Essays in Understanding the Bible (11): A Biblical Worldview

In this series of essays, Helen Parry explores some basic principles for understanding the Bible. Since interpretation is not a dry academic exercise but is essential to a proper use of Scripture, each essay is followed by questions for reflection (and discussion with others, where applicable), and suggestions for action.

It may be tempting to think of secular cultures as bad, simply because they take no account of God. But contemporary Western culture has been grounded in and shaped by the Christian faith. In fact, the Reformation emphasis on the right of individuals to read and interpret Scripture for themselves was one of the main contributors to the ‘Enlightenment’ elevation of human reason above the authority of the church. Nineteenth-century writers and philosophers thought that it was possible to retain a Christian ethic while rejecting Christian dogma. And, a hundred years later, some principles of that ethic remain as the acknowledged values of our society.

Paul’s example, and our own common sense, teach us that we cannot simply reject the majority culture that we live in. How we can use the Bible to evaluate that culture is the subject of this essay.

Our tendency, as we have considered in an earlier essay (Essay 3), is to select a verse or a few verses of Scripture that seem to us to address a particular issue, and quote it as though it provided the whole answer. We might, thus, quote Romans 1:27 as ‘the biblical view’ on homosexuality, or even the biblical explanation of AIDS; or we might appeal to Paul’s description of worship in the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 14:26-37) as a blueprint for all Christian worship. As we have seen, we need to get a grasp of the whole biblical revelation in order to get an accurate and balanced view.

Many theologians have proposed outlines for a biblical worldview. A very helpful approach is to consider the four ‘pillars’ of the Bible story, each of which gives us essential insight into the purposes and work of God. These may be listed as:

• Creation
• Fall
• Redemption
• Consummation/The End

A beginning and an end – but in between hundreds of millennia of history. It is interesting that many evangelicals largely ignore the first and the last – Creation and Consummation – and focus on the second and third – Fall and Redemption. Thus, a summary of the ‘gospel’, the theme of many an evangelistic sermon, is ‘You are a sinner; Jesus came and died to save you from your sin; put your faith in him’.

Remember those little evangelistic booklets – the ABC of the gospel? Admit you are a sinner, Believe Christ died for you, Confess your sin and Commit your life to him. Such a presentation has helped thousands to take a first step of faith, but a faith that comes to roost there is an impoverished faith indeed.

Perhaps in a short essay the most helpful way to look at these great themes – and the most practical, in terms of our understanding of the issues of our own day – is to take a topic and examine it under these four headings. Such a topic could be something comparatively unimportant like wine, or something vast and complex like a political ideology or genetic engineering. Somewhere in between these extremes lies a topic that is of relevance to us every day – the topic of work.

Creation. Whether we take it ‘literally’ or not (see Essay 6), the creation narrative lays the foundation for all our understanding. The curtain rises on an avalanche of creative work, as a worker-God puts in place all the elements of the material universe. When he had finished, he looked at his work, said ‘Yes, that is good’, and took what we might consider to be a well-earned rest (Genesis 2:2-3). But Jesus reminded his disciples that ‘my Father is always at his work to this very day’ (John 5:17).

Lest we might think that because God created a world so perfect he created humans simply to sit back and enjoy it, Genesis makes it clear that, being created in his image (1:27), humans were to be workers, too. We may speculate interminably about what the ‘image’ of God may include, but it is clear that humans were given intelligence, understanding and creativity. And how these faculties were to be used can be inferred from what is often called the ‘Creation Mandate’.

‘God blessed them and said to them, “be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish... and the birds... and over every living creature that moves on the ground”’ (Genesis 1:28). This is elaborated in the next chapter: ‘The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it’ (2:15). God’s authority, delegated to humans, to work with and for the material creation. But what might this clear responsibility entail? It must surely affirm the human ingenuity that has inspired people through the ages, not only to maintain but to experiment, discover, develop. But it must also affirm the human creativity that enables people to produce works of art and make artefacts of great beauty.

The creation narrative makes clear that work is intrinsic to the nature of human beings – both a duty and a privilege. But it also emphasises the importance of rest – a rhythm that sets human endeavour in the context of worship, and also, interestingly, enshrines a principle that our own 24/7 culture neglects at its peril.

