Unchanging Word in a Changing World

Key Verse: II Tim 3:16

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Our God is an unchanging God and the principles laid in the Bible, we believe, also are ageless. But it is a fact that the world is constantly changing. It is always a challenge for the Christians to cope with the change, but at the same time hold on to the Christian principles.

I. What is Change?

Change can mean the process of becoming different. It can be an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another. Are you subject to change? Are you willing to change? Are you a catalyst of change?

All living organisms, as a sign of growth, are subject to change. Growth means change and  change  involves  risk, stepping  from  the known to  the unknown. Any  change  is  always  accompanied  by drawbacks  and  discomforts. One who cannot change his mind and  will not  change  the subject is  a fanatic- said Winston Churchill. Reinold Neighbour prayed: “God  grant  me  the  serenity to  accept  the  things I  cannot  change, the  courage  to  change  the  things  I  can, and  the  wisdom  to  know the  difference.”

We  live  in a rapidly  changing  world. All  humans  are  subject  to  change. The  art  of  living does  not consist  in preserving  and clinging  to  particular  mood  of  happiness, but  in allowing  happiness to  change  its  form with out being  disappointed by  the  very change.  

II. The Word of God

The  theme is  drawing  our  attention  to the  Word  of  God. Is  the Word  changing  or  unchanging? The Word is  taken  here as  the  Holy Bible. The  word Bible  means  The  Book. It contains 66 books with rich variety and written  by several people. We  all know that  the  Bible  has  different  translations and  the  original  books  are  written  in different languages. The canonisation of the Holy Bible was a long process from 15 century BC to  5th  century AD. The  39  books  of  the O T was  canonised  by  the Jewish  community  at  Jamia in AD 90.  The  27  books  of  the N T was  canonised first  at  the  Council  of  Carthage  in AD 397. This was reaffirmed by the council of Hippo later. There  is  a central  message  passing  through all  the  66  books  in  the Bible. That  is  the  Word  of  God. This  Word is  understood through the  words  in  the Bible. The  Bible, therefore, is  the  Word  of  God. It  is  an expression of  God  Himself. It  is  God’s  Word.  St  Paul writing  to Timothy  says:  “All scripture is given by inspiration of God....”(2 Tim 3:16)

God  is  one  who  reveals. He  reveals through  all his  creations (Psalms 19).He  reveals  in  time ( from time  to  time) and in space (from place  to  place). We can understand God only through what he has revealed. The Holy Scripture helps us to understand God’s revelation. God is not exhausted by our understanding. He is such a Great God.

Why is the Word given? It is given to  listen, to  read, to  understand, to  reflect, to  respond  and  to  become  part  of  it. We  are  tempted to  approach the  Bible  objectively. But  remember  that  this  book is  a book  ‘that reads you and  me’. When  we  understand  the  Holy Bible  as  the Word  of  God   our  approach  should  be  different. What  we  need  is  a subjective  experience  where I – it relationship  is  reduced  to  zero.

There is  a mystery  element  in  the Word  of God. It is beyond human discovery. For example, Philip explaining the word to the eunuch of Ethiopia (Acts 8:26ff)  Here the Holy Spirit  helps  us  to  understand  it. The  Word  of  God throws light in  the  lives of humans  for reproof, for correction, for instruction in  righteousness, to  be profitable for  doctrine, that the  humans  may  be complete, thoroughly  equipped for  every good  work.”(2 Tim 3:16)

God is one who communicates. The  Old  testament  is  full  of  narrations where  God  spoke  to  humans through his  Word. We  also  understand that God’s word  came  to  His people through  the  (1)written Word (2) the law and  (3)through  the prophets (chosen  people  of God). Ultimately God spoke  to us through  his  son Jesus Christ. The  book  of  Hebrews speaks  of  God’s  supreme   revelation as : “God, who at various  times and  in different  ways spoke  in time  past to  the  fathers  by  the  prophets  has in these  last  days  spoken  to  us by  His  son…” ( Heb 1:1-2)  

