Ff08 Study Web

Exploring the Bible
Through Different Lenses
Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008
a 4-week Bible study

Redeemer Lutheran Church, Hinsdale, Illinois
Contents
Foreword .............................................................................................................3
Week I: Historical Criticism.............................................................................5
Week II: Narrative Criticism............................................................................9
Week III: A Liberation Lens...........................................................................15
Week IV: Lutheran Theological Reading....................................................21
Summary of Questions for Different “Lenses”.......................................27
Bibliography.....................................................................................................30
Further Reading........................................................................................30, 31
Evaluation Form..............................................................................................33
Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008

Foreword
Most Christians take the Bible very seriously, want to understand what it says,
interpret it correctly, and apply its teachings to their lives. But why are there
so many different types of churches and why have so many people come to such
different conclusions about what the Bible says and means? In frustration, we
might say, “I just want to believe and do what the Bible tells me to do!”
The assumption made by a statement like this is that we simply need to read
the Bible and believe it. However, Pastor Rob Bell explains that when we think we
can just read the Bible without reading into it our own background, issues, and
culture—and come out with a perfectly accurate meaning and interpretation—
we are mistaken (Velvet Elvis, 54).
The reality is that everyone reads the Bible and interprets it through certain lenses.
You might say, “What do you mean? What lenses? I just believe what it says.”
At the very least you are probably imposing your own deeply embedded social and
cultural norms on the text, as you seek to interpret it. Besides being influenced
by our culture we are also driven by our personal agendas—whether theological,
political, or economic. For example, in our own country, in the past, faithful
Christians used the scriptures to argue both sides of the debate on slavery.
The stakes are high and we all want to believe that our interpretation of the Bible
is correct and that our church has the correct understanding. To emphasize just
how seriously they want to take the Bible, some churches even bill themselves as
“Bible churches.” Unfortunately, this title can be misleading, because all Christian
churches base their worship, teaching, and mission on the Bible. Technically, then,
all churches are “Bible churches” and all Christians are “Bible-believing people.”
These terms, however, have come to mean something more specific. In part, they
make claims regarding biblical authority—about God’s involvement in the creation
of the Bible and the indisputable meaning of the text.
On one end of the spectrum (regarding biblical authority) is “verbal inspiration.”

For those that hold this belief, God dictated the Bible to the writers of the text
word-for-word. Along with this view, then, is the belief in biblical inerrancy:
that there are no mistakes in the Bible. This belief also necessitates that the Bible is
historically and scientifically accurate. For example, the world was created in seven
days (six days, with one day of rest) and is only several thousand years old. There
could not have been dinosaurs, since they are not mentioned in the creation story
or anywhere else in the Bible. This is the position held by fundamentalists and
many evangelical Christians.
On the other end of the spectrum is a “secular” view. For those who hold this
belief, the Bible is entirely the work of humans with no involvement from God.
However, a third option also exists.
Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008 3

The third option is one of “middle ground.” This is the official position of the
Roman Catholic Church, the ELCA, and many other denominations. For those who
hold this view, the Bible is the work of God and humans. For example, in the Bible,
God is truly revealed in the way that God wishes to be revealed. However, it was
written by real people, to real people, facing real situations. It was written in
ancient languages (Hebrew and Greek) and contains material that is specific to a
time and place. In other words, when the New Testament speaks of slavery, it is
dealing with a real issue facing the first-century Mediterranean world.
Perhaps the best analogy for this middle ground is this: Christians claim that
Jesus was truly human and truly divine. The same claim is made about the Bible.
The Bible is most certainly divine. Readers experience God in profound ways while
engaging with this text. But, the Bible is also “human.” It contains spelling errors
and odd grammar. Like a sermon that is the product of a preacher and also reveals
the true revelation of God, the ELCA takes the stand that the Bible represents the
important (even essential) interaction between God and human writers.
We celebrate that God is revealed in many and various ways to the entire world
(past, present, and future). This does not mean, however, that “anything goes.”
That is why in this study of the Bible we will learn several ways of reading the text,
in hopes of staying true to God's revelation.
4 Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008

Week I: Historical Criticism
Opening Prayer
☛ Group Greeting
Introduce yourself to the group and please answer the question,
“How are you doing?”
Introduction
The types of questions that we ask shape the types of answers that we receive.
How many times have you asked the questions, “How are you doing?” “How was
your day?” “How was work?” “How was school?” We have even turned a question
into a form of greeting, “How are you?” Typically, the answers that we receive to
each of these questions are as short as the question itself, “Fine.” “Okay.” “Long.”
In other words, our general and generic questions are often met with general and
generic answers. We put as little effort into answering as we do into asking.
What would happen if we were to ask different or more thoughtful questions?

Presumably we would receive more meaningful and specific answers.
☛ Group Exercise
Now go around the room and answer the question,
“What was the best thing that happened to you this week?”
Biblical Criticism
What is biblical criticism? To begin, it is helpful to consider the word “criticism.” In
casual conversation, we understand the word to mean an unfavorable observation
or remark (i.e. criticism is the opposite of encouragement). It is natural, then, to
think that biblical criticism is the act of offering unfavorable remarks about the
Bible. To be sure, there are plenty of people who offer unfavorable, even unfair,
observations of biblical texts. However, they are not engaging in the practice of
“biblical criticism.” Criticism also means the discipline of investigating, evaluating,
and analyzing a work of art or literature (such as the Bible). For example, you
could take a course in literary criticism. Here, you would learn the art of analyzing
literature. In the upcoming weeks, we will engage in the discipline of biblical
criticism. In other words, we will analyze a variety of biblical texts.
So, what does this have to do with our opening activity? What is the relationship
between biblical criticism and the art of asking a thoughtful question? If we are
honest with ourselves, we might admit that the questions that we ask when we
read the Bible are as general and generic as the questions that we typically ask our
friends and family. But, instead of asking, “How was your day?” we ask, “What
does this mean?” On the surface, they both seem to be legitimate questions.
However, in practice, neither question often encourages a detailed and thoughtful
response. So, does that mean that we shouldn't ask, “What does this text mean?”

