Book Review: 'An Honor-Shame Paraphrase of 15 Psalms by Jayson Georges

We don't have too many guest blog posts, but today we have one by our African co-worker, Kenosi Molato. He does a review of another book in the series by Jayson Georges, of paraphrased books of the Bible drawing the reader to the honor-shame dynamics present in the biblical portion.  This one, paraphrasing 15 Psalms, follows on from two others in the series: 1 Peter, and Esther.

_______________________________________________________

I have been preaching through the book of Psalms for close to three years now. Jayson George's book covers those crucial issues which I have grappled with in my sermon preparation. Furthermore, as an African living and ministering in a cosmology which is predominantly honor-shame focused, the book has aided me in the struggle of liberating the biblical text which has been enmeshed in the guilt-oriented worldview in previous translations and interpretations. Moreover it provides a fresh look at the book of Psalms in a way which resonates with my honor-shame oriented heart and outlook on life.

Though Jayson's aim is to provide a paraphrase of the Psalms, I find his explanations of the socio-theological context and the theological motif (Honor of God, the shamefulness of people of God, honoring the faithful, honoring the king, shaming the enemies), as one of the main contributions he makes to the interpretation of the book of Psalms (pg. 13-28). These theological motifs provide a reader of the Psalms with tools to deal with the difficulties, which are associated with interpreting different and difficult liturgy, such as the imprecatory Psalms, in the context of honor and shame societies.  

One of the key concepts which Jayson highlights, is one that I have grappled with. It is the issue of the covenant. I have mentioned to my co-worker that it is the basis one has to use in the interpretation of the book of Psalms. But I lament that there has been a lack of emphasis and also literature in the honor and shame discussion concerning the topic. I wished that Jayson could have labored more on this concept but he just spent a page and half on the topic (pg. 13-14).

The paraphrase itself highlights the honor and shame cultural dynamics, which influences the Psalmist's writings style and also captures their rhetoric styles. With this in view, Jayson gets between the exegete and the reader by providing the reader with lenses to see the scripture from the social setting, which had been hidden or veiled by the translation. 

Moreover, Jayson does not only use the words 'honor-shame' but uses the synonyms such as humiliation, status and demotion. These synonyms give the paraphrase a touch, taste and vivid expression of honor-shame dynamics in the text, consequently making it to come alive. 

However, when reading this paraphrase of Psalms, I came to realize that Honor and Shame cultures differ with the usage of terms. E.g. Jayson uses the terms 'patron' and 'client' in most of his paraphrase depicting the relationship between Yahweh and his people (Pg. 37). While the concept may be present in my African context I don't feel the terms would carry the weight or the intended meaning in a helpful way. I wouldn't go so far as to replace "Shepherd" with "Patron" as Jayson does in Psalm 23:1. If there was a need to bring in the concept of patronage I would have preferred to see something like "Yahweh is my shepherd who is my perfect patron" rather than reduce and replace the concept of shepherd totally with only patron. 

Jayson Georges often goes beyond normal paraphrases and moves to the explanatory sense such as in Psalm 15 (pg. 35-36). Though this is helpful and Jayson desires to illuminate the text's honor-shame rhetoric, some might see this as an interpretation of Psalms rather than a paraphrase, consequently making the book to lose its main goal and purpose.

I was let down by the fact that I felt the author left out the most crucial aspects of honor and shame culture in relation to sin, forgiveness and repentance, which appear in Psalms, especially in Psalm 32 whereby the issue of covering is used. Consequently this could have led to the discussion of how shame is dealt with in relation to sin.

Most of all Jayson must be honored and appreciated for such a great work and I hope that the next paraphrase of the Psalms is on the way because the book has left me longing for more.   

By Kenosi Molato

Balanced or Biblical? 3 needs for missionaries from guilt-innocence contexts!

In the last few days 2 blog posts (one from honorshame.com and one from Jackson Wu) have emerged countering a recent TGC article titled '5 Dangers for Missionaries in Honor-Shame Contexts'.

I doubt the TGC article (which first appeared at IMB) is meant to just create trouble, but it has definitely caused a response.

