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Discuss.The Bible is NOT the WORD OF GOD: a polemic against Christendom
April 9, 2013 By Eric English 112 Comments
The bible is not the WORD OF GOD. And if we believe it as such, then we have made the bible into an idol. The bible has become the Church’s idol. It is the Golden Calf of our day. The ancient Hebrews had taken the God of their forefathers and formed him into their image. They made him take on their iden y because they could not grasp to what extent the WORD OF GOD was present with them. Yes, indeed it has been said for thousands of years that the ancient Hebrews were fools for doing so, but my dear friend so are we.
Just as the Hebrews, we have made the WORD OF GOD into our image – the bible. And by doing so have not elevated God, but relegated him to the lowliest place. Our misappropriation of authority has inevitably resulted in our inability to distinguish between what we THINK God requires of us, and what God ACTUALLY requires of us. This misappropriation has resulted in our use of superfluous language.
The bible is not the WORD OF GOD. However, our elevation of the bible to almost divine status has seemingly resulted in the Church believing it is to be the moral authority over the world – as though they speak for God. We have equated the language of the bible with the Words of God. This has seemingly resulted in the bible being used as a weapon of power to oppress others. Incredibly, the Church’s oppression has not been limited to the secular world, but has even been used as a weapon to oppress its own people.
But, Jesus never oppressed anyone.
When we assert that the bible is the WORD OF GOD we are diminishing what it means to possess the WORD OF GOD. The bible is a book. Just like any other book it contains words, propositions, stories, ideologies, and philosophies. But it contains something that is far greater than any other book that has ever been written. It contains testimonies. But not just any testimony. It contains testimonies about God – not just about any God, but the living God. It contains a testimonies about who God is, and who man is; and who man is in light of his discovery of God.
God has revealed himself in history. Scripture testifies to that revelation. Scripture is not revelation in and of itself. Rather, it is a testimony to the revelation that has occurred. The bible is what we learn from; it is what we abide by; and it is what strengthens our faith.
The Bible is not the WORD OF GOD. It has no special powers and it is not magic. Sacred scripture means nothing if it is not alive inside the individual. Embodied, fully embraced. This does not mean that we take apart or dissect the bible in such a way that we are able to extrapolate metaphysical truths about the world around us. That is not the intent of the bible. Rather, the intent of the bible is to provide context for who we are as human beings, who god is as God; and how God has acted throughout history. It is a testimony to our lord Jesus Christ.
The WORD OF GOD is a moment that a human being encounters. It is Jesus Christ in his full glory and revelation. The WORD OF GOD occurs through a compilation of acts that bring forth the WORD OF GOD within the individual – prayer, sacred scripture, fellowship, worship.
Encountering the WORD OF GOD changes us – it makes us whole. It gives us strength and power. Words on a page do not give us strength; they do not give us power. It is only when we embody those words on the page that we truly become like the WORD OF GOD. It is what Jesus did. He did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. That means he embodied the law. He was sinless, he was perfect. He embodied the law in the truest, purest form of what is meant by “the law”. Likewise, we must embody scripture. It must become a part of us, our lives, and our iden y; for the truth of God was not found in words or propositions or abstract ideas, but in the truthfulness that exists when we live out the WORD OF GOD on the world stage.
The bible is not the WORD OF GOD. The WORD OF GOD is Jesus Christ.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/emergen...t-christendom/
OP, do you lift?
Weights? Yes.
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POSTSCRIPT: The Bible is NOT the Word of God (Part 2)
January 15, 2014 By Eric English
A brief note on the form of things:
Last April I wrote a post led The Bible is NOT the WORD OF GOD: a polemic against Christendom. The article was meant to be a provocation towards rethinking the way we speak about the bible. The reaction it received was very interesting as it seemed to indicate a sharp divide between those who agreed and disagreed with the premise.
In general, I make it a point to avoid apologetic type argumentation when it comes to what I write. This method of discourse is rarely fruitful, and usually involves two people talking past each other. However, I also understand the importance of the “idea” as manifested within the individual. This can only properly occur when the individual is able to apprehend the idea.
