I have always loved the Bible. Since I was a teenager in Sunday school to now, I have loved reading it, studying it, preaching on it, and teaching it. I was not raised to take it literally, but I have always taken it seriously. When I come across a difficult passage, I ask myself two simple questions: who benefits from this and is anyone damaged by it. I do this because I believe that faith is not based only the Bible, but on reason, experience, and tradition too. It is one of the four pillars that became known as Wesley’s Quadrilateral, even though he himself did not coin that term. Tradition is a precedent that still holds value. Reason is the brain God has given each one of us to use wisely. Experience is our own inner life with God. Scripture is the starting point.
Another thing I like to do is have three piles on which to categorize Scripture: Yes, No, and Maybe. For example, “If I speak in the tongues of angels but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging symbol” (1 Corinthians 13) – Yes! “Let a woman learn in silence with full submission. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent.” (1 Timothy 2) – No! “For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law.” (Galatians 5) – Maybe. I imagine that most, if not all, of us have Bible passages that we know in our hearts are true and many that feel wrong. Again – who benefits and who is damaged really matters.
If you choose to believe in the inerrancy of Scripture, you then have to rationalize passages that demean women and support slavery. If you say you believe in inerrancy, you have to put your reason aside and not allow yourself to question. I believe that the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit; I also believe it was written down by people with biases and limited knowledge, and this was done over a long period of time. During that time, letters and books that we were taught were written by the people they are named for were edited by others. The Bible isn’t the Word of God – it is the words about God. Jesus, the Gospel of John so eloquently tells us, is the Word made flesh. The logos – the bread of life – the living water.
Understanding the Bible in this way takes courage and patience and time. It takes reading and praying and considering and discerning, not just swallowing it whole. It gives us strength and knowledge and wisdom. Don’t be afraid of it or disgusted by it; take it seriously and use it for the world’s benefit. Inerrancy is all about inequality and power. Serious consideration of Scripture makes us better people and disciples.
Prayer – Holy God, we thank You for Your words. May they inspire us to do even greater things in our lives than we ever imagined. Amen.
Today’s art is “The Mustard Seed” by Teresa Chisholm.