Both honorshame.com and Jackson Wu responses raise valid concerns, just as Elliot Clark, author of the TGC article most probably felt he raised valid concerns.

I don't really want to just fuel an argument, but my concern is that there seems a desire for 'balance' in a context where honorshame.com point out there is currently little balance, but in the opposite way in which the TGC article is concerned about.

Clark, is worried that with the growing realisation and understanding of honour-shame dynamics in cultures around the world and in Scripture that we are in danger of losing a guilt-innocence-obedience context of the gospel.

I totally agree that with any 'new' understanding any of us are in danger of pushing so hard on that, in order to correct a previously wrong emphasis, that we 'keep pushing' beyond the point of 'balancing' the pendulum swing. When we do that we risk the possibility of dangerous overcorrecting. The refreshing  re-awakening to Scripture's honour-shame aspects cannot be expected to be exempt from this human tendancy. But like the honorshame.com cartoon illustrates, we are a long way from an honour-shame over-emphasis in biblical scholarship and Christian literature and preaching and missions, especially when we look at the last 50 years or so in the West.

The whole reason for my local African Theologian co-worker  and I writing our book 'Highest Honour' (just printed here in Africa and shortly to be available on-line) was to have a discipleship tool. In a world where there are hundreds if not thousands of discipleship programs from a guilt-innocence perspective there just weren't any discipleship programs available that we could find, which addressed honour-shame issues as part of Godly growth in grace, let alone ones appropriate for Africa.

Personally, in ministry I am almost constantly aware not only of making an effort to contextualise appropriately for an honour-shame African context, but to also ensure that guilt-law-innocence contexts are not overlooked and are explained in ways that will be understood.

I understand the fears of the TGC article author, and he is the voice of many others who share similar concerns that guilt-innocence truths of Scripture will be overlooked if the honour-shame focus is too strong.  And yes, we do have to be careful not to 'overcorrect' or just in our zeal, over-emphasise something to the unintentional neglect of other parts of Scripture. I recall very early on in my 'discovery' about honour-shame I was talking with a local theologian about ways to speak the gospel so that honour-shame ears would 'hear' it and I asked about using the word/concepts of guilt. I was in danger of initial overcorrecting, but he was emphatic that alongside honour-shame, to definitely refer to guilt as for the very reason it is not often spoken about, it is 'weighty' and severe when it is spoken about... and when joined with honour-shame concepts would have great impact…and it did.

So I do not deny the caution re pendulum swinging, but this is where we need to realise, that 

guilt-innocence and honour-shame are not two alternative opposites in a fight for greatest emphasis in missiology, 

but are two God-given partners in co-operation to give us gospel clarity.  

However, they are not, in fact, equal partners.

photo: wikimediacommons

1. Need for Re-instatement of the Bible's Supreme Theme

If I could be so bold as to say, the opposite to Clark's fears, is our real danger.

We in the West, have taken a guilt 'sub-theme' of Scripture and made it the supreme theme. The supreme theme of Scripture is not guilt-innocence. The supreme theme of Scripture is God's glory…His honour. As Jackson Wu pointed out, those such as John Piper have repetatively strongly preached this and written about it. 

Sin is 'coming short of God's glory' (Romans 3:23) We have failed to honour Him - bottom line. (Romans  1:21-23) 

We do well to remember that God first describes sinlessness in Scripture not as 'innocent' or not even as 'innocent and unashamed', but simply 'unashamed'. Scripture has a priority and overarching way to describe sin and it is in honour-shame language not guilt-innocence language. We don't need to make apology for that, it is simply unequivocal reality whether we like it or not.  It is not something to be worried about, but to rejoice in. We can fully embrace the Scriptural (rightly placed) honour-shame emphasis with freedom as we endeavour to bring the gospel to a world with a (mis-placed) honour-shame emphasis.  