Anytime one writes on a theological/philosophical topic and chooses an alternative form of discourse there can exist a dissonance between the writing and the reader. One might even wonder why such a method is employed if dissonance is what you are trying to avoid. In general, poetic expression grants enough creative license within the discourse of choice to create a depth that more “sophisticated/academic” approaches cannot. Therefore, as a result it is sometimes better to use this sort of method in order to provoke (for example) a certain emotion as part of the overall premise.
What follows is not an apology for detractors, but a postscript in order to clarify the idea.
Is the bible the Word of God?
We have all heard it in a sermon, read it in a theological book, or perhaps said it ourselves: “the Bible is the Word of God.” Sometimes I wonder how often Christians step back and think about what they say and challenge themselves to question why they say it.
What are we saying when we make this statement? Two things really. First, God’s word is limited to the text itself and nothing else. (Side Note: I should say that the phrase itself doesn’t imply this, but rather how the phrase is used implies it.) Second, it places the writer’s intentions secondary to “God’s intentions” (I have also heard it said “God’s intentions trumps the authors intentions”) – though it’s not entirely clear how one has the ability to know “God’s intentions”.
It is also not clear when the idiom became part of the vernacular in its present form. However, in general it seems that the mistake is an anachronistic reading of the bible and history (go figure).
History:
Did the early church fathers believe in “scripture” as being the Word of God? No. First, there was nothing remotely similar to what we use today. There existed various canons throughout a widespread region until the council of Nicea in 325 began to organize one canon for the church.
The purpose of the canon was to collect authoritative sacred texts that were useful for instruction as the sole rule of faith and life. It is here that you might wonder what is meant by the word “authoritative”. This is not to be confused with “God inspired”, but rather, an appeal to the actual author’s authority and whether or not they would be privy to the information they were writing about (first-hand information). In the case of the New Testament – were the authors a witness to the life of Christ.
On self-authentication:
What makes the bible the Word of God? Is it because the bible says it is the Word of God? To believe that one can establish the authority of a text simply because the text “says its authoritative” is absurd on the face. This principle is often referred to as the “self-authentication” principle (a term used regarding legal do entation). When one says the Bible is self-authenticating they are making assumptions about its form (inerrancy) and function (inspiration), which ultimately results in circular reasoning (trying to prove a premise by using the assumption of the premise as proof).
However, let’s assume that there exists some world where these sorts of assumptions are acceptable. The follow up question is: does scripture claim to be the Word of God?
The use of “scripture”.
Scripture simply means “religious text(s)”. A passage (verse) often quoted to me is 2 Timothy 3:16
When Paul refers to his own writings he describes them as letters, not scripture. Why? Because he doesn’t think he is writing “scripture”. Instead, he believes he is writing letters to fellow Christians in order to encourage/rebuke/instruct them relative to their particular situation.…All Scripture is God breathed useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…
When the term “scripture” is used, it is often in conjunction with the sacred do ents, which now make up the Old Testament.
The use of “Word”
There are two Greek words that are used for the word “Word”. The first is Rhema. This is used most often to denote what we commonly understand to be typical forms of communication, such as: language, speech, conversations, etc.
The second term that is used is “Logos”. This word is a bit more complicated as it has a long philosophical history to it. Therefore, to play it safe, we will define it conservatively. In order to view this term properly we need to see how it functions. The best example is the familiar John 1:1:
In stoicism (this is where it seems that John is borrowing the term) the term Logos is used in conjunction with what Stoics called “Divine Reason”. This was the idea that “…the only true divine philosophy is when it co-exists with action.” The function most commonly associated with this use of the term Logos is “revelation”. Therefore, a proper reading of John 1:14 “…the Word became flesh…” forces us to understand the divine Logos this way: Jesus came to “reveal” God through the “action” of the incarnation (and later his life, death, resurrection, etc.)In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The use of “Word of God”
How then are we to understand passages like Hebrews 4:12?