Fall. In Genesis 3, everything goes wrong. Human rebellion against God distorts that which God instituted for good. An immediate effect is the destruction of human relationships, so that shared responsibility is usurped by self-justifying blame (Genesis 3:12-13). And it is on Adam’s work, among other things, that the curse of God falls (3:17-19).

The implications of this are illustrated by three stories that immediately follow the Fall. The diversifying of work is seen immediately in the story of Cain and Abel. Both men acknowledge God, bringing him offerings from what they have produced; but while Abel’s offering is accepted, Cain’s is rejected. There is nothing to suggest that animal husbandry was a better occupation than agriculture: the difference seems to have been in the hearts and motivation of the workers (see 1 John 3:12). Next we have two stories that illustrate the beginnings of technology – human skill devoted to making things. Noah builds the ark as a vehicle of salvation, under the direction of God (Genesis 6:11-22). The people who build the tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9), however, had very different motives: ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves’ (11:4).

As these stories show, productive work and the creative impulse survived the Fall. The image of God in humankind is not obliterated; rather it is distorted, so that what was intended for good becomes corrupted by the fallen human heart. And as we look through the rest of the Old Testament, and read accounts of thousands of years of global history, we see the same pattern – human work sometimes devoted to the glory of God (as in the building of the tabernacle and the temple) and the common good (though never with an entirely pure and disinterested focus), but also often corrupted by greed, envy, pride and a callous indifference to the welfare of others. Thus, coming right up to our own day, we see biomedical research serving the interests both of health and of biological warfare.

Redemption. The birth, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus make the impossible possible for those who find new life in him, and enable them to disseminate good in the world. But we remain aware that, living in the ‘already but not yet’, elements of the fallen nature are still present in our lives. But we can be different, and our attitude to work can model a counter-culture in a fallen world. A biblical worldview can help us to answer the questions What? Why? And How?

What kind of work should a Christian engage in? A worldview that looks back to creation will convince us that any work (not necessarily a ‘job’) can be useful to others and glorifying to God. Some jobs are of course intrinsically more interesting and fulfilling than others. But what kind of fulfilment do we crave?

Why do we work? What are our motives? To make money? To make a name for ourselves? To make a contribution to society? All of these may be legitimate parts of our motivation, but an overriding motive for a Christian must be to serve and glorify God. The CEO can do this. So can the carer, the dustman, the office cleaner.

And how? The New Testament abounds in teaching about Christian character and behaviour, some specifically in the context of work, but all relevant to the work situation. Self-giving love, respect for others, conscientiousness, integrity. The Christian calling is more about the how than the what.

Consummation. Jesus is going to return, to judge the world, and to make all things new. These facts should influence our work. My colleagues will have to face judgment: do I seek to point them to Christ while there is time? And I too will be judged: will my work stand the test of the fire (1 Corinthians 3:11-15)? Jesus asked this question: ‘Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns’ (Matthew 24:45-47). I wonder whether it is stretching this parable too far to note that the master doesn’t say that the servant’s work has come to an end, but rather that new opportunities for service will be opened to him (24:47). Jesus will return to make all things new, to establish his kingdom, but his servants are to work to usher in that kingdom.

The purpose of this essay is, of course, not to present a comprehensive biblical perspective on work, but to illustrate the usefulness of a biblical worldview perspective for understanding and evaluating the issues of our own day. The biblical story, from beginning to end, in its description and celebration of God’s unfolding plan of redemption, provides a beneficial means of reflecting on such matters.

For personal reflection
Think about the work you do – whether in a paid job or in your home or the community. How far is your attitude to it influenced by the prevailing attitudes in our culture, and how far by a biblical worldview? Reflect on how the unemployed, even while out of work, can do their bit in following the ‘Creation Mandate’. Pray for any unemployed people you know.

For group discussion
Read 1 Timothy 6:3-19. Consider how Paul’s teaching on money is informed by all four ‘pillars’ of a Christian worldview. How does this broad teaching on a topic deepen our understanding of it?

For action
As we go about our daily life, let us focus consciously on:

• the works of God’s creation that we see around us, and reflect on what good, and bad, use people have made of them
• the people we meet, live and work with, and pray for them in the light of Jesus’ second coming

Helen Parry

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