagers do not always understand each other. Values change within generations. What one generation believes to be important or necessary for survival or society is not necessarily valued by the next generation. Financial concerns may be the top priority with one generation, moral values may be the priority of the next, and ecological values the priority of the generation after that. Dress, music, and literature all change from generation to generation, even though each age group does seem to influence the ones that come after.
Written by More than Forty Authors from Every Walk of Life
Rich or poor, day laborer or corporate professional, workers all live in different cultures. The writers of the Bible represented various cultures based on the type of work they did.
Moses was a leader of Israelites when they left Egypt and moved around the wilderness for forty years. Prior to that, however, he was a well-educated member of Egypt's royal family, even though he was still a member of the oppressed Hebrew race. He probably suffered through racial slurs and was shunned, even as a member of the royal household. Moses killed a man and then fled Egypt, becoming a shepherd in the wilderness.
Joshua was Moses's successor, spending much of his time in religious activity before becoming the military leader of Israel and helping to conquer the Promised Land. David was a shepherd who became a soldier and then king of Israel. Solomon, David's son, grew up in the royal court. Ezra and Nehemiah grew up in captivity in Babylon and Persia. Nehemiah—a cup bearer for the king of Persia, a very important and trusted position—helped rebuild the wall surrounding Jerusalem, which had been torn down when Babylon conquered the city. Jeremiah was a priest who was called by God to be a prophet when Judah was transitioning from being a free country to being conquered by Babylon. Daniel was a part of the nobility in Jerusalem, but he was taken into captivity by Babylon, where he became a trusted leader and served the kings of Babylon and Persia for many years. Amos was a fig-picking shepherd before he was called by God to be a prophet.
In the New Testament, Matthew was a tax collector for the Romans and was an outcast from Jewish society. John and Peter were fishermen from Galilee, an area despised by many Jews. Luke was a Gentile, who was an associate of the Apostle Paul and believed to be a doctor. Paul was born in Tarsus, a city near the Mediterranean coast, but his family moved to Jerusalem so he could study under the best teacher of the day. A religious teacher and a Roman citizen, he was a member of the elite.
Written in Different Places, on Three Continents
The books of the Bible were composed in different places, each one connected more to an individual writer than to an overall culture. Therefore, each place speaks more to the context for the writer and the particular books he wrote. Yet it is important to acknowledge that place is a part of culture, and location likely affected the writer's view of the world. Moses wrote while wandering in the desert, and Joshua wrote in the land of Israel soon after the conquest. David was in a field herding sheep when he wrote some of the Psalms and in the palace as the king of Israel when he wrote the others. Most of the prophets wrote in Israel or Judah, but Ezekiel and Daniel were in Babylon during the captivity. Paul wrote from many cities as he visited different churches, and many of his works were written from jail cells.
One of the biggest indicators that the Bible is cross-cultural is that it was written on three continents: Africa, Asia, and Europe. These locales also had an influence on the text. Moses wrote in Africa as the Israelites wandered in the wilderness. At that time Egyptian culture was well known to the people. The land of Israel is part of the Middle East, which is on the Asian continent, and its customs and traditions are in line with Asian cultures. Those who wrote in Babylon or Persia, modern day Iraq and Iran, were also influenced by Asian cultures. The Apostle Paul wrote most of his letters as he traveled in Asia Minor, part of the area now known as Turkey. Paul also wrote from Rome, part of the European continent. Each of these areas has their own specific culture, each of which was taken into account by the writers.
Most of the Old Testament was meant for those living in the land of Israel, or those who were Jewish, while some of the first readers had not reached the Promised Land, and others were living in exile. Much of the New Testament was for the early church, which consisted of Jews and Gentiles in Israel, Egypt, Persia, Asia Minor, and Rome. These early churches were influenced by Greek philosophical thought and Roman legal theory. Since the Jewish synagogues were the first place the early Christians visited as they spread the message to each area, Jewish religious thought was also known in these churches. The first readers of Paul's writings were converts from Greek, Roman, or Eastern religions and were still surrounded by their temples and followers. These cultural issues were often addressed in the letters to churches and individuals found in the New Testament.
Written at Different Times
During the 1,500 years it took to write the Bible, Israel's culture changed many times. When Moses was drafting his first writings, Israel was populated by Bedouins who had just escaped from slavery in Egypt, one of the most technologically advanced societies of the time. The Israelites had been exposed to the technology, religion, and culture of Egypt, but now they had to establish their own.
By the time of Joshua, the people of Israel were learning how to be conquerors, taking over various cities, and then settling into an urban/ agrarian society. The generation that had escaped from Egypt had passed away; a new generation was developing a new culture and also incorporated some of the religious traditions of the people they conquered.
Under the leadership of Saul, David, and Solomon, the people of Israel became a world power, which changed their culture and opened up more opportunities for connecting with outside influences. Israel was a hub for trade in the ancient world, which exposed it to a variety of cultures from Africa and Asia. The Israelites learned about other religions, technologies, languages, and products from the merchants who passed through their borders on their way to trade with other countries.
By the time of the prophets, Israel and Judah were no longer a united power, and the people had to learn how to live as separate countries. The northern kingdom of Israel followed a pagan religion while the southern kingdom of Judah tentatively held on to Judaism. After many years, God exiled the northern kingdom to Assyria and the southern kingdom to Babylon. After seventy years, the Persians defeated the Babylonians and allowed the people of Israel to return to their land. Some, like Ezra and Nehemiah, returned, but many stayed in the other countries where they had built their lives.
