Read 2 Timothy 3:14-17 (Message)
Christians make a big deal about the Bible. Well, I should say most Christians. Ever wonder why? It’s the best selling book of all time, it was the very first book published on the Gutenberg press and has been translated into over 2,ooo languages. It is a compilation of 66 books written over a span of 1,500 years by over 40 different authors in 3 different languages.
So…what’s the big deal about this book? What does Paul describe as the purpose of Scripture*? What does the Bible mean to YOU? How do you use it, what does it provide for you? I’d be interested in knowing.
*The Scriptures of Paul’s writing would most likely have been the Old Testament canon, the earliest forms of the Gospels (most likely Mark, though he quotes Luke, so some early form of that as well) and some of the letters that circulated then, which later became canonized as the New Testament in the 2nd century. You can read a brief, simplified account of that process here.
WONDERWHAT 
I think that the big deal about the Bible is that it is God’s way of communicating with His children. Apart from Divine Revelation or “that still, small voice”, most of us don’t have any other way of hearing what God has to say about our lives. Though it needs to be read in it’s original context, I believe the Bible has the ability as God’s word to guide us.
Paul says that scripture is:
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
I really thinks this means if we think we can stay afloat without it we will surely sink.
I wholly agree with that and I use the Bible as a guide for everything. I know for a fact that I can’t do this life on my own accord because the last time I tried that I nearly drown! So, I consult the Bible as much as I think too – even though sometimes I wish it was more. Sometimes it is just enough to stay afloat, sometimes I feel like God set me up on one of those awesome floats with an umbrella drink, and sometimes I feel like I am training like an olympic swimmer even though I am really out of shape, lol. But, His guidance in the Bible has always gotten me through!
Amen!
Morality is a human (and not a religious) trait.
For example, humans feel the same remorse for things that seem wrong (for example, a mentally ill homeless man, a child that lost its parents, a bird with a broken wing, or an action that he/she has taken that breaks the Golden Rule) across the religious belief spectrum.
To me, the Bible represents 3 main things:
1) An attempt to claim a monopoly on morality, and thus strip it from its rightful owners (which are basically all non socio-pathic humans), usually for the sake of the pied profiteer.
2) The literary wolf disguised in sheep’s clothing for existing powers to fight, reason, discovery, and enlightenment, and human improvement.
3) A tool to grant power to evil men (see the last 1700 years).
I could list the immoralities of the Old Testament God, the beauty of the New Testament Beautitudes, the genocides, the racism, the homophobic overtones, and the fact that if you lived in Old Testament times, and were not born a Jew, you go straight to hell; but in lieu of writing a novel, I’ll sum it up:
When taken as a whole it is disingenuous, arrogant (choose me or go straight to hell), and has wrought upon planet Earth a bloodbath that would not have been seen (over normal land-type disputes), had it not existed (see tool of the powerful, and scourge of reason for the masses, above).
PARTS of it are awe inspiring literature, beautiful poetry, wonderful ethical counsel, and even words to live by. But sadly, we can not pick and choose parts to believe, fractionalize our faith, or ever hope to improve upon God’s Holy words.
Josh! I’m so glad to see you’ve come here! That does my heart a world of good!
Thanks for sharing your views (albeit somewhat Dawkin-esque). Obviously, I don’t share them…but I’m so stoked to have you come here and be willing to give input.
I was thinking about you the other day when Robbie showed me some pictures of you and your siblings together. You are a fine group of…well, I can’t say “kids” anymore, can I?
I know we don’t see the world the same way Josh…but I just can’t help but think that God is especially fond of you.
Again…great to see you here!
Thanks, by Dawkinesque, I can only hope you mean scientific 🙂
[…] Posted in Uncategorized by innertubes on September 16, 2009 A friend asked on his blog, “what does the bible mean to you?” Well, here’s my […]