The Dangers of Questioning the Bible & UK Fellowship Friday
I was referred to a post by a well-known Christian blogger this week, which was about how she felt that the slippery slope of questioning the Bible, though it led to more questions, was OK because her faith is more alive now.
While I’m not attacking her personally, I really have to challenge her conclusions. For a start she says she has a better faith now, but it doesn’t follow that others will too. My mum went to a liberal Bible college and it shipwrecked her faith for many years. She ended up for a long time not even believing that Jesus was the son of God.
I am a thinking and analytical person and still accept the Bible as the word of God and inerrant, which means it does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact. I have had doubts about Christianity in general but came through them. I respect the countless Christians who have researched it, and I know that God is faithful so we can trust and hang on to his Word even though we don’t necessarily understand everything.
I have also read about the evidence and reasons for the Bible and if you want to know more about it I recommend Brian Edwards’ book ‘Nothing but the Truth’, which explains the inspiration, authority and history of the Bible.
Here are some reasons why it’s dangerous to start questioning the Bible:
- Where do you draw the line once you have started? How will you know what is really true and what isn’t?
- If we question parts of it we can start to wonder if we can really trust God in anything He says.
- If we are deciding for ourselves what is right and what is wrong in the Bible we are making our own minds a higher standard of truth than God’s word.
- Life is not just a pick and mix – there is truth out there, and it is important that we find it because it matters for eternity.
- We might start off doubting some of the details, but that can lead to doubting doctrines. Our whole foundation is then rocking.
- If you depart from the word of God you replace it with something else – the wisdom of men. I know which I’d rather go with since God created us, has been there since everlasting and knows everything!
- Feelings are not a reason to abandon truth – if we followed our feelings all the time we would be all over the place. A lot of the modern thought is ‘do what feels right for you’, but that doesn’t make it right.
- If we pick and choose what we believe in then we are making a God in our own image. “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.” Ex 20:4-5 My mum said that when she was experimenting with her faith she thought she had a relationship with the living God, but it was a God she had created herself.
Some of these points are taken from Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology, which is an excellent and easy to read resource, and has several chapters about the Bible if you want to read more on this topic.
Linking up to Bragging on God Friday, Spiritual Sundays
Linking up to Bragging on God Friday, Spiritual Sundays
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UK Fellowship Friday Blog Hop
I would love you to link up if you live in the UK and have recently written a post about your faith that might encourage other Christians. Please link to the specific post you’ve written, then it will help people to find it.
If you join below, it would be good (though not required) if you could link to this post on your blog so your readers can find the other posts in the blog hop.
Absolutely, questioning the bible is dangerous, questioning our faith at times is understandable as we are not robots but respond to things psychologically, spiritually and physically especially when they’re traumatic or don’t make sense.
Last week I met a ‘Christian’ that didn’t believe the bible was true, that it needed discernment to pick out which were God’s words and which mans, who said that God was ok with this and directed her towards using external sources in the world to justify her ‘faith’, believed that Christians aka church goers were under religious bondage and being led by false doctrine, as Jesus was not the only way to salvation because God is good and love so hell doesn’t exist! Also the bible doesn’t mention a mother, only father so how can Jesus be the son etc. to much to mention here.
Scary I know…
I just thought about this today when reading about the fish and loaves miracle in Mark 6. There’s a school of thought that says Jesus didn’t make the food multiply, He just inspired people to take what they already had and to share it. Of course, that’s not what the bible says happened. I certainly don’t understand miracles, but (like you said in your 3rd point) I don’t want to make my mind “a higher standard of truth than God’s word.” I’d rather have questions than made-up answers. Thanks for the post!
@Florence, that’s a good example of the results of the slippery slope I think!
@Brooke, I agree with you, I’d rather take the Bible at face value. Plus if God can create the world, and Jesus can rise from the dead, then I’m sure He can multiply a few bread and fishes! I don’t see the point of higher criticism and wondering if there is a ‘natural’ way that miracles could have happened since God is obviously capable of those things and that’s what four different historical writers say 🙂
I’ve always felt the most important thing is to remember the purpose of the Bible.
It contains poetry but it’s not a poetry book. It contains history but it’s not a history book. It contains geography, biology, architecture and the list could go on. But the purpose of the Bible transcends all these subjects.
Its theme and topic from beginning to end is to illuminate three things – his holy and glorious nature, our fallen nature, and our relationship with him.
And if we keep that purpose in mind as we read we will understand more and more what he has done for us. Praise him!
So agree with your thoughts. Systematic Theology is a great reference book!
Although I have no problem questioning what people say I do not question God’s Word. I agree with you – when we do we are trying to make Him into us.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 is my go to scripture for this subject. It doesn’t say maybe all scripture…It say ALL scripture is God breathed…
It’s long past time we starting just believing the Word!
@Chris That’s very interesting how you’ve described those purposes! Thanks for linking up 🙂
@Debbie An evangelist once recommended it to me, and though it was expensive for a student I’ve never regretted it!
@Marie That’s a great scripture for the subject! Thanks for linking up 🙂
Great points! The last one reminded me of a quote I once read by St. Augustine:
“If you believe what you like in the gospel, and reject what you don’t like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself.”
I’m a new follower and looking forward to reading more from your blog.
God bless
Cathy 🙂
Very interesting blog post. The Bible is my benchmark too.
@Cathy, welcome to my blog :). That is a really good quote, thanks for sharing it and for following!
@Saleslady, thank you for visiting, that’s a good way of putting it!
Rhoda, I love what you said about our emotion. Our heart is deceitful above all things and a crazy thing to put our trust in. I have found that feelings follow action. If we do what’s right feelings eventually catch up.
Love your heart for the Word! 🙂
Thanks Laura, feelings are definitely not good to trust. I like how you said feelings catch up though! Thanks for the link up 🙂
I certainly agree with you. I was interested that you quoted Wayne Grudem. He is a member of our church and we used to go to his Sunday School class before they changed the time and it wasn’t possible to go any more. He is such a fantastic teacher. I learned something new every Sunday. He will be preaching for us in a few weeks. I’m anxious to hear him again.
Thank you for sharing on Spiritual Sundays.
Blessings,
Charlotte
Hi Charlotte, that is amazing that Wayne Grudem is a member of your church. I really love his systematic theology, because it is so easy to read and refer to. Thank you for the link up!