Between the writing of the Old and New Testaments, Israel was dominated by Greece, and then by Rome, which had a powerful influence over thought, travel, trade, and religion. The people lived as an occupied nation; and these were the conditions when Jesus appeared on the scene. Paul wrote to Jews and others who were living under the influence of Greek and Roman thought, law, and tradition. The culture of Israel at the time the last books of the Old Testament and the New Testament books were written was very different from the culture during the time of Moses.
Written during Different Moods
A writer's mood is not really tied to his surroundings; however, it does speak to his worldview at the time and helps explain why he might have accepted or rejected certain parts of his culture. Looking at writers' moods also helps us to see the Bible as speaking to individuals and that the writing goes beyond cultural influence and touches the heart and emotions of writer and reader.
Not all the writers were ecstatically happy or even in a spiritual mood as they wrote. Jeremiah is known as the weeping prophet, and his prophecies against his people in Judah show signs of depression. He was depressed because of the people's wickedness and because he knew that they would soon be taken into captivity.
David was filled with joy and praise for God, and then fell into mourning and weeping and wondering if God had left him. He wrote psalms of praise as a shepherd and as a king, but when society rebelled against him, he cried out to God in grief.
Written in Three Languages
Perhaps the biggest indicator of the cross-cultural nature of the Bible is that the biblical writers used three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Most of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew because Jewish people were its primary audience. However, a portion of Daniel is written in Aramaic, the language of the Assyrians and Babylonians who had conquered Israel. The book of Daniel was written for of the people of Israel who were in captivity in Babylon.
The New Testament is written in Greek, the language that had been used for trade since the time of Alexander the Great, similar to the way English is used today. Many people were bilingual; they spoke their native tongues but used Greek to trade and communicate with others. Using Greek as the language for the New Testament meant that many cultures could be reached simultaneously.
Concerning a Cross-Cultural Bible
It's clear as one goes through this list that the Bible is a cross-cultural book. There must have been a reason for God to have used such variety within the writing. He could have waited until the second century and directed one person to write everything down in a single language. But its diverse nature suggests that the Bible is designed to reach all groups and time periods, and that God cares about all cultures, especially yours.
Chapter Two
The Cross-Cultural Design of the Bible
How do we know the Bible was designed to be cross-cultural? It is easy enough to pull phrases from the Bible and interpret them according to our culture, but this does a disservice to the Bible if it were not intended to be used in that way. Another way of phrasing this question is, how do we know that the Bible was designed to speak not only to the ancient Hebrews and first-century Greeks, but also to those who came after them as well? Let us look at the evidence that proves that the Bible was meant for more than the ancient cultures.
Worldwide Outlook
From the time its first books were written, the Bible has displayed a worldwide outlook. The early chapters of Genesis describe the origin of the universe and God's creation of the first humans. God did not create one place on the earth or one particular group of people. From Adam and Eve came all the people and the cultures they created. This is the list of nations referred to in Genesis 10, which chronicles the migration and expansion of the human population after Noah.
One of the core scriptures in the Hebrew Bible is Genesis 12 in which God promises to give Abraham land and heirs to inherit that land. God concludes his covenant with Abraham by promising, "In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:3). Even at this early stage, God had a global outlook, which he conveyed to Abraham. From the beginning, it was clear that the Jewish people would affect the entire world. (Notice that the Bible does not say "some of the families"; it says "all of the families" will be blessed through the Jewish race, the descendents of Abraham.)
The next step for the Jewish people was to become the nation of Israel, which began to take shape during the time of the Exodus. God used Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into freedom. While they were in the wilderness, waiting to enter the Promised Land, they developed civil laws and established a governing body of religious leaders and civil judges. God established Passover (the Feast of Unleavened Bread) as an annual event to remind the people of how they had been delivered from slavery and bondage in Egypt. Interestingly, God also made a provision for those who were not Hebrew. Exodus 12:19 explains that if a stranger did not follow the rules of eating bread without yeast, he or she was to be isolated from the main group. Verse 48 states that those without Jewish blood can participate if they are circumcised. This shows that God was open to letting outsiders participate in Judaism and worship the Hebrew God. The worship of God was not to be limited to just one race or culture.
In Jewish tradition, there were two kinds of people in the world: Jews and everyone else (the Gentiles). Many Jews believed that God was Hebrew-centric, in other words, that God cared only about them. However, their prophets tried to change that mind-set. Isaiah wrote about the coming of a special servant of God who would bring justice to the Gentiles (42:1) and be a light to them (42:6). This servant was identified with the coming Christ, the future king of Israel, who would share God's message with the entire world, not just the Jews (49:6).
Luke described some events that showed the good news of Jesus was something for all people to hear, understand, and believe. Luke was a historian who traveled with Paul, which gave him opportunities to speak to and interview the other apostles, possibly even Mary, the mother of Jesus. In his Gospel, Luke relates the story of a man named Simeon, who saw the Holy Family in the temple as they were offering the appropriate sacrifice for the birth of Jesus. Simeon declared that Jesus was "a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles" (Luke 2:32). Jesus would be the one to open the door and allow the Jews and Gentiles to reunite with God.
Luke also wrote the book of Acts, and he relates the story of Paul and Barnabas in Antioch of Pisidia (Acts 13:44–48). Paul and Barnabas were speaking in the local synagogue. All was fine until a large group of Gentiles entered to hear what the two men were saying. This riled the Jewish leaders, and they began to argue with Paul, who pointed to Isaiah 49:6, the passage in which God says the Jews have been "given as a light to the Gentiles." The Jews were supposed to be the heralds of God's message to other nations, but they were failing this mission when they interacted with Paul and the Gentiles in Antioch of Pisidia.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from And God Said, "Let's Babel"by Philip McCarty Copyright © 2012 by Philip McCarty. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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