St.  John speaking  about  God’s  incarnation  wrote “ the  Word  became  flesh..,”( John 1: 1-18). The infinite God became finite. Verse 14 says “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the father, full of grace  and truth.”  The Holy  Bible itself does not give us the salvation – but the incarnated Lord does. The Words of the Bible take us to God revealed in Jesus Christ.  The word points to a person- He is the saviour of the world. This Word is unchanging. “He is the same yesterday, today and for ever.” (Heb 13:8)

Is the Word Changing or unchanging? Human language has limitations. Our knowledge of the word is relative and subject to change. It is in this context that we need to understand the concept of re-reading the Scriptures. There is difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is what  we know and  wisdom is  the right  application of  what  we know. Fear of God  is  the beginning  of wisdom. Committing our way to God is wisdom and continued trust in Him will help us  see, develop, and  grow. Our God is an unchanging God. An old chorus says: He cannot fail for He is God; He cannot fail for He pledged His Word. The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself. The principles laid in the Bible are ageless. The Holy Spirit helps us in our discernment. This discerning eye sees the glory of God in the ordinary. We discover God in the common place. We  understand  God  as  a person  because He  thinks, reasons, feels, judges, chooses  and communicates. We have seen before, that God is the subject. Unless  our  thoughts  are  guided and constantly corrected  by God through His  Word we  will  go  astray. We are called to walk in God’s way by the light we see form the Word. A  true  spirituality  expressed  in Christian  Discipleship needs maturity in God by holding  the Word  of God and  receiving  the guidance  of  the Holy Spirit. The unchanging Word has the Sanatana Dharma(Eternal Truth).

III. The Changing World

This  study is not an attempt to list out the changes in the world, but how will you understand the  world that is changing. The world manifests God. There is the created world (Isaiah 42:1-9, Psalm 33:6) and the inhabited  world. The  Psalmists  says “ the  earth is  the Lord’s  and   all  its  fullness, and  the world  and who dwell  therein” (Ps  24:1-2). He exclaims “How great thou art” when he sees the manifestation of God in the World.  In the beginning God… says the Bible. We need to focus on God in order to understand the created world. We understand in Jesus Christ that God has taken the world seriously. God so loved the world…. (John 3:16). When God is at our primary focus we will  understand the world properly.

We are in the world. Our life on earth is a plan of God. St. Paul says that we are chosen in Christ before the creation of the world. (Eph 1:4).So   life in the world is to be taken seriously. It has pleased God to entrust the earth, with all its wealth and wonder, to human kind. The world is to be enriched by our lives.  Humans are to guard and cultivate the garden. Hence the ecological balance and eco-justice fall under human responsibility.  It is a divine mandate. The fullness of God’s glory in the world is to be manifested through God’s people. 2 Tim 3:16 says “…….that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work”

The Word also cautions us not to be worldly. St. Paul  says  in Romans  12:2 : do not  be  conformed  to  this  world but be  transformed  by the  renewing of  your  mind, that you  may prove  what  is good and  acceptable and perfect  will  of  God. Attachment, unjust action and exploitation come when humans forget the God given responsibility to choose good over evil. When  we  marginalise God by our self-interest and  forget  to love and  care  fellow beings the ‘me’ in me  is  glorified and  Christ  is crucified.’ Christ  in his  high priestly  prayer asks  God not  to  take  us  away  from  the  world  but  to  keep  us  safe form  the viles  of  the  evil one.( John 17:15) Therefore we  need  redemption  from  the  evil  and  evil forces.   Our being  with  the living God  and  growing  in Him means  to  be a blessing   to  the world  and  to  the generations. The  word of God helps us to this end.

