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On reading the Bible
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Christians make some audacious claims. We say that it is possible for a human being to know God in a personal way. We claim that Jesus was raised from the dead. We claim that there is more to life than we can see, that there is life after death.

All of these claims come from the same source, the Bible. And we make an incredible claim about that book. We say that it is in fact God’s Word to us. We say that God speaks to us through the pages of the Bible, and that all He says to us is true. Can you really trust that idea? Can you be certain that we have a true word from the Lord?

There are certainly those who say that it cannot be done. The authenticity, the truthfulness, and the reliability of the Bible have been questioned for years, but perhaps more in recent days than ever before. Books like The DaVinci Code strike at the very heart of this issue. Can we trust the Bible?

You will not be surprised that I am confident that the Bible can be trusted. It is true in all that it proclaims. Now I know that many wish to argue that you cannot take the Bible literally. And I understand that thought. In the Bible King Herod is called a fox. That certainly does not mean that he had pointy ears and a bushy tail. And Jesus is called "the door." No one would claim that He was a piece of wood on which a knob was located in order to enter a room. The Bible often speaks metaphorically.

While we may not take each of these metaphors literally, we certainly ought to take the Bible seriously. We need to realize that it is in the pages of the Bible that God is seeking to teach us. The good news is that God wants us to know Him in a personal way. Throughout human history God has reached out to people in love, calling us to Himself. He wants us to know Him.

And as we read the pages of Scripture we can learn more about the Lord and His love for us. In the next couple of weeks I will seek to answer a few significant questions about the Bible. I will talk about its meaning and purpose. But more than anything, I will seek to challenge you to become more familiar with this great book. After all, it is the best selling book of all time, with more than six billion sold.

The message of the Bible is really quite simple. God loves you. Take the time to read what He says to you. You’ll be glad you did.

 

- by Brad Butler, pastor of First Baptist Church, Pembroke

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