WHY THE BIBLE?
2 TIMOTHY 3:14-17

THE PROBLEM OF THE BIBLE IS NOT THAT THE BIBLE IS THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS … NOT TAKING THE BIBLE ON ITS OWN TERMS.

WHY THE BIBLE?

TO KNOW WHO GOD IS –

GEN.1:1
GEN.1:3
GEN.1:5
GEN.1:6
GEN.1:8
GEN.1:9
GEN.1:10

“THIS IS A TEXT THAT REVEALS THE SOVEREIGN GOD IN BEING AND ACTION. IT DOES NOT FLATTER US IT DOES NOT SEEK TO PLEASE US. WE ENTER THIS TEXT TO MEET GOD AS HE REVEALS HIMSELF, NOT TO LOOK FOR TRUTH OR HISTORY OR MORALS THAT WE CAN USE FOR OURSELVES.
WHAT HE INSISTED UPON SUPREMELY WAS THAT WE DO NOT READ THE BIBLE IN ORDER TO FIND OUT HOW WE GET GOD INTO OUR LIVES, GET HIM TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR LIVES. THAT’S GETTING IT BACKWARDS.
EUGENE PETERSON, EAT THIS BOOK


TO TELL THE TRUE STORY OF HUMAN HISTORY FROM GOD’S PERSPECTIVE –

“IT WAS GOD WHO CREATED HUMANITY, AND THEREFORE ONLY GOD CAN REVEAL TO US OUR IDENTITY AND FUNCTION AS HUMANS, AND WITHOUT THIS BIBLICAL REVELATION, WE ARE LOST IN A MAZE OF CONFUSION.”
BRUCE WALTKE, AN OLD TESTAMENT THEOLOGY

“I CAN’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU MISSIONARIES PRESENT THE BIBLE TO US IN INDIA AS A BOOK OF RELIGION. IT IS NOT A BOOK OF RELIGION – AND ANYWAY WE HAVE PLENTY OF BOOKS ON RELIGION IN INDIA. WE DON’T NEED ANY MORE! I FIND YOUR BIBLE A UNIQUE INTERPRETATION OF UNIVERSAL HISTORY, THE HISTORY OF THE WHOLE CREATION AND THE HISTORY OF THE HUMAN RACE, AND THEREFORE A UNIQUE INTERPRETATION OF THE HUMAN PERSON AS A RESPONCIBLE ACTOR IN HISTORY. THAT IS UNIQUE. THERE IS NOTHINH ELSE IN THE WHOLE RELIGIOUS LITERATURE OF THE WORLD TO PUT ALONGSIDE IT.”
LETTER FROM AN INTELLECTUAL FRIEND TO LESSLIE NEWBIGIN


TO SHAPE US AS THE PEOPLE OF GOD SO WE CAN LIVE INTO GOD’S ONGOING STORY –

“THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY HAS ALWAYS INSISTED THAT, THE HOLY SCRIPTURE THAT REVEALS GODS WAYS TO US IS NECESSARY AND BASIC TO OUR FORMATION AS HUMAN BEINGS. IN OUR READING OF THIS BOOK WE COME TO REALIZE THAT WHICH WE NEED IS NOT PRIMARILY INFORMATIONAL, TELLING US THINGS ABOUT GOD AND OURSELVES, BUT FORMATIONAL, SHAPING US INTO OUR TRUE BEING. IT IS THE VERY NATURE OF LANGUAGE TO FORM RATHER THAN INFORM. WHEN LANGUAGE IS PERSONAL, WHICH IT IS AT ITS BEST, IT REVEALS; AND REVELATION IS ALWAYS FORMATIVE – WE DON’T KNOW MORE WE BECOME MORE.”
EUGENE PETERSON, EAT THIS BOOK


THE BIBLE TELLS US ONE UNIFIED STORY THAT LEADS US TO JESUS –

“SOMEHOW, THE AUTHORITY WHICH GOD HAS INVESTED IN THIS BOOK IS AN AUTHORITY THAT IS WIELDED AND EXERCISED THROUGH THE PEOPLE OF GOD TELLING AND RETELLING THEIR STORY OF THE WORLD, TELLING THE COVENANT STORY AS THE TRUE STORY OF CREATION … IN PARTICULAR THROUGH GOD’S TELING THE STORY OF JESUS.”
NT WRIGHT, HOW CAN THE BIBLE BE AUTHORITATIVE?

APPLICATION