Not exactly. Of course, we all want to discuss the meaning of biblical stories.
However, the practice of biblical criticism teaches us that there are many different
questions that we might ask of the text. Furthermore, just as different questions
about our work day will produce different answers (e.g. “How was your commute?”
“Did you eat lunch?” “Did anything frustrate you today?” “Did anything make you
laugh?”), asking different questions about a biblical text will produce different
answers. In short, the practice of biblical criticism is the practice of asking questions.
The better we get at asking a variety of questions, the better we will be at asking
and answering, “What does this mean?”
✙ A Case Study: 1 Corinthians 13 (NRSV)

If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a
13
noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2And if I have prophetic powers, and understand
all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains,
but do not have love, I am nothing. 3If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand
over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4Love is
patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5or rude. It does
not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6it does not rejoice in
wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. 7It bears all things, believes all things, hopes
all things, endures all things. 8Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will
come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to
an end. 9For we know only in part, and we prophesy only in part; 10but when the
complete comes, the partial will come to an end. 11When I was a child, I spoke like
a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put
an end to childish ways. 12For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see
face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been
fully known. 13And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest
of these is love.
☛ Group Exercise
Discuss the following questions:
❁ Have you read or heard this text before? If so, when and where?
❁ What do you think of when you hear this text?
❁ What do you understand this text to be about?
Historical Criticism
For many people, historical criticism is the bedrock, the starting point, for biblical
criticism. The practice of historical criticism encourages readers to ask, “Who, What,
Where, and When?” These questions may seem simple, but how often do we ask
them when we are reading the Bible? How might we better understand the
meaning of a text if we were to ask: “Who is speaking?” “Who is the audience?”
“What is the context of the story (i.e. “where and when” is the story taking
place?)” Finally, “What is being said?”

1 Corinthians 13 is commonly read at weddings. It is so common, in fact, that even
the most casual church members know the words, “love is patient, love is kind...”
When we ask, “What does this mean?” most people come to the conclusion that
love is, indeed, grand. This is the perfect text, then, for a wedding! Well, perhaps,
but perhaps not.
Let's ask the questions that are introduced by historical criticism. Who is speaking?
The author of 1 Corinthians is Paul. To whom is Paul speaking? Paul is writing to
the early Christians in Corinth. What is the context of the letter? Paul is writing to
a group of Christians who are fighting. From the beginning of the letter to the
end, it is clear that this group of Christians is in disagreement about almost
everything. What is being said? In the midst of your fighting, love one another.
Therefore, perhaps this text should serve as a guide for couples when they are
struggling, rather than when they are proclaiming their love for one another.
In other words, rather than read this chapter at a wedding, perhaps it should be
laminated and placed on the refrigerator and the bed stand. When a disagreement
arises and tempers and tones start to rise, the text is there to remind the couple
that love means...being patient and kind.
☛ Group Exercise
Discuss the following question:
❁ Did the practice of historical criticism change the meaning of the text
for you? If so, how?
✙ A Case Study: Matthew 5:38-41 (NRSV)

You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’
38
But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right
39
cheek, turn the other also; 40and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat,
give your cloak as well; 41and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the
second mile.
☛ Group Exercise
❁ What does it mean to turn the other cheek?
❁ When we tell someone to “go the extra mile” what are we saying?
Marcus J. Borg, Professor of Religion and Culture at Oregon State University, offers
some historical insight on Jesus’ words from Matthew 5:39b, “But if anyone strikes
you on the right cheek, turn the other also.” Borg states,
The specification of the right cheek and the awareness that people in that
world used their right hand to strike somebody provide the key for
understanding the saying. How can a person be hit on the right cheek by a
right-handed person? Only by a backhanded slap (act it out and see for
yourself). In that world, a slap with the back of the hand was the way a

superior struck a subordinate. The saying thus presupposes a situation of
domination: a peasant being backhanded by a steward or official, a
prisoner being backhanded by a jailer, and so forth. When that happens,
turn the other cheek. What would be the effect of that? The beating could
continue only if the superior used an overhand blow—which is the way an
equal would strike another equal. Of course, he might do so. But he would
be momentarily discombobulated, and the subordinate would be asserting
his equality even if the beating did continue. (Jesus: Uncovering the Life,
Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary, 249)
Furthermore, in Matthew 5:41 Jesus says, “and if anyone forces you to go one mile,
go also the second mile.” Borg explains that this statement refers to a commonly
known practice in Jesus’ day.
Soldiers were allowed to compel peasants to carry their considerable gear

for one mile, but no more. The reason for this restriction was that soldiers
had been abusing the option by forcing peasants to carry their gear all day
(or even longer). The result was not only popular resentment, but peasants
ending up a days journey (or more) from home. And so the restriction was
introduced, and soldiers faced penalties for violating it, some of them
severe. In this setting, what are you to do when an imperial soldier requires
you to carry his gear for a mile? Do it—and then keep going. This situation,
[Walter] Wink suggests, is almost comical—imagine an imperial soldier
wrestling a peasant to get his gear back while the peasant says, “No, no,
it’s fine. Let me carry it another mile.” (Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings,
and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary, 249 - 250)
☛ Group Exercise
❁ Did the practice of historical criticism change the way you understand
the text? If so, how?
Conclusion
Historical criticism introduces a “new” set of questions. In other words, we do
not begin with the question, “What does this text mean?” We begin by asking a
number of important “lead-up” questions. Once we are better aware of the
speaker, the audience, the context, and the content, we finally ask, “What does
this text mean?”
Importantly, historical criticism introduces just one of many different “lenses” or

“sets of questions” that we might ask of a text. In the next three weeks, we will
explore other lenses. In the end, we will be better equipped to answer the
question, “What does this text mean?” We will be better equipped, because we
will not start with that question, but rather, we will end with that question.

