A Third Testament

Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you, and you be found a liar. – Proverbs 30:5-6 (NRSV) 

Bishop Yvette Flunder, founding pastor of City of Refuge UCC and The Fellowship of Affirming Ministries, is taking heat from all manner of preachers.  

The reason? Her recent assertion that the Bible needs a third testament. They call her a heretic for wanting to add to the complete, inerrant word of God.  

But Bishop says, “We need a third testament because the Bible has become problematic. ‘Slaves obey your masters.’ ‘Let the women keep silent in churches.’ We need to pull those pages out! People say, ‘But that’s the word of God!’ No. It’s not the word of God. I spoke to God this morning. Those are words about God.” 

And some of those words, she continues, are words that diminish women, people of color, Creation, and so much more that we know God holds dear. They are words that for the umpteenth time are being weaponized by divine ventriloquists who use scripture to justify dastardly deeds and the reckless march to war.  

The fact is, Proverbs is not 100% accurate. God may be “a shield to those who take refuge in him,” but God is also a deadly weapon in the wrong hands as well as the refuge of scoundrels. And those lies Proverbs speaks of? Some of them got sealed inside the Book.  

Nearly 1,600 years have passed since men debated what texts belonged in the so-called New Testament. And 2,200 years since the canon of Hebrew scriptures closed. God has kept speaking all this time since those debaters shut the book on the Bible and declared it complete. Mightn’t She want new words enshrined? 

Let’s wrestle, and opine, and debate our way to fresh holy wisdom worthy of binding. Let’s task thousands with writing that third testament, because the Holy Spirit refines truth best through a multitude of imaginations and lived experiences.  

Time will test whether these words are good and true.  

Prayer
God, keep speaking. We have pen in hand. Amen.

About the Author
Molly Baskette is a UCC minister, psychedelic facilitator and author of books about church renewal, parenting, post-traumatic joy and more. Learn more at mollybaskette.com.