KV and I have been discussing this on and off for the last few years - especially since he went to seminary and learned more about the authors of this ancient text. One of leaders he respects recently wrote a blog post about this subject. It was so thought provoking I had to pass it along. What do you think?
"The Bible is only human literature.
Breathe.
I have a question I want to consider, and I have asked this question at the end of this post. But let’s begin with this lesser question:
Why does embracing the Bible as human literature disorient some of us?
Perhaps it is because many of us are so used to being told that the Bible is a book written by God — The Bible is God’s word. But the Bible is not written by God. It is written by humans.
Having said that, does claiming that the Bible is only human literature mean the Bible is false? Of course not.
The New York Times is also produced by humans. Does that mean it is false? Of course not.
The Bible is only human literature, but it is based on true stories. Yes, the stories are so unbelievable in parts that it is up to each reader to sort out what lies behind it all. That’s where the danger lies. The danger is not that each reader must determine for herself what lies behind it. The danger is what lies behind it. In a sense the Bible is like the shadow of the invisible. Enter the shadow at your own risk."
Click HERE to see the full article written by Alex McManus.
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3 comments:
I read the whole article and then spent forever reading all of the comments. I really seemed to agree the most with John Gnotek's comments (my favorite being this: "Now I’m all for thinking out of the orthodox and believe many a fault can be found in strict literalism, but much of this discussion is skating on the thin ice of Lake Gnosticism. And it’s getting hot out").
I guess I don't understand the point in questioning God's authority or authorship in the scriptures. Is it so we can pick and choose what we want to believe in the Bible?
I liked the comments as well. Especially the ones about Islam and how they view the Qur an. And the comparisons to the movie Chariots of Fire. This topic reminds me of a passage in John (5:38-40) where Jesus says "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life." (And instead focus on being legalistic or building yet another religion to find God). Ultimately, I think it is referring to the focus on religion rather than relationship. That is my great analysis :) Thanks for sharing some thoughts - I really enjoy it!
Maria, good question. "Is it so we can pick and choose what we want to believe in the Bible?"
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