Just Because It’s in the Bible Doesn’t Make It So

I am the least intelligent of men, and I lack man's ability to understand. I have not gained wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One. Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in a cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is the name of His Son--if you know? Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Don't add to His words, or He will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar. - Proverbs 30:2-6 HCSB

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Everybody calm down. Put down your pitchforks, clubs and torches and step away! I have a cane and I’m not afraid to use it! All liberal textual critics, quit your cheering and backslapping!

I believe that the original text of the Bible is the divinely inspired, inerrant Word of God. I believe that the sacred Scriptures, are able to instruct us for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus; that all Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”[1]

However, not every individual statement in the Bible is true. For instance, the serpent’s suggestion that the forbidden fruit would turn mankind into gods – was that true? Job’s friends telling him that his troubles were all his fault – was that true? Peter rebuking the Christ and telling Him that “this mustn’t be” – was he correct? How about the Pharisees describing the Master as illegitimate or demon possessed, or Jesus’ family declaring Him to be insane? Or how about Quoheleth’s idea that we should just eat, drink and be merry? Was that sound doctrine or was it written to describe what human philosophy leads us to – vanity and uselessness?

This is a fundamental problem in much of the theology we find in today’s Christianity. This is why we have 20,000 flavors of Christianity available. Someone finds some random statement in the Bible (say – baptism for the dead) and builds an entire religion out of it (like the Mormons did). Even the Scriptures must be used with discernment.

Jesus claimed to be “the door.” Does this mean He is literally composed of wood? Similarly He claimed the wine was His “blood” and certain denominations have jumped to the conclusion that they can literally eat and drink God!

Even Peter complained that some of Paul’s teaching was “hard to understand” and that “the untaught and unstable twist them to their own destruction, as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures.”[2]

We must approach the Scriptures humbly recognizing our ignorance and calling on the Holy One to instruct us. The Scriptures must be approached carefully, not adding to His words, lest He rebuke us.

[1] 2 Timothy 3:15-17
[2] 2 Peter 3:16