Biblical Worldview: Week in Review

This Week we had the privilege of having Ed Sherman teaching our Humanities and Science class. Over the course of the week he took us on a journey, first sharing his own personal story and how his story touched a number of different views of the world. He then went on to share the story of the bible, because if we are looking at a Biblical Worldview, we have to understand the story, the big picture, from Genesis to Revelation. And he took us through some of the context and purpose for the Bible, and in particular Genesis. He also introduced the framework for worldviews, and 4 key questions that need to be answered.

1. Ontology - where did everything come from? (origin, character/nature)

2. Epistemology - How do we know something is true? (study of truth)

3. Axiology - What is of value? What is good? What is beautiful?

4. Teleology - Where is everything going? The end of all things.

He finished off in the New Testament and by giving some framework for it (context) and tying it all together.

"In order to get a biblical worldview,

we have to understand the story."

There was so much that I could highlight, so many things that stood out for me, but I will choose 3 and share them here.

1. When we look at the bible, and in particular Genesis, we have to be aware of why it was written. What it's purpose was. And not try to ask questions of it that were not meant to be answered per-say solely by that text.

It wasn't written in the beginning, it was written after the Exodus, to the people of Israel who had just been slaves for 400 years. The purpose was to make a nation and correct their worldview, to take the worldview of Egypt and address it. God gives in Genesis, His story of His original intentions for creation and humanity, and how far they’ve strayed from His original intentions.

2. Jesus wasn't just in the business of paying the debt we could not pay, he was also in the business of restoration and reconciliation. He wasn't whimsical, he knew what he was doing.

In Luke 19:1-10.

When Jesus picked Zacchaeus' house to go visit, He wasn't just showing his love for a bad man, and his desire that we love our enemies, he was also in the process restoring a whole community. Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector, turned around and gave half of his possessions to the poor and paid back any wrong doing by 4x the original amount. Imagine what this did for the whole community?

3. The kingdom is worth our whole life. William Wilberforce gave his whole life.

The kingdom of God, his original intention for us, who are made in his image, it is perfect, beautiful, absolutely good. But we are in a time when the Kingdom of God has come, but is not yet fully present. The idea of 'Now, but not yet fully'.

For me, I want to continue to understand the layers and context of the Bible so that I can be a relevant, strong, voice in this day and age, and hopefully represent the character and nature of God, and God's intentions for us as mankind, well. And I want to be someone who is bringing God's kingdom on Earth and partnering with him and his strategy for complete restoration. I want to be someone who is in constant relationship with my creator, someone who understands my purpose and helps to bring restoration and reconciliation.