New and Old.

"'Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.'"  Matthew 13:52 (NRSV)

And so we have the best of both worlds - what is new and what is old.

What is new is the new scholarship that is being aired in the churches.

And with it comes a new revelation from God.

What is old is the treasure of the scriptures - Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist.....

But the new revelation shows us that not all that is written in the scriptures is true.    

We can see that some scripture is inspired by fear.

But there is no fear in God.

Because God is Love.

And perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18)

So, as with our behavior, we should ask whether a passage of scripture is inspired by love or fear.*

Often we find that the threatening or violent passages of scripture are tacked on to the end of a story or parable.

This is fear asserting itself after revelation.

We see it in the Old Testament and we see it in the New Testament.

But 90% of these passages in the New Testament are in Matthew.

And several stories appear in the other Gospels without the threatening attachments.

And so, as the new scholarship suggests, we are to decant the treasure of the scriptures through the filter of love.

And leave fear behind.

(*If it is inspired by love it is from God.  If it is inspired by fear it is of human origin.)

{Scripture quotation (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.  All rights reserved.]

Photo Credit: antonialoweinteriors.com