ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
June 6, 2026
Yesterday, I attended a clergy event where Dr. Lisa Davidson, the Academic Dean at Phillips Seminary and Professor of Hebrew Bible, asked us a question: Do you want your doctor to provide you care based on what was known 2000 years ago? Let’s just say that we all agreed the answer was a big NO! Whether I am going in for a sore throat or major surgery, I don’t want a doctor who says, “I was trained in 9th century bloodletting as a way of removing demonic possession. If that doesn’t work, I have some very hungry leeches.” In the same way, I want to draw upon the best and most recent scholarship of the Bible. That’s not to say that a 4th century or 14th century religious writer has no insight, but scholarship is about building on what was previously learned. The Book of Revelation is an excellent example as people have, throughout the centuries, misunderstood the unique genre of apocalyptic literature, often assuming Revelation was a writing never before seen. In fact, it was a common form of literature, with the word apocalyptic meaning to unveil or unfold. It was never intended to give us a description of the future, but words of hope about the present time in which the document was written. It attempted to provide an alternative vision to those who were suffering and feeling helpless. Basically saying, “Though it may look bad, let me show you how things are viewed from God’s perspective.” Instead of trying to figure out a direct correlation between a strange reference in the Book of Revelation and some modern-day event, the three takeaways for us are: 1. God wins in the end; 2. Unjust empires/governments that bring suffering upon the weak and marginalized will fall; 3. Faithfulness to the ways of God, even in the face of suffering, is what God is inviting us to do. Interesting, those who have throughout history protected unjust governments are the first to suggest the Book of Revelation is inviting us to make those connections to the modern day, and doing so with an alarmist attitude. They want people to think that being faithful is about becoming obsessed with the 666, the Lake of Fire, or the Seven Seals (things referenced in the Book of Revelation). Instead, I think Jesus is inviting us to live love, compassion, and kindness in the face of unjust “empires” in this world. Modern scholarship helps us pull the Book of Revelation out of the hands of those who are playing a shell game with people’s lives.
There are those who seek to abuse people by using the Bible as it was never intended to be used. Continue to provide us wisdom, O God of All Wisdom, including the marvelous insights of those who have spent their lives drawing upon the best information available to us. Amen.