Week II: Narrative Criticism
Opening Prayer
☛ Group Greeting
Going around the circle, answer the question, “What was the biggest challenge
you faced this week?”
Introduction
The gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) tell the story of Jesus. They have
been read and re-read for two thousand years. While the gospels do tell a complete
story, they are also comprised of many smaller, individual stories. Some of the
individual stories have become classics, standards. For example, the story of the
“Good Samaritan” is so well known that we even have laws named after it.
Other stories, while important, are clearly less known. While the gospels are
comprised of many stories, we do not often describe the gospels as “literature.”
We do not often describe the stories as narratives. But, why not? Perhaps,
as Christians, we feel that if we use the words, “stories” or “narratives” or
“literature,” we will somehow be equating them with “fiction.” This could not
be further from the truth.
The authors of our gospels were wonderful story tellers. They told in simple
language, not only the events in the life of Jesus, but the meaning and truth
behind those events. In other words, the authors were not only concerned to
record the life of Jesus; they also intended to tell the audience who Jesus was.
For example, there’s a person who likes to tell a story about his father. His father
was a farmer who also raised sheep and cattle. On holidays (and in particular, on
Christmas and Easter), his father would give extra portions of food to the animals.
While the story is quite simple, it is clearly not told only to convey an event in the
life of this man. This story is told to convey the kind, generous, gentle spirit of
the farmer. If the family would celebrate the day with special food, why leave the
animals out of the celebration? The same was true with the authors of the gospels.
The authors told stories that both revealed historical events, and revealed the
true identity of Jesus.
So, what might happen if we read the stories of the gospels as “stories?”
A Case Study: The Birth/Christmas Stories
☛ Group Exercise
As a group, tell the Christmas story from memory. Try to include as many of the
details as possible. Who are the characters? Where does the story take place?
What time of year does the story take place? What is the dialogue? Who is telling
the story (e.g. Is there a narrator?)

Narrative Criticism
Just as historical criticism introduced a new way of looking at the Bible and new
questions to ask of the text (e.g. Who? What? Where? When?), narrative criticism
introduces a set of lenses with which to view our sacred stories. Narrative criticism
encourages us to engage with the text as we would with great literature. We are
encouraged to ask questions of the story, that we might better understand both
the events being described and the meaning of the events.
1. Narrative Criticism begins with “experiencing the story world.” In other words,
even if you feel that you know the story very well...listen again. Listen to the story
and try not to import any information from other gospels or any other source.
You might be surprised at how difficult it is to accomplish this first step!
2. Consider the setting of the story. Where does the story take place? If we are
told the setting of the story, do we know anything about this place? If we are not
told the setting of the story, why not?
3. Consider any conflict within the story. Describe the conflict. Who initiates the
conflict? Why does the conflict arise? What is at stake? Is the conflict resolved?
4. Analyze the characters. Who are the characters in the story? Are the characters
“flat” (i.e. they do not undergo a transformation) or “dynamic” (i.e. they undergo
some type of change during the story)? What do the characters say? What do the
characters do? What motivations or goals drive the characters?
5. Finally, explore the rhetoric of the story. Discuss the feelings, emotions, and
thoughts that you experience when you hear the story. Discuss also the possible
feelings, emotions, and thoughts of the characters. Do they change as the story
progresses?
Perhaps the best known and loved story in the New Testament is the birth story.
We have four gospels in our New Testament, yet only two tell the story of the birth
of Jesus (Matthew and Luke). While you likely feel that you know the story very
well, you may be surprised. In fact, it is often quite difficult for Christians to
“experience the story world” of the birth narratives. Remember, as you read each
story, listen. Do not think about Christmas songs or pageants. Do not think about
Hallmark cards or nativity scenes. Simply read and listen to each story.
✙ Matthew 1:18 - 2:16 (NRSV)

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary
18
had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be
with child from the Holy Spirit. 19Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and
unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. 20But just
when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream
and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the

child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will bear a son, and you are to
name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22All this took place to
fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23”Look, the virgin
shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means,
“God is with us.” 24When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord
commanded him; he took her as his wife, 25but had no marital relations with her
until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
2In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men
from the East came to Jerusalem, 2asking, “Where is the child who has been born
king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him
homage.” 3When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with
him; 4and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he
inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5They told him, “In Bethlehem
of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 6’And you, Bethlehem, in the
land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall
come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” 7Then Herod secretly called for
the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared.
Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child;
8
and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay
him homage.”
When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the
9
star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child
was. 10When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.
11
On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt
down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him
gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12And having been warned in a dream not
to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.
13
Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and
said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there
until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”
14
Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt,
15
and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been
spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”
16
When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated,
and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two
years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men.

☛ Group Exercise - Part I
✿ First, discuss the setting of the story.
✿ Second, discuss any conflict that might be included in the story.
✿ Third, list and discuss each character in the story.
✿ Finally, discuss the rhetoric, the feelings, emotions, and thoughts elicited by
the story.
✙ Luke 1:26-38 and 2:1-14 (NRSV)

26
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called
Nazareth, 27to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of
David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28And he came to her and said, “Greetings,
favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29But she was much perplexed by his words
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30The angel said to her, “Do not
be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31And now, you will conceive
in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32He will be great, and
will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the
throne of his ancestor David. 33He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of
his kingdom there will be no end.” 34Mary said to the angel, “How can this be,
since I am a virgin?” 35The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be
born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36And now, your relative Elizabeth
in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who
was said to be barren. 37For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38Then Mary said,
“Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.
2In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should
be registered. 2This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was
governor of Syria. 3All went to their own towns to be registered. 4Joseph also
went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called
Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David.
He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was
5
expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her
child. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth,
and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their
8
flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the
Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the

people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah,
the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of
cloth and lying in a manger.” 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude
of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14”Glory to God in the highest
heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
☛ Group Exercise - Part 2

✿ Again, discuss the setting of the story.
✿ Discuss any conflict that might be included in the story.
✿ List and discuss each character in the story.
✿ Finally, discuss the rhetoric, the feelings, emotions, and thoughts elicited by
the story.
Surprises
Stated simply, the birth narratives of Matthew and Luke are very different.
From the conflict to the characters to the dialogue to the emotions, the stories
are different.
✱ In Matthew’s account, it is only Joseph who is in dialogue with the angel.

