I was reading Gordon Fee's book on Listening to the Spirit in the Text when I came across his statement on the purpose of exegesis which I could not have agreed more. He says that true exegesis should affect our lives, bringing us into the submission of the truth that we find through the exegetical process. Unlike a distant researcher who is observing the object from far without being involved himself or be changed by the process of his research or what he has learned from it, we should be practising what we learn from the scholarly study of the scriptures much like the informed action, praxis, of a researcher in an action research where he or she is always constantly learning through reflections from actions taken towards a better practice or solution to a problem.
This is where I find my interest in biblical studies cross path with my educational research, one informing the other. I am glad that I could see God's truth in both fields. This also reminded me of Polanyi's tacit knowledge where the truth or the skills of a master could not be learned by abstract teaching in a classroom or through a textbook, but the student needs to submit himself through apprenticeship and undergoes the actions of the master under his supervision in order to learn. I could also tie this in with the concept of situated learning by Lave and Wenger. Thus, the study of scriptures is to seriously put oneself under the submission of the Spirit in order to learn from the Lord Jesus in order to become His apprentice and act more and more like Him under His tutorship. The study of scriptures is not for its own sake, but for ours. It's not an objectified scholarly practice devoid of personal interests. Rather, it is precisely for personal gains and beyond that it is conducted and acted upon.
Some people question the need for biblical studies and consider it irrelevant or impractical. To them the study of doctrines is time consuming and does not change their spiritual status. But little do they know that this behaviour itself constitutes an unchallenged or perhaps dangerous 'doctrine', (the believe/perspective/principle that scholarly study does not affect Christian life) that needs careful study in itself in order to determine the validity of such a viewpoint. How we view things would influence how we would act and feel, whether we believe it or not. It is up to us to reflect on these personal viewpoints through a careful study of the scriptures which in turn would sustain, modify or relocate the grounds from where we stand to view the valleys and the mountains beyond as we walk through life. It will affect our actions and we could no longer sit back or stay away from it. It is better that we understand it through careful study or else we would be walking blindly and in the end getting ourselves hopelessly lost.
This is where I find my interest in biblical studies cross path with my educational research, one informing the other. I am glad that I could see God's truth in both fields. This also reminded me of Polanyi's tacit knowledge where the truth or the skills of a master could not be learned by abstract teaching in a classroom or through a textbook, but the student needs to submit himself through apprenticeship and undergoes the actions of the master under his supervision in order to learn. I could also tie this in with the concept of situated learning by Lave and Wenger. Thus, the study of scriptures is to seriously put oneself under the submission of the Spirit in order to learn from the Lord Jesus in order to become His apprentice and act more and more like Him under His tutorship. The study of scriptures is not for its own sake, but for ours. It's not an objectified scholarly practice devoid of personal interests. Rather, it is precisely for personal gains and beyond that it is conducted and acted upon.
Some people question the need for biblical studies and consider it irrelevant or impractical. To them the study of doctrines is time consuming and does not change their spiritual status. But little do they know that this behaviour itself constitutes an unchallenged or perhaps dangerous 'doctrine', (the believe/perspective/principle that scholarly study does not affect Christian life) that needs careful study in itself in order to determine the validity of such a viewpoint. How we view things would influence how we would act and feel, whether we believe it or not. It is up to us to reflect on these personal viewpoints through a careful study of the scriptures which in turn would sustain, modify or relocate the grounds from where we stand to view the valleys and the mountains beyond as we walk through life. It will affect our actions and we could no longer sit back or stay away from it. It is better that we understand it through careful study or else we would be walking blindly and in the end getting ourselves hopelessly lost.
Comments
I agree with you that you cannot meet the Truth and not be changed by it. Gordon Fee makes a good point in that the Holy Spirit open up the Truth. Bruegemann maintains that real understanding must be accompanied by change. This is consistent with action science that the narrowing of the gap between espoused theory and theory in action is reflective praxis.
For most of us, we cannot know the Truth except by knowing the word of God. Again, Brueggemann talks a lot about propositional truths. We learn propositional truths from the Bible. Thus without the correct exegesis of the Word to guide us, our false beliefs will lead to wrong praxis.