The Word of God as mentioned here and in other passages throughout the New Testament vary in meaning depending on their context. However, most of them are in reference to the way in which God revealed himself to the Jews. God revealed himself in writing (the commandments); in word (visions and dreams) in person (Angels of the Lord, fire, and other strange figures).For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and at udes of the heart.
The point, what God said and did then is still useful for us today. This has nothing to do with “the bible”.
Finally, the other occasions that we see the Word of God used in the NT is in conjunction with actionable discourse. Take for example, 2 Corinthians 2:17
In this case Paul is neither referring to the Bible nor is he referring to the various ways God revealed himself through the OT. Instead, he is using “Word of God” to mean “preaching the good News”.Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God.
Now to help us avoid another anachronistic reading of the text let’s keep in mind that Paul is NOT walking around with his red letter edition of the Bible preaching from the book of Mark. Instead, he is preaching from the oral tradition shared with him, as well as (perhaps) some unique divine message received from God.
Does the Word of God exist, and if so what is it?
As stated above, the Word of God is accomplished through the revelatory discourse God has with people. This would include ANY way in which God chooses to reveal himself. Although this COULD include the bible, it is certainly not exclusive to it.
Let us consider John 3:2:
God speaks and acts through his people. In order for the “Word” to “come”, it must manifest; it must embody; it must reveal. The Word of God is dynamic, active, and sharper than any double edged sword not because we can quote propositional truths to an “ignorant” world; but because we embody the truth of hope for a “hurting” world. Imagine a world where people understood the “Word of God” as the result of an “encounter” they had with the living God; instead of some academic exercise in exegesis.…during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.
Finally let me leave you with a quote from my original article regarding the Word of God:
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/emergen...of-god-part-2/“The WORD OF GOD is a moment that a human being encounters. It is Jesus Christ in his full glory and revelation. The WORD OF GOD occurs through a compilation of acts that bring forth the WORD OF GOD within the individual – prayer, reading and meditating on sacred scripture, fellowship, and worship.”
Tldr, but I concur with le.
I just sharted
Real talk. Would the bible be more interesting with snaps of jugs like these?
Leetonidas is a man of god imo
I'd fap to that imoReal talk. Would the bible be more interesting with snaps of jugs like these?
Leetonidas is a man of god imo
Probably the only thing you and I have ever agreed on.
Last edited by xmas1997; 03-18-2014 at 08:07 PM.
Didn't read.
Also, DGAF.
I did read it and it sounds astute to me.
Very reasonable hypothesis IMHO.
I was going to respond but decided against it.
In your opinion would she have perfectly proportioned, light colored nipples, or huge, stretched out salami nipples with the bumps around the perimeter of the areola?
one of each tbh
And Dog said, "let US make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness"
Braille nipples
Christians leaders promoted the revolutionary trouble-maker/OWS Jesus of Nazareth to godhood, added in miracles, resurrection from death, as marketing materials to promote their sect and their Guy to the ignorant, unread, uneducated masses over all the other competing sects in the first century.
And of course, the inevitable Manichean "if you aren't a with us/Christian, you're against us/not going to heaven". and we'll kill you if you're not a Christian. GREAT marketing.
because these threads never end up well. But now that you asked. I was going to saaaayyyy.
I go to church pretty regularly. But tend to agree with the article. The Bible is the best selling religious fiction in the world. We don't know what the authors meant in their writings and it's open to interpretation and translation. I see the authors sitting around in whatever afterlife there is looking down at the world saying "Wow, that was not what I meant, at all." It's like those crazy fandoms that live for the next episode of a show. Christianity could be seen as a fandom that went crazy. Is that hypocritical? Maybe? I don't know.
Lol, idiot.
Not at all unlike the crafters of this country's Cons ution.
True true.
I agree completely.
This is odd, I am agreeing with you quite a lot lately.
Is it because your true intelligence is coming out lately, or because you stopped trolling?
No offense intended.
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