Photo by: bichxa
Sleigh bells jingle. But what jangles?
The question surfaced as I bumped into the word in a King James version of the Bible. When I checked another version, I saw that “jangling” was a 17th century way of describing the sound of empty talk. According to the Apostle Paul, it can happen when someone tries to teach the Bible without love, a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith (1Tim 1:5).
By now I was reading in the NIV and, as I read on, found what I sensed must be the most “unjangling” words in the world– as Paul went on to say, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst” (1Tim 1:14)
Paul’s transparent, self-deprecating words were also pulling me into a story that reminded me of the jingling celebration of the season– and why our Savior was born.
The “jangling,” according to Paul, happened when men who wanted to be “teachers of the law” made noise that showed they didn’t know what they were talking about (1:7).
Being, himself, a former teacher of the law, Paul had discovered this personally. The law of Moses had not kept him from saying terrible things about the Son of God. Nor had that law kept him from doing violent things against those who had exchanged trust in the law for trust in Christ (1:13).
Paul went on to say that he received mercy because he had acted in ignorance and unbelief (1:13).
But suddenly, I found myself looking at words that over the years have bothered me. Old questions resurfaced. What about those sins we do—even though we know better? The question reminded me of what I once had heard– that there was no sacrifice in the Mosaic Levitical system except for “unintentional sins” (Numbers 15:25-31). I eventually learned, however, that this was not always true. There were sacrifices for intentional sins (Leviticus 1:1-7). Furthermore, the Bible gives many examples of willful sinners (like King David) who end up being forgiven.
So what is this “jangling” that I hear in my own questions? As I continue to think about Paul’s words that “Christ Jesus came into he world to save sinners,” and as I think about the extent to which the Son of God died, for the sins of all— I sense how empty and meaningless my concerns are– as if the Cross of Christ was not sufficient to cover the most conscious and worst of sins.
Furthermore, I now wonder, what conscious sins are not done in “ignorance and unbelief”? Who, in clarity of mind and belief, would ever sin against God or others? By nature—even the most intentional sin is full of ignorance and unbelief.
I may not have everything worked out on this. But I am convinced that when Paul calls us away from the unnerving issues of law-talk to a celebration of our Savior—he is saying the most “unjangling” thing in the world when he says, “, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst” (1Tim 1:14)
On this note, I think I can once again hear in the distance the sleigh bells of Christmas… jingling with the joy of what it means for the Savior to have been born!!!
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