In Luke’s account, it is only Mary who speaks (in fact, men are silenced in
Luke’s account).
✱ In Matthew’s account, we are told of the visit and adoration of the Magi.
In Luke’s account, shepherds hear about the birth of Jesus (and visit him).
✱ In Matthew’s account, the star announces the birth of Jesus.

In Luke’s account, angels announce the birth of Jesus.
✱ In Matthew’s account, Jesus is born in Bethlehem (quite likely at home).

In Luke’s account, Jesus is born in Bethlehem, but Mary and Joseph have
traveled from their home in Nazareth.
✱ In Matthew’s account, Herod the Great kills all children two years and under.
There is no mention of this in Luke’s account.
✱ In Matthew’s account, the holy family flees to Egypt.

There is no mention of this in Luke’s account.
✱ What other differences surprised you?
So, what are we to do with these two very different stories? Typically, Christians
“harmonize” the stories. In other words, we push the two different stories
together to make one grand story. Our harmonized story includes both Magi and
shepherds, both the star and angels, both the travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem
and the flight to Egypt. Harmonization, however, has its downside. Is it possible

that we are losing the “meaning” of both stories when we create one larger,
combined story?
Throughout the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is called a king. He is compared with the
great Israelite king, David. He is considered a threat to the “real” king, Herod.
This theme is beautifully introduced in Matthew’s birth narrative. Who better to
visit a king than Magi? What better way for even creation to acknowledge his
power than a star? What better conflict than that between two kings, the “real”
king and the real king?
Throughout the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is presented as coming for the outcasts and
lowly. He calls for the lowest in society to be his followers. Who better to visit the
one who will call the lowly than humble shepherds? Who better to speak than
women? What better place for Jesus to be born than a modest stable?
Conclusion
Like historical criticism, narrative criticism introduces a “new” set of questions.
In other words, we do not begin with the question, “What does this text mean?”
We begin by asking a number of important “lead-up” questions. Once we have
listened again to the story and have investigated the conflict and characters and
rhetoric of the story, we finally ask, “What does this text mean?”
✱✱✱
For Continuing Study: The Death and Resurrection Stories
Read two or more of the death and resurrection stories of Jesus. If you have
time to read only two, begin with the stories as presented in Mark and John
(they are the most dissimilar). Follow the same pattern as you did with the
birth/Christmas stories. Consider the story world, the conflict, the characters,
and the rhetoric of the story.
You will find that each of the four stories is quite different. Similar to the Christmas
stories, we tend to “harmonize” the stories. For example, have you ever followed
the “seven last words of Christ?” If so, you have not followed one single story,
but a harmonization of the four. Like placing Magi and shepherds around the
same manger, the seven last words of Christ are a composite description of events.
Importantly, what do each of the four stories, alone, tell you about the death
and resurrection of Jesus? Why would the gospel writers emphasize different
characters, conflicts, events, and/or rhetoric? Reading these stories utilizing
narrative criticism may open up a powerful new experience with the most
important event in Christian history.

Week III: A Liberation Lens
Opening Prayer
Introduction
Stress. Credit card debt. Addiction. Abuse. Divorce. Loneliness. Hostile work
environments. Fear. Disillusionment. Economic or political oppression. Sexism.
Racism. The list could go on and on. The truth be told, we live in a broken and
difficult world. Whether in Hinsdale or Lima, whether in Illinois or Peru, at
different times in life, many people feel the need for liberation. While some
people hope for economic or political liberation, others seek an entirely different
kind of liberation. Some people hope for liberation from alcoholism. Some people
hope for liberation from abuse. Some people hope for liberation from the
loneliness that comes after the death of a spouse or the loss of dreams.
The Bible talks about ways in which God provides for us. We receive forgiveness
and release from sin and guilt; reconciliation and a return home from exile;
liberation and freedom from different forms of oppression.
In worship, Bible studies, and community life, Lutherans tend to focus on sin and
forgiveness, but forgiveness from sins is not all that God provides. Think about the
story of Israel’s bondage in Egypt. In the story there is no hint that the Hebrews’
enslavement was their own fault. In Egypt, what was needed was liberation, not
forgiveness. Marcus Borg has remarked that “if Moses had gone into Egypt and
said to the Hebrew slaves, ‘My children, your sins are forgiven,’ they would have
said, ‘Well, that’s nice, but you see, our problem is bondage’.” (The Heart of
Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith, 169)
This study seeks to provide an opportunity to explore the Bible and Christian life
through the lens of liberation. We will ask questions such as: How might people in
authority or power read this text? How might those living in extreme poverty
understand these words? How might those struggling in ways that go unseen and
unheard hear the good news?
☛ Group Exercise
Take a few moments and consider that thing, or those things, from which you seek
liberation. It might be something that weighs on you, controls you, or even
plagues you. Depending on the familiarity of your small group (and your own
personal comfort level), share with one another an example of your longing for
liberation. From what do you need to be liberated and freed?
Now that you have considered a situation from your own life, share with the
group a situation in the broader community (the world!) where liberation from
hunger, economic or political oppression is needed for masses of people.

