What's your take on the Bible? Some people think of the bible like a seat belt that is really just there to restrain you and the only reason you wear it is because its the law. If this is you, you probably do not want any more rules or regulations on how to live your life or what you are doing wrong. For others the Bible is like rental car insurance, you are pretty sure your current policy has all the coverage you will need so you don't want this extra expense. You have your own set of rules and moral standards that you live by and the Bible may or may not agree with you always. The last set of us, every Christ follower fits this, we approach the Bible as if it is a plate of hor d' oeuvres at a cocktail party. We sample everything but only eat what we like or can recognize. No matter what our take on the Bible is there is one central truth: as humans we need a baseline for our belief system that is solid and unchanging. The Bible gives us such a source, its awesome that it is God inspired too.
The Big Idea
We all need one belief baseline that is our foundation.
God's View
2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that all God's people may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Peter 1:20-21 - Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Questions
- Go through the break down of the Bible, Old and New testaments as well as how the books are divided.
- Share Bible facts (66 books, over 40 authors, nearly 2000 years of history and culture)
- Discuss what this quote means to you and how it affects the way you view the Bible as a book of truth by Dr Nelson Glueck (authority on Israeli archeology) - "No archeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of archeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or in exact detail historical statements in the Bible. And, by the same token, proper evaluation of Biblical descriptions has often led to amazing discoveries."
- What is your take on the Bible...seat belt, rental car insurance, or hor' d'oeuvres.
- Are there Biblical texts that you do not understand, what are they?
- How do you deal with hard Biblical texts that you do not understand, defy culture, or you do not agree with?
- Is there a problem with reading the Bible and coming up with your own interpretation based on what you think or believe?
- Read Luke 17:11-19 - The 10 Lepers. Have you ever felt unappreciated?
conTXT - Why read the Bible from Vision Runners on Vimeo.
