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When it comes to the Bible, you have to decide whether or not you believe that God wrote the Bible and people helped, or that we wrote the Bible and God helped, sometimes.<\/p>\n
Growing up I was told that God wrote the Bible and people helped. This view was reinforced by pastors who held up that book and called it \u201cThe Word of God\u201d, even though it was quite obviously the words of Moses, and Joshua, and David and Jeremiah, etc.<\/p>\n
But, curiously, the Bible never makes this claim to be written by God. It is quite transparent about who wrote what, usually. Yes, there are certain passages where Jeremiah or Isaiah or Moses might say, \u201cThus saith the Lord\u201d, but everything before and after that is quite obviously not dictated by God.<\/p>\n
Even more obvious is that the titles of these books usually bear the name of those person who supposedly wrote it \u2013\u00a0 Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Micah, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, etc.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n The real challenge for those who hold to this view is that Jesus shows up and very boldly challenges a lot of those \u201cThus saith the Lord\u201d passages and flat-out contradicts them. Where Moses says that God brings rain on the just but sends drought on the unjust, Jesus affirms the exact opposite; that God brings rain on the just and the unjust alike, and that because of this truth we should also love both sets of people, too. [Because this is who God is].<\/p>\n Where Moses says \u201cAn eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth\u201d, Jesus says we should love our enemies, turn the other cheek and bless those who curse us.<\/p>\n Where Moses says \u201cYou shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name.\u201d [Deut. 6:13],\u00a0<\/i>Jesus says that we should not swear at all and that swearing oaths is \u201cfrom the evil one.\u201d\u00a0 [Matt. 5:37]\n<\/p> Yikes.<\/p>\n Where Moses says that those who commit adultery should be put to death, Jesus says, \u201cNeither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.\u201d<\/p>\n Just consider the audacity of writing a book and then calling it \u201cThe Word of God\u201d for a minute. Can you imagine anything more blasphemous?<\/p>\n The Gospel of John does us a favor by pointing out that the \u201cWord\u201d was with God, was God and became flesh to dwell among us. Notice that at no time in this sequence is the \u201cWord of God\u201d ever written down. Never.<\/p>\n The Word is not a Book that we wrote about God. The Word is Christ. The Word became flesh and we have been trying our very best to get it into a Book ever since.<\/p>\n Simply put: The Bible is not a book written by God. It\u2019s a book written by us about God. There is a huge difference.<\/p>\n The Bible does not claim to be our hope. It points us to Christ who is our hope.<\/p>\n The Bible does not claim to be our authority. It tells us that Christ is our authority.<\/p>\n The Bible does not claim to be the foundation of our faith. It reveals to us that there is one foundation and this foundation is Christ.<\/p>\n The Bible does not claim to be infallible or inerrant. It shows us that Christ [and Christ alone] is our source of Truth.<\/p>\n There is no life in the Bible. Jesus said so. He warned us that we could search the Scriptures and never find life in those pages. Our only hope is to come to Christ \u2013 directly and personally \u2013 to find our life hidden in Him alone.<\/p>\n A dead religion of laws and rules bound in a book is only useful to those who want to manipulate and control people using fear.<\/p>\n A living relationship with the One who fills everything in every way is what we\u2019re invited into here and now. But you just might need to close the book long enough to step into that reality and experience the living Christ for yourself.<\/p>\n But, doesn\u2019t the Bible tell us that:<\/p>\n \u201cAll Scripture is God-breathed\u00a0and is useful for teaching,\u00a0rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,<\/span>\u00a0so that the servant of God\u00a0may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.<\/span><\/em>\u201d [2 Tim. 3:16-17]?<\/p>\n Actually, no it doesn\u2019t say that.<\/p>\n The word \u201cScripture\u201d is in your English translation. But, if you look at the Greek text you\u2019ll notice something alarming: The word \u201cScripture\u201d doesn\u2019t appear in that passage.<\/p>\n It\u2019s true.<\/p>\n The word translated \u201cScripture\u201d in your English Bible is actually the Greek word \u201cGraphis\u201d which is not the word for \u201cScripture\u201d but the common word for \u201cWritings\u201d.<\/p>\n The text actually says: \u201cAll the God-breathed writings are useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n This begs the question, then, \u201cWhat are the \u2018God-breathed writings'\u201d?<\/p>\n The answer is: \u201cAny writing which is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness..\u201d<\/p>\n That can be something from the Bible, or from Rumi, or from Buddha, or Brene Brown or Anne Lamott, or anyone whose words inspire you, teach you, correct you and lead you into a deeper connection with God and Christ.<\/p>\n So, for example, if you\u2019re driving down the road and a song comes on the radio that touches you deeply, speaks a profound truth to your soul, that is an \u201cinspired\u201d song. God uses those words and that moment to communicate something life-changing to transform you more into the image of His Son.<\/p>\n This doesn\u2019t mean that God wrote that song.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t mean that the song is inerrant or infallible.<\/p>\n But it DOES mean that the Creator of the Universe used those words to speak a profound truth into your heart at just the right moment, to lead you nearer to Himself and bring healing and life to your soul.<\/p>\n That\u2019s inspiration. That\u2019s how God\u2019s Spirit uses anything, and everything, to communicate Truth to us in everyday our life.<\/p>\n This is the Word of God which is living and active and sharper than a two-edged sword. It\u2019s not a Book. It\u2019s the living Spirit of Christ.<\/p>\n Christ is not bound by any book, or held captive by any religious text.<\/p>\n Neither are you.<\/p>\n **<\/p>\n Keith\u2019s new book, \u201cJesus Undefeated: Condemning the False Doctrine of Eternal Torment<\/em><\/a>\u201d is available now on Amazon.<\/p>\n\u00a0Keith Giles was formerly a licensed and ordained minister who walked away from organized church 11 years ago, to start a home fellowship that gave away 100% of the offering to the poor in the community.\u00a0<\/em>Today, He and his wife have returned to El Paso, TX after 25 years, as part of their next adventure. They hope to start a new house church very soon.<\/em><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\nWant Keith to come speak at your church or in your home town?<\/strong>\u00a0Send an invitation\u00a0HERE<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\u00a0Can\u2019t get enough? Get great bonus content:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Patreon page<\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nAre you an aspiring author?<\/em>\u00a0Keith is leading an\u00a0Author\u2019s Academy<\/strong>\u00a0starting Nov. 4. Learn how to become a full-time author and crack the code for building your platform and marketing your books online. Details\u00a0HERE.<\/a><\/div>\n