Some things I’ve been mulling over during what I am now referring to as “Bible Gate.”

Thread 1/

It’s interesting to me that people keep quoting the Bible at me. Like I wasn’t aware of that text? 2/

I think we’ve been taught to read the Bible in a way that allows us to rip things out of context, use them to support our point, and not really consider important things like context, language, etc. That’s unfortunate, and doesn’t really take the Bible seriously. 3/

Here’s the relevant section from my sermon Sunday: The Bible isn’t the Word of God. This is probably the most challenging point for those of us who have been told again and again that the Bible is God’s Word. The problem is, the Bible doesn’t claim to be that. 4/

The Word of God/the LORD in the Bible is used in the writings of the prophets to describe the message and passion that they were bringing to the world. “The Word of the LORD came to so and so…” is a way of talking about the inspiration and source of their message. 5/

In that sense, the Bible does contain that Word, but isn’t the Word itself. 6/

Also, in the NT the point is that Word is always seeking to become flesh. W e can thank the writer of John for that rich image which comes to us in John 1, “The Word became flesh and moved into the neighborhood.” 7/

It’s also sad how we’ve (pastors) failed people in terms of understanding how the Bible came into being and just basic Church history. 8/

A good chunk of people who’ve said things to me seem to think the Bible was part of the Christian Tradition from day one, when it actually formed over time, not being canonized until the second half of the fourth century. 9/

The Church survived three plus centuries without the complete New Testament, and they were still the Church. 10/

I love the Bible. I love studying it. Talking about it. I learned dead languages to be able to engage it more fully. I’m a friend, not a foe. 11/

I do think many Christians have turned the Bible into an idol. We are wont to do that, aren’t we? We so desperately want something tangible to put our trust in, that we center the text over the Sacred. 12/

Marcus Borg was right when he said, “Conflict about how to see and read the Bible is the single greatest issue dividing Christians.” 13/

If we, in defending the Bible, act in ways that violate the command to love our neighbor and enemy, and that dehumanize people we don’t know, have we not just, as Jesus said, strained out a gnat only to swallow a camel? 14/14