Conviction # 4 “As a faith community, we accept the Bible as our authority for faith and life, interpreting it together under Holy Spirit guidance, in the light of Jesus Christ to discern God’s will for our obedience. “
The Bible is central to our beliefs. It is also very complex. It is a set of books, poems and letters of the church. It was the synagogue and the church who decided on the 66 books that we have in the Bible. They, the leadership, decided to not include some books, poems and letters. From the first letter of Paul in 53 A.D. ( First Thessalonians ), it took the church almost 400 years to state it to itself that this letter and the other 28 books of the New Testament were now Scripture.
In the conviction, this is the work of the Spirit and the presence of Jesus Christ. In the world of Mennonites, we live in different cultures with different languages, so we would see the meaning of the Bible differently. Ethiopian Mennonites have been carved out of an underground movement. Dutch Mennonites have endured for 500 years in relative peace. History and your place in the world will determine how you believe in Christ. I have never been hungry. I have always been safe. I have good health care. If a person in eastern Congo does not have these three, what do they believe in Christ ? How do they read the Bible ?
How do we discern what the Bible means ? We will never get to where we want to be in our understanding. We are a diverse and complicated people. How do you see Jesus as the ” bread of life” when you only eat rice ? So many good questions yet to be asked of Christ Jesus and the Spirit. We must continue to read the holy word, so we might grow in our love of Christ, the Saviour and Lord.Shalom and strength for our community
.Fred Soaring like Vultures lifted up by unseen Hands Trust, silent enters my fears Monica Pieper Landoni 2021
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