Dear RLP,
I have been really confused lately, so I wanted to see if
you can help me out at all. This may be a really big question, but why is the
Bible important? I am a Christian, and I have heard other Christians say that
the Bible is God’s word, but I don’t know how they are so sure of this. Other
Christians say that the Bible is inerrant, which I can’t accept just based on my
own reading of it.
So here is the problem. How can anyone know that the Bible
is divinely inspired? And if it’s not, then why does it have any authority? I’m
really confused about this.
Andrew
_______________________________
Andrew,
If I understand you correctly, you’d like to know why
Christians think the Bible is inspired by God and therefore authoritative for
Christian life. You would like to know how people came to believe that the
teachings in the Bible have a connection to the will and desire of God.
I think these are wonderful questions, and frankly I’m
stunned that more people don’t ask them. You go to church and this huge book is
dropped in your lap. You’re trying to figure out what you should do with it, and
everyone is talking about it as if the basic questions of its origin and nature
were settled long ago. Most church people believe these writings are the words
of God, so most churches begin with the assumption that you agree with them in
this regard. Sometimes church people get defensive or even angry if you ask a
question about the validity of the Bible. After awhile, curious people just stop
asking and likely stop attending church at all.
There is no reason for us to be afraid of
honest, passionate questions. People who ask questions are some of the most
interesting kinds of people I know. Truth matters to them. They want to
understand what the Bible is before they give it authority over their lives.
That makes perfect
sense to me.
I’m going to tell you the story of how the New Testament
came to be. I think this story will get you started in finding the answers you
seek. The Jewish scriptures, sometimes called the “Old Testament” by Christians,
have a similar story behind them. Here is a warning ahead of time: There is no
way to provide proof for claims about the authority of the New Testament. All we
have are centuries of tradition and a natural selection process that took place
in the early centuries of the Christian Church.
You should also know that there are Christian
scholars who specialize in this subject. I am not one of them. I know enough to
present a very basic and simplified story. There is a fair amount of
disagreement and uncertainty among scholars on many of the particulars. Still, I
think my version of this story will be good enough for your questions.
In the early years after the crucifixion, the friends
of Jesus began to spread
his teachings and story around their part of the world. They made the rather
astonishing claim that Jesus
had died on the cross for their sins and that God raised him on the third day. Those
who accepted this message in faith and tried to live according to the way
of Jesus were part of the movement that became known as Christianity.
In the beginning, those who had known Jesus
told stories of his teaching, life, and work. As the friends of Jesus grew older
and approached death, people began writing down these stories. This was
done informally at first, but in time, more formal collections of stories formed
and were called gospels, which means "good news." At the same time, Christian leaders like Paul,
Peter, James, John, and some others whose names are not known, were engaged in
writing letters of help and support to Christian communities around the Roman
world. Some of these letters were so helpful that they too were gathered into
unofficial collections.
For the next couple of centuries, the Christian
movement made use of these collected writings. Those that were thought to be written by people
who actually knew Jesus or were disciples of those who knew him were given
priority. Some gospel collections were not thought to accurately portray the
life and teachings of Jesus. These fell out of favor with the majority of
Christians. Some writings fell away and others grew more popular and were
revered. At some point in the 4th century,
the collection was made official and closed. Twenty-seven books were included in
the New Testament. Four gospels, an account of the earliest church, and a
collection of other letters and writings.
Modern Christians say many things about the New
Testament. Some say that these works are the very words of God, as if God
dictated them or perhaps even wrote them. Those who say this are often trying to
express their deep reverence for the New Testament and may just be saying what
their pastors have told them. I don’t agree with that picture of inspiration,
but I try to be gentle and kind in my disagreement.
Other Christians believe that somehow the
Spirit of God was present in the writing and collecting of these books. They
believe God was working behind the process, allowing a lot of freedom for those
who wrote and collected, but working nonetheless.
Still others might say that they don’t understand
what a word like inspiration means exactly, but they know that twenty
centuries of Christian tradition tell them that the writings of the New
Testament reflect the teachings of Jesus and have proved valuable in keeping the
Church moored to her original message of love, grace, and redemption.
As for me, I know that an ancient tradition and
many testimonies of human experience stand behind the New Testament. These
are the writings that have nurtured our mothers and fathers in faith across the
ages. For that reason alone, I have deep respect for the Bible. My own careful
study of the gospels over the years leaves me continually astounded by their
depth and by the way they continue to speak powerfully to people of all
cultures, all ages, and all levels of education. So I join myself with the
larger Christian community in affirming these writings as scripture and using
them to guide my life. The New Testament provides me with a baseline or
measurement that keeps my own spiritual journey connected to the original
teachings of Jesus and his friends.
My trust in the New Testament is an act of
faith on my part. It is my own offering to a movement that stretches back to
Jesus himself. I faithfully offer my life and belief with a full knowledge of
what I am doing and why I am doing it.
rlp
This letter
was reprinted with permission from Andrew.
Here are a
couple of
sources that provide further information
and links.
