When we talk about history, we are mainly talking about that which is written down and recorded. Apart from these records, we know next to nothing about past events apart from reconstructing a world based only off of archaeological records (fossils). Thus, it is primarily through the written language that history and culture perseveres. Although the Oral tradition predates the written, history teaches us that unless it is written down, much of it will be lost. As Christians, we have all of Scripture that records the history of the Jewish people up through the events of the early church as well as the writings from the early church fathers and accounts from historians of that day (such as Philo and Josephus). For all intents and purposes, we will need to base our account of history off of these writings for the simple reason that we need a starting point.
However, there is one caveat: Although history never changes, the perspective does.
Because history is communicated solely through language, it inherently takes on the perspective of the one telling it as it was told to them. For instance, the record of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima may be told differently by Japanese people than American. And thus my first couple of questions arise: How does someone go about obtaining an "objective" view of history if it is told through subjective vantage points? Is the Scripture biased by a Jewish perspective? Can God communicate objective truth through subjective means? How do we go about finding that truth?
How does someone go about obtaining an "objective" view of history if it is told through subjective vantage points?
First of all, to gain a truly objective viewpoint of history, one of two conditions must be met:
1) We must be able to see history from every single viewpoint.
2) We must be able to see history from no perspective at all.
Now the latter is impossible for humans, as each of us possess one and only one viewpoint. We are always already interpreting all things as to give them our own perspective. The former is improbable that any one person can see a situation from so many perspectives at once, unless of course they stood outside of time and watched it unfold. As far as I know, God is the only one who is (and is capable of) being objective.
No one man by himself can ever be truly objective about history, however, if we take a group of men all reporting on the same situation, we approach the true objectivity of God with each added person reporting. It's through this "Inter-subjectivity" that we can attempt objectivity, however it is a distant second from true objectivity as each man's perspective is tainted and may only report only a part of history to give a different impression by leaving certain parts out. There is a distinct difference in saying "Abraham was going to kill his son" and "Abraham was going to kill his son because of his faith In God's provision", although both are accurate statements.
Thus, each man's account must be weighed and corroborated with each other's in order to give as accurate an account of the actual events that is possible. This is what we would call "bearing witness" or "testifying" (in the same way we as Christians bear witness to the events that took place in our lives due to God and the atoning work of Jesus Christ). The power of a single Christian testimony may be ignored by skeptics, but together as a body, so many testimonies to the Living God cannot be so easily ignored and dismissed as fantasy.
There more than likely, from a scientific standpoint, is a significant effect emanating from the Gospels. There is an objective truth here that lays hidden beneath each subjective account of history.
Is the Scripture biased by a Jewish perspective? Can God communicate objective truth through subjective means?
I want to answer these together. If the Scripture is merely the Jewish perspective on the events of history, how then can we say it solely is the one that contains objective truth? What about Buddhist writings or the Koran or various other writings? Why should we only trust the Bible when there are so many other religions all with truth claims?
If we accept the proposition earlier that only God is objective, how then does an objective God transmit objective truth to people who could only see in one less dimension than he (that is in the subjective realm). Well, He needed to start somewhere. God chose the Jewish people and culture to reveal Himself and his nature to through the calling of Abraham and the promise of Isaac to the Tribes of Israel. God cultivated these people, according to the scriptures, to be "His people" and in turn "he would be their God." (Ex 6:7) Now did it have to be the Jewish people? Why not start in China or India? I can't pretend to know why God does as he does, but it is probably for good reason. Perhaps if God wanted to, we'd be learning ancient Chinese instead of Hebrew, but I won't spend time entertaining thoughts of what is not.
If, in the end, the Hebrews truly are God's chosen people, then the Jewish scripture is truly God's revelation of objective truth to His chosen people. If objective truth exists at all, it would exist in the Biblical scriptures (special revelation) as well as God's creation (or natural revelation, which Science aims to uncover). There are no other stories like this, in which God comes down from heaven to reveal himself in this way. If objective truth comes from God, then it will most likely also be found in the place where God is communicating directly with People.
