Jesus Spectacles

I had the opportunity to hear Douglas Moo speak yesterday at GRTS' "Text and Culture" seminar. He is on the committee that produces and updates the NIV. He stressed that neither Zondervan nor Biblica has any control over how the committee interprets the Greek text and presents it in English version. He did lament the publishers control over certain features of presentation though, such as continuing the tradition of printing Jesus' words in Red (thanks to Zondervan for the complimentary NIV 2011).

During lunch i had the opportunity of sitting by Stanley Gundry, who is the executive vice pres. of Zondervan. He actually came to visit with John Frye, but sometimes the fly on the wall gets the opportunity to buzz around the head, and so that's the approach i took. i mentioned that i appreciated Zondervan sticking with the Red Letter Addition. He assured me it was not theological, but merely marketing demand. None-the-less, i presented a quick apologetic for my position, which went something like this...

On the road to Emmaus, a couple of disciples run into Jesus, only they don't know that it's him. They are lamenting that Jesus has been put to death. Then, incognito Jesus, explains the Scriptures (OT) to them and their eyes are opened and they recognize not only the Gospel predictions of the OT but also Jesus himself walking with them! The point is that they only understood the Scriptures properly through the teaching and perspective of Jesus.

Secondly, the book of Hebrews opens up by saying, "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ^but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being,..."

The implication being that clarity reaches it's zenith in Jesus' teachings and witness. The prophets were a shadow, but Jesus is the reality which casts the shadow. It is through the teachings and witness of Christ that we receive the clearest representation of God's nature and will.

Historically, the Protestant/Evangelical Church has viewed (interpreted) Scripture, including the Gospel, through the lenses of Paul. Metaphorically, it has been Paul's words printed in Red. i am suggesting that we ought to interpret the Bible through the perspective of Jesus' teachings instead. Some would agree that we ought not interpret the bible with a Pauline bias, but would argue that we ought not have a Christocentric bias either. Instead, they would suggest that we ought to view Scripture as a whole on equal terms. Therefore, Christ's words don't have precedence, but neither are they relegated under a Pauline perspective.

i respectively disagree. Like the disciples on the Road to Emmaus, i believe we can only properly understand the message of Scripture by first hearing Jesus' interpretation of it. All Scripture is God-breathed, but just as the prophets were a shadow of the Christ, so also even Paul is also a type of reflection of Christ. Therefore, i suggest a Christocentric reading of Scripture.