If you want an Old Testament example just go to Nathan's confrontation of David's sin in 2 Samuel 12 - probably on of the most well used examples of personal sin in Scripture. As God's messenger, Nathan did not use 'obedience' language but 'honour' language, even in regard to God's word. He didn't tell David he 'disobeyed' God and God's law (though that was certainly true), but that he 'despised' God and God's word. 

The sin problem with our hearts is firstly not an obedience problem but an honour problem. Tedd Tripp even identifies this in regard to how we raise our children in his book 'Shepherding a Child's Heart'. 

We have a regal problem before we have a legal problem.

photo: publicdomain

2. Need to Pursue Biblical Realignment More Than 'Balance'

We don't need 'balance', so much as a major biblical re-alignment.

Scripture talks far more about shame than it does guilt. (see 'The Global Gospel' by Werner Mischke p47)   Scripture is not 'balanced' in that regard. 

Clark in his article mentions the Apostle Paul's reference to the 5th Commandment. Exodus 20 tells us that we are to 'honour our father and mother'.  It does not first tell us to 'obey' but to honour.  There are only two places in Scripture where a command to obey parents is given, as a 'sub-issue' of the main commandment. (both in Paul's letters - Eph 6:1, Col 3:20) So, yes these mentions by Paul do link obedience with honour but not as a couplet of equally weighted terms. Nor does Paul say to honour parents because there is an overarching command to obey parents, but he says for children to obey parents because there is an overarching command to honour father and mother. His basis for 'obeying' is in the foundation of 'honouring'. Obedience is 'within' the honour issue.  

Obeying is more the fruit than the root. 

Scripture isn't 'balanced' on this issue, as we might want to understand balance. 

God starts with an honour context (no shame) in the Garden of Eden, and that theme continues right the way through Scripture till its culmination in Revelation. It's true, within that is the reality of innocence and the need for obedience, but they are not the main issue.  Paul did not say in Romans 1 that God's rebuke and condemnation was because of 'disobedience' but because of 'dishonour'. The thanks we don't give Him, is not just because we are disobedient to a command to 'give thanks', but because our hearts are not inclined as they should be to 'want' to give thanks from a heart that 'wants' to honour Him. 

God looks beyond outward displays of 'obedience' to inward devotion (honour) of the heart.

  

3. Need to Awaken to How Honour Helps Us Understand and Teach Obedience

Clark also seems to fear that if we emphasise honour too much we will be in danger of losing emphasis on obedience. This maybe comes from a mis-understanding that honour-shame emphasis cultures don't have a concept of obedience or law, right and wrong or as he says 'lacks categories for transgression'.  This is not a correct understanding of such cultures. 

The 'law' categories of honour-shame cultures are that you must give honour and you must not bring shame. The thing to obey is the one category of 'always maintain honour and harmony in relationships'. Anything outside of that is seen as taboo, shameful, and wrong. Every culture is sin-infected and lacks the fulness of godly descriptions of God's objective and eternal definitions of right and wrong, and instead lives by its own (to one degree or another) mis-placed definitions. 

We all need our minds renewed with new godly definition of right and wrong. (Romans 12:2)

In fact, since ministering in an honour-shame emphasis culture I have actually come to a greater and wider and deeper understanding of 'obedience' - I have had to - because those around me come at 'obedience' from perspectives that I had not encountered so much in my Western setting. I have found myself more particular in how I deal with the concept of obedience in discipleship because understanding the mis-placed contexts of honour-shame around me, has highlighted the mis-placed understandings of obedience as well. 

When honour is sought before the eyes of people instead of God, then obedience becomes something that takes on a subjective 'near enough is good enough as long as no-one sees or objects', rather than a need to obey completely and exactly no matter who sees.  (I raised this in my article in the Orality Journal and in that article mentioned how even Nabeel Qureshi mentions the matter in his book 'Seeking Allah Finding Jesus'). Understanding honour-shame has increased, not decreased, my understanding of guilt-innocence-obedience.

photo: wikimediacommons

And if we neglect honour-shame perspectives in our guilt-innocence-obedience emphasis Western culture we quickly become legalistic in our attitudes and require 'laws' for everything. We then have a false view that if there isn't a law to tell us not to do something, we are free to do it, when in fact it might be totally disrespectful. So then a lack of honour-shame awareness distorts the place and purpose of obedience and law and a well functioning society…to say nothing of our relationship with God.

