Our Conversation About the Bible Essay examples - 1479 Words

Prologue It all started with a conversation, no†¦an argument, no†¦a debate, no†¦a conversation. The conversation was with a friend over a topic that is a deeply contentious issue in our current culture. We disagreed. I have a fairly diverse friend-group so these types of arguments conversations happen quite often. What made this conversation unique was that our disagreement was not political in nature but biblical. In short, he thought the Bible was clear about this particular thing. I was less than convinced. Part I The Bible is Clear The trouble with speaking about Biblical clarity is that the Bible, so often, isn’t clear. There is a difference between â€Å"using† scripture and â€Å"loving† scripture. When people begin a sentence with â€Å"The†¦show more content†¦So how do we read the Bible right? Part II Scripture is not the Word of God Okay, okay†¦ Don’t dismiss me as a heretic just yet. Take a deep breath. The Bible is the word of God but not the Word of God. See what I did there? The Bible is the word of God that bears witness to the Word of God — Jesus Christ. John’s Gospel tells us that the Word became flesh — not ink. The Bible did not create the heavens and the earth — the Word (Christ) did. The Bible is not a member of the Trinity. Christ is. The Bible is not perfect. (There are parts we now consider obsolete; e.g. Levitical codes.) Christ is the perfection of God as a human being. The Bible is penultimate. But Christ is supreme. The Bible is not the object of our worship. Christ is. The difference is not trivial. Biblicism is a rival faith to Christianity. Furthermore, Biblicism is often a clever way of avoiding the witness of Christ to maintain the status quo. The highest view of Scripture is not the one that seeks to make an idol of the Bible (biblicism), but the one that allows the biblical text to exalt Christ as the living Word over all creation. Let Scripture be Scripture. Let Christ be Christ. So repeat after me: 1. Jesus reveals God. 2. Scripture witnesses to Jesus. If we can grasp these two simple truths, we are well on our way to reading the Bible right. Part III A Christocentric Reading of Scripture 1. Jesus reveals God. TheShow MoreRelatedPersonal Intellectual Interests Within Academic Majors1375 Words   |  6 Pagesresearch to a clearly defined research topic that has real-world application use as I continue studying nuclear engineering. †¢ Exceptional perseverance, tenacity or â€Å"grit† in pursuit of excellence. *Not sure what to right here other than talking about trying to maintain good grades †¢ Broad interests and natural curiosity. While my major at the Academy is nuclear engineering, I would like to broaden my education in such a way that would allow me to focus on more than nuclear engineering andRead MoreA Study On Biblical Inerrancy Essay1200 Words   |  5 Pagesof error, I didn’t realize the magnitude of information there was to prove the Bible isn’t true or has errors in it. After reading a majority of the book, Making Sense of Your World by Phillips, Brown, and Stonestreet, I have a better understanding of the different types of worldviews there are that negate the truth and meaning behind God and the Bible. On page 113 of Making Sense of Your World, the book states the Bible claims to be God’s absolute true Word. However, making this claim does not meanRead MoreEssay Jesus and Christian Worldview1033 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿CWV-101: Bible Story Worksheet and Journal #1 Module 1 - Part 1 – Bible Story Worksheet For Part 1 of this assignment, you will complete this worksheet by reviewing the The Story of the Bible flags and fulfill each writing requirement. http://lc.gcumedia.com/zwebassets/courseMaterialPages/cwv101_biblical-timeline-v1.1.php Please keep your answers brief. Solid academic writing is expected. Refer to the GCU Academic Writing Guidelines in the Student Success Center. Briefly answer each sectionRead MoreTheo 104 Reflection Paper872 Words   |  4 Pagesbecause they serve as a starting point of conversations. Personal testimonies help the other person be able to connect with us even more. Personal testimonies also help to explain to the other person how God has changed our lives for the better. As we share with others how we received Christ the Holy Spirit is often times working in the heart of the other person to convince them that they need to also accept Christ as their personal savior. Another reason our personal testimony is important in sharingRead MoreThe Church And The Baptist Church873 Words   |  4 Pagesat the time I went. Luckily, I got the chance to speak with him after the service. After our discussion, I realized that he had a great vision for his church and is doing a great job leading it to in the right path. I sensed his passion for preaching as they were evident during the service through his tone and demeanor. Despite thi s being my first visit to a church, I learned a lot of interesting things about churches and Christianity. The pastor read the verses Philippians 2:5-11. Due to the complexityRead MoreApol 104 Db2814 Words   |  4 PagesDiscussion Board 2 First we should start up a conversation with them.  Take time to ask them about their background, beliefs, interests, or other things of that nature. â€Å"Understanding a person’s worldview can help you to communicate with them better as well as help you understand what they believe and why they act in certain way.† (Gutierrez amp; Weider, 2011, p. 66) Make sure you are actively listening. After that, the conversation could be led to beliefs or common backgrounds.   At this point tellRead MoreJacob : A Friend That I Have Known Only For The Last Half Of My Friend Jacob947 Words   |  4 Pagespastor. However, after many conversations with him before this initial interview I knew it was going to be interesting: he doesn’t buy this whole â€Å"Jesus† thing. Jacob was more than willing to expand on his skeptical view of this â€Å"Jesus person†, even though he had grown up in the church since birth. Jesus for my friend Jacob is â€Å"just this guy that maybe had lived a long time ago. To be honest, there really is little evidence that Jesus existed besides the Bible, which the Bible in its entirety seems tooRead MoreDefending the Deity of Christ to a Jehovah’s Witness Essay1098 Words   |  5 PagesWhen coming into a serious conversation with another individual, it is important to know the facts of what you will be speaking about. The presentation should be clear, but not offensive, so that it is still possible to get the point across. It is important to also take time to explain what you are speaking about†¦ That way, you can be sure the other party understands. In some cases, though, it is hard to get other individuals to understand the point you wish to represent to them- those who have alreadyRead MoreLife Refle ction Paper736 Words   |  3 Pageswas never able to learn about the Bible or speak about my faith. I got blessed with the ability to go to a Christian school and getting to have a bible class at EC has been such a blessing, but getting the chance to plan chapel weekly and being in a smaller group with people who have such a close relationship with Christ is an opportunity I really want to take. I love to share my opinion and have conversations while being in class, but the past three years of being in a bible class Ive learned itRead MoreDr. Kenneth K. Baldwin835 Words   |  4 Pagespastor at the time I went. Luckily, I got the chance to speak with him after the service. After our brief conclusion, I realized that he had a great vision for his church and is leading it to success through his passion. I sensed his passion for preaching and religious beliefs as they were evident during the service. Despite this being my first visit to a church, I learned a lot of valuable things a bout churches and Christianity. The pastor read the verses Philippians 2:5-11. Due to the complexity