Choosing Old Stuff

Newer is almost always better. This is especially true with technology and when deciding what leftovers in the refrigerator to eat.

Cars with lower mileage are almost always preferable to the old ones. Almost. There are those vehicles considered classics and in high demand. The first one that comes to mind is the Volkswagen Microbus. My parents had one for a short time during the 60’s. I was a small kid, but I remember it well. It was fun! Being before seatbelt laws, we experienced the pleasure of unrestrained mobility inside a moving vehicle.

So, what makes some older things better than newer ones? It seems to have something do with what they remind us of. Classic cars recall simpler days and more powerful engines. The VW bus (minus a powerful engine) is associated with the counter-culture movement and the ideals of simplicity. Certain old items as well as old concepts can teach us and help clarify what is important by reminding us what worked in former days as opposed to all the “new stuff” that bombards us today. Examining the past can bring clarity to the present and guidance for navigating the future.

There’s Nothing That’s TRULY New

King Solomon is attributed with saying, “There is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Old ideas have a way of refurbishing themselves and appearing shiny and hip. As far back as 460 B.C. Greek philosopher, Democritus, theorized that everything is made up of tiny invisible particles. Most everyone dismissed the idea as clearly not fitting reality. More than 2,000 years later atomic theory was developed and is now an undisputed foundation of the sciences.

In Mark Twain’s Own Autobiography, he famously wrote, “There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely; but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages.”

There are many old things that I am happy to say “good riddance” to, like lead paint, mercury fillings, and 8-Track music tapes. But what might be some of the “old pieces of colored glass,” or even ancient pieces of the kaleidoscope, that have been forgotten and discarded by many yet contain treasure our present world desperately needs?

The Bible: Unreliable and Unrelatable?

The ancient documents that we call the Old and New Testaments come to mind. They are examples of writings that more and more people regard as out of date. They’re considered useless simply because they’re ancient. I have heard many people say things like, “The Bible has nothing to say to me today” or “The ancient biblical documents have been changed over the centuries and cannot be relied on to say what the original authors meant.” I admit that such skeptical mantras have caused me to wrestle with my own doubts. But, are there reasons to believe the Bible to be a reliable ancient document, more so than popularly held?

I recently read a book titled Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls: Revealing the Jewish Roots of Christianity by John Bergsma, PhD. The author, a Catholic scholar, presents a case for the reliability of the New Testament Gospels drawing from his study of the famous Dead Sea Scrolls.

These rolls of parchment and papyrus were discovered in 1947 by Bedouins in a network of caves now known as Qumran. They were hidden away by members of an ancient and mysterious Jewish sect called the Essenes as the Romans were descending on Jerusalem to put down a major Jewish rebellion. The group is never heard of after 70 A.D. when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and its temple. But as these old scrolls have been translated from ancient Hebrew and studied over the past few decades, their “colored glass” is providing a new appreciation of an ancient kaleidoscope.

For one, their perfectly preserved copies of Old Testament books, such as the Prophet Isaiah, are proving that the more recent copies from which the Bible was translated are very accurate. There have been minimal changes over more than 2,000 years. They also have confirmed earlier dating of New Testament books.

For example, it has been popular to say that the Gospel of John was not written till well after Jesus’ ministry. Thus, many of its stories and theological concepts were thought to have been added later, influenced by Greek philosophy and not original to Jesus and the Apostles. This is because some of the writer’s phrases and concepts were not known to be used until Neoplatonism came into vogue during the second century A.D. But the Dead Sea Scrolls, written possibly 100 years before Jesus was even born, shocked modern scholars with their examples of the same phrasing and concepts the writer of John uses. This has shown that this Gospel could easily have been written soon after Jesus’ death, thus exponentially increasing its reliability.

Gotta love those old documents!

Some Mysteries Explained

The traditions and practices described in the Scrolls provide a profound continuity between Old Testament Judaism, New Testament Christianity, and Early Church practices and beliefs. We also find explanations for some peculiar scriptures. In Mark 14:51, for example, we read, “A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they [those arresting Jesus] seized him he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.”

This piece has always struck me as an odd, albeit humorous, detail to have in the story of Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion. Archeology and the Dead Sea Scrolls, however, confirm that linen was a fabric that members of the Essene community commonly wore. Though it was expensive, it was also very durable. Being that members typically lived very simply, they would have had one linen garment and no other clothing (not even underwear). Thus, the young man’s quick transformation to nakedness when the garment is grabbed makes sense if he was an Essene. And such is the conclusion of scholar John Bergsma. It’s also believed by many that that young man was Mark himself, the Gospel writer.

From the Scrolls we learn that it is very likely that John the Baptist was also an Essene. His style of clothing, eating, and preaching match aspects of the ancient monastic community. The apostle John was initially a disciple of the Baptizer (John 1:35-39). Therefore, it makes sense that his writings would be full of phrases used throughout the Scrolls about light and darkness as well as truth and falsehood. These connections suggest that Essene membership among the early followers of Jesus was potentially quite strong. The biblical stories become more and more rooted in history as the study of the Scrolls continues to unlock mysteries of the New Testament. There is much more than I can squeeze into this post.

In Pursuit of the Eternal

As I ponder these ancient documents, I come back to the question of how old things can help us decipher new dilemmas and find meaning for today. The Dead Sea Scrolls are helping us cut through the hype and pressure that pushes us to believe that if something is newer it’s automatically more reliable and preferable. Perhaps there is more hidden in the ancient works of the Bible than “out-of-touch” laws and unrelatable stories. Maybe we moderns, in our pride, have too quickly written off the old ways.

Sure, there are many benefits to new stuff. I do not doubt that there were good reasons they stopped making the old VW Microbus. I love my all-wheel drive, seat warmers, and modern safety features. But as followers of Jesus, we must learn to appreciate the timeworn ways of the Christian faith. The Bible is a collection of ancient documents that many people have written off as irrelevant. Yet there are good reasons to study them and trust them. Like Peter the Apostle I say, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68 ESV).

Rather than seeking what’s merely new or old, we must train ourselves to pursue what is eternal.

Find a Bible and read something that has withstood the test of time.

Response:

• What are examples of old stuff that are preferable to new things?
• Where have I given up reading scripture because it felt so outdated and unrelatable? What would it take to go back and try again?
• What do I need to do to refresh my appreciation of the ancient truth found in scripture?
• Jesus, teach me your way that I may walk in your truth.

(Edited and reposted from January 15, 2024 “Choosing the Ancient Way”)