1 John 3:4

I used to think that 'lawlessness' (as a definition of sin mentioned by Elliot Clark) meant individual sinful actions of specific disobedience to the law. However, it is far more than that. Rather than a defence that sin is inherently disobedience, this definition of sin tells us that lawlessness is an attitude of total disregard for both the law and the lawgiver as both Charles Spurgeon and John Macarthur explain.  

As Spurgeon says: 'he who dares to break God's Law, seeing that he cannot do it except in the immediate Presence of God, for God is everywhere—he that acts contrary to God's Law before God's own face does, as it were, fling down the gauntlet to his God and defy His power! By such action as that, he either means to declare that God is not almighty, or that Jehovah will not exercise His Omnipotence to defend His honor, or that he, himself, does not care what God does, so he will leave Him to do His worst. Every sin has this venom within its bowels—it is a defiance of the mighty Majesty of God' [i]

– or we could say a 'defiance of Almighty God's place of Highest Kingly Honour'!

John MacArthur in his sermon "The Christian's Incompatability with Sin Part 1" on this passage says: "Everyone is doing sin, practicing sin is engaged in practicing lawlessness. And lawlessness is an attitude.  It is not so much the transgression of the Law, as the indifference to the Law.  Construction here makes sin and lawlessness identical. It's living as if there is no Law. It's living as if there is no law-giver."[ii]

This is about a heart that is 'indifferent' and has no regard or respect for the One who gave and instigated the law. Rather than 1 John 3:4 proving that individual actions of sins of disobedience to the law are transgressions of the law, it is saying that sin (singular) is an attitude of heart that is the very essence of disrespect (dishonour) of both the law and lawgiver…..just as pronounced by the prophet Nathan when he confronted David. 

It was my growing understanding of honour-shame that, rather than hindering, has enabled an enlarged understanding of the meaning of lawlessness and the contexts and concepts of obedience and the law. 

Proverbs 30:9

If we take a look at Proverbs 30:9 "lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God" 

or as the KJV puts it 'take the name of my God in vain',  

or as the New Living translates it 'insult God's holy name', 

and as some other translations including the NIV put it - 'and so dishonour the name of my God',

...Breaking God's law (stealing in this instance), is all about dishonouring Him and His name - who He is - His very being and position as our Creator, the Almighty. Obedience to the law is foundationally rooted in the requirement for us to honour Him.

A biblical emphasis does not detract from a right understanding and teaching of the law and obedience, but I find it more greatly enables it.

Let's not be afraid of encouraging people to come to understand more and more what it means to see Scripture's overarching theme of honour from beginning to end!

[i] defiance meaning bold resistance to authority, open disregard, contempt - dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/defiance 
[ii] http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/62-25 

A Thai cave rescue plan & a Whole World eternal sin rescue plan

photo credit: screenshot Evening Standard

The world is watching and waiting with baited breath along with the parents and families of 12 boys of a Thai soccer team and their coach, who went on a hike down some caves in a remote area of northern Thailand on the 23rd June, unaware that heavy rain was going to suddenly cause flash flooding and trap them inside the cave. 

For 10 days they were missing. Experts rallied from around the world to try to search for the boys. Two highly experienced volunteer British cave divers were the first to reach the boys and discover they were all still alive and in relatively good shape. 

A British television presenter made the following comment:

The world at the moment seems dominated at the moment by cruel and confusing and loud cycles of news. These stories speak to a hope that out of gloom, a quiet unassuming stranger will emerge, someone who actually knows what they are doing, someone who will rescue us from the darkness.

Now there is the issue of getting these young boys out. But those boys were so thankful for those two divers who made the first contact and brought them news, food and encouragement and hope.

We don't know what the end of this story for all the boys will be (although just as I am about to post this, it has been confirmed that four of the boys are now out!), but we do know that on a far greater level, another unassuming stranger emerged from the gloom of our world over 2000 years ago, who knew what he was doing, in order to rescue us from a much greater spiritual darkness.  

