Teaching Truth
“I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel; and in like manner I will not give to a woman a pessary to produce abortion. With purity and with holiness I will pass my life and practice my Art” (Hippocratic Oath, 2017)
Respecting the Bible
The Bible is the foundational document of Western civilization and holds the keys to eternal life. It is kind of a big deal. Therefore, those who teach, preach, and read from it should take the matter seriously. Rightly dividing the Bible essential and is especially integral when sharing its message with others. Life has a way of positioning events, things, and responsibilities so that focused thinking and studying are not convenient. This is problematic for ministers who are caught up in the ‘busy culture’ because contemplation, focused critical thinking, and copious study are all time consuming yet necessary components to ensuring proper impartation of scripture.
Modern ministers can learn much from other professions. For example, the medical professional is known for the Hippocratic oath. In brevity, the phrase “first, do no harm” is not in the original text. However, the spirit of the phrase should not be denied. The whole focus of this oath is to instill understanding in the physician and impart the sense of sacred duty, responsibility, and power that is a part of taking care of the sick (Hippocratic Oath, 2017).
This idea should be incorporated into the daily ministrations of all those within the Oneness Pentecostal Movement. Acutely, ‘first, do no harm’ should be well incorporated into sermons and teachings. Nature shows us that destruction is exponentially easier than construction. Building people and ministering to their psyche, their souls, and influencing the worldview that they and their descendants will align their lives with is no laughing matter. Being involved in the formation of these abstract areas is much more difficult and complex than the construction of any tangible building.
Essentially, ministering should be taken seriously. How the Bible is taught should be taken seriously. Failing to properly dig out the context of a passage of scripture you are about to exhort from can lead to disastrous consequences. For one, you could engage in false teaching, and done long enough, you could be considered a false prophet.
The Easy Out
I will admit, it is much easier to take the word of reputable ministers and simply copy the sermons that work for them. You don’t have to think. You don’t have to pray. You don’t have to fast. The problem arises when that great orator may have taken a verse out of context. His or her hermeneutic may be shown to be incorrect when examined critically. Sure, you can look good in front of people who may not read the Bible, but the cost will be high. Eventually somebody will test your hermeneutic and if it is found false, many people may lose faith in you or the Oneness Pentecostal doctrine. In short, the baby gets thrown out with the proverbial bathwater: it happens all the time.
So how do you fix this? By studying out the scriptures for yourself. You spend more time learning the Bible than you do practicing oratory, music, or baseball. You take this seriously. Before you assert something, especially from behind a pulpit, make sure that you have studied the thing out. We live in the day of the internet: people can, should, and often do, cross check your doctrines in real time during a sermon or in a cafe. Study and learn. Think critically about your views and the views of others. When something doesn’t seem to fit in your spirit, figure out why. Search the scriptures and be open to correction.
“I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel; and in like manner I will not give to a woman a pessary to produce abortion. With purity and with holiness I will pass my life and practice my Art” (Hippocratic Oath, 2017)
Refrences:
Hippocratic Oath. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hippocratic-oath