AKC 4 25 OCTOBER 2010 Knowing What To Do: Ethics in a Contemporary Context Lecture 4: The Bible Says!

! The Role of The Bible in Ethical Decision Making The Revd Prof Richard A Burridge, Dean of King's College London. INTRODUCTION 'Judaism is not a theology, and not a system of piety; Judaism is a task, an activity.' (Rabbi Lionel Blue). Right behaviour > right thinking (orthodoxy) 'The defining feature of New Testament ethics is its orientation to an event, namely the event of Jesus.' (Prof. Leander Keck, University of Yale). 1 ETHICS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT/HEBREW SCRIPTURES The context determines the kind of ethical concerns discussed: The roots and traditions: the semi-nomadic herders and cattle-breeders; agricultural peasants; the rise of the city-dwellers. Historical development: Patriarchs (eg. Abraham), nomads and Egypt; the exodus and conquest of Canaan; David and Solomon - the kingdom; the rise of the prophets; the exile in Babylon; the post-exilic period among the empires of the Ancient Near East (Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans); the rise of the wisdom traditions. The themes of OT Ethics: The character of God (Lev. 11.44f; Micah 6.8); - Because God is holy, the people should follow suit. - Creation must reflect the character of God The world, creation and history; Covenant and Law; - about being witnesses to the rest of the world - law = way in which the covenant should be lived out Kingship (1 Sam. 8-10) - positive and negative portrayals of how kingship should be carried out The content of OT Ethics: the law (Ten Commandments, Exod. 20); the development of the law; the prophets - stress on holiness, righteousness and loving mercy; the contributions of wisdom literature. 2 THE ETHICS OF JESUS Bible was not meant to be a book of ethics. The heart of Jesus' teaching - the kingdom of God; the sovereignty of God No separation between God's rule and Ethics An ethic of response, Mark 1.15-20. More interested in those who 'follow' as opposed to those who 'obey the law'. The Law and love: Mark 12.28-34; love of enemies, Matthew 5.38-43; forgiveness (Matthew 5.23-24; the unforgiving servant, 18.2325). The rigorous ethic and the 'strenuous commands': Sexuality - no divorce Mark 10.2-12. Money - cannot serve God and money (Matthew 6.19-33) War and violence - turn the other cheek (Matt. 5.38-44) The state - render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's (Mark 12.13-17). *Are these instructions to be taken literally, or for the 'super' elite? An interim ethic (because he expects the world to end), or an invitation to see the world differently? Jesus the friend of sinners (Matthew 11.19); accepted and ate with tax collectors and sexual sinners (Mark 2.13-17). Repentance and acceptance (Zaccaheus, Luke 19.1-10). Following and imitating: be perfect / merciful as your heavenly Father is perfect / merciful (Matt. 5.48; Luke 6.36).

3 THE REST OF THE NEW TESTAMENT The Gospels: Mark - An ethic of discipleship in suffering: What it means to go on following even in turbulent times. Matthew - Jesus the teacher of true righteousness, the true interpreter of the law Luke - salvation in the history of God's people; a special concern for the poor, women, non-Jews, the marginalised. John - love one another as I have loved you (John 13.34-35). Paul's letters: the pivotal significance of Jesus' life, death and resurrection; the overlap of the ages; new life in Christ (Romans 5-8); the Christian community as the 'body of Christ' (1 Corinthians 12). Love is the 'fulfilling of the law' (Rom. 13.8-10) Teaching in specific issues - state (Rom. 13); sex (1 Cor. 6-7); women (Gal. 3.28); 'household codes' (Col. 3.18-4.1; Eph. 5.21-6.9). Imitation of Christ: 1 Cor. 11.1; welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you Rom 15.7. 4 USING THE BIBLE IN ETHICS TODAY Some problems: - the culture gap between then and now. - contingency of the range of issues; (dealing with a completely different set of issues & questions) - plurality of views; contradictions and variations. How do we use the bible to answer these questions? 'Bridging the gap': Rooted in both the ancient world and the world today a Rule-command-prescriptive Bible as a moral handbook; a deontological approach. Look at everything in the form of a command. Texts: Torah and commandment; Sermon on the Mount, Pauline injunctions. b Principles-universal values-themes Look for the principles and universal values behind the commands or other texts. 'Call to love', 'Call to liberation' >> more consequentialist. (Decide based on the consequences does it align with the principles we are to follow?) Texts: epistles, sermons, theology

c Examples-paradigmatic Natural Law approach; 'moral reminders'; perfectionist theories, or virtue-based approaches - Aristotle: developing a moral character. Problem: Who decides where you are in the story? (Victims/Oppressors) Texts: narrative, story based texts; gospel stories and parables d Overall view-symbolic world Development of a 'biblical theology'. Barth dogmatics=ethics and ethics=dogmatics. whole story - creation-fall-redemption-eschatology. Conclusion: Biblical ethics, the response of discipleship in community Has a diversity that demands a response, in/ to/ and through the person of Jesus; reading and responding forms Christian identity and moral character; development of moral communities; the role of the Holy Spirit; the example of Jesus as 'friend of sinners'.

For further reading: Leslie Houlden, Ethics and the New Testament (Penguin, 1973, and reprints) Wayne Meeks, The Moral World of the First Christians (SPCK 1986) Richard Hays, The Moral Vision of the New Testament (T & T Clark, 1997) J. Macquarrie and J. Childress, A New Dictionary of Christian Ethics (SCM 1986) - useful for reference - lots of brief articles.