Global Reading of Scripture
Assignment: You are to pick a reading of a biblical text, preferably a scholarly one, but a popular one will be accepted, in which you will compare and contrast an interpretation from another global context than your own from your interpretation of the biblical passage. Then reflect on the ways in which culture and beliefs embedded in culture have influenced interpretation.
1) Identification of Global Interpretation
2) Evaluation of Global Interpretation
3) Reflection on Role of Culture in Interpretation
Cultural influences can affect how people view and interpret scripture. While different beliefs can cause conflict if something isn’t interpreted the “correct” way, it is important to be sensitive to how a person’s culture is influencing their view of what the Bible says.
One example of a passage that can be interpreted differently depending on cultural background is Ephesians 4:11-16. In this passage, cultural and theological lines cross in the interpretation of the scripture.
The passage starts out by talking about spiritual gifts. In Ephesians 4:11-12, it says “Christ chose some of us to be apostles, prophets, missionaries, pastors, and teachers, so that his people would learn to serve and his body would grow strong.”
From a global perspective, it would mean everyone is given different gifts. From my Indian Pentecostal background, there is much emphasis being put on spiritual gifts and the Holy Spirit and intense religious experience. As it holds true in most Pentecostal denominations, this is viewed through an egalitarian lens. Both men and women can hold leadership positions in the church, and these spiritual gifts can be given and used by both men and women.
From a Latino/a perspective, men and women alike are encouraged to be leaders in the church. The Pentecostal Church does not require the lengthy schooling and advance degrees some other denominations require to become pastors. Rather, members can become pastors with only minimal training.
This is unlike the traditional Indian Pentecostal background that has shaped my interpretation of this passage. From the Pentecostal view influenced by my culture, leadership is held by men. In fact, Indian Pentecostal tradition won’t allow women to have a leadership position within the church. Men and women do not sit together in the service, and women must have a their heads covered with a scarf. When in the worship setting, men or worship leaders are not allowed to wear hats.
While it is agreed in both cultures that people are gifted differently, who is actually allowed to hold these positions of leadership differs.
The rest of this passage talks about the body of Christ growing together and throwing out false teaching to become mature as Christians. In Latino/a view of scripture, specifically Pentecostal theology, there is a lot of emphasis put on coming together as a body. As Ada María Isasi-Díaz, Fernando F. Segovia write in the book “Hispanic/Latino Theology: Challenge and Promise,” “The context of Hispanic Pentecostal worship, both in terms of place and event is the locus theologicus of the community. It is the place where God is worshiped and praised and where the people commune most intimately with God. It is also the event of encounter between the people and God. It is private and public.”
This view also holds true in the Indian Pentecostal tradition. Pentecostal worship also involves the entire congregation and is often spontaneous with a stress on the gifts of the Spirit, such as speaking in tongues, and ability of every believer to possess these gifts of the Spirit. The church is viewed as the body of Christ, and each believer born of the Spirit is an integral part of the church body.
In this part of the passage, the two cultures are in agreement with interpretation that the church body must come together, put aside false teaching, and grow and mature together in love.
It is a good exercise for people to see another point of view of scripture. Cultures don’t always agree in their interpretation of scripture, but the value of loving God above all else still remains central to scripture and to Christianity as a whole.
