Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | Luke 24:27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Luke 24:27 Then beginning with Moses and [throughout] all the [writings of the] prophets, He explained and interpreted for them the things referring to Himself [found] in all the Scriptures. |
Bible Question:
Can one accept Christ but not the Bible? Can one be a skeptic and a believer at the same time? Can an individual accept the Son of God but reject the written Word of God? Edb, Emmaus, Hank, Justme, Mommapbs, Morant61, Reformer Joe and anyone else who wishes to reply: I have a question for you. I sincerely would like to know: Here on the forum we often read postings written by people who claim to be Christians, who profess faith in Christ for salvation. Then they go on to say they have many strong doubts about the Bible -- its inspiration, authority and reliability in the various English translations. Often they cite verses by Paul that they question -- ones they don't agree with or that anger them. Or they may cite passages in Genesis that they have a hard time accepting as inspired, accurate and literal. Some do not trust any English translation, as if all were perverted versions produced as a result of some conspiracy to deceive. You get the picture. My question is: Is it likely that the person who continues to reject part(s) of the Bible, to question the inspiration or authority of the Bible, to have no confidence in any English translation, etc. -- is it likely that such a person is really a Christian? Especially if this doubt and mistrust of the Bible continues for years and years with no change, no growth, and no resolution? (In my question I am not suggesting that we pick certain individuals by name and judge whether they are saved.) My question is a general one. In short, people who have a low view of the Bible and who question every other verse they read -- how likely is it that they have really come to know Christ, with the result that they are saved and indwelt by the Holy Spirit? If one's faith in the written Word is so uncertain, precarious and fragile and remains that way for years and years, is it likely that this person truly believes that Jesus is everything the Bible says he is? Is it likely that their salvation is real? Again, this is not to judge any given individual(s) as to their salvation. But, it just seems a contradiction to me that although what we know of God and Christ is contained in the Bible, there are people who have little or no trust in the written Word of God and still claim to be Christians. Is this possible, impossible, the normal Christian experience, abnormal or what? What do you all think? Why do you believe what you do regarding this question? Can you give scripture and sound reasoning to back up your view of this matter? Sincerely, Radioman2 |
Bible Answer: Radioman, Here is my response. Can one accept Christ but not the Bible? No. Without the Bible, on what basis would one know anything about Christ to believe? "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." St. Jerome. Can one be a skeptic and a believer at the same time? No. Faith and skepticism mutually incompatible. On the other hand, one can believe and legitimately struggle to have a clear understanding of some areas in the bible. Can an individual accept the Son of God but reject the written Word of God? No. It is the written word that contains the reasons we believe in the Son of God. Even if faith should be granted first and then exposure to Scripture, Scripture then confirms the faith. Faith that does not line up with Scripture is a different faith in a different Gospel. Another question might be: Can one be a Christian without being a member of the Church, the body of Christ? No. Trinitarian Christian faith is by its very nature communal, as imaged by the Trinity itself. And the Church, the Body of Christ, asserts the authority an inerrancy of Scripture. "II. INSPIRATION AND TRUTH OF SACRED SCRIPTURE 105 God is the author of Sacred Scripture. "The divinely revealed realities, which are contained and presented in the text of Sacred Scripture, have been written down under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit."[69] "For Holy Mother Church, relying on the faith of the apostolic age, accepts as sacred and canonical the books of the Old and the New Testaments, whole and entire, with all their parts, on the grounds that, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they have God as their author, and have been handed on as such to the Church herself."[70] 106 God inspired the human authors of the sacred books. "To compose the sacred books, God chose certain men who, all the while he employed them in this task, made full use of their own faculties and powers so that, though he acted in them and by them, it was as true authors that they consigned to writing whatever he wanted written, and no more."[71] 107 The inspired books teach the truth. "Since therefore all that the inspired authors or sacred writers affirm should be regarded as affirmed by the Holy Spirit, we must acknowledge that the books of Scripture firmly, faithfully, and without error teach that truth which God, for the sake of our salvation, wished to see confided to the Sacred Scriptures."[72] 108 Still, the Christian faith is not a "religion of the book". Christianity is the religion of the "Word" of God, "not a written and mute word, but incarnate and living".[73] If the Scriptures are not to remain a dead letter, Christ, the eternal Word of the living God, must, through the Holy Spirit, "open [our] minds to understand the Scriptures."[74] " The Catechism |