Cutting Up the Bible
How well do you know your Bible? Can you explain how the Old Testament is different than the New Testament, and how they are the same? Are you familiar with the patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their stories? Can you give a brief explanation of the story of Moses and the Israelites journeying to the Promised Land? How was the time of Judges in Israel unique from the time of Kings? Why was King David called a “man after God’s own heart” even though he sinned with Bathsheba? What part did the prophets, such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Zechariah play in the story of the northern kingdom ceasing to exist, and the southern kingdom of Judah going into exile; and how did they prophecy about a Messiah to come? What reason is there for having four different gospel accounts of Jesus’s life (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)? How do miracles play into the story of Jesus? Is there solid evidence to support the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, and what is that evidence? What part does the history book of Acts, and the letters in the New Testament play in Christian faith?
It's too bad the average Christian is so ignorant of what the Bible says and instead relies on sound bites and social media to develop beliefs. If John 3:16 is the extent of your Bible knowledge, well, I guess that’s a start. Do you want to go beyond that? Don’t you think it’s important? Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Luke 21:33). That would seem to indicate that his words are preserved for a purpose, don’t you think? “For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and morrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). As we expose ourselves to God’s Word, it impacts us, it convicts us, it changes us. But that won’t happen if we neglect it.
President Thomas Jefferson seemed to love the teachings of Jesus, the morals they provided, but he did not accept the miracles described. So, what did he do? He took his Bible and literally cut out the passages that talked about the miracles of Jesus and the apostles. We can read that and cringe, thinking, why would anyone do that? The truth is, we can be guilty of the same when we pick and choose what we accept from the Bible, or, when we are ignorant enough of what it teaches that the popular sound bites and social media preferences define our beliefs.
Do you believe that all you need to do is invite Jesus into your heart to be saved?Interestingly, you won’t find that in the Bible; Jesus never taught it, nor the apostles, and no example of anyone coming to faith in such a way. Do you believe homosexuality is no longer a sin, an acceptable lifestyle? The Bible in both the Old and New Testament does not agree (but it couches such with love and a sincere desire to introduce all sinners [us included] to Jesus). It’s a sacrifice for the person who honestly is attracted to the same sex to deny their desires and live for Jesus. We all must make sacrifices to truly live by faith and walk according to the Lord’s teaching. Let’s not stop there. Do you believe its OK to have sex outside of marriage? Pretty common in our age, accepted by many (including many in the church), but such is clearly defined as between a man and woman in marriage. Does your language reflect and honor the Lord? The Bible has a lot to say about this. Will we listen? On and on we could go with examples of things that often go down a different road than what the Bible teaches. How important is the Bible in your Christian walk? Or will you cut it up to meet your culturally influenced preferences?
Cross Point: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
It's too bad the average Christian is so ignorant of what the Bible says and instead relies on sound bites and social media to develop beliefs. If John 3:16 is the extent of your Bible knowledge, well, I guess that’s a start. Do you want to go beyond that? Don’t you think it’s important? Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Luke 21:33). That would seem to indicate that his words are preserved for a purpose, don’t you think? “For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and morrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). As we expose ourselves to God’s Word, it impacts us, it convicts us, it changes us. But that won’t happen if we neglect it.
President Thomas Jefferson seemed to love the teachings of Jesus, the morals they provided, but he did not accept the miracles described. So, what did he do? He took his Bible and literally cut out the passages that talked about the miracles of Jesus and the apostles. We can read that and cringe, thinking, why would anyone do that? The truth is, we can be guilty of the same when we pick and choose what we accept from the Bible, or, when we are ignorant enough of what it teaches that the popular sound bites and social media preferences define our beliefs.
Do you believe that all you need to do is invite Jesus into your heart to be saved?Interestingly, you won’t find that in the Bible; Jesus never taught it, nor the apostles, and no example of anyone coming to faith in such a way. Do you believe homosexuality is no longer a sin, an acceptable lifestyle? The Bible in both the Old and New Testament does not agree (but it couches such with love and a sincere desire to introduce all sinners [us included] to Jesus). It’s a sacrifice for the person who honestly is attracted to the same sex to deny their desires and live for Jesus. We all must make sacrifices to truly live by faith and walk according to the Lord’s teaching. Let’s not stop there. Do you believe its OK to have sex outside of marriage? Pretty common in our age, accepted by many (including many in the church), but such is clearly defined as between a man and woman in marriage. Does your language reflect and honor the Lord? The Bible has a lot to say about this. Will we listen? On and on we could go with examples of things that often go down a different road than what the Bible teaches. How important is the Bible in your Christian walk? Or will you cut it up to meet your culturally influenced preferences?
Cross Point: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
Posted in Cross Points