Comments on: The Bible is Not the Word of God (part 1) http://theologyforreallife.com/2009/07/18/the-bible-is-not-the-word-of-god-part-1/ Reflections highlighting the relevance of Christian teaching for life in the world today. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 18:12:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Grant http://theologyforreallife.com/2009/07/18/the-bible-is-not-the-word-of-god-part-1/#comment-77 Grant Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:47:40 +0000 http://mikeraburn.wordpress.com/?p=62#comment-77 Paul described all scripture as "God-breathed" (2 Timothy 3:16). He meant the Old Testament. By faith we also apply that to the New Testament. Biblically, the phrase "word of God" narrowly describes a quote from God, and broadly the message about God, the Gospel. The Bible does not describe Genesis-Revelation as the word of God. By faith we call the Bible the word of God. Jesus also called God's word truth (John 17:17). However, he specifically referred to the message that he passed on from our Father in heaven. By faith, we call the entire Bible truth, believing that it also came from God through humans. Is it inerrant truth? The word inerrant is a counter-cultural argument, a negative way of saying truth, but applies only in theory to the original manuscripts which we don't have. Biblically and by faith we believe the Bible is "God-breathed" and "truth." Paul described all scripture as “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16). He meant the Old Testament. By faith we also apply that to the New Testament. Biblically, the phrase “word of God” narrowly describes a quote from God, and broadly the message about God, the Gospel. The Bible does not describe Genesis-Revelation as the word of God. By faith we call the Bible the word of God. Jesus also called God’s word truth (John 17:17). However, he specifically referred to the message that he passed on from our Father in heaven. By faith, we call the entire Bible truth, believing that it also came from God through humans. Is it inerrant truth? The word inerrant is a counter-cultural argument, a negative way of saying truth, but applies only in theory to the original manuscripts which we don’t have. Biblically and by faith we believe the Bible is “God-breathed” and “truth.”

]]> By: DAMITA http://theologyforreallife.com/2009/07/18/the-bible-is-not-the-word-of-god-part-1/#comment-48 DAMITA Sat, 07 Nov 2009 23:29:53 +0000 http://mikeraburn.wordpress.com/?p=62#comment-48 IT IS ABOUT TIME THAT SOME UNDERSTANDS THAT THE BIBLE IS THE KEYS OF THE WORD OF GOD TO UNLOCK THE WORD OF GOD IN FLESH (MAN) IT IS ABOUT TIME THAT SOME UNDERSTANDS THAT THE BIBLE IS THE KEYS OF THE WORD OF GOD TO UNLOCK THE WORD OF GOD IN FLESH (MAN)

]]> By: Kacie http://theologyforreallife.com/2009/07/18/the-bible-is-not-the-word-of-god-part-1/#comment-41 Kacie Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:15:17 +0000 http://mikeraburn.wordpress.com/?p=62#comment-41 Your thoughts sound distinctly like Barth to me. :) Your thoughts sound distinctly like Barth to me. :)

]]> By: mikeraburn http://theologyforreallife.com/2009/07/18/the-bible-is-not-the-word-of-god-part-1/#comment-35 mikeraburn Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:46:29 +0000 http://mikeraburn.wordpress.com/?p=62#comment-35 My degree is taking far too long because I have been working full-time and raising a family. I have had friends at Duke finish in 4-5 years. I am looking at 6. I love the program. It is very rigorous academically, but you are free to maintain your own theological/ideological stance. You will need to be able to defend it (as is proper), but you will not be belittled or brainwashed into something else. The Methodists are always so cool and full of grace like that (at least around here). My degree is taking far too long because I have been working full-time and raising a family. I have had friends at Duke finish in 4-5 years. I am looking at 6. I love the program. It is very rigorous academically, but you are free to maintain your own theological/ideological stance. You will need to be able to defend it (as is proper), but you will not be belittled or brainwashed into something else. The Methodists are always so cool and full of grace like that (at least around here).

