Now I am in no way an infallible theologian, so don't take anything I say as fact, take it to and test it against scripture, and if I am off in any interpretation please contact me and let me know, I hope for and look forward to your accountability.
Disclaimer:Realize that the stances I take will be based on my Christian beliefs and may not line up with the ideals and beliefs some of my non-christian friends hold to be true. If you ever have questions about what I am saying please contact me.
As of lately, it strikes me how much the significance of Scripture has been diluted. There are a few different aspects of this, but to start I want to take the time to do something seemingly cyclical and redundant. I want to provide a list of some spots in Scripture where it discusses the importance and power of scripture.
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
(Hebrews 4:12 ESV)
But he (Jesus) answered, “It is written,
“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
(Matthew 4:4 ESV)
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
(Psalm 119:105 ESV)
How can a young man keep his way pure?
By guarding it according to your word.
(Psalm 119:9 ESV)
The Word Became Flesh
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
(John 1:1-14 ESV)
I get extremely confused when I hear of Christians saying that they believe in God but don't believe in the Bible. That is a complete oxymoron, seeing as the passage above says the the Word is God incarnate. That's like saying I believe in gravity but saying that all research and books that support it are flawed and that you don't believe in them. Or even saying you believe in gravity, but don't believe in physics. The only thing socially weirder than believing in something you can't see is believing it and then denying all truths and facts about it. Also, know that I will have some more science related metaphors, they actually work really well for this overall topic. This isn't a subject you can get by with only believing the parts you like.
Now I want to quickly touch on the importance of context as a whole, any verse(s) can be contorted to say what you want if you take it out of the entire purpose and focus of scripture. To explain this in a another, more fun way, here is a very relevant Adam4d comic. (Who doesn't love comics?)
Next I want to address the balance of studying scripture and other Christian books based on scripture. I have known people who profess to be strong Christians and know facts from books they have been reading, but don't spend any personal time in scripture. Now this doesn't necessarily mean everything they've said is unbiblical. You can lose the focus and context (see above paragraph and link) and also I think to rely solely upon those books or even sermons for doctrine