#7: Revelation for the Rest of Us - An Interview with Scot McKnight
Mar 28, 2023
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Dr. Scot McKnight, a New Testament professor and biblical scholar, shares insights from his book, Revelation for the Rest of Us. He dives into divine judgment, encouraging listeners to rethink traditional views of wrath and grace through a Christ-centered lens. McKnight underscores the need for understanding Revelation’s ancient context, revealing its relevance to modern political and social issues like systemic injustice. He also contrasts Paul and John’s strategies in navigating faith and politics, advocating for a courageous engagement with today’s challenges.
The podcast emphasizes the importance of historical context in interpreting Revelation, guiding modern disciples to understand first-century socio-political issues.
Listeners are encouraged to engage with contemporary societal injustices by recognizing present-day influences, similar to the critiques offered by biblical prophets.
Deep dives
The Call for Theopolitical Awareness
The theopolitical awareness highlighted in the episode provides Christians with the discernment needed to identify political corruption and systemic sins in the world. It emphasizes the responsibility of modern disciples to engage with societal issues much like the biblical figure John did in his own context. By being aware of present-day Babylonian influences, Christians are called to address injustices such as racism, exploitation, and the misrepresentation of the gospel. This awareness serves as a foundation for meaningful engagement with the world rather than passive acceptance of prevailing cultural norms.
Rethinking Prophetic Literature
The podcast discusses the misinterpretation of prophetic literature, particularly in the context of Revelation, often viewed solely through a lens of prediction. Instead, it suggests that prophetic literature serves as a vehicle for moral and spiritual evaluation rather than a simple forecasting of future events. The emphasis is placed on understanding prophetic discourse as a critique of current societal behaviors and conditions, much like the prophets of the Old Testament critiqued their own cultures. Recognizing this dimension enables Christians to be more actively engaged in resistance against the moral failings of modern societies.
Contextual Reading of Revelation
Emphasizing the importance of context, the episode argues that understanding Revelation means stepping back into the first-century milieu in which it was written. The hosts stress the need to comprehend the significance of John's messages within the Roman Empire's socio-political landscape, rather than imposing contemporary interpretations. This includes recognizing the various audiences that would have received this epistle and the specific issues they faced, which allows for a more enriching understanding of the text. By bridging the historical gap, followers can extract lessons that remain relevant today while avoiding misapplications of the text's teachings.
Navigating Modern Discipleship
This episode concludes with a discussion on the evolving role of discipleship in confronting contemporary political and social challenges. It encourages leaders to formulate their identity as followers of Christ while holding a critical perspective on their own society. Pastors are advised to recognize both positive and negative societal aspects and translate those observations into a principled resistance against injustice. Such an approach fosters a community aware of its moral responsibilities, equipped to engage meaningfully with the faith and the pressing issues of today's world.
In this episode, we dive back into Revelation, only this time with a special guest: Dr. Scot McKnight. Scot is a Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary. He's a well-known biblical scholar and is the author of a number of books. Our conversation centers around his latest book, Revelation for the Rest of Us: A Prophetic Call to Follow Jesus as a Dissident Disciple. We talk about a host of topics that revolve around all things Revelation, such as understanding concepts like divine wrath and judgment and how that relates to Jesus being depicted as "Lamb." We also chat about the importance of knowing Revelation's ancient context, as well as applying Revelation's theo-political message in our 21st century world.
Link to Scot's book: https://www.amazon.com/Revelation-Rest-Us-Prophetic-Dissident/dp/0310135788