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Listening to the
Spirit in the Text
Gordon D.Fee, Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing Co. 2000 180p
Review by Ray Hoekzema
A wonderful collection of essays which clearly
reflect the author’s particular interest in the Pauline Epistles. The
book naturally divides into two sections. One dealing with the
individual’s life in the Spirit, the other with the life of the Church.
In the opening chapter, Fee examines the interface between exegesis and
spirituality and indicates his concern for a continuing circle between
both. He raises many points, especially the need to do good exegesis, to
hear the text on its terms because we are passionate to hear and obey,
which leads us to a spirituality defined in terms of the Spirit of God
(or Christ) to the degree that one lives in and walks by the Spirit. Fee
says: “have the touch of God in your life – live in fellowship with Him
and be among those who cry out with the Psalmist, “my soul and my flesh
long for you.” He poses the question: “If those who teach and preach
God’s Word, do not themselves yearn for God, live constantly in God’s
presence, hunger and thirst after God - then how can they possibly bring
off the ultimate goal of exegesis, to help to fashion God’s people into
genuine spirituality?” Exegesis and spirituality is but one discipline
that requires preachers to be historians – good students of the Word –
and good pray-ers.
Fee tells how after years of teaching the Pauline Epistles, he was led
to a “ripe” time (to give some hints how applicable it might be in our
own context) to write a commentary on 1 Corinthians. He writes about the
moments of encounter with God through the text of the Word, calling them
‘seasons of refreshing.” The epistle covers subjects that are often seen
as issues or matters of debate. Fee’s overall view of it is one of
conflict between Paul and the church over the matter of what it means to
be “spiritual” regarding the historical issues lying behind chapters
8-10, and on 11:2-16 as reflecting a breakdown between the sexes, not
the subordination of women. He considers the latter as one of four
places (along with 11:19, - 12:3, and 15:29) where he is convinced that
none of us really know what the text means.
Reflecting on Pauline spirituality, Fee stresses that prayer –
thanksgiving and intercession – is an important part. Paul was a pray-er
before he was a doer or a thinker. Paul’s “praying in the Spirit”
included praying “in a tongue”, regarding it as “speaking to God.” Fee’s
exposition of the Trinitarian benediction at the end of the Epistle is a
real encouragement. Suggesting that too many too often give scant
attention to it, he regards the threefold blessing as the most truly
profound and singular realities of the universe.
On wealth, the author says that the Christian faith is decidedly on the
side of “the poor” – “blessed are you who are poor.” Traditionally, it
referred to the powerless, disenfranchised, dependent and in the larger
sense, “impoverished in spirit.” Jesus taught a balance in the
Beatitudes. In contrast, the rich seemed regularly to “come in for it” –
“woe to you who are rich.” Though wealth, or being rich, in itself is
not evil, it is the abuse or accumulation of wealth while others are in
need that is called into question, “the one with two tunics should share
with him who has none.” In Australia we have ample opportunity to
practice that principle in local churches and through World Vision and
the like.
In dealing with the Gender issue, Fee says we must start where Paul
does, with his theology of the new creation, the coming of God’s
eschatological rule, inaugurated by Christ – especially through His
death and resurrection – and the gift of the Spirit (2Cor5:14-17). What
has been obliterated says Fee, is not the categories themselves but the
significance of the distinction and the values, ethnic-racial
(Jew/Gentile), socioeconomic (slave/free), and sexual-gender
(male/female) – based on them. When applying this to ministry, the
result of God’s gifting, it has nothing to do with being male or female.
With regard to homosexuality, Fee offers an interpretation of the
Pauline texts that is at once faithful to the point of view of Scripture
and compassionate to those in the gay community as compassion is defined
by the gospel – God’s Word of redemption and transformation to all who
hear and obey.
In other essays the author deals with the work of the Holy Spirit,
leadership, Church Order and Kingdom & mission. The Holy Spirit, present
at creation, became present to bring us to life in redemption and now
leads us in worship and praise of our Redeemer and Creator. Glossolalia,
Spirit-inspired uttering or speaking in tongues, in the understanding of
Paul is found in the paradox of 2 Cor 12:9, that “(God’s) power finds
perfection in (human) weakness” and that speaking in tongues therefore
reflects a position of weakness not of strength – as we “do not know how
to pray as we ought.”
On leadership, Fee notes that the great problem of single leadership is
its threefold tendency to pride of place, love of authority, and lack of
accountability. Whatever else, leadership in the church needs forms that
will minimise these tendencies and maximise servanthood. On Church
Order, he argues for obedience and greater hermeneutical consistency,
such as in 1 Tim 2:11-12 over against vv 9-10
The book ends with an essay that expresses clearly that the church with
a stake in the Kingdom of God, embracing the riches it embodies,
empowered by the Holy Spirit, has a mission to pass on the good news of
the Kingdom of God – Jesus’ message and ministry, “all that Jesus began
to do and to teach.”
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