I grew up with Bugs Bunny cartoons. Lots of laughs. I particularly remember the ones with Elmer Fudd and Daffy Duck where Elmer is trying to figure out if it's duck season or rabbit season. I particularly remember an exchange where Bugs and Daffy exchange a series of "It's ___ season! Shoot him now!" At one point, Bugs slips in "Shoot me now!" And Daffy responds, "Shoot me now!" They go back and forth a couple of times until Daffy declares, "I demand that you shoot me now!" And, of course, Elmer does. Daffy rearranges his face and goes to talk with Bugs. They go back over the exchange and Daffy says triumphantly, "Aha! Pronoun Trouble! It's not 'shoot him now," it's 'shoot me now.'" And, of course, Elmer does.
I think I've discovered something similar. It's preposition trouble. We all can read in our Bibles that we are "to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 1:3). Oddly enough, when we do it, self-professed Christians raise their hands and warn us off. "Don't do that!" It's offensive or something like it. Instead, they'll tell us what's wrong with our arguments and logic and evidence.
And I was trying to figure out the disconnect between the command and what I see these "Christians" doing. I think I figure it out. Preposition troubles. They think it says, "Contend with the faith." Because instead of backing up the Scriptures, explaining the truth of the Word, siding with historical orthodoxy, and the like they oppose all that. A preposition makes all the difference.
2 comments:
Seems to me that the "once and for all delivered to the saints" part would be problematic as well.
It seems to clearly indicate that there actually is a singular "faith" that was delivered intact and complete to the "saints' to be passed on.
It does seem telling that the faith for which we are to contend is the faith that was "once and for all delivered". Not new. Not evolving. Complete.
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