Several months ago, I wrote a fairly controversial post titled “Who Has the Ultimate Authority (A Biblical Look at Sola Scriptura),” which took a pretty hard look at the roles of both the Catholic church and the Bible in Christian belief. Not surprisingly, some people were less than pleased with my stance.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the Bible. I’ve read it cover to cover multiple times, I own several copies in different translations, I went to Bible college, I can honestly say it is my favorite book… I definitely recognize the importance of the Bible and hold it in very, very high regard.
BUT when you love something, it’s important to love it for what it IS, not for what you think it is or think it should be. Which brings me to today’s post–Six things the Bible is not:
1. A How-to Guide
Have you ever heard the acronym–Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth (B.I.B.L.E.)? Super catchy and clever, but unfortunately, not really correct.
You see, the Bible is not a how-to guide, an owner’s manual or a set of instructions. There’s no table of contents where you can look up important issues like “How do I respond to an adult child caught in sin?” “How should I dress for church?” or “Should Christians participate in Halloween?” and then just flip to the page to get your answer, all laid out on the page in step-by-step format.
Instead, the Bible is more like a library that covers thousands of years and numerous genres. It includes stories, genealogies, poetry, letters, prophesy, etc. And if you want answers to your most burning questions, you’re probably going to have to read the book as a whole in order to pick up on the overall themes, not just flip to a certain verse or section to get your easy answer. Sorry.
2. A Book of Inspiring Quotes
Similarly, the Bible is not just a book of inspiring quotes that can be hand-selected in order to prove or defend a certain point or convey a message. When we cherry pick the verses we like best (and we all do this at times), we run the risk of taking the verses out of context and misconstruing the message.
Two verses I see this happening with all of the time are Ephesians 2:8-9, which state “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
These verses sure seem to make it pretty darn clear that we are saved by faith alone. However, when you read the rest of the Bible, you find several other passages (such as Romans 2:6-13; Matthew 19:16-17, 29; and James 2:14-26) which take an almost contradictory stance, making the faith vs works debate a little less cut and dry.
**Don’t miss my post on this subject: Is Faith Alone Enough?
This is just one example, of course. Christians do this with all sorts of other passages all the time.
3. The Result of a Game of Telephone
It is no secret that the words of the Bible were passed along orally for generations before being written down and that those words were written and rewritten countless times until eventually we ended up with the version we have today. That is all true.
However, just because the message went through a lot of people before it reached its final destination does not mean that it was corrupted along the way (either purposefully or otherwise). In fact, archaeologists have uncovered several fragments of the earliest manuscripts and not only do we have an impressive number of them for comparison but the Scriptures we have today are astonishingly similar to the originals.
People may get the message confused when playing a game of Telephone for fun, but this is NOT what happened with the Bible. And we have the early manuscripts to prove it.
For lots of really interesting facts and information on this topic, check out my post: Was the Bible Reliably Preserved?
4. Comprehensive
This is another misconception I’ve come across a lot lately. Some people believe that if something isn’t in the Bible, it can’t possibly be true or right. Yet, that doesn’t make sense when you consider why and how the Bible was written.
The apostles who wrote the Bible never sat down to write a comprehensive guide that would address every issue. I highly doubt they sat down to draft an outline of key points before they got started or that they went back through and edited the books after the fact to make sure that they didn’t forget anything. They probably didn’t poll all of their friends to make sure they hit all the key talking points.
No, when the apostles wrote the books of the Bible, they were writing to a specific people at a specific place and time. They were addressing the issues that those people were dealing with and needed encouragement in. If something isn’t in the Bible, therefore, it isn’t necessarily because it isn’t important. It simply may not have been an issue for that particular group of people in that day.
5. About You
Lastly, it is important to realize that the Bible isn’t about you. Yes, you can learn a lot from it and get a lot out of it. Yes, there are several verses you can read and apply to your life. But the fact remains, when the apostles were writing it, they weren’t thinking about you and not every verse necessarily applies to your life. Are there sections you don’t care for? That’s okay. It’s not your book.
The Bible isn’t about you and your story; it’s about God and the story of His people. So instead of asking “What’s in it for me” or a “What can I get out of it?” ask “What can I learn about God?” and “What does God value?” instead.
For a fantastic post on this subject, check out this post by my friend Asheritah of One Thing Alone: Why Christians Should Study the Bible
As a Christian, taking the time to read your Bible regularly is incredibly important, but it’s also important to read with the right mindset. Don’t caught up in these five thinking traps. Love and appreciate the Bible for what it is, not what you think it should be.
Are you guilty of believing these misconceptions about the Bible? What other misconceptions drive you nuts?
Brittany
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Oh, wow! I am so glad I found your blog through EBA. I can tell I am going to love it! You speak boldly yet lovingly. I am excited to read more!
Thanks, Christina! I’m glad you found us!