]]> By: mikeraburn http://theologyforreallife.com/2009/07/18/the-bible-is-not-the-word-of-god-part-1/#comment-34 mikeraburn Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:43:54 +0000 http://mikeraburn.wordpress.com/?p=62#comment-34 Thanks for the reply, I enjoyed reading it. It's not about Scripture being faulty, it's about our inability to understand or apply it properly without Jesus or the Holy Spirit explaining it to us. Jesus is the full revelation of God to us and Scripture serves as the primary testimony to Jesus. It is reliable and miraculously well-preserved, which is the work of the Holy Spirit itself. But for all that, we are no better position than the Pharisees and scribes, we are unable to read, understand, and apply Scripture apart from the Lord's help. And He only helps us with... us. If I am using Scripture to tear you down or deny your God-given call, then I have misused Scripture as badly as they did when they got on the healed man for carrying his bed. Too many people have gotten away with bad and harmful teaching by hiding behind bad interpretations of Scripture. That's what I'm calling into question, not Scripture, but the way we (mis)use it. Thanks for the reply, I enjoyed reading it.
It’s not about Scripture being faulty, it’s about our inability to understand or apply it properly without Jesus or the Holy Spirit explaining it to us. Jesus is the full revelation of God to us and Scripture serves as the primary testimony to Jesus. It is reliable and miraculously well-preserved, which is the work of the Holy Spirit itself. But for all that, we are no better position than the Pharisees and scribes, we are unable to read, understand, and apply Scripture apart from the Lord’s help. And He only helps us with… us. If I am using Scripture to tear you down or deny your God-given call, then I have misused Scripture as badly as they did when they got on the healed man for carrying his bed. Too many people have gotten away with bad and harmful teaching by hiding behind bad interpretations of Scripture. That’s what I’m calling into question, not Scripture, but the way we (mis)use it.

]]> By: Jesus Christ Is The Word of God (part 2) « mikeraburn http://theologyforreallife.com/2009/07/18/the-bible-is-not-the-word-of-god-part-1/#comment-32 Jesus Christ Is The Word of God (part 2) « mikeraburn Tue, 08 Sep 2009 11:44:42 +0000 http://mikeraburn.wordpress.com/?p=62#comment-32 [...] Book reviews ← The Bible is Not the Word of God (part 1) [...] [...] Book reviews ← The Bible is Not the Word of God (part 1) [...]

]]> By: Serina http://theologyforreallife.com/2009/07/18/the-bible-is-not-the-word-of-god-part-1/#comment-31 Serina Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:15:42 +0000 http://mikeraburn.wordpress.com/?p=62#comment-31 Very interesting. I'm not much for following blogs...but a friend sent me a link and I gotta say this is very thought provoking. I came across something this morning that I think applies: John 5:38-40. Jesus is speaking to the Jews, who were criticizing a man Jesus healed for carrying his bed on the Sabbath. The man tells the Jews that the One who healed him told him to pick up his bed and walk. So the Jews start going after Jesus, seeking to kill him. Jesus has a long response, which includes the following: "But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life." Jesus refers to the scriptures as a testimony of Himself, but that He is the only one who can give life. I thought that backed up your post. At the same time, can a testimony of the Truth be imperfect? Kinda like if I am a witness to a crime and testify in court. If I’m caught speaking a lie, or I don't remember something correctly but am convinced that I do, then my whole testimony is now in question. Although the witness does not have to be perfect, the testimony does. When I was first becoming a believer, I would read the bible looking for contradictions, false claims etc. I felt that if I could find one thing that was wrong, untrue, a lie, then the whole thing would go out the window. Why would I be called to believe the difficult things in scripture if some of the easier truths weren't actually true. God was very tender and patient in His pursuit of me. As a result my faith today is no longer based on what I can intellectually understand but rather who He has shown Himself to be in my life. In regards to your comments on human involvement in writing the scriptures, I have a question. When Jesus says "...you do not have His word abiding in you..." it could be read more like: "...you do not have His Word abiding in you..." Jesus is the Word. Know what I mean? So based on your point, a simple capitalization of the word could change its implied meaning. Is that an example of what you mean? The part that scares me a little is if the scriptures are faulty in some specifics because of the humans involved in writing and editing it, then we are all left to pick and choose what doesn’t work for us. Leave it to God to not give us all the answers so that we need Him! Thanks for your post. I'm looking forward to part 2! Very interesting. I’m not much for following blogs…but a friend sent me a link and I gotta say this is very thought provoking.

