Scripture

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Introduction

I am coming to this as a bible lover who has read the scriptures essentially on a daily basis for the last 57 years. I became a Christian in a spiritual environment in which bible knowledge was seen as something worth obtaining. Those who could quote from memory from the bible had credibility. Those who could give chapter and verse (I have never really bothered with the verse details) were seen as more credible and even more spiritual. While that is admirable, it doesn’t hold water since it should be our lives and our love which give us credibility. Nevertheless, the scriptures are God’s gift to us, and we should make use of His gifts with gratitude.

I try to read the bible not as an academic exercise but as a spiritual one. In that way the bible becomes a source of divine wisdom rather than intellectual theology. The bible’s authors were all people of faith; consequently, if we spend years being immersed in the faith environment of scripture, we shall doubtless find faith increases. As I make clear in the introduction to the website, the materials it contains are not particularly for academics (but they do respect academic study); they are not primarily theological but they are rooted in orthodox Christian belief. This study likewise is an attempt to read the bible with an open and inquisitive mind whilst also seeking to build up faith in Jesus, the one whom the bible reveals.

authorship

What makes the bible different from other respected religious scriptures is its format. While other holy books usually have a single author, the contents of the bible come from something like 40 human authors who wrote them over a span of perhaps 1500 years. This is troubling to some people as it seems a much too informal way for God to provide us with Holy Scripture. Not only can we accept this, but we can also see divine wisdom in it too. The bible (from the Greek: biblia) is a compilation of 66 books. The fact that it contains writings by many authors undermines any suggestions that it has been fabricated to deceive naïve people. A book which is claimed to be from God, but which is the work of only one person in one lifetime, is much more open to the accusation of being fabricated. Furthermore, the bible is a “warts and all” book written with frankness and candour which makes it all the more credible.

What is amazing about this, is that God in His grace, was prepared to communicate His Word through flawed people. This does not mean that the scriptures are therefore flawed since we believe in the majesty of God over His world. I like the way Tom Wright has expressed this seeming conundrum:

“The Bible is the book God wished us to have!”

God has made the bible part of the mystery through which we learn about spiritual life. Furthermore, since God oversaw its production, and understands us and how our minds work, He is not afraid of a few questions. I will seek to address some of the questions which get asked regarding the bible in this series of studies. I will also address an attitude in some Christians which seeks to suppress the asking of questions. This might come from the fact that we don’t have satisfactory answers to all possible questions; but it can also come from a desire to exercise control over people and how they think – that is a questionable motivation.

orthodox

I shall view the scriptures from the point of view of the Anglican Reformed standpoint which is that Christian beliefs and doctrine are based on the “three-legged stool” – that is, orthodox Christian teaching is based on scripture, reason and tradition. Good reasoning and appeals to tradition will not contradict scripture and should be explored. God created our minds to reason. Through this means we have discovered how His universe works and how to protect ourselves from the things which undermine human flourishing. However, there is something we can call unspiritual reasoning which will contradict scripture and encourage sin. Tradition can be respected since it reflects the thinking and life of people of faith who walked with Jesus before us. For this reason, tradition will not contradict the plain meaning of scripture. Some people try to give the stool a fourth leg called “experience”, but I shall not go there. Experience can rely too much on subjective feelings, as this century is discovering, and it can wander a long way from the proven paths of scripture, reason and tradition.

I’ll finish these introductory thoughts with a couple of scriptures using a paraphrased bible version. Here is an excellent place to begin from the New Testament:

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. (2 Timothy 3:16 NLT)

This is the simplified purpose of scripture: scripture is inspired and useful – useful for teaching, for truth, for telling-off and for training!

And from the same paraphrase version, here is Jeremiah from the Old Testament:

When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O Lord God of Heaven’s Armies. (Jeremiah 15:16 NLT)

This is the way to read the bible – scripture should be discovered, devoured and delighted in! May the Lord inspire us with the gift of scripture as He inspired the writers who were moved to write as they did!

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