“The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Heb. 4, 12). This bold statement from the author of the letter to the Hebrews eloquently portrays the timelessness of the Word of God.
In one of his recent meditations on the great figures of the early Church, Pope Benedict XVI spoke about Origen of Alexandria. One of the greatest contributions that are attributed to Origen is his way of putting “scripture in action”.
Origen’s insight of how one is to read the Bible is really remarkable. According to this ecclesiastical writer, there are three ways of interpreting Scripture: literally, morally and spiritually. Taken as a whole, these three approaches help the reader to tap into the analytical, theological and mystical heritage of the Bible.
The first level of interpretation is literal. A text is examined both within itself as well as in relation to the broader context that brought it into being: what the text per se says, certain repetitive key words in it, its author, to whom it was addressed and in what particular time it was composed, assist the reader to appreciate it.
The second level of interpretation is moral. This approach encourages the reader to let the Word of God shape her/his own conduct by prescribing what he or she should and should not do.
The third and last level of interpretation is spiritual. Here what is at stake is how to read the Bible in a unified sense, mainly Christologically. In other words, how Christ is spoken of throughout the Old and the New Testament.
This outstanding mode of reading the Biblical Texts makes God’s Word a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (see Ps 119, 105). Such balanced reading saves us from falling into literalism, moralism and spiritualism which denude the Bible of its powerful impact. Led by the Spirit’s guidance, such reading nourishes the human spirit on its way to its eternal dwelling.
Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap
San Gwann