The Use of Scripture in Ethical Discussions

The Use of Scripture in Ethical Discussions

WONG Fook Kong

For Christians, the use of Scripture in ethical discussions is based on the fact that our faith is textually (ie, biblically) mediated. In this regard, one common way of using Scripture is the proof-text method. Although this method is not necessarily wrong, it is inadequate. Many modern issues are complex by nature and there is no straightforward answer from the Bible. Even issues that arise from the Bible itself may not be straightforward; often, other passages must be considered in order to get a better picture or, even, a correct picture of what it means for believers today. A more secure bridge between text and life is Biblical theology. Fortunately, there are many books written on the subject so that a person coming to the field need not start from the beginning. Currently, at least five approaches are found among scholars working in the field: (1) Biblical theology as historical description; (2) Biblical theology as history of redemption; (3) Biblical theology as worldview story; (4) Biblical theology as canonical approach; and (5) Biblical theology as theological construction. Finally, there are at least two ways of going about appropriating Scripture in ethical discussions. One could start with the Bible and get acquainted with its theology first before proceeding to an ethical issue and the other is to do the reverse. In my experience the latter is a common approach among lay Christians but it is the more perilous way. The reason is that it is easier to fall into the proof-text trap. On the other hand, if done well, there is no difference between this way and the one starting with the Bible.