As we stretch ourselves to better understand God’s liberating message, let’s
imagine how God’s promise of liberation might be viewed by a person born into a
situation unimaginable to most of us. Let’s say this someone is living in a shanty
town as a squatter with a bit of cardboard and corrugated metal for walls and a
blue tarp as a roof for her and her children. Of course, their father has gone North
to find work but the remittances haven’t started coming yet and you haven’t heard
from him since he left to meet his coyote (human smuggler) three months ago.
You walk three miles to the bus and commute 2 hours to your job as a maid.
You start at 7 AM and leave, after serving dinner, at 8 PM. The long bus ride gets
you back at 10:30 to walk the 3 miles to your shanty village. You hope your
children were able to stay with their aunt who would have given them dinner, but
if she found work at the day labor site, they may not have been fed and will have
gone to sleep hungry...and on the story goes.
☛ Group Exercise
❖ How might we hear Jesus’ liberating message if we were in this situation?
Introduction to Liberation Theology

Like all forms of biblical study (or biblical criticism), liberation theology challenges
readers of the Bible to think in new ways.
People who have historically studied the Bible, taught classes, and written books
have done so from a position of power. (The majority of teachers and authors
have been well-educated, white males from Northern Europe and North America).
There have been and continue to be voices that are lost in the discussion.
The voices that are often drowned out (or not even allowed to speak) come from
those who are not in positions of power. How do the poor read a specific text?
Do the voices of men and women sound the same? How can we better listen to
the various voices? What can we learn from those seeking liberation?
Liberation theology, in the classic sense, refers to the voices of those who are
experiencing racial, political, or economic oppression, and got its start in South
America. This legacy is important (even essential) in the world of global
Christianity.
Brothers Leonardo and Clodovis Boff explain that a liberation reading favors
application over explanation and looks at the Bible as a book of life, not a book of
strange stories. “The textual meaning is indeed sought, but only as a function of
the practical meaning: the important thing is not so much interpreting the text of
the scriptures as interpreting life ‘according to the scriptures’.” (Introducing
Liberation Theology, 34)

The books in the Bible that have the most importance in liberation
theology include:
✌ The book of Exodus, because it recounts the politico-religious liberation of

slaves who through the covenant with God became God’s people;
✌ The Prophets, for their unbending defense of the liberator God, their strong
condemnation of injustices, their taking back of the rights of the poor, and
their declaration of the messianic world;
✌ The Gospels, because of the centrality of the divine person of Jesus, with the
announcements about the Kingdom, Jesus’ liberating actions, and the final
meaning of history, his death and resurrection;
✌ The Acts of the Apostles, for their depiction of the model of the free and
liberating Christian community;
✌ Revelation, for in symbolic and collective terms it portrays the vast struggles
of God’s people against all the monsters of history.
(Introducing Liberation Theology, 35).
Some key ideas in Liberation Theology:
1. Living and true faith includes the practice of liberation.
2. The living God sides with the oppressed against the pharaohs of this world.
3. The Kingdom of God is God’s project in history and eternity.
4. Jesus, the Son of God, took on oppression in order to set us free.
5. The Holy Spirit is the “Father of the poor” and is present in the struggles
of the oppressed.
6. Mary is the prophetic and liberating woman of the people.
7. The church is a sign and instrument of liberation.

(Introducing Liberation Theology, 49-60).

✙ A Case Study: Luke 6:20-26 (NRSV)
Then he looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for
20
yours is the kingdom of God. 21”Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will
be filled. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22”Blessed are you
when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on
account of the Son of Man. 23Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your
reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
”But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. 25”Woe to
24
you who are full now, for you will be hungry. “Woe to you who are laughing now,
for you will mourn and weep. 26”Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is
what their ancestors did to the false prophets.
☛ Group Exercise
❖ How do you define “blessed?”
❖ How would you use “blessed” in a sentence?
❖ What do you understand Luke 6:20-26 to mean?
❖ Do you understand these words to refer to those who are literally “poor?”
Or, is this meant to be a metaphor for other kinds of “poverty?”
When we hear, “blessed are the poor,” it would be easy to think that the text is
saying it is a good thing to be poor. But scholars assert that in the culture in which
Jesus lived, “‘Blessed...’ would mean: ‘How honorable...’ On the other hand,
‘Woe...’ connotes: ‘How shameless...’ The two halves of the passage, blessings and
woes, draw the contrast between the weak (honorable) and the strong (shameless)
and are addressed to each in turn. Luke’s beatitudes are statements consoling
and supporting the socially disadvantaged, not attitudes to be acquired by
Jesus-group members.” (Malina and Rohrbaugh, Social-Science Commentary on the
Synoptic Gospels, 250)
☛ Group Exercise
❖ Re-read Luke 6:20-26, replacing “blessed” with the word “honored” and “woe
to you” with “shame on you.”
❖ Does this change how you feel about this text?
Liberation theologian Gustavo Gutierrez doesn’t read this text metaphorically

(i.e. “poor” does not refer to people “poor in spirit,” but does indeed refer to
those who lack the goods of this world). That they are blessed, or honored, does
not mean that the poor should complacently accept their poverty, as if they will be
“rewarded” later, in the afterlife.
Jesus asserts that the Kingdom of God has already begun: “The time has come; the
Kingdom of God is upon you” (Mark 1:15). It is here, among us, a condition that we
live in, not just after death. If we believe that the Kingdom of God implies the

reestablishment of justice in this world, then the elimination of poverty and
exploitation that prevent the poor from being fully human has begun. The poor
are “blessed because the coming of the Kingdom will put an end to their poverty
by creating a world of fellowship. They are blessed because the Messiah will open
the eyes of the blind and will give bread to the hungry...Poverty is an evil and
therefore incompatible with the Kingdom of God, which has come in its fullness
into history and embraces the totality of human existence.” (A Theology of
Liberation, 170-171)
✙ A Case Study: Matthew 20:1-16 (NRSV)

20
”For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the
morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2After agreeing with the laborers for the
usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3When he went out about nine
o”clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4and he said to them,
‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went.
When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same.
5
And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he
6
said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ 7They said to him, ‘Because
no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ 8When
evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers
and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’
When those hired about five o”clock came, each of them received the usual daily
9
wage. 10Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each
of them also received the usual daily wage. 11And when they received it, they
grumbled against the landowner, 12saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and
you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the
scorching heat.’ 13But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong;
did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 14Take what belongs to you
and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 15Am I not allowed to
do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am
generous?’ 16So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
☛ Group Exercise
❖ Which character or characters do you most identify with? Why?
❖ How do you feel about the actions of the landowner? Were his actions fair?
❖ Brainstorm how others might read this text.