I thought many of these points very good Britany! But because I am a Sola Scriptura girl I would disagree with the way you explained a few things 🙂 I am thankful you are discussing these scriptural issues. Brittany, they are so very important to think about and decide for ourselves. I also think many Christians have never thought about these issues and I for one am so thankful you are writing about these thought provoking issues! You go girl! You have my prayers and support!
Aww thanks! Did you read my article on sola scriptura? (I’d link it but my computer is in the shop and mobile only is a serious pain!) Anyways, I used to believe it too, but once I researched I found that not only is there no Biblical basis for it, but logically, there’s some big holes in it. The article explains more 🙂
I’m sorry, we are all entitled to our opinions, and that is what I believe is one of the biggest purposes of the Bible, not always understanding the how and why, but having blind faith in He who wrote it.
I use the bible’s teaching to deal with my son who has serious defiance issues. And for other relationships. How did Jesus deal with those? With compassion and love. I went from serious regret, depression, loss, and anger over my less than perfect circumstances, but when I realized that I am to follow Jesus’ lead, my heart filled with compassion and understanding, and our family life changed drastically. Jesus taught me that. Not a therapist or psychologist. It’s a work in progress, but I believe Paul’s message to focus on what is good, that we have not yet finished the race, and to press forward looking ahead and growing, not getting stuck in what is behind.
The Bible is God’s love letter to us. Jesus said “remain in me” and John explicitly details Jesus as the word made flesh. To bear good fruit, and you will know them by their fruit, we must remain in the Word (Jesus) and if that’s not personal then I don’t know what is. And the book of Romans? I know Paul is addressing the Romans at the time, but the message is transcendent. It is written for every one of us, to persevere, to lean on the Holy Spirit, to know that the power of being alive in Christ by partaking in his death, is the only way to fight the battle between fleshly temptations that lead to sin and death. Is that message not for us?
And it is the story of all mankind. From the fall, through redemption, and ultimately salvation. How is that not about us? Christians are his chosen people. I am part of his chosen people. You cannot reduce the bible to a history book. To do so is so irreverent and ignorant.
I agree, many take things out of context, but that’s why studying the bible, in context is important. If the only scripture anyone ever reads is a pretty wall hanging from Hobby Lobby, then they are not getting the full picture.
God shows his love for his people time and time again. He shows how no matter how far his people stray, if we call upon his name humbly and trust in him that what we cannot accomplish spiritually in our own strength, he will not forsake us. How is that not personal?
God was not just addressing those people, he’s addressing all his people. Our understanding grows when we study and learn what the message meant in context to the audience at the time, but that does not mean that the Holy Spirit does not continue to reveal the word of God to us in our lives personally. Otherwise, how do we pray his promises? How do we pray in his will?
A game of telephone? Well that’s just ridiculous.
No, the bible may not tell me whether I should pursue this job or that, or if I should move across country, or how often I should clean my house. But it does tell me to trust in a loving God and he will be faithful, leading me by his unending grace and love. Real transformation takes place when when we have faith like a child in those things.
But to reduce the bible to a favorite book for a shelf or just part of a reading list is to miss the love relationship that our God longs to have with every one of us.
Beautifully said. <3
This was eye opening. Thank you!
I like the headline of number three. It gave me a chuckle.
Numbr four and five were enightening. Never seen it in that perspective. After reading this, I’m more encouraged to read my Bible now!
Well, that’s a good thing! 🙂
I would say I agree with most of your points. But point 4 is not accurate. The Bible has everything we need to live a holy and godly living 2 Timothy 3:16-17; the will of God is either clearly revealed or through the word you renew your mind and can approve his will Romans 12:2; more importantly, it has everything to be in a relationship with God Hebrews 4:12. Now if by comprehensive you mean it doesn’t have specific answers to specific situations then you are partially right, because we have enough to make sound decisions by understanding the Bible, but not specific answers. I would be interested to know what do you mean by the Bible not being comprehensive. It’s absolutely not a book about medicine, history or geography (though all of the history, medicine and geography mentioned in is correct). It’s comprehensive regarding how to have a relationship with God and how to live according to His will in every aspect. Again, if you mean it won’t to marry X women, I guess you’re right. But there is enough wisdom and guidance to make the right decision.
Yes, but “not comprehensive” I do mean “it doesn’t have specific answers to specific situations” and that it’s absolutely not a book about medicine, history or geography. And I do think there may be times when we need to go ask a friend for wise counsel (which the Bible does instruct us to do), because we can be so blind ourselves, it’s really helpful to have that outside perspective.
PLUS, I do think it can also be very helpful to know more history and more about the culture of the time. Just because the way we understand parts of the Bible today may not completely match the way a 1st century Jew would understand them, with so much more knowledge about the language and customs of the time. Not that that ADDS more to the Bible, but it would allow us to understand the information that’s there a little better. 🙂