“Believe in the Bible” and how that is not Christian

 

Amidst COVID 19, there are still times that we have the opportunity to witness to the reality we have been shown in Christ Jesus.  Of late I have been asked too many times, “do you believe in the Bible?”  Such a question is rife with problems, and it is high time I make a confessional statement to this question.

Let me start with that I don’t believe in the Bible.  I believe in God revealed to us through the Holy Spirit shown in Christ Jesus.  The Bible is the scripture through which we get a glimpse at the totality of the living God who can never be incarcerated within the bounds of black and white texts, even those that were penned, redacted, edited, and recalled by those who were chosen to have the Holy Scriptures revealed to: prophets, servants, and evangelists.  I read those scriptures often and with the greatest respect, can quote them in numerous places, but also understand their context, historical connections, and their cultural applicability.  Which is why I reject the idea that any one political party or another is for or against God’s will.  In Matthew’s gospel, Christ in speaking to the disciples, made it clear to “render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s”.  This was not just about taxes, it was about what God’s business is in and with the world, and about His Kingdom.  His Kingdom doesn’t tread in petty politics, but rises above.  He didn’t endorse the Romans over the Jews or say the Sadducees were any better than the Pharisees.  Therefore no political party is going to ever be God’s party over another, because, as I preached a couple weeks ago, God doesn’t get on our side, we are to get on God’s side.  We are all rank with sin (“all sin and fall short of the glory of God”), but Christ made it clear that “woe to those that carry these little ones into their sin”.  Be careful, therefore, that you are not following the false gods of wealth and power and personality, and being lead astray.

Succinctly, the Bible is not God.  Nor also is it all of God’s word; Christ is the Word.  Christians don’t “believe in” the Bible, they “believe in” God.  We believe what is revealed about God in the Bible is true (in other words we believe the Bible is true), but we don’t “believe in” a book.  As Luther said, the Bible is the manger in which we find Christ, but it is not Christ Himself.  We are warned in scripture to not worship/believe in "the Scripture", but worship/believe in its ultimate author.  That was Christ’s specific criticism of the Pharisees. They, the Pharisees, believed in the law and worshiped the law forgetting that it wasn’t the law/what is written that saves, but Jehovah.  I read scripture diligently and believe in the Word, but don’t make the mistake of making an idol out of scripture, which is what “believing in the Bible” can lead to.  I know many use “believing in the Bible” as short hand for “I believe that the witness of scripture is true about God and his relationship with all creation.”  I too. Often, however, it goes further to become worship of the holy writ itself, hence my very careful assertion and avoiding the euphemism.  I absolutely believe in God’s Word, but I also know that the Bible isn’t all of it and that it’s scribes were mere humans that were no more or less saints and sinners as the rest of us, trying to describe the Almighty in their own poor feeble way.  We just know that the Bible is the most true and most reliable view we have of God; it is our norm for faith.  God isn’t the Bible, however, he is much, much, much bigger and greater and powerful than can ever be put into all of the pages ever written.

Thus in conclusion, it is never ever enough to “believe in the Bible” as that is fleeting and much short of the glory of Christ on the cross.  Rather we are to believe in God, Jehovah, YHWH, the very creator of all that is and will be.  “Believing in the Bible” is a very weak substitute for what we are called to witness to.  As such, don’t “believe in the Bible” I implore you; rather believe in Christ and him crucified, raised from the dead, and ascended to heaven.  Amen.