It seems that
We read the Bible not just to answer our questions but to frame the questions themselves. In our state of confusion, we’re always tempted to ask the wrong questions. But God is so gracious he reveals not only the core issues that confront us, but the core questions we should be pondering. And when we read the Bible, then, we see that the urgent human question is not, “Do I have value and worth?” The Bible isn’t particularly hostile to this question; it’s just that the question stands on the periphery.
For
us, it is the distinction between law and gospel that provides the correct interpretative framework—hermeneutic–that ensures we are asking the right questions. As we (particularly David Browder) never tire of saying, one of the results of such an interpretative framework is recognizing that the transition of the Christian life is not “vice to virtue,” but “death to life.” The rub, as it were, is that the former can be measured much more easily than the latter and, as such, is the more satisfying way. Unfortunately, this seemingly pious move from “vice to virtue,” as Galli points out, is the height of narcissism (my words, not his). Language of worth is language of the law, and, quoting Werner Elert, “when the law speaks, the gospel is silent.” There is a lot more to be said on this, and we’re doing our best to say it all—hang on! But, until we get it all figured out, keep reading Mark Galli.
And now, for something completely different (though not totally unrelated).
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