May the words that I speak be both spoken and received in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
On this Bible Sunday I would like to begin with a saying, ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’, which I thought that I would mention for two reasons. Firstly, there are three doctors referred to in this sermon. And secondly, last year on Bible Sunday, the Archdeacon preached and encouraged us all to read the Bible every day. Occasionally raising the Authorised Version, or King James Bible as it is also known, above his head, to emphasise his point and its importance.
Maybe someone could come up with a suitable saying such as, “A Bible reading a day keeps us from going astray”! Perhaps the best one could go in the Parish magazine.
The rationale for the translation of the Bible into the vernacular was one of the key principles of the Reformation. In the preface to the Authorised Version published in 1611 it reads, “Happy is the man that delighteth in the Scripture, and thrice happy that meditateth in it day and night. But how shall men meditate in that which they cannot understand? How shall they understand that which is kept close in an unknown tongue?”
So a committee was formed and there were over fifty translators or revisers into six companies (two from Cambridge, two from Oxford and two from Westminster) each with a section of the Bible to work on. Bearing in mind that they referred to sources of Greek, Hebrew and Latin texts and these scholars read and listened to each other’s work to ensure that there was consistency. This Bible, the Authorised Version or King James Bible, was designed for liturgical use, yet was widely popular. It became known especially through the cycle of readings in Matins, the Eucharist and Evensong and was also integrated with the Book of Common Prayer from 1662.
The Bible is a collection of books; thirty-nine in the Old Testament and twenty-seven in the New Testament. In the Old Testament the first five books are known as the Torah, or Pentateuch, and are important in Judaism as well as Christianity. These include the special relationship between God and his people and the laws which the Jews had to obey and the sacrifices to be made when they broke them. It is also historical. Then there is kingship and the books of the prophets. There is wisdom literature such as the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the poetry of the Song of Solomon, revealing God’s love for his people and their response. “And there’s more”, as Jimmy Cricket used to say!
In the New Testament we can read the four Gospels. The synoptic ones are Matthew, Mark and Luke, where we can find many of Jesus’ sayings and parables co-relating. The Gospel of John is the latest written and is Hellenistic. There are various Epistles, or Letters, written such as those by St Paul to the churches which he founded, like his Letters to the Corinthians, Colossians, Ephesians and Galatians, which encouraged them to worship, behave and work together in harmony and love. That problem has not been completely resolved even in our time!
Luke and his writings give us a direct link with the life and doctrine of the early church. Luke was a Doctor who accompanied St Paul on his second missionary journey. He remained in Philippi to lead the church there until around A.D. 57 and then rejoined Paul on his third missionary journey in Asia Minor. He was also with Paul on the shipwreck off Malta.
Luke is generally accepted as the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. He often connects his narrative in secular history with reference to events outside of Biblical events. His Gospel focuses in detail on Jesus’ compassion and his concern of those people on the fringe of New Testament life and society, such as lepers, the poor, Gentiles, Samaritans and women. The Book of Acts was written in Rome and refers to the growth of the early Church inspired by the Holy Spirit from the Resurrection to around A.D. 63.
The next doctor I want to mention is Thomas Aquinas. His theology of Faith and Reason has been adopted by the Roman Catholic Church. His outstanding contribution to the Church was the bringing together of Greek wisdom and methods of scholarship with Christian truth. His legacy of doctrinal, theological and dhilosophical works is incredible. The most important was the Summa Theologica. This was never completed because he experienced a divine revelation so wonderful that he said that all his writings were like to much straw compared to the glory which had been shown to him.
St Teresa of Avila was the first female doctor of the Church. She was canonised in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV and in 1970 Pope Paul VI honoured her with the title of Doctor of the Church. Her mysticism and charisma have made her one of the most popular saints. In art she is often portrayed with a flaming arrow piercing her heart, which is a reference to one of her most famous mystical experiences of Divine Love.
God reveals his love to us in many different ways, such as through mystical revelation, through prayer and contemplation and by reading his Word in the Bible. Perhaps we can follow the advice given by the translators of the Authorised Version of the Bible to the reader and ‘Delight in the Scripture’.
It is important to value and respect our tradition yet still advance, and to perform and live out the sacred word. Let us commit ourselves to the worship and life of the Church her in Burnley.
And remember: “A Bible reading a day keeps us from going astray”! Well let’s hope so at least!)
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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