by Mike Kuhn

Perspicuity.

It’s one of those words that theologians use to make a simple idea unintelligible. The Bible is perspicuous. It may sound like a heresy, but it’s just another way of saying the Bible is clear or accessible. As the Reformers championed the authority of Scripture, they claimed everyone could and should read it because it is understandable, albeit with important caveats. They knew it was a profound book with many mysteries, but the main ideas concerning God and man, sin and salvation could be understood by common folks with normal intelligence.

It was one of the ideas that fueled a tidal wave of Bible translation from the Reformation period until today. The Bible is, far and away, the most translated book in human history. New technologies mean that the Bible is increasingly available, even in unwritten languages as audio versions. From South American jungles to Asian steppes to the African bush, the Bible is accessed by people of nearly every tribe and tongue right on their devices.

Since the Bible is clear, and translations are proliferating, is mission just about done?

The Ethiopian eunuch was reading arguably the best gospel tract ever produced, from inspired Scripture—Isaiah 53. Yet when Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading, he responded, “How can I unless someone guides me?” (Acts 8:31). Philip was the right guy. Beginning from that Scripture, Philip told him the good news about Jesus.

The Ethiopian knew a lot. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship. He had the text in front of him. He could read it in Greek. He sincerely wanted to understand. But he needed help.

You might think that if the Ethiopian had the New Testament, he would have understood perfectly. Even with the New Testament, I believe he would have needed help to put it all together. I say that based on a lot of interaction with a wide variety of cultures and peoples who have trouble understanding the message of the Bible and how all the parts fit together. Former Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and animists find the story of the Bible difficult even when they love Jesus. Like the Ethiopian, they need guidance.

I like a mantra I learned from the Bible Project: “The Bible is a unified story that leads to Jesus.” I like it for its simplicity but mostly I like it because it accords well with Jesus’ understanding of the Old Testament Scripture. Whether telling those seeking to kill him that Moses wrote about him (John 5:46) or interpreting all that was written about him in the Tanakh (Luke 24:27) or declaring that Abraham saw his day and rejoiced (John 8:56), Jesus consistently centers the Hebrew Bible (our Old Testament) around himself.

That may provide some nuance to the concept of perspicuity. It’s clear enough, but it’s not all equally clear. It’s accessible to all, but not all will access it at the same level. Though the presentation of Jesus in the Hebrew Scriptures could be considered a more advanced idea of Biblical theology, it’s really the ABCs of Biblical understanding. Jesus expressed incredulity that the Emmaus disciples were blind to it. He made it the focal point of his post-resurrection seminar with the disciples (Luke 24). It must have gotten through because Jesus’ presence in, and fulfillment of, the Hebrew Bible is a constant theme in the apostolic preaching of Acts and the Epistles. Other books like Hebrews and Revelation elaborate on it. Let’s remember, though, that even the apostles needed Jesus’ help to see how Jesus was central to their Scriptures.

Can we grasp that Jesus is the apex of the whole story of the Bible simply by reading it? Some might. My hunch is that most will not. It requires illumination of the Holy Spirit, guidance from those who have read it before us, and dedication to ongoing learning.

I’ve worked with a lot of young pastors in the developing world. Because they often come from other religious backgrounds, they need help to see this Jesus-centered hermeneutic. More than a few have expressed joy (like the Ethiopian eunuch) to see that the Jesus of the New Testament is also the Lord of the Old Testament. Understanding these things has deepened their discipleship and preaching.

I’ve also been around some Western Christians who do not readily grasp the Christ-centered story of the whole Bible. For some, they’ve just never considered that Jesus put forward his own perspective on the Hebrew Bible. They default to moralizing from the Old Testament. For others, a more sophisticated hermeneutical objection arises, “What right do you have to suggest a Jewish book is all about Jesus?” For them, seeing Jesus and the story of salvation in the Old Testament smacks of eisegesis. They are concerned that we’re not reading the Hebrew Scriptures on their own terms. (I think you can do both, but space prohibits a fuller response.)

Whether the objection comes from a pastor of a different religious background or a Westerner with a seminary education, the reality is that seeing Jesus as the center and focal point of the Old Testament Scripture is not easy. We might even say, it’s not equally clear to all. Perspicuity, it turns out, encourages us to keep reading, keep seeking.

Let’s circle back to that question about mission: Are we nearly done?

The common misconception is that profession of faith in Christ is the goal of mission. It is a noble goal, but it is certainly not the end of mission. “Make disciples of all nations … teaching them to observe all I have commanded you” (Matt 28:19-20). If the Jesus-centered Old Testament hermeneutic was a keystone to Jesus’ post-resurrection teaching, it follows that it is foundational to discipleship. It is also evident in Paul’s perspective: “For by him all things were created…he is before all things and in him all things hold together.” (Col 1:16-17). He saves us from sin, but he also breathed his Spirit—his life—into us in the Garden. He rose from the grave, but he also saved the children of Israel from their enslavement in Egypt. He ascended to the right hand of the Father, but he also sat enthroned on the mercy seat above the wings of the seraphim. He manifested his glory on the Mount of Transfiguration, but he also appeared to Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel and the prophets. It is his story.

For many who are coming to Christ from other religions or even a secular background, seeing Christ in the whole Biblical story will likely not be automatic or intuitive. They will need someone to explain it to them and contemplate it with them.

The end of mission has not arrived. The better question is: Are we prepared to guide others (as Philip did) to see Jesus in all the Scriptures? Think of Philip’s role with the Ethiopian. He was able to pass on what he had learned in the Jerusalem church—the apostles’ teaching, the fellowship, the breaking of bread and the prayers (Acts 2:43). Philip’s readiness grew out of the devotion of the early church to the life of the body centered in the apostolic teaching. The living Spirit of Christ gave life to those early disciples. So, as we ask if we are prepared to guide others, we discover the answer in our own commitments. Do they reflect those of the Jerusalem church of Acts? Are we drinking from the wells of the apostolic teaching? Do we sit at the apostles’ feet in dependence on the Holy Spirit? If so, we can – indeed we must – share our understanding of Jesus as the focal point of the story with our new family members: the global church coming from all tribes and languages.

Mike is a Christian author and educator who spent most of his adult life in the Middle East and now lives in the U.S. He leads the International Theological Education Network (ITEN).