Jamin Bradley

There is a trap we pastors sometimes fall for where we think we’re chasing after Scriptural research, but we’ve actually crossed the line into Scriptural conspiracy. The Bible can be a very stiff book for those who grew up in the church, and so it becomes quite enjoyable for the pastor to startle people awake with new, bold information.

It’s important to note that the line between research and conspiracy can be a fine one, as proper Bible research can cause some passages to be flipped around in ways that you never expected. Proper Bible study often requires re-contextualization like this. But because it’s a rush for the pastor to blow people’s minds with fresh interpretations, seeking out such interpretations can become quite addictive. If this edge is left unchecked, we can get to a point where we’re trying to dismantle every passage we come across in an attempt to impress others.

For example, we might make our case for a new interpretation by saying, “In Jesus’ time, Jewish rabbis believed…” But rabbis believed all kinds of things, often counter to each other. So just because one rabbi wrote something doesn’t mean that everyone else was on the same page. The comparative point may have gotten us our dopamine rush of sharing new information, but if the comparison wasn’t widespread in Jesus’ time, the point may ultimately carry no weight at all.

I always felt like my favorite Bible scholar, Michael Heiser, was good at walking this line. He refused to settle for classic answers on confusing passages and wouldn’t stop researching them until he could find proof that could convince him of an interpretation. There were also times when he was just honest that there was enough research for a passage to be interpreted in two counter directions. He also refused to use passages to promote his cause in a firm fashion when he couldn’t fully prove that they really made his point.

Part of the reason I bring this dynamic up right now is that I think this conversation is important for wider reasons these days. I have had conversations over the years where people tell me the real truth is found in a YouTube video, TikTok video, or podcast. In such moments, I’m informed that I’ve bought into a false narrative that the world of research experts is offering me, but the real truth is found in random people on the internet who have the real perspective of what’s going on via their secret knowledge.

I think many of us have a draw toward weird perspectives. Maybe our world is just too harsh to deal with and we need some kind of new perspective to make it easier for us to stomach. Or maybe all of us Enneagram 4’s just feel the need to have a different perspective than everyone else. But wherever we come into contact with secret knowledge, may we be wise in the way we discern through it and curate it for others. Research and conspiracy are both powerful, but one usually proves to be significantly more dangerous than the other.