Just like these boys, humanity is in a hopeless and helpless situation unable to save ourselves. We need to totally rely on the direction and ability of another. These boys not only have no diving experience, some of them can't even swim. They have to totally put themselves in the hands of another if there is any chance of them getting out and being rescued.

As the rescue process began cave diving expert Dr Rogers spoke to ABC News 24 and gave some thoughts on the rescue process:

He said he doesn't think the boys will be expected to do anything during the operation — the expert divers will take care of everything.

"I don't believe the kids will be doing anything. They won't be swimming. They may not even have fins on. The expert diver [will] have a minimum of two independent air supplies on them, I suspect they will be carrying another bottle as well, but they will know the distances of all the sumps [underwater flooded sections] and there's spare bottles they can pick up."

Dr Rogers said the boys will hold on to the back of the expert diver and will be wearing masks. 

People in our world are looking for who can rescue them from the mess they can see, but the mess is far greater than that. They need Jesus Christ who can rescue them from the mess of our hearts not just the mess of our circumstances, and not just on a temporary scale, but on an eternal scale! We can do nothing to save ourselves, We need Jesus. Once we understand our dire predicament and have had the only answer explained to us,... we have to be willing, and trust his ability and plan, and give ourselves to him, by faith, despite our uncertainties and inability to comprehend it all,... but he does it all.

When the boys were initially found it was thought they might be able to wait out the wet season and walk out on their own. But while their own walking steps got them trapped, their own walking steps were not going to get them out. Time was limited. Waiting in hope was a false hope. An urgent rescue plan had to be completed.

Just like those boys, the rescuer has come, but if we want to be rescued we have to entrust and enjoin ourselves to the rescuer to bring us fully to the completion of the rescue. While the successful rescue of each boy is not something this human rescue operation can guarantee, our eternal rescue is guaranteed if we are willing to entrust ourselves to the eternal rescuer.

Maybe you can use this situation that has the eyes of the world, as an opportunity to draw a parallel and lift the eyes of friends and neighbours to their need for a much greater rescue!

Pray that hearts will come to see their true need and that Jesus is their true rescuer not just from the darkness of a cave, or the darkness of our world's news, but the darkness of our own hearts and the deepest darkness and horror of an eternity without the 'light of the world'...

….and then pray and go into this dark world, bringing light to people's darkness.

note added 20 July 2018 - all the boys and coach were safely rescued from the cave - you might like to watch this Australian Four Corners program about it broadcast last Monday the 16th, including interviews with some of the rescue divers and this YouTube video of the press conference with the boys the day they left hospital, and an extra interview with the boy who served as the translater for the group in the cave when the British Divers arrived - because he had been taught English by the Pastor of the church that has been his home for the past 10 years as a Myanmar refugee!

A Leopard, and Zebras in our garden along with the Garden Inspector and a Policeman!....

No, not four footed or two footed varieties, but Butterflies!

Yes, more butterflies in God's amazing creative collection!

Some of them have rather interesting names!

Here is what is called the African Leopard since its markings remind you of the 'pussy-cat' of the same name!

and then, 

recently there have been many, which are called the 'Zebra White'

Here are some, with a Southern Sapphire (with closed wings) to the left.

And here's that rather regal looking  large 'Garden Inspector'!

and the Two-Pip Policeman

A couple of other 'new' large ones have been seen lately too, including this Bushveld Emporer,

and this Pearl Spotted Emporer

so named for its pearl spots on the underside of the wing

It is all beginning to sound monotonous, but it is true that I continue to be more and more amazed at God's creation, and thus in awe more and more of the Creator!

It's so easy to see a quick blurr in the sky and either ignore it or just momentarily think 'a butterfly' and go no further than that, but that blurr is a huge variety of magnificiently decorated signposts to the Creator - signposts that we usually miss.

What other signposts does God have around me to increase my awe of Him, my joy in Him and thus my worship of Him, signposts that I am missing?

What signposts are you missing?