But again, we have a problem. We as humans are limited to recording objective truth through subjective means such as history and culture. We each inherit a history and culture when we become Christians. Suddenly the history of the Jewish people and the entire Christian church becomes part of our own identities despite if we feel if we identify with them or not. We inherit new social identities when we call ourselves Christians, inheriting both the good and the bad things that have happened in the history of the Church. Church history is important to understand in order to deal with the conceptions and misconceptions of us (the Church) by those outside of the Church. It is because of this inherited history that we must push forward to correct what has been done in the past to reconcile them with our efforts for the future. There is a parable I once wrote on the matter:
There was an Architect who had a grand design to build the most elaborate house anyone has ever seen, but he does not have the time to complete the task. He hires carpenters, masons, sculptors, artists, metalworkers, plumbers, electricians, painters, roofers, and landscapers to complete the task in his absence. He finances them and takes his leave to attend to other matters, but his workers in his absence do not do what he asked them too! Instead they spend his money to build their own homes. They ignore his supervisors and mistreat them, and when the Architect hears all of what is going on he is furious. "If these men whom I have chosen will not do my work, than I shall find men who will."
The Architect sent his son to fire the old workers and bring in all sorts of unskilled men and women to work on his house with the promise that whoever helps to build the house will have a room in it to live. The son came and announced this message, "Behold! My father has committed you to work on his house, but you've spent your wages on your own! As you have robbed my father, He will now rob you of your wages. Let anyone come to build this house which you have forsaken, anyone at all, for they will surely live in it. These are the Words of my father!"
The workers were furious with the son for firing them and they had him killed in spite as they left and buried him in the foundation. The poor, the hungry, and the meek heard the son's words before he died the word spread quickly amongst them. All sorts soon flocked to build his house for no wages except for the promise of his Father's word that they will dwell in it while those men who already built their own houses sat there in comfort saying "Look! We've already built our own homes! What need have we for his house?"
The new workers struggle to read the plans the Architect has set out, having only the words and guidance of the Architect's master apprentice. Much of what is done must be undone, much of what is gained is lost again as some do not listen to the apprentice and build the house their own way. The progress is slow, but steady amid arguments among the workers over the best way to build.
Some think to themselves "I do not want to live along side THOSE people coming now to build" and deny them saying "The Architect does not want you here!" Others say "The less people who build, the more space I will have!" and still others say "If I can make others build alongside me, then the quicker I will get to live in this house!" Few are the people who say to themselves "I will teach those around me what I have learned in how to build this house" and still fewer who say"I will build for the Architect who has promised me this place."
Nevertheless, despite their lack of cooperation and despite their imperfect obedience, despite their selfish intentions and despite themselves, the Architect's plan is being carried out. The house will be finished and there the Architect will dwell with his workers forever while those outside will look on with jealousy for it truly is the most magnificent house ever built.There is one small issue with us inheriting the Jewish scriptures as part of our own history: We aren't Jewish. Even though we translate the words, we cannot translate thousands of years worth of culture and tradition of an entire group of people. It is all "lost in translation". That is the crux of the work in understanding the truth of the Bible today; trying to understand the objective truths of the Bible as God communicated them to the Jewish people. That leaves the last question:
How do we go about finding that truth?
We must take on the Jewish perspective in order to see clearer the objective truth buried under the subjective words. If we believe God has done a miracle in forming these scriptures for us to have today, it would be worth understanding the Truths conveyed in their original contexts. God communicated his Truth in the way the Jewish people would best understand, so in order for us to best understand them, we must study them in light of Jewish culture.
Through proper exegesis and through much reference to other texts revealing of Jewish culture, we can shed more light on the Truth of God. Jesus, the living Word of God, is also the very Truth that the Scriptures point to. The goal of understanding the scriptures is ultimately to know the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Spirit. It is ultimately our guide to entering into close relationship with God, and so much more than that. This Truth is the light which makes sense of all things. All things point to Him who is the Truth. All things were created for Him, by Him, and through Him for his glory. It is because of this Truth that we can even begin to make sense of our own lives, that we can even begin to answer the important questions of our existence and purpose without falling into the despair of meaninglessness.
This is the God of History, the one who authored the entirety of time from Creation until His Kingdom Come, the one who is sovereign over all history. As God spoke the world into existence, it is only fitting that by words his power is made manifest to us. There is a power to the Bible that is undeniable, that has withstood constant attacks and persecutions over millenia. After all, if the Bible is True, it will persist even the strongest attempts to dispel or dismiss it as mere myth or cultural anecdote. So far, so good.
