Today's post is by guest writer Keith Ward.
Like most government agencies, Florida Department of Corrections has a number of forms to be filled out. One that inmates must sign for me is totally useless; the purpose for it ended over 10 years ago but we cannot get it removed. So I hand it and another senseless form (unnecessary but not known to be totally without purpose) to the inmates, with the parts that they need to fill in marked with exes –signature, date, DC# (Department of Corrections number).
The totally useless form has a heading explaining what its [defunct] purpose is, “I _____________......” This has no X beside it, my attempt to avoid wasting any more time on it than I must. Inevitably, the inmate will put his name in the blank, or ask whether I want him to do so. I reply, “Just where the exes are.” Sometimes, I look at one who has filled it in and say, “I told you, ‘where the exes are.’ ” They always start apologizing. They know they were not following the instructions when they filled in that blank.
It seems we have the same problem with the Bible, we cannot stand blanks. Fantastic (as in “fantasy”) books have been written telling what the other apostles did, what Jesus did as a child, what he did between 12 and 30, etc. Even ancient people got into the act and books were written to fill in the gaps of famous O.T. characters, some purportedly by those inspired men/characters.
As for us, we bind rules where God left a blank. Or we decide that since God left a blank, we can do whatever suits us. Numerous passages can be cited to support the radical notion that when God said nothing, that is exactly what he wanted, “Unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my son,” “Of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priests,” and “In all places where I have moved with all Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, saying, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?"' And that last one right after God told David, “Thou shalt not build me a house.” (1 Chron 17). Several more such could be listed.
Most religious division comes in places where men filled in God’s blanks. At least the inmates know they did wrong to fill in the blank, but these theologians still argue that they have the right to do so and certainly never apologize.
“That you may learn not to go beyond what is written.” 1 Cor 4:6
Keith Ward
Like most government agencies, Florida Department of Corrections has a number of forms to be filled out. One that inmates must sign for me is totally useless; the purpose for it ended over 10 years ago but we cannot get it removed. So I hand it and another senseless form (unnecessary but not known to be totally without purpose) to the inmates, with the parts that they need to fill in marked with exes –signature, date, DC# (Department of Corrections number).
The totally useless form has a heading explaining what its [defunct] purpose is, “I _____________......” This has no X beside it, my attempt to avoid wasting any more time on it than I must. Inevitably, the inmate will put his name in the blank, or ask whether I want him to do so. I reply, “Just where the exes are.” Sometimes, I look at one who has filled it in and say, “I told you, ‘where the exes are.’ ” They always start apologizing. They know they were not following the instructions when they filled in that blank.
It seems we have the same problem with the Bible, we cannot stand blanks. Fantastic (as in “fantasy”) books have been written telling what the other apostles did, what Jesus did as a child, what he did between 12 and 30, etc. Even ancient people got into the act and books were written to fill in the gaps of famous O.T. characters, some purportedly by those inspired men/characters.
As for us, we bind rules where God left a blank. Or we decide that since God left a blank, we can do whatever suits us. Numerous passages can be cited to support the radical notion that when God said nothing, that is exactly what he wanted, “Unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my son,” “Of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priests,” and “In all places where I have moved with all Israel, did I speak a word with any of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, saying, "Why have you not built me a house of cedar?"' And that last one right after God told David, “Thou shalt not build me a house.” (1 Chron 17). Several more such could be listed.
Most religious division comes in places where men filled in God’s blanks. At least the inmates know they did wrong to fill in the blank, but these theologians still argue that they have the right to do so and certainly never apologize.
“That you may learn not to go beyond what is written.” 1 Cor 4:6
Keith Ward
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