The world is constantly changing. Change is inevitable. Human beings are commissioned to give  meaning and  direction to  the  change. Change can be for better or worse. Man is expected to direct the change for the better. The challenges of change are always hard. It  is  important that  we  begin  to  unpack  those challenges  that  confront our  generation and  realise  that we have a role that  requires  us  to  change and  become more responsible  in shaping  the future. The Word of God equips us for every good work.(Mt: 5:48)

IV. The  role  of  the Word in the changing  world

 The Word of God helps us to choose and  be  responsible. Psalm 1 speaks  of the righteous  and  the ungodly. It  says that  the  ways  of  the ungodly  shall  perish and  that the  righteous will  flourish  like a tree planted  by  the rivers  of water. Christian life is to be dynamic and responsible. As St. Paul  says we  are  rooted in Christ  and  we  grow  in him.(Col 2:6-7).Christ  suffers  with his  people and  with  the  whole creation. He pleads again and again for the  redemption  of  the whole creation. The whole creation also groans for the redemption.  So  our  spiritual  struggle is not against  our fellow beings  but  against  the evil forces that  stand  on the way of the  redemption God has planned in Jesus Christ.( Eph 6:12) The  energy of Christ( the power  of Christ’s  resurrection) works  within  us and  through  us,  to work  with Christ  for  the  establishment  of His  Kingdom. (Col 1:29). As a collective body, the Church, we struggle with Christ for the liberation of God’s creation. (Col 1:24)

When  we  understand that  God  is  in charge we  won’t panic every time we  open the News paper or  watch  the News. We  won’t  give  up  hope  when  we  face evils  such  as terrorism, disease  or murders.  We  will  not  insulate  us from  the  feelings  of  hurt, grief  and  sorrow  of  this  world. The  better  we know  the  Word  of  God  the  clearer will  be  our  perspective  of the world.  God’s Word guides our life. Job says ‘He knows the way that I  take…’(Job 23:10). St. Peter says to the  resurrected  Jesus “Lord  you  know  all things; you  know  that I  love  you” John 21:17. The word of God helps us to  know  God  revealed  in Jesus Christ. He  is  the  way,  the  truth  and  the  life. (John 14:6). Our  life  in the changing  world will be  a growth in Jesus Christ. When  we  refuse to  accept God’s  way, His wrath is  the  consequence. ( 2 Chron 34:21)The changing  world looks up to us and we should prove to be towers of hope. We  are  the only  Bible(the  word of God)  which  some  people can  and  will  read. Let  us  not  forget that  we are placed  in the  world  to  be   manifestations  of God’s  love. We reveal the Word that became flesh.

It  is  a  challenge  for  the Christians to cope  with  the change. The unchanging  Word  of  God helps  us not  to  conform  to  this  world but  to  be  a source  of  transformation. Psalmist says “Your words I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You” (Ps 119:11) God’s love revealed in Christ binds us together. It is in relationship that we become a source of transformation. To be, is  to  be  in relationship. God  made  us  for  relationships and it  is  His  will that  we  cultivate  a circle   of  friends, a community. God’s commandments to love God and to  love one’s neighbour  is  speaking  about relationship. Jesus  also commanded  us to  love  one  another  as  He  has loved us.( John 13:34)  So  relationship  in all  its  forms is the  art  of going out  of oneself and  appreciating  others as much as  you  appreciate  your own self. Friendship is  knitting  of  one’s  soul with another so  that  both  become  stronger  and  better by virtue  of  their  relationship. A  friendship can  be exhilarating, exciting and  at  times  exhausting. But it  can  also  open up new  possibilities, new trails, new adventures, new territories  and  new continents.  

The  Word  of  God is  redemptive  and  at  the  same  time judgemental. The  Word  of  God helps  us  to  know that  the  Almighty God is  powerful  not only in creation  and preservation,  but  that he is also  powerful in judgement. The  Word  of  God  is  like  a two  edged sword. As  we  traverse through  the  changing  world, the  Word  of God helps  us to  be  Holy as  God  is  Holy. (Lev 11:44). The Word of God clearly reveals  that.  God  in Jesus  Christ wants  to  hold all things  together in the Kingdom of God. (Col 1:17, Eph 1:10). Therefore  it  is  always  challenging for  us who  are  living  in this  world to  cope    with  the  change but  at  the  same  time hold  on to the  promises  of  the  unchanging  Word.

Though the world changes, the   Word of God is true  and eternal.  

Mar Theodosius