Your western eyes hinder your spiritual formation

Everyone in the world is given a pair of glasses the moment they are born. Whether we grow up in Canada, Germany, China, or Kenya, we have them. Whether we are born in 2,000 BC, or the time of Christ, or today, we have them. Born into a rich family, middle class family, or poor family? We have them.

These glasses are called culture. They differ for each person depending on when, where, and into what family they were born, but they are always there and they always shape our formation.

For example, a young woman born in India 1,000 years ago sees, understands, and is formed by her world much differently than a young woman born in Italy today. A young Latino man born in the inner city of Miami experiences a different culture than a young white man born in the suburbs.

The time, place, and socio-economics of our birth and upbringing highly influence the way we see the world. It even influences the way we see history.

Most notably, our culture-glasses influence the way we see, read, understand, and apply Scripture.

The Bible's original culture (i.e. its first audience) was the Ancient Near East. However, if you're reading this post, you don't live in the Ancient Near East. You live in a modern western technological culture, likely go to church in an evangelical culture, and because of this have a particular tint to your glasses.

Our culture shapes our thinking so much we likely, at first glance, misunderstand certain parts of Scripture. 

Let me give you an example. What comes to mind when you hear the phrase "dress modestly"? In western evangelical church culture, we almost always automatically think of men and women not wearing revealing clothing. In other words, our first thoughts around modest clothing have to do with sexual ethics. Further, the unfortunate patriarchal part of our culture usually applies this thought to the way women dress and rarely to the way men dress (which is hypocrisy).

However, what about the Bible's original audience? How would they receive these words?

"And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes."

~ 1 Timothy 2:9

These words are part of a very difficult-to-interpret and much-debated passage of Scripture, but our cultural lens especially influences the way we understand this verse.

Again, the western evangelical church culture reads these words first with a sexual ethic. We understand not drawing attention to ourselves by the way we dress to mean don't draw attention to our bodies.

This is not how the first readers of this letter understood this verse, and if we looked at these words with their cultural lens, our understanding would deepen and, more importantly, so would our need to repent.

The key word in that verse is "expensive." These words are not about a sexual ethic. They are about an economic ethic. People were not drawing attention to their bodies by the way they dress (sexual ethic). They were drawing attention to their wealth (economic ethic). Decent and appropriate clothing was about not flaunting their wealth in front of those who were poor.

Think about that for a moment, because these words cut deep. Our western evangelical church culture disapproves of someone who wears (what we consider) revealing clothing to church, yet we have no problem wearing expensive clothing.

This warning from Paul should convict us, especially if we attend a church of mixed socio-economics or in a more economically distressed part of the city. "Dress modestly" means those $500 sneakers and $1,000 watch or handbag should probably stay at home. It means don't roll up to a church parking lot full of $20,000 cars in your $150,000 SUV. Don't flaunt your wealth in the eyes of others.

Please don't hear what I'm not saying. I'm not saying the words of Scripture can't apply to other situations or ethics than the original audience, but we can't read this verse (or any other contextual passage of Scripture) with modern western eyes and automatically assume we know what Paul is talking about. "Dress modestly" is but one example. There are many other powerful examples of how western evangelical eyes miss what ancient eastern eyes saw.

PAUSE and REFLECT: The Scriptures are one of the foundational pillars of our spiritual formation. In fact, I'd go so far as to say we cannot be fully formed into the image of Christ without ample time in the Scriptures. However, when we read the Bible only with western eyes, we may miss the full force of its words. 

It gives us pause (and conviction) to think of economic modesty, not just for our clothes, but for all areas of our life.

The problem is, we only have the eyes with which we were born. To develop a better understanding of Scripture will require some "de-tinting" of our glasses and "unlearning" of our assumptions.

So what's your plan to be fully formed by Scripture? How can you make sure your western eyes do not rob you of the Bible's full formational force? Allow me to suggest four things:

1. Read with a study Bible. They often have great introductions to the culture of bible times, plus explanations of verses.

2. Read with humility. Don't assume your understanding is the original audience's understanding, or that your understanding is the best understanding.

3. Read with curiosity. Use the phrase, "I wonder..." If something intrigues you or confuses you, don't simply move on. Pause for a bit of research. Besides a study bible, you can use websites, podcasts, or books.

4. Most importantly, read with prayer. We're not going to get everything perfect (that's why we need humility). However, God has given his followers his Spirit to help them understand and apply his Word to their lives. So let us pray for insight and understanding.

We don't have to make every bible reading session a study session. I love reading Scripture and simply allowing God to draw me into his presence using a word or phrase from the passage (even if I don't know its original context). But when it comes to interpretation and application, unseeing with our western eyes will often be helpful.

Be studious. Be humble. Be curious. Be prayerful. Dig in to biblical culture a little more. For when we do, we are rewarded with a deeper formation into the image of Christ.

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Photo by Bud Helisson on Unsplash