Preface: I read a great article recently with the same title as this series of blog posts over on Relevant Magazine’s website. It raised a number of issues related to biblical interpretation that I’ve been meaning to address on here for some time now, and it finally provided enough inspiration for me to start writing. Below is a post that is part of a series of non-academic, meandering, hopefully slightly pastoral posts about the Bible, what it is, how we should read it, and what it means for our lives.
What is the Bible? Part II: The verse(s) that guide my reading
Human beings love to argue about the Bible.
A lot.
A whole lot.
We argue from places and ignorance and over-familiarity and every place in between.
We use lots of words to describe the Bible, words like “inerrant” and “authoritative” and “infallible” and “literal truth” and “full of contradictions” and then proceed to argue about which of those words, if any of them, best describe the Bible. We tend to get very excited when people don’t use words that we use to describe the Bible. Very excited.
Those sorts of arguments have their place, but they aren’t really my cup of tea.
That being said, I believe that the Bible is God’s Word to us, and us such it is authoritative. It is a complex collection of books from various genres (to be discussed in a later post). In my opinion, the most important thing for us to recognize about the Bible is that it is from God for us. For that reason, the verses that most guides my reading of the text, whether I’m reading Job or Matthew, 1 Kings or Jonah, is 2 Timothy 3:16-17:
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.
Not all Scripture is history, but some of it is. Not all Scripture is descriptive, in that it is describing actual events, but some of it is. Not all Scripture is prescriptive, in that it is presenting a model for us to live by, but some of it is. But all Scripture is inspired by God and useful, as the above verse tells us.
Thus, we believe by faith that if something is in the Bible then God wanted it to be there, and he has something to teach us through it. In my opinion, that makes questions about inerrancy and infallibility important, but secondary (and that statement may get me branded as a liberal by some, but that’s ok, because I’m not). What is most important is that we recognize that the Bible is God’s authoritative word for us. I believe God inspired Scripture exactly how he wanted it, and for that reason it is our highest authority for faith and practice.
One thing I have long loved about the Bible is that, on the one hand, it is simple enough that it presents us with a gospel message that can be comprehended by the simplest of people, and yet it is so remarkably deep, rich, and nuanced that men and women spend their entire lives trying to mine its meaning. I have had numerous experiences where I have thought a passage meant one thing and then further study or instruction has shown me it means something else. That is very exciting and humbling.
A concept that I am continually challenged by when it comes to the Bible is the idea that my life says much more about what I think of the Bible then my words. Certainly it is important that we confess a high regard for the Bible, which then makes us desire to live in obedience to it, but what is more important is that our lives match that confession. If we claim inerrancy but live like we don’t, then claim means little. Of course, none of us will do this perfectly, but it is something to keep in mind if we get too caught up in debates about semantics.
The Bible is God’s good, authoritative, loving gift to us, a gift that he gives us so that we might know him and represent him well in the world.
Next: What is the Bible? Part III: Genres and Interpretation, what is worth arguing about?
