Jesus Christ is the same today, yesterday, and forever.” Hebrews 13.8

“All scripture is God breathed and useful for teaching.” 2 Timothy 3.16

“But we have this treasure in clay jars.” 2 Corinthians 4.7

“And Jesus said, ‘you have heard…but now I say to you.’” Matthew 5. 17ff.

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In retired BSC Professor William Nicholas’ GO AND BE RECONCILED: ALABAMA METHODISTS CONFRONT RACIAL INJUSTICE, 1954-1974, he notes how fierce proponents of segregation used “selective interpretations of Bible narratives related to race.” P. 27

Truth is, many of us can be guilty at times of cherry picking Bible verses – selective literalism – to back up our pre-decided/judged positions, AKA prejudice. At such times folks may use the ‘Jesus is same now and forever’ and/or the ‘all scripture is inspired by God’ as back up verses. The effort is to link our ‘timebound’ opinions with such versage to give an aura of ‘timelessness’ for what in the overall flow of scripture may well be fairly flimsy.

In always amazing book providence/synchronicity, within days of one another, along with Professor Nicholas’ book, I received the FIFTH EDITION OF THE NEW OXFORD ANNOTATED BIBLE NEW REVISED STUDY BIBLE, out this April.

For near two generations THE go-to English study Bible for college and seminary classes continues to be the OAB. It was first of the Revised Standard Version, 1962, then of the New Revised Standard Version in 1991.

My OAB-RSV used from college and seminary up to 1991, of late, is hiding somewhere. The NIV, CEV, TEV, and delightful Eugene Peterson MESSAGE help me. Also, I am blessed deeply by the King James Version. I lovingly recall the well-meaning dad, who was drafted as Sunday School teacher for us rowdy 5th grade boys, saying: "Boys, the King James is the the Bible Jesus used". Yet My faithful OAB-NRSV, 1991 – think worn, loved ‘velveteen rabbit’ – is always at hand...home-base/default for serious life application study. Now, welcome the 2018 OAB-NRSV to take that place.

So if God is timeless, unchanging, why all the updates? Well, we learn more through archaeology, textual analysis and comparison, linguistic and nature of language studies, better understanding of historical contexts, and such. And here’s what makes the 5th Edition even cooler for me…

One of the four editors is Emory University Biblical Professor Carol Newsom. Though we were more acquaintances than pals (she was a lot smarter), Carol was a year behind me in high school; graduated from BSC; she and her family active members in the then vibrant McCoy UMC. And that’s not all…

What I consider the most memorable of Annual Conference Speaker/ Teachers was 10 years ago when Carol taught here about one of her specialties, the book of Job.

She used that material to share how scripture is seldom a monolog but a dialog. That at most points in the Biblical material there is faithful debate/dialog/ struggle to best cipher God’s way in that time’s situation in life.

In Job, the dialog is between a punitive view of God vs. a greater mysterious God whose gift of life enfolds and accompanies us all in the joy and hurt swirling in it all.

My words, not Carol’s: How does the timeless way of God become applied in the timebound situations of our lives in an appropriate, timely way?

You may have heard of notorious cusser Mark Twain’s response to his wife who lined out all his coarse words to shock him into a better vocabulary: “My dear, you’ve got the words, but you don’t have the tune.”

With all sorts of words/verses in the Bible that can be used/abused/twisted, what is the tune of the Bible?

For many, the code/lens/key to the tune of the Bible is what we learn about the life-giving/guiding mystery we call God. In words too awesome and deep for a superficial literal level, the Bible presents Jesus as the face, enskinment of God… of the creative source/force…love (874X), justice (194X), heart (931X) and mind (365X) of the universe/ multiverse/cosmos.

Matthew 5 – 7, the Sermon on the Mount, depicts Jesus in great respectful dialog with scripture of which he obviously knew and loved. ‘You have heard in the past, an eye for an eye…now I say to you, do not resist evil with evil…’. ‘You’ve heard, hate your enemies…now I say love them.’

Note Jesus is not in opposition here but is extending, intensifying what was in his beloved tradition. It was the way, truth, life (John 14) of Jesus who included at his Table and in God’s love those who the super religious excluded. My image is of Amos, Micah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and other Biblical forebears in the heavenly balcony cheering 'Go, Jesus!'.

In short, the tune, sweep of scripture is of a vibrant God always moving forward, never back; always including those who have been earlier excluded.

In a full sweep study of the New Testament, most will take a look at Revelation 13 in comparison/contrast to Romans 13. Just a generation or so later than Paul, John of Patmos depicts the Roman government as an evil dragon rising out of the sea. Even in Paul’s Roman 13 words, a few verses down, he says the best of law is summed up in ‘love your neighbor as yourself’. V. 10.

All scripture is God-breathed, useful for instruction, yet that means it is faithfully, prayerfully plumbed for timely application of the way of the timeless just and merciful God who always includes and loves more than we do.