하나님께 가까이 함이 내게 복이라(시편73:28)

Wednesday, 12 July 2017

The SPR Bible Seminar. Old Testament 1

Rev. Eun Suk Cho, PhD in Old Testament

Adjunct Professor, American Baptist Seminary of the West, Berkeley

Pastor, Golden Gate Presbyterian Church, Daly City

A. What the SPR Bible Seminar is about?

If not narrative, there is no meaning we find in any events as well as beings in time and space. There have been bad narratives, however, misleading peoples into misperception. Political propaganda and commercials are but examples for possible bad narratives. The Bible is the true narrative, revealing everything as is. The narrative in the Bible has been sometimes called as "Message." The Message in the Bible is the Truth, giving life to human beings; the Bible was written by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life" (John 6:63).

The Word and the Light came to us (John 1:9, 14); Jesus Christ incarnated to be human being, as the Lamb of God, forgiving our sins. The Word and the Bible are not dividable; in the fact that Jesus the Word of God humbled himself and obeyed the Word completely (cf. Matt 5:17, 26:54; John 18;11), the Word and the Bible are identical.

In the light of the Bible, we can perceive ourselves correctly. We are but sinners, deserving death. Upon the grace of Jesus Christ realized in the Cross, however, we are saved. The Bible is the lamp and the light to us (Psalm 119:105). Humans are not perfect; the Bible is the Truth. Jesus is the Truth, making us the sinners free to be children of God (John 8:32, 36).

This seminar introduces what is the SPR and how to read the Bible using the SPR perspective. SPR comes from Separation, Placement, and Rest, found in the Creation and the Exodus. The Creation was proclaimed in the context of the Exodus. Thus, the two are dynamically inter-related: C//E. We first find C//E in the Pentateuch. The Exodus is the spiritually interpreted as the act of Salvation. Accordingly, the Salvation is best understood in the dynamics of the Creation and the Exodus. Are you saved?

The Salvation comes in the Name of Jesus Christ, by the Blood of the Cross, through the Grace of God. What we all are to do: to be separated, to be placed, and to rest in worship. The final and ultimate realization of Salvation is found when we go to the Kingdom of God: separated from the world, placed to the Kingdom, and rest in the everlasting worship, as we are seeing the face of God.

Pentateuch as an entity is the theological matrix for the rest books of in the Bible. Each book of the Bible as the narrative, as well as the Bible as the whole narratives, tells us about SPR in its own languages, good for the people living in the context. The interpretation of each book of the Bible, therefore, is possible in the spiritual identification, which is possible with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

In the formular, SPRx + C//E = A, each reader of the Bible is the variable x, the Homo Venerabundus--human of worship. You find yourself in the x. Obey the commands: be separated to God, be placed to be blessing, and rest in worship. Spiritually speaking, Separation is Holiness, Placement is Blessing, Rest is Worship. To put in a sentence: SPR, first found in the Pentateuch, is a core of biblical theology that we find in each book of the Bible, tells us both how to read the Bible and how to live Christian life. A comes from I AM that God revealed himself to Moses first, Israelites second, and the peoples of the world finally.

Separation includes good question, good memory, prayer (thanksgiving & complaining) to God, praise to God. Placement includes the gift/work/talent given by God where God called you out. Rest is realized in worship. SPR is actualize in the life of "Walking with God."

SPRx + C//E = A is best understood in the rhetoric by Aristotle (384-322 BC) of logos: Claim + Reason = Warrant. Before Aristotle, however, there was Moses who wrote the Pentateuch in 1447 BC. Deuteronomy gives us first the three: CRW.

This seminar covers but a part of the Old Testament. The rest books of the Bible, however, are understood upon the application of SPR reading to the further reading. SPR reading and SPR doing are best incorporated into SPRiNG. The small letter "i" pays special attention to who I am, the sinner, and who is to turn out to be nothing after glorifying God the Almighty: total devotion.

Upon imitation of Jesus Christ our Lord, who is the same, yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8), gain the "routability" in the spirituality as you walk with God. "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (First Thessalonians 5:16-18). And grow in the knowledge of God and the Son, the Sent, by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, the Counselor, because it is the eternity. "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (John 17:3).

B. Time Table

9:00-10:20 The First Lecture

9:00-10:00 Lesson #1. SPR & Pentateuch

10:00-10:20 Group Discussion #1

10:20-10:30 Break #1

10:30-12:00 The Second Lecture

10:30-11:55 Lesson #2. Joshua to Second Kings.

11:55-12:00 Seminar Prayer #1

12:00-12:30 Break #2 for Lunch

12:30-1:40 The Third Lecture

12:30-1:20 Lesson #3. First Chronicles to Song of Songs

1:20-1:40 Group Discussion #2

1:40-1:50 Break #3

1:50-3:00 The Fourth Lecture

1:50-2:40 Lesson #4. Isaiah to Ezekiel

2:40-2:55 Testimonies

2:55-3:00 Prayer #2

C. Notes for Lectures #1-4

Lecture #1. SPR & Pentateuch

What is SPR?

Understanding the Pentateuch

1. Genesis

2. Exodus

3. Leviticus

4. Numbers

5. Deuteronomy

Written by Moses, called by YHWH as the Prophet and the Law Giver, who was possessed by the Holy Spirit for the first two generations in the Exodus and the generations to come of Israel and all the nations.

Genesis is the historiography for the First Generation of the Exodus.

Exodus, Leviticus, and first half of Numbers are the journal for the First Generation

Exodus is best understood in the transitions.

The Book of Leviticus is about the holiness: Five Sacrifices (1-7), Priests (8-10), People (11-27).

Fist half of the book of Numbers is the journal for the First Generation.

Second half of the book of Numbers is the journal for the Second Generation

The book of Deuteronomy is the Law by New Interpretation for the Scond Generation.

The book of Deuteronomy is composed of three commands: Remember, Obey the Commands, and Konw that I AM. The three are, in the terms of Aristotle, CRW.

The Pentateuch is the theological matrix for the following books of the Bible.

Lecture #2. Joshua to Second Kings

6. Joshua

7. Judges

8. Ruth

9. First Samuel

10. Second Samuel

11. First Kings

12. Second Kings

The seven books are called as the Prophetic History.

The theology found in the PH is Deuteronomic.

The book of Joshua is composed of two: the conquest (1-12), the distribution (13-24). A key element is found in Joshua 24, especially in v 15b: "But as for me and my household, we will serve YHWH."

The Prophets include Jeremiah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, and Joel.

King Josiah (640-609 BC) was the Reformer in 622 BC, which is described in 2 Kings 22-23 and 2 Chronicles 34-35.

The 622 BC Reform was three-ones: One God, One Temple, and One People.

One God

Josiah removed all the idols, leaving YHWH alone.

One Temple

Josiah removed all the High Places and the priests served them.

One People.

Josiah extended the area of the Reform to the North. He also obeyed the law of the Passover, inviting all the people, the twelve tribes.

The PH depicts the history of Israel as IN and OUT.

Lecture #3. First Chronicles to Song of Songs

13. First Chronicles

14. Second Chronicles

15. Ezra

16. Nehemiah

17. Esther

18. Job

19. Psalms

20. Proverbs

21. Ecclesiastes

22. Song of Songs

The Priestly History includes First and Second Chronicles and Ezra.

The Priestly History was written by Ezra.

The Priestly History is a revision of the Prophetic History in the context of the post-exilic Judah.

The Memoirs: Nehemiah, Esther