✙ A Case Study: Luke 12:13-21 (NRSV)
Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family
13
inheritance with me.” 14But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or
arbitrator over you?” 15And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against
all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”
Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly.
16
And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my
17
crops?’ 18Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger
ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul,
‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’
But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of
20
you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21So it is with those
who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”
☛ Group Exercise
❖ Summarize this story in your own words.
❖ What is the message of this text for those who are financially wealthy?
❖ What is the message of this text for those who are struggling financially?
❖ Is this story about riches/poverty? Do you have a tendency to “metaphor-ize”
such texts (i.e. read such texts as an allegory or metaphor)?
Conclusion
One of Jesus’ favorite topics is money. He integrates the discussion of money into
the beatitudes and into parables. He tells words of wisdom related to money
(“...easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle...”) and offers grave
warnings. For some, these words are liberating, for others these words seem like
unfair condemnations. Liberation theologians point to such texts to show the great
differences between the interpretations of those in power and those who are
subservient. But, there are many other texts and many other options that deal
with liberation. It is not only economic oppression that sparks the discussion of
liberation. People seek liberation from political oppression, racism, sexism, and a
variety of social problems. When have you experienced a need for liberation?
What words provided hope? When have you found yourself in a position of
power? What words served to challenge? Is there any truth to the saying, “Jesus
came to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable?” How can we begin to
hear the voices of others, especially the voices that have often gone unheard or
even unspoken?

Week IV: Lutheran Theological Reading
Opening Prayer
☛ Group Exercise
As a group, share your experiences with “Lutheran education” (e.g. Sunday School,
Confirmation, Bible camps, etc.).
Introduction
Lutherans, like any other denomination, are a diverse group. It would be foolish to
think that all Lutherans read the Bible in the same way. However, we can identify a
number of traditional tools employed by Lutherans when studying a biblical text.
So, how is a Lutheran reading of the text different from a Catholic, Methodist or
Presbyterian reading? Lutherans do not necessarily read the Bible in a dramatically
different way than our brothers and sisters from other denominations (i.e. we
don’t have a “weird” way of reading the Bible, nor do we have a “secret” way of
reading the text). However, Lutherans often do put a different “spin” on things.
So, as Lutherans, we want to be able to better understand our tradition.
This final study is based on a new book called Opening the Book of Faith: Lutheran
Insights for Bible Study. In 2007 the ELCA churchwide assembly voted to embrace
a 5-year initiative called “Book of Faith,” so that “the whole church become more
fluent in the first language of faith, the language of Scripture, in order that we
might live into our calling as a people renewed, enlivened, empowered, and sent
by the Word.” As your small group asks “What next?” we suggest that you
consider Opening the Book of Faith as your next study.
Five Key Lutheran Principles

Mark Allan Powell, Professor of New Testament at Trinity Lutheran Seminary
(Columbus, OH), urges us to consider five key Lutheran principles when we study
the Bible:
1. Law and Gospel

2. What Shows Forth Christ?
3. Scripture Interprets Scripture
4. The Plain Meaning of the Text
5. Public Interpretation
Powell explains that, “The principles are easier to describe than they are to
practice, but we have discovered over the years that when we do manage to
follow these principles, we usually get things right.” (Opening the Book of Faith, 28)

1. Law and Gospel
The traditional Lutheran view is that the Word of God speaks both law and gospel
and that both must be held together for God’s Word to be fulfilled. But, what is
the “law?” What is the “gospel?” The “law” is commonly defined as that which
accuses or judges us. Conversely, the “gospel” is that which comforts and saves us.
Many people make the mistake of thinking of the law as the material in the
Old Testament and the gospel as the material in the New Testament. This is quite
incorrect. There is both law and gospel in the Old Testament. Similarly, there is
both law and gospel in the New Testament. Throughout the Bible, our sins and
brokenness are identified. And, throughout the Bible, God speaks words of
comfort and promise. For Lutherans, both law and gospel are necessary and must
be held together. We must acknowledge our own brokenness while celebrating
God’s grace and forgiveness. Because law and gospel are central elements to
Lutheran theology, we might ask a number of related questions in our study of
the Bible.
➻ a. Does the text highlight God’s expectations, demands of us (law)?

➻ b. Does the text help us to identify our inadequacies or sin in attempting to meet
God’s expectations of us?
➻ c. Does this text offer good news of forgiveness, of grace, or of promise?
Remember, not every text will contain both law and gospel. However, the Bible as
a whole does move from our brokenness to God’s grace.
Powell explains that, “When we Lutherans say that the Bible is the Word of God
we mean, above all, that the Bible is the book that reveals Jesus Christ to us.
And by that we mean the whole Bible - not just the Gospels or the New Testament”
(Opening the Book of Faith, 31). In other words, Lutherans constantly ask the
question, “What does this text tell me about Jesus?” Martin Luther used a
powerful metaphor to describe the function of the Bible. He said that the Bible
was like the manger that held the Christ child. In other words, we do not worship
the Bible, but that which the Bible holds and reveals. Likewise, the Bible may be
understood to be a tool. Just as a manger holds hay, the Bible reveals Jesus.
When we study the Bible, we do, ultimately, want to better know Jesus. Because
we want to better know Christ, we might ask a number of related questions in
our study of the Bible.
➻ a. In what ways does this text point us or lead us to Christ?

➻ b. How does the passage show forth Christ?
Remember, it may seem that not every text “shows forth Christ.” Lutherans believe
that the Bible is meant to reveal Christ in many and various ways.

