Bible Question:
It is my opinion that the new testament in accurate, useful and reliable but not "the word of God". It seems that 2 timothy 3:16 is not refering to the new testament. It had not yet been compiled. It is my opinion that the word of God is Christ and the gospel as in (2 corinthians 2:17,4:2, john 1:1, 1:14) I think the belief that the bible is the word of god is a stumbling block for some people to come to Christ. Do we need to believe the bible is the word of God for salvation? Then why do we Christians seem to hold on to this belief? Why do we need to believe the bible is the word of God in order to become a member of a church? Are there any Christian groups or demominations that have my view? I would greatly appreciate your opinion on this subject. |
Bible Answer: hetfield - Yours is a multi-faceted question, so please permit me comment on but two of them. ...... You ask why we need to believe the Bible is the word of God in order to become a member of a church. Well, we don't actually, at least in some groups that call themselves churches. If they don't ask, we need not tell. But what good is membership in a church like that? We don't "get saved" by joining a church. In fact, we can join a dozen churches and still be as lost as a goose in a snow storm. There is absolutely no way to be saved except by God's grace through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ (See Ephesians 2:8,9). The point I'm striving for is this: having one's name on a local church's membership roll is not tantamount to being saved; not by a long shot. ..... Now as touching your question of whether the New Testament is the word of God. Let's suppose it is not. Let's just assume it was written by a few rather ignorant, overly-zealous men, of the common class for the most part, who lived some two thousand years ago. Let's further assume that it is studded with error, ancient myth and superstition, full of mistakes, exaggerations, and wishful thinking. Keeping in mind therefore these assumptions, let's ask ourselves: (1) Why haven't scholars, even highly skeptical ones, been able to put the whole New Testament to the lie? They've had nearly two thousand years to make their case and prove it. But how many bona fide proofs can you find that the New Testament is a hoax, a bogus book not worth a plug nickel? How many? ...... (2) If the New Testament is not the inspired, inerrant word of God but is on the contrary a curious and spurious group of writings of dubious value that testify of the man Jesus who himself never wrote anything that we know of -- if such is the case, how can we believe in Jesus at all? Are we so naive that we would believe fairy tales? Would we trust our eternal soul to a testimony that was so obviously steeped in myth and fable? Can we say we believe in Jesus and reject the only written testimony that we have, a compendium of 27 little books we call the New Testament? ........ Where did you learn of Jesus? Friend, where did you learn of Jesus? Again, friend, where did you learn of Jesus? Was it from the New York Times? ....... I'll close this post with some words I pray that you will ponder long and seriously: "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." (John 20:30,31) ..... Bibliography: Please read "The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict," by Josh McDowell. It answers many of your questions in depth, something that cannot really be accomplished on a Forum such as this. ...... May God lead you to His truth, to His Son, the Savior. --Hank |