Tag Archives: Bible

Why study the Bible?

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A friend who is a reader of this blog called me on Thursday after reading what I had posted. He felt that I had overlooked a basic question: “Why study the Bible?” His argument was that many conservative Christians have made a sacrament of Bible reading, feeling that they are somehow inferior Christians if they aren’t reading daily… and these Christians often try to pass that guilt on to others.

Though we differed on the direction that his question was leading, I think my friend raised a good point. At times we take Bible study and make it sound like an obligation, a duty to be grudgingly performed. We need to find a way to present it as an opportunity, a chance to continue to grow and understand the Word of God.

Years ago, as part of his work with Herald of Truth, Glenn Owen wrote a book called “The Adventure of Bible Study.” It’s an excellent little book that I have kept in my library for years. I love the whole concept of Bible study as an adventure.

I love growing to see connections between different passages. I thrill at coming to see more and more the unified flow that goes through the entire Bible. I love as the Word becomes part of me and comes to have more and more influence on who I am and what I do.

In our phone conversation, my friend and I discussed other ways in which God reveals Himself to us. I am a strong believer in God speaking to us through different media, be it nature, be it other Christians, etc. But, as I told him, I am convinced that the Bible is the most objective of those voices, the standard by which I can interpret the truth and validity of other sources of “God talk.”

Paul spoke to Timothy of the holy writings that Timothy had known from his youth. Timothy’s mother and grandmother had raised him in a context of Scripture. Paul tells Timothy that those writings, what we know as the Old Testament, were the perfect guide for the Christian, able to make him “wise unto salvation.” He also said that these holy words, breathed on by God, would equip the godly man for everything he needed to do. (2 Timothy 3:14-17)

That’s how I want to know God’s Word. I want to know it so well that it not only helps me teach, but that it speaks to me for my daily life.

Why do you study the Bible?

Is the future really that grim?

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Following on the heels of yesterday’s post, I couldn’t help but think about cultural changes. I was thinking about the warnings I hear time and again about postmodernism. To hear many talk, to have a postmodern outlook on the world is to deny the faith. Some despair of being able to reach out to postmodernists.

My question is: was modernism all that friendly to the church? I’m no expert on these terms, but from what I know, modernism changed the way we look at the Bible, not to mention the way that we look at the world. My hunch is that a modernist outlook and a postmodernist outlook each impact our views to a similar degree, just in dissimilar ways.

It gets back to one of my favorite sayings: “The fish doesn’t know that he’s wet.” When you grow up in a modernist environment, being taught to think and reason in modernist terms, it seems like the “natural” way to do things. More specifically, if you’ve always read the Bible from that point of view, other ways of looking at the Bible seem heretical. Like always, our way is the right way; anything new and different is wrong.

Postmodernism offers unique challenges to the church. But we first need to deal with the challenges of modernism, dig past its effects, before we can objectively evaluate the effects of postmodernism.

Those are my thoughts. I’d like to hear from someone who has a better handle on the meaning and implications of each of these viewpoints.

The Bible and change

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We’ve been talking about what we would change about the Bible. I find it to be an interesting idea to think about. However, we know that things don’t work that way. We are in no place to make changes to God’s Word.

The very points at which we wish to make changes to God’s Word are the points in which we need to change.

We need to place ourselves under the Word. Rather than seeking to master the Bible, our task is to learn to be mastered by the Bible. We have to humble ourselves and seek to grow in understanding rather than trying to mold the Bible to our views.

It’s a lesson I need to be reminded of time and again.

Changing the Bible

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I was really impressed with the comments yesterday. I’m almost embarrassed to throw my thoughts into the mix, especially because they’re not nearly as spiritual as some of those made yesterday. Still, I started this, so I can’t really drop out now. So here goes:

  1. I’d smooth over some of the rough edges. You know, the killings, the slavery, things like that.
  2. I’d make sure that the narratives had clearly delineated morals. No ambiguity about who acted justly or whether or not what someone did was a sin. I’d spell it out.
  3. Along that line, I’d have a section of laws to satisfy those who think the Bible should be a rule book.
  4. I would also have a section of “catechism,” spelling out the correct position on major doctrinal issues (and minor ones that everyone treats as major issues)

There’s my remake of the Bible. Any other suggestions?

[Now before anyone gets upset, no, I’m not criticizing the Bible. Again, this is what I consider to be a thought exercise. Apologies if anyone is offended.]

How would you change the Bible?

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I doubt that there is anyone who is completely comfortable with everything the Bible says. Honestly, I have to say that if you are, you probably haven’t studied it enough.

For some it’s the ethnic cleansing passages in the Old Testament? You know, the ones where God commands the killing of every living being, in some cases even the animals.

For others, it’s a certain passage that supports a doctrine they aren’t comfortable with. I actually had some people get upset with me from reading one of the Psalms that talks about worshiping with instruments since our fellowship does not use instruments in worship.

For others, it may even be a command they don’t wish to follow or an outlook on life they wish wasn’t there. Visit the Conservative Bible Project for one group’s creative response to this problem. Don’t like what the Bible says? Change it!

Some would like more straightforward statements on controversial issues. Don’t make us wonder about whether or not Adam and Eve had navels… tell us straight out! End the discussions over predestination and trinitarianism and pacifism and…

What if that were possible? What if you were given the authority to make changes to the Bible? (No, you don’t need to quote the end of Revelation to me. This is merely a thought exercise.] In what ways would you change the Bible? If you were given the chance to design the perfect holy book, what would it look like?