Copyright 2017 Theresa Harvard Johnson
(Also check out, More Than A Writer’s Anointing, Am I a prophetic scribe or a writer? and The Restoration of Scribal Judges)
One of the greatest pleasures of teaching The Scribal Anointing, the ministry of the scribal office, is providing the people of God with tools to “identify, name and walk out” their scribal calling. It’s like finding that one puzzle piece that often puts everything we have been doing throughout our lives in clarity and focus.
What we often remember most about the scribes of the Bible – outside of the negative behavior rehearsed among the congregation – is that their contributions to our faith-based culture ensured that we have the work of God and the life of Christ in a tangible, written record. What we don’t often realize, however, is that the scribes in charge of that task were introduced to us first as copyists and recorders.
Here are some facts to clarify what I am sharing:
- A copyist makes an exact record of something that has ALREADY been written. Imagine the work of a copy machine. This example, however, in no way minimizes the importance of this role. On the contrary recording is a CRITICAL role in the Kingdom, and its expanded function is well worth studying out.
- A recorder simply dictates or records what they see, hear or experience. Imagine the work of a videographer who is simply there to “shoot court room” footage for the purpose of documenting the procedure, not crafting or spinning a story. Also note that a recorder also has a critical role.
- A writer, however, focuses on crafting a story, event or situation for the sole purpose of bringing forth understanding. In this instance, the writer becomes intimately and personally vested in what is being written and said. This is a far cry from copying something or documenting something verbatim.
Why is this significant? Well, it places us on the path of realizing that there are “specialties” within the calling of a scribe. There’s not just one kind of musician, cook, baker, singer, etc.? Of course not! In the same way, scribes cannot be locked into a single role in the Kingdom.
In this article, we can see that some scribes called to MAKE AND KEEP RECORDS. They were committed to the ACT of writing down the records; but they were not necessarily writers who developed new materials out of passion. Instead, they may have found themselves passionate about record keeping, leaving documents to speak for themselves, archiving, etc.
I am sharing this perspective simply to encourage some of the scribes I encounter who may not THINK they are scribes because they do not WRITE. As you can see, there is way more to this calling. If you SUSPECT that you are a scribe or walking under an anointing of a scribe… it may be well worth digging into this area more.