Mark Allan Powell explains that, “Lutherans believe that difficult passages of
Scripture are to be interpreted in light of those passages that are more readily
understandable, and that all Scripture is to be interpreted in light of the Bible’s
central themes and motifs. We often try to reconcile what is said in one part of
Scripture with what is said in other parts of Scripture, sometimes recognizing that
there is tension between texts that seem to say different things. We try to be
faithful to the entire Bible rather than just picking some parts and leaving others
alone.” (Opening the Book of Faith, 33)
While this can sound like a daunting task, it is necessary, and we will grow more
confident with this Lutheran principle in time. One reason that this aspect of a
Lutheran reading of the Bible is so important is that it discourages “shooting Bible
bullets.” We use the phrase “shooting Bible bullets” to describe times when
someone quotes a verse of scripture and attempts to use this verse as the “end all
and be all,” the “winning argument.” For example, you may have heard people
quote a verse in reference to virtue or vice. The Bible says it, so it must be true.
However, a Lutheran reading of the text asks us to consider whether this is
consistent with the whole of scripture. This is only one advantage of this Lutheran
principle. As a group we will surely encounter many other reasons to let scripture
interpret scripture. For now, we might ask a number of related questions in our
study of the Bible.
➻ a. Do other passages in the Bible help us to understand or interpret this text?

➻ b. Are there important ideas or themes we find to be at the center of the Bible
that help us put this passage in the perspective of the whole?
➻ c. Might we see this passage as more or less important because of our convictions
about what God has done in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ?
➻ d. Is our interpretation accessible to everyone?
Remember, the Bible is meant to work together as a wonderful and powerful

“whole.” We might find ourselves with a troubling theological perspective if we
decide to focus on only one portion of God’s Word.
“Lutherans say that Scripture is to be interpreted in line with its ‘plain sense,’
writes Powell. “This means that passages are to be understood in the sense that
would have seemed obvious to their original readers. They are not to be taken out
of context or twisted to be read in a sense that never would have occurred to their
original readers.” (Opening the Book of Faith, 37) The Bible is a collection of ancient
texts that were written by people and to people who were very different from us.
We must consider, then, how the original readers (or listeners) might have
understood the text. For example, some modern readers of Revelation insist that

it reveals a battle between Christianity and Islam. This, of course, could not have
been how original readers understood the text. Quite simply, Islam did not exist in
the first century.
While a Lutheran theological reading does insist that the study of the Bible
considers the plain meaning of the text; that does not mean that we are not
concerned with how the Bible speaks to us today. On the contrary, we are better
able to answer the question, “What does this text say to me?” when we have first
asked the question, “What might this text have meant to its original audience?”
➻ a. What might be the plain meaning of this text?

➻ b. How does this text speak today?
Powell notes, “Lutherans say that the interpretation of Scripture is a public act
rather than a private one. Through the Bible, God speaks to Israel and to the
church. God does not speak directly or privately to individuals. What God says to
Israel and to the church may have specific application for individual lives, but the
meaning of Scripture for individuals is to be in harmony with its universal meaning
for the community of faith” (Opening the Book of Faith, 41).
As Lutherans, we encourage one another to read the Bible and engage in personal
devotions. Reading the Bible is often a very moving and life-changing experience,
and has personal application to individual lives. However, it is recommended that
individuals first seek the general meaning that applies to all people. After that task
is complete, it can be helpful to consider personal application which should be
congruent with the broader meaning of the text.
➻ a. Does the interpretation we are offering have a general meaning that would
apply to everyone?
➻ b. Are we gleaning lessons from the text that others might also hear and that we
can explain?
➻ c. Are there interpretations from others that might help broaden and lend depth
to our reading?
➻ d. Are there interpretations from cultures other than our own that might
broaden and lend depth to our reading?

A Case Study: John 8:31-36
☛ Small Group Exercise

Now that you have been exposed to the five Lutheran principles, read John 8:31-36
and ask a number of questions from each of the Five Key Lutheran Principles for
this Reformation Sunday lesson.
✷ How does a Lutheran theological reading of this text inform your
understanding of this passage?
✷ Why is this passage the designated text for Reformation Sunday?
✙ John 8:31-36 (NRSV)

Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my
31
word, you are truly my disciples; 32and you will know the truth, and the truth will
make you free.” 33They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have
never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made
free’?” 34Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a
slave to sin. 35The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son
has a place there forever. 36So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.
A Case Study: Romans 7:15-25
☛ Small Group Exercise

Read Romans 7:15-25 and ask a number of questions from each of the Five Key
Lutheran Principles.
✷ How does a Lutheran theological reading of this text inform your
understanding of this passage?
✙ Romans 7:15-25 (NRSV)

I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the
15
very thing I hate. 16Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good.
But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18For I know
17
that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right,
but I cannot do it. 19For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is
what I do. 20Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that
dwells within me. 21So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good,
evil lies close at hand. 22For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, 23but I see
in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to
the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24Wretched man that I am! Who will
rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our
Lord! So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am
a slave to the law of sin.

Conclusion
A Lutheran theological reading of the Bible involves five key principles:
(1) law and gospel; (2) what shows forth Christ; (3) scripture interprets scripture;
(4) the plain meaning of a text; and (5) public interpretation. While a Lutheran
reading of the Bible shares much in common with other denominations, Lutherans
do ask a set of important and enlightening questions. Now, we challenge you to
employ the five key principles of a Lutheran theological reading in your study
of the Bible.

Summary of Questions for Different “Lenses”
✤ Historical Criticism
Consider the following historical critical questions in your personal and small group
readings of the Bible:
1. Who? Who is speaking? What do we know about this person?
2. To whom? Who is the audience? What do we know about this person

or group?
3. Context? When and where is this material coming from? What else do we
know about the context? What material proceeds and follows this text?
4. What is being said? What is being said? What might be the “tone” of the text?
5. Finally, how do the answers to these questions relate to one another?
✤ Narrative Criticism
Consider the following narrative critical questions in your personal and small group
readings of the Bible:
1. Am I experiencing the story world? In other words, am I listening to the words

of this story and this story only? If so, what are they saying? Perhaps more
importantly, what are they not saying?
2. Does the story include conflict? Who initiates the conflict? Is the conflict
resolved? How is the conflict resolved?
3. Who are the characters? Are the characters “flat” or “dynamic?” What do they
say? What do they do? What motivates the characters?
4. What is the rhetoric of the story? What is being said? What is not being said?
What might this mean?
✤ Liberation Theology
Consider how you might hear Jesus’ liberating message if you were, as many
people still are today, a victim of injustice. Some questions you can ask:
1. What is the message of this text for those who are in positions of power—
with choices and wealth?
2. What is the message of this text for those who are struggling in a system of
oppression (economic, political, religious, racist, sexist, etc.)?

