Sunday, 10 August 2014

74. The Errancy of the Bible



2 Timothy 3:16-17: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

This week the leader of a Christian musical group Gungor, Michael Gungor, stated that he does not believe in the inerrancy of the bible.  In particular, he does not believe in a literal view of the story of the flood.  Later, he attempted to sort things out by giving some perspective on this issue.  Mostly he pointed out that he is not questioning the tenants of our faith, but calls into question some of the stories.  He added, “"NO REASONABLE PERSON takes the entire Bible completely literally.”  (emphasis is his)  And the fight was on!!

I have included a link to an article that gives a rather favourable view of the story.


His critics were quick to point out that bible scholars much smarter than he insist the bible has to be read literally, including the story of flood.  Equally, as vehement was the calling to question the faith of this man.  And a not-so-subtle hint that one best be a creationist or one is not a Christian.
          They did not point out that there are biblical scholars that are much smarter that he is, that insist that it be read with a different perspective, more of an illustrative view.  Nor did they point out that there are other stories of the flood. 
          I find, and this is only my opinion, the entire “Inerrancy of Scripture” argument is a thin disguise for a rather repugnant agenda.  Generally the insistence that the bible is without error is an insistence that the person making such a claim has the right interpretation.  The attempt to gain “biblical authority” is nothing more than attempt to usurp the other person’s relationship with God.  In short, it is a how dare you believe differently than I?
          It is this emphasis on getting things correct that is concerning.  It is game that I see my atheist, evangelical atheist, friends play, and it is an odd game.  There currently is a debate about whether Nazareth actually ever existed.  In a review of Archeological literature, Rene Salm, concluded that Nazareth did not exist during the time of Christ.  This review was used to prove that Jesus did not exist.
          The thinking behind this is that if Nazareth did not exist, then Jesus of Nazareth could not have existed.  Thus, many atheists used this man’s article to refute the existence of Christ.  It is also atheists that often engage in biblical literalism in order to argue against our faith.  They do not recognize that the bible often uses allegory, hyperbole, and parables, that it requires a different kind of reading.   
          I see us Christians playing just as dangerous a game in claiming the inerrancy of the bible.  This emphasis on the accuracy most often extends into issues of doctrine.  Thus, if I am right about the bible, then I am right about my doctrine, and if you do not agree with me you are wrong.  I have had people claim that the bible clearly states some doctrine and my insistence of believing otherwise calls into question my faith. It is a game I do not truly understand nor will I play.
          For me, and this is the only perspective that I offer here, there are essential truths to the Christian faith.  Beyond those central beliefs, it seems that it is just a distraction.  Is it important for me to believe that God created the earth in six days?  And that the earth is only 6,500 years old?  Will I be more compassionate with this belief?  Will I be more Christ like?  As for the flood, will this make me a better Christian?  I know that there are other accounts of the flood, but does having this assurance make my faith better?
          What seems to be clear are the commandments about love.  Yes, I will admit that I am cherry picking verses, love occurs only about 800 times in the bible.  What seems to be clear in scripture is that I be of service to others.  I often wonder why those are not the verses that us Christians are adamant that people take literally?

Let me steal the thoughts of another put more eloquently than I could.
         
In my view, inerrancy regularly functions to short-circuit rather than spark our knowledge of the Bible. Contrary to its intention to preserve the truthfulness of Scripture and the truth-telling God behind it, inerrancy prematurely shuts down rigorous inquiry into what the Bible’s “truthfulness” means, and so interrupts rather than fosters careful reading of Scripture.
Peter Enns The Inerrancy Debate

This is the link to that article


My experience in my life of faith is that it is full of contradiction, and inconsistencies, and requires an ability to live with that tension.  A life of faith often means we wrestle with great questions.  And often, we come up with different answers during different times of our lives.
          Those who insist that the bible is inerrant, I believe not only seek to claim an authority that is not theirs to claim, but also are attempting to provide certainty for themselves, they are trying to avoid this part of faith.  Faith demands that we be able to live with uncertainty.
          Although there is much more that I could say, I will stop here.  I realize that I have been somewhat long winded, and not sure if I really made a point.  Thanks for your indulgence.

Romans 10:9 If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

1 comment:

  1. Sometimes there is a more important principle behind the story. I dont hold to a 6000 year old earth either or literal 6 days creation. Am I not a Believer because of that?

    We all at some points in our walk question many things about that walk. When we stop questioning then we start believing all of the white noise that surrounds the truth that we are being fed by others.

    I have said it before and I will say it again. "With over 26000 Christian Denominations (not including Catholic and their various factions) not everyone can be right about everything or they would all agree on every aspect of the faith.

    Was there a Creation by a Creator - Absolutely! Was there a flood that covered the earth - I believe yes. The new Testament adds Noah in as a hero of the faith in Hebrews 11. It also tells us Noah found grace......ask ourselves what is the greater principle here?

    This is one of teh best posts you have written. Keep it up.

    ReplyDelete