One of the hallmarks of evangelicalism is its emphasis on the Bible as the final authority regarding spiritual truths. Evangelicals hold the Bible in high regard, looking to it as God’s definitive revelation to humanity and the essential guide for Christian life. And while there is much to be commended about such an understanding, pushing this idea too far often results in distorted and dangerous theological positions. (more…)
This lovely meme crossed my path today. I was going to print it out and hang it on my refrigerator next to the magnet with the plumber’s name and number, but instead I thought I’d share it here.
Despite my issues with the presentation and substance of this meme, I want to make it clear that I do think we should turn to God when we’re afraid or depressed or worried or sick. I think that’s great. But I don’t think we should reduce God to a trite set of platitudes, for in doing so, we’re at best offering nothing more than a Biblical placebo, and at worst we’re actually contributing to the very problems we’re seeking to address.
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N.T. Wright on the Bible:
There are many, many issues where I say I am committed to believing this text whenever I figure out what on earth it’s supposed to mean, which at the moment I don’t think I know.
Prolegomena
At the outset we must make clear the standards by which we are to judge the institution of slavery. As Christians, we cannot be subject to whims of the heart or fancies of the intellect. We cannot acquiesce to the norms of modern secular culture, instead we must hold firm to the norma normans, the norming norm, the Bible, the revealed Word of God to mankind.
We are fallen creatures, living in utter darkness, unable to see the light on our own: “the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure” (Jer. 17.9). But God, through his grace, provided us with Holy Scripture, which is “God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Tim 3.16). It is the inspired, inerrant and infallible Bible that we must cling to as the absolute standard of truth.
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I recently heard a pastor say that “experience shouldn’t determine our doctrine, only the Bible should.” He went on to explain that we might experience all sorts of things that lead us to believe one thing or another, but that the only true, infallible source of doctrine is the Bible and whenever our experience causes us to question Biblical doctrine, we must always defer to Biblical teaching, since it is the Word of God.
For those from a conservative/fundamentalist background, such an admonition will not come as a surprise — it’s the standard trope of “The Bible Says It, I Believe It, That Settles It.” But when I heard those words I got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Why? Because such a hermeneutical framework, while seemingly the safest path towards following the teaching of God, is actually the most dangerous! (more…)