Books of the Bible to read for their importance in liberation theology:
1. The book of Exodus, because it recounts the politico-religious liberation of

slaves who through the covenant with God became God’s people;
2. The Prophets, for their unbending defense of the liberator God, their strong
condemnation of injustices, their taking back of the rights of the poor, and
their declaration of the messianic world;
3. The Gospels, because of the centrality of the divine person of Jesus, with the
announcements about the Kingdom, Jesus’ liberating actions, and the final
meaning of history, his death and resurrection;
4. The Acts of the Apostles, for their depiction of the model of the free and
liberating Christian community;
5. Revelation, for in symbolic and collective terms it portrays the vast struggles
of God’s people against all the monsters of history.
✤ Lutheran Theological Reading

There are 5 key Lutheran principles to consider:
1. Law and Gospel

a. Does the text highlight God’s expectations, demands of us (law)?
b. Does the text help us to identify our inadequacies or sin in attempting to meet
God’s expectations of us?
c. Does this text offer good news of forgiveness, of grace, or of promise?

a. In what ways does this text point us or lead us to Christ?
b. How does the passage show forth Christ?

a. Do other passages in the Bible help us to understand or interpret this text?
b. Are there important ideas or themes we find to be at the center of the Bible
that help us put this passage in the perspective of the whole?
c. Might we see this passage as more or less important because of our convictions
about what God has done in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ?
d. Is our interpretation accessible to everyone?

a. What might be the plain meaning of this text?
b. How does this text speak today?

a. Does the interpretation we are offering have a general meaning that would
apply to everyone?
b. Are we gleaning lessons from the text that others might also hear and that we
can explain?
c. Are there interpretations from others that might help broaden and lend depth
to our reading?
d. Are there interpretations from cultures other than our own that might
broaden and lend depth to our reading?

Bibliography
Bell, Rob. Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005.
Boff, Leonardo and Clodovis. Introducing Liberation Theology. Maryknoll, NY:

Orbis Books, 2007.
Borg, Marcus J. Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious
Revolutionary. New York: HarperCollins, 2006.
Borg, Marcus J. The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith. San Francisco:
HarperCollins, 2003.
Gutierrez, Gustavo. A Theology of Liberation. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1988.
Jacobson, Diane, Mark Allan Powell and Stanley N. Olson. Opening the Book of
Faith: Lutheran Insights for Bible Study. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2008.
Malina, Bruce J. and Richard L Rohrbaugh. Social-Science Commentary on the

Synoptic Gospels. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1992.
Suggested Small Group Studies
Borg, Marcus J. The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith. San Francisco:
HarperCollins, 2003.
Brown, Robert McAfee. Liberation Theology. Louisville: Westminster John Knox

Press, 1993.
Jacobson, Diane, Mark Allan Powell and Stanley N. Olson. Opening the Book of
Faith: Lutheran Insights for Bible Study. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2008.

We really, really want to know
what you thought about this year’s Fall Focus.
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Exploring the Bible

Through Different Lenses

Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008

a 4-week Bible study

Week I: Historical Criticism.............................................................................5

Week II: Narrative Criticism............................................................................9

Week III: A Liberation Lens...........................................................................15

Week IV: Lutheran Theological Reading....................................................21

Summary of Questions for Different “Lenses”.......................................27

Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008

On one end of the spectrum (regarding biblical authority) is “verbal inspiration.”

Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008 3

4 Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008

What would happen if we were to ask different or more thoughtful questions?

Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008 5

✙ A Case Study: 1 Corinthians 13 (NRSV)

6 Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008

✙ A Case Study: Matthew 5:38-41 (NRSV)

Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008 7

Soldiers were allowed to compel peasants to carry their considerable gear

Importantly, historical criticism introduces just one of many different “lenses” or

8 Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008

A Case Study: The Birth/Christmas Stories

Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008 9

✙ Matthew 1:18 - 2:16 (NRSV)

10 Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008

Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008 11

✙ Luke 1:26-38 and 2:1-14 (NRSV)

12 Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008

☛ Group Exercise - Part 2

✱ In Matthew’s account, it is only Joseph who is in dialogue with the angel.

✱ In Matthew’s account, the star announces the birth of Jesus.

✱ In Matthew’s account, Jesus is born in Bethlehem (quite likely at home).

✱ In Matthew’s account, the holy family flees to Egypt.

✱ What other differences surprised you?

Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008 13

For Continuing Study: The Death and Resurrection Stories

14 Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008

Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008 15

Introduction to Liberation Theology

16 Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008

✌ The book of Exodus, because it recounts the politico-religious liberation of

Some key ideas in Liberation Theology:

1. Living and true faith includes the practice of liberation.

3. The Kingdom of God is God’s project in history and eternity.

4. Jesus, the Son of God, took on oppression in order to set us free.

6. Mary is the prophetic and liberating woman of the people.

7. The church is a sign and instrument of liberation.

Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008 17

Liberation theologian Gustavo Gutierrez doesn’t read this text metaphorically

18 Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008

✙ A Case Study: Matthew 20:1-16 (NRSV)

Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008 19

20 Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008

Five Key Lutheran Principles

1. Law and Gospel

Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008 21

➻ a. Does the text highlight God’s expectations, demands of us (law)?

2. What Shows Forth Christ?

➻ a. In what ways does this text point us or lead us to Christ?

22 Redeemer Lutheran Fall Focus 2008

➻ a. Do other passages in the Bible help us to understand or interpret this text?

Remember, the Bible is meant to work together as a wonderful and powerful