Fruitful Discussion of Eden et. al.

You know that Biblical scholarship has finally snuck its way out of the ghetto when you see articles on CNN, MSNBC, and NPR et. al. concerning topics ranging from the Second Coming to articles like this from CNN concerning Biblical (il)literacy in America.

From time to time we see blips on the radar, but most often at predictable times: i.e. Easter (always a great time for that 'exciting' new 'finding' that proves once and for all that Jesus fathered nine children with his three different wives...), or Christmas (see you idiots; they say, Jesus was born in 7 BC, clearly you religious people know nothing...).

What excites me is when the discussions move past sensationalism to earnest searching. I am always glad to have an honest, open, transparent conversation with someone concerning matters of faith.

On one hand the Apostle Paul warns against this sort of thing, endless debating and such:

so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, 4 nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith, 1 Tim 1:3-4 (NASB)

However, the very next verses are also informative:

5 But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, 7 wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions. 1 Tim 1:5-7 (NASB)

The CNN article makes its own point: "It is hard to argue when you don't know what you are talking about". If we are going to say that the Bible is the standard for faith and practice, then we had better know what we are talking about so that we can "rightly divide the word of truth".

Otherwise we just end up being divisive for no good cause.

I hope these conversations keep going. I am thrilled anytime that someone opens up their Bible to see if something that someone talked about at a press conference is really there. Perhaps some of us should practice the same due diligence. Think of the Bereans, who after Paul had performed many miracles, and had all the clout you could imagine, still had the audacity (or was it integrity!?) to check him out against the Scriptures.

Let us do the same, so that we may be prepared to give an answer to all who ask (1 Pt 3:15) since these discussions will be going on for a long, long time. This gives us many opportunities to make these discussions "fruitful".