Arguments about the Bible Can Be a Waste of Time
Posted: Monday, December 28, 2009
by Jean Purcell
OpineBooks.com
One aspect of religion that put me off for decades from college years forward was the determination to "debate the Bible" or "debate about the Bible." What finally drew me close to the Bible, and therefore to God, was a scripture verse that affected me deeply, quoted in a little book about faith. God has said in His Book, the greatest of books, that two things powerfully move people to believe: the natural world of the heavens and the earth and His living Word. As the Spirit of the living God stirs the waters and directs the winds, so He stirs and directs us to the Father in heaven, Creator of all that was made. It is the Word that tells and shows us these things through unseen yet entirely real spiritual means. Whatever we correctly discern from the Bible is due to the Holy Spirit. He makes opportunities and gives motivation. He helps us read, pray, and study.
Anyone can make some time, even if not blocks of hours, to read and study the Bible every day. It adds up. Taught by the Bible, I have seen errors in teachings of persons of high education, yet not always correct in teaching. This can mislead many. Armed by our Lord's teaching, we cannot easily be misled by weak scripture commentaries or confused by too-clever or convoluted arguments. We are strengthened in confidence; we rely on timeless eternal truth and cannot easily be tossed upside down by trends,changing beliefs, and even popular apostasies of these times. Also, if we desire and pray for it, we will receive in due time more opportunity and guidance for prayer! We say we have no time, yet we use time to watch TV, have dinners out, read nonsense, and even better, we pace the floor when babies are being born. Do we think about what some of the "old scholars" did during the pacing times? As they awaited the births of their babies, after pacing and praying they sat down in a study or other room-perhaps a closet!-and returned to their studies of or writing about the Scriptures! Not being allowed in the birthing rooms during those times, they did not squander their nerves, concerns, or prayers. They applied themselves as they nervously waited.
How I admire them! How I marvel at their discipline, love, and maturity! Don't you respect such love they had for their wives and family and the Lord who gives every good gift and who comforts us in our losses?
"That was then; this is now," as the saying goes. Yet women scholars are not unique to modern and post-modern times! Many, many women have not only gone through the labors of childbirth but also have gone through the labors of studying and marveling at Scripture. I believe, for example, that the judge Deborah, a married woman of Jewish history, knew the written word even as she trusted God. She knew the work God had given men to do, but she did not shrink from filling in for men who shrank from going to the foe!
Arguing over the Word of God is a waste of time. So much joy lies in reading it and seeking to live it, to depend upon God through His own promises! God is Sovereign. His thoughts are not our thoughts; our ways are not His ways! Yet, a vital way to learn more about God is the Bible. It is one thing to follow the teaching of Scripture; it is another thing to argue fine points. Let that remain in the seminary Greek or Hebrew classes, I suppose. For example, which is the correct translation for Jesus' words when He taught of new wine in old "bottles" or "bags" or "wineskins"? To spend hours or even years arguing and debating such points is a waste of time, isn't it?
Trusting God we can trust His Word, the living writing and the living Person of the Word, Christ Jesus. No translation can stop God. No error of interpretation can stop God for the person that returns to the basic Scriptures, such as the Gutenberg, the Tyndale, the King James and forward. The Lord says:
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
"For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it " (Isaiah 55:8-11).
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)In response to your request; I welcome any reliable "enlightenment" on this theme!" I respectfully submit; Bible-Murder-And-Slavery-The-Case-For-The-Non-Divinity-Of-The-Bible, under my name;Paul SchroederDear Paul, I would like to find more info about your book. I treasure the Bible and believe it to be the inspired Word of God. Scripture says, however, that He did not reveal all, for even all the teachings of Jesus have not been included. But enough is there, more than most individuals will dig into in a lifetime. It has layers upon layers of meaning as one is shown by divine Help.All the best to you,JeanDear Jean,I fully accept God's all loving majesty; but I just see the Bible as created by man who created God wrongly, in man's own image.I also believe powerfully that this error occurred because sinister ancient aliens masqueraded as God and was seen as God, equally mistakenly, by the writers of the Bible.Blessings to you too;Paul
Debating about the Bible is not always wrong as seen by the actions of Jesus and the Apostles. 1 John and Galatians in particular were written to aggressively combat error.One could quite honestly say that Jesus earthly ministry actually began with a debate/argument. Satan used scripture to try and influence Jesus Christ. Christ also used scripture ... correctly ... to defeat Satan.One other point, scripture clearly states that God has put Apostles, Pastors, teachers, evangelists in His church to help others become equipped to serve Him well. Never neglect personal study but also allow the Holy Spirit to edify you through the ministry of others.My own dear mother came to Christ by simply reading the Bible. She was full of joy and her life changed for the better. Yet joining a church and listening to a Godly Pastor helped her tremendously in learning more about Christ.God bless, good article!Hello, Scrip - I agree with your points, esp. given your example of Jesus. If we learn and explore Scriptures in order to grow in understanding about God, that is one thing. If we learn to support some idea of our own opinion about lesser things, that is another thing. I guess I have run into the latter a lot in my life, earlier when I was far from God. I agree with you very much, and good point: Scripture combats error. Thanks for your comment. I hope to read your articles. God bless your mother's influence and her life! ~Jean
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