WOGS: Intro
WOGS #1
When I sat across the table from a trusted friend speaking of the Bible, he referred to it as the word of God. I said that the Bible was some of the words of God. The look on his face was a reaction like I had just blasphemed. Not only does he have a high view of the Bible, he knows me to have a high view as well. The fact that I would diminish the Bible by calling it "some of the words of God" rather than "The Word of God" was most troubling to him. What I sais was most unexpected.
Yet, in further conversation aboput this, it only makes sense that the Bible is not the complete and final word of God. Romans 1:20 says this:
For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
When I read a verse like this in the Bible saying that God's self-revelation stands outside the Bible, I have to conclude that it is not Biblical to claim all of the God's communication is contained within the Bible.
I once picked up a bulletin at a church that had an article in it written the local preacher. The article spoek of a person who, when he saw a whale surface from the ocean, it was a "religious experience." The article went on the not only denounce this man's experience as being religious, but to mock the man's idea that something in nature could be a religious experience. Comapre that with Romans 1:20 above.
God speaks constantly through nature, so much so that Paul apparently believes that no one has an excuse for not acknowledging God, whether or not they have even heard of the Bible.
I took a graduate course once upon a time called, "Spiritual Nurture." It was a terrific offering at Abilene Christian University, by P. Kent Smith. One class period Dr. Smith asked the class to call out all of the ways God is recorded as communicating in the Bible. He was going to write them on the white board.
It did not take long for us to realize that God used dozens and dozens of ways to communicate to people. My favorite was how God communicated to the Philistines through hemorrhoids (boils). What I began to realize is that, yes, the Bible is the word of God, but it is actually a recording of some of the words of God.
This is an important distinction. If the Bible is the complete word of God, then God has retired and no longer communicates with people. In fact, if the Bible is complete, then God can no longer act as well because all behavior is communication. If the Bible is the complete word of God, then we are Deists - God did all he is going to do and he left us to do for ourselves, never to intervene. If the Bible is complete and final, then prayer is meaningless, God is not engaged in our current world, and we are abandoned as people.
Go to Word of God Speak #3
And now, thanks to Believing Thomas pointing this out, STORE WARS.
7 comments:
We have to remember that not only is the Bible not the final revelation of God, it's not even the ultimate relevation of God...JESUS is (see Heb. 1:1-4). The OT serves to point forward to Christ, the NT serves to point us back to him.
And if you want your whole view of scripture to be completely and totally messed up and confounded...do an in-depth study of the history of the canon (how we got the Bible we've got). This isn't tearing down the authority of the Bible...I have no problem referring to the Bible as God's Word, but we have to look at it honestly and accurately lest we become false teachers.
I like it, Chris. I like it a lot. Christians have to begin setting aside time to listen to God's voice. Nay, it must be a 24-hour thing. I think it's ironic that the verse most Bible-bangers use to prove the divinity of the Bible (Gen-Rev) is Hebrews 4:12: For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. (NLT) Context is everything, though, isn't it? That verse is nestled in a passage about observing God's Sabbath rest on a regular basis -- a time when people set aside everything to listen to God. It's NOT about the Bible, primarily.
Same with the "sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God" verse. Quite obviously from this verse, the Spirit speaks to us, and this is our sword. We need to begin looking at this "sword" (word of God) as useful for self-inflicted wounds (inner transformation) rather than warring against anything and everything else.
Sorry for the rant. We just need to wake up, though!
(for all the criticisms, Charismatics have a good grasp on the fact that God still speaks through people, silence, movies, music, etc. We could take a lesson.)
Chris, you are DEAD ON with your comment about us being "Deists" if we believe the Bible is the ONLY word of God. Preach on, bro!
DU
I love Dallas Willard's book, Hearing God. It is at once the most intensely practical as well as spiritually liberating book I've read in a long time.
Great thoughts Chris! This certainly exposes the weakness of the "speak where/silent where" argument from our ancestors. May the Logos be given the authority to speak to us in all kinds of ways that get our attention (please Lord speak to me in a way that doesn't require a trip to CVS for Prep H!)
I love Dallas Willard's book, Hearing God. It is at once the most intensely practical as well as spiritually liberating book I've read in a long time.
I like it, Chris. I like it a lot. Christians have to begin setting aside time to listen to God's voice. Nay, it must be a 24-hour thing. I think it's ironic that the verse most Bible-bangers use to prove the divinity of the Bible (Gen-Rev) is Hebrews 4:12: For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. (NLT) Context is everything, though, isn't it? That verse is nestled in a passage about observing God's Sabbath rest on a regular basis -- a time when people set aside everything to listen to God. It's NOT about the Bible, primarily.
Same with the "sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God" verse. Quite obviously from this verse, the Spirit speaks to us, and this is our sword. We need to begin looking at this "sword" (word of God) as useful for self-inflicted wounds (inner transformation) rather than warring against anything and everything else.
Sorry for the rant. We just need to wake up, though!
(for all the criticisms, Charismatics have a good grasp on the fact that God still speaks through people, silence, movies, music, etc. We could take a lesson.)
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