In a conversation earlier today, an attorney pointed out to me that: "Understanding your weaknesses makes you stronger". He said this in relation to the results of tests that I had done recently. He went on the add that: "Without knowing your weaknesses you are vulnerable in those areas". Then he added further that "knowledge is power". In many ways, my desire to work on the definition of holy is an acknowledgement of all of these three principles. I want my readers to know that not knowing that "holy" defined as "set apart" has weaknesses really leaves a dangerous vulnerability.
First, "Understanding your weaknesses makes you stronger". I believe that acknowledging the weaknesses in the church's and Judaism's definition of holy is not a sign of weakness, but rather of strength. For many years, the definition of biblical "holy as "set apart" has existed as though it were invulnerable and without any weaknesses. The reverse is actually true, but acknowledging this I believe builds strength. To say that is more a probability than a certainty is far stronger than insisting that the probability does not exist and we are sure it means "set apart".
Second, "Without knowing your weaknesses you are vulnerable in those areas". I believe that the definition of holy is a weakness that most Christians and Jews are unaware of, so they are missing the greatest vulnerability of all that exists in interpreting the Bible. When we are not aware of our weakness, we are very vulnerable. Let me illustrate.
When I coached football, I believe that one of the reasons I was very successful from the beginning was that I understood the importance of attacking an opponents weaknesses. Early in a game, I would test a wide variety of plays on offense or I would try a lot of different looks on defense looking for an area of weakness. If the other coach was unaware of his team's weaknesses and I became aware of them, then the other team was unable to adjust to my taking advantage of their weakness. On the other hand, if I found their weakness and they knew about it, then they could adjust and adapt to what I discovered. They were not vulnerable like the coaches who did not know their weaknesses on the field.
The same does hold true for our faith. If our enemy is a prowling lion waiting to devour (and Satan is!), then we must know our weaknesses. We must know that while the Protestant Reformers of the church from 1500s onward possessed great strengths, we must be also aware of their weaknesses. Unfortunately, after the Reformers died people emerged who claimed to be their disciples who wanted to claim they only possessed strengths without acknowledging their weaknesses. This is precisely what brings the initial reforms to a deadly end.
Related specifically to the definition of holy, there must be a recognition that the classical grammar of the past has weaknesses that fall short of the biblical example of biblical reform in Nehemiah 8. This does not mean that classical grammar is to be tossed aside as not having value. That is called throwing out the baby with the bathwater. Rather it is keeping the baby, but also throwing out the bathwater!. How can you get a clean baby without also having dirty bathwater?
My skills in the area of linguistics largely help weaknesses in grammar to be acknowledged, but also it helps to see grammar's strengths as well. My linguistics' professors were never purely destructive in their criticisms. Instead, they avoided vulnerability through acknowledging weaknesses. Are we doing the same?
Third, "Knowledge is power". I agree that it is a part of being strong. Ignorance is a form of weakness. I don't see how anyone can question that. Yet I was long ignorant of much of what I say about the definition of holy on this site. Show me another place on-line that admits the weaknesses that I have found in the popular definition of holy.
I was weak to the degree that I was also ignorant. If my blog does only one thing (I believe it does more than one!), then it must at least expose the weakness of ignorance tied to the popular idea that holy means "set apart". By itself, this does not positively prove the meaning of holy as being another definition, but it does open up one's eyes to real weakness. Then strength can replace that weakness.
We cannot ignore knowledge. That is real ignorance! We must embrace knowledge as a friend. Too much can give us a headache, but that is a lot better than the supposed bliss of ignorance. That bliss leads to a worse result than King Solomon's headache from much learning. It can lead to death.
I hear so many people bemoaning the retreat from the historic Christian faith. I think it would be far better to try to weaken that retreat by admitting weakness rather than pretending strength. Then there is an opportunity to adapt to weakness and replace it with strength. That does not mean all is weakness. It does mean that there is some weakness. Who does not have some other than God?
Today, in my conversations not just with an attorney, but with others I had to admit weaknesses. The recent examinations exposed weaknesses that I previously did not know existed. I had a fuzzy idea what my weakness was in my work performance, but now I know it specifically and instead of that making me weaker it makes me stronger. I can now adapt to where I am weak and minimize the damage. Before I was very vulnerable, because I never was tested before for what was strong and what was weak.
I also am being tested on the real life level. I am not all weakness, but the fact that I am so vulnerable at times shows I am unaware sometimes of my own weaknesses. My real life testing is not yet over, but in the end I will be stronger if I learn my weaknesses. I am praying that I do!
The same goes for the definition of holy. Let me list its contemporary weaknesses, if nothing is joined to the knowledge already possessed in the 20th ct.:
1) Its traditional (20 ct.) etymology is weak. The good news is that by acknowledging this weakness there is the recognition that there is knowledge in this area that can be added. How else is ignorance exposed? It does not come through other ignorance.
2) Its relation to cognate languages (languages related to Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek) is weak. Those languages do not add strength as much as weakness, because their number of examples are not large enough except for inside the biblical texts themselves.
3) Its classical or traditional grammar has weaknesses. Classical rhetoric has a healthier foundation. Quintilian in rhetoric did a better job of setting the foundations that did Varra in grammar. Why not acknowledge this and make grammar stronger by learning from rhetoric and linguistics?. Grammar has strengths, but the weaknesses must also be addressed. Go classical, but then add further strength. Add strength to strength. Don't add weakness to strength.
4) Its progressive stance of "holy" means "set apart" has produced no measureable revival comparable to previous renewal or reformation movements prior to the 20 ct. Maybe it is time to work then on the above weaknesses?
Examine the SWOT chart shown above. Acknowledging weakness is at first blush hard, but I think in the longer term it will produce the strength that is needed. It is a threat if only the opposition is aware of it. Then we are vulnerable. But when we become aware of weakness, then that weakness can become an opportunity. To be in a position of unknown weakness is to be vulnerable in the bad sense. I hope admitting weaknesses today has been vulnerable in the good sense. It builds opportunity. Remember those words of the attorney: "Knowing your weaknesses makes you stronger". It creates opportunity! It lets you go from strength to strength!
Our problem is that we too often feel it makes us vulnerable, when the reverse is true. If we can change our attitude from fear to confidence in facing weakness, then we can move forward adding knowledge to knowledge and adding strength to strength. That is how it is supposed to be. May God give us courage to cross the river of weakness to reach the shore of strength!
In Christ,
Jon
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