Thought for the Week Bible Study 27th Oct 2013

The Bible is not the word of God. It may contain the word of God, in the way that a womb may contain a baby. But the womb is not the baby. Scripture may become the word of God under the inspiration of the Spirit, and often does. But it is heretical and idolatrous to imagine that the word of the living God can be objectified in such a way that it exists within and is limited by a set of printed words on a page. The word of God cannot be separated from the relational presence of God. The word of God is the self-communication of God, and therefore is dynamically connected to the person of God. One cannot know the word of God without knowing God.
Michael Riddell The threshold of the future (SPCK, 1998)

Luke   (4.16-24)

When Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom.  He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him.  He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:  ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’

And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down.
The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, ‘Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’ All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.  They said, ‘Is not this Joseph’s son?’

He said to them, ‘Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, “Doctor, cure yourself!” And you will say, “Do here also in your home town the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.”’  And he said, ‘Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet’s home town.’