I came across something this morning that I think applies: John 5:38-40. Jesus is speaking to the Jews, who were criticizing a man Jesus healed for carrying his bed on the Sabbath. The man tells the Jews that the One who healed him told him to pick up his bed and walk. So the Jews start going after Jesus, seeking to kill him. Jesus has a long response, which includes the following: “But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” Jesus refers to the scriptures as a testimony of Himself, but that He is the only one who can give life. I thought that backed up your post.

At the same time, can a testimony of the Truth be imperfect? Kinda like if I am a witness to a crime and testify in court. If I’m caught speaking a lie, or I don’t remember something correctly but am convinced that I do, then my whole testimony is now in question. Although the witness does not have to be perfect, the testimony does. When I was first becoming a believer, I would read the bible looking for contradictions, false claims etc. I felt that if I could find one thing that was wrong, untrue, a lie, then the whole thing would go out the window. Why would I be called to believe the difficult things in scripture if some of the easier truths weren’t actually true. God was very tender and patient in His pursuit of me. As a result my faith today is no longer based on what I can intellectually understand but rather who He has shown Himself to be in my life.

In regards to your comments on human involvement in writing the scriptures, I have a question. When Jesus says “…you do not have His word abiding in you…” it could be read more like: “…you do not have His Word abiding in you…” Jesus is the Word. Know what I mean? So based on your point, a simple capitalization of the word could change its implied meaning. Is that an example of what you mean? The part that scares me a little is if the scriptures are faulty in some specifics because of the humans involved in writing and editing it, then we are all left to pick and choose what doesn’t work for us.
Leave it to God to not give us all the answers so that we need Him! Thanks for your post. I’m looking forward to part 2!

]]> By: Kacie http://theologyforreallife.com/2009/07/18/the-bible-is-not-the-word-of-god-part-1/#comment-29 Kacie Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:54:52 +0000 http://mikeraburn.wordpress.com/?p=62#comment-29 Hey so... I found you via the Duke website. I'm doing some research to help my husband look for PhD programs in theology with an emphasis in early church. I'm just wondering if you've enjoyed your experience at Duke? How long is your degree taking you? Hey so… I found you via the Duke website. I’m doing some research to help my husband look for PhD programs in theology with an emphasis in early church. I’m just wondering if you’ve enjoyed your experience at Duke? How long is your degree taking you?

]]> By: Lex http://theologyforreallife.com/2009/07/18/the-bible-is-not-the-word-of-god-part-1/#comment-27 Lex Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:26:27 +0000 http://mikeraburn.wordpress.com/?p=62#comment-27 Hmm. NM. I re-read that I think I get your POV. Hmm. NM. I re-read that I think I get your POV.

]]> By: Lex http://theologyforreallife.com/2009/07/18/the-bible-is-not-the-word-of-god-part-1/#comment-26 Lex Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:34:30 +0000 http://mikeraburn.wordpress.com/?p=62#comment-26 What about John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Or v. 14, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." Or 2 Tim 3:16, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness," Maybe you're planning to address these in Pt 2, and if so I look forward to reading that. Congrats on the new baby! We'll wait. ;) What about John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Or v. 14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Or 2 Tim 3:16, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”

Maybe you’re planning to address these in Pt 2, and if so I look forward to reading that. Congrats on the new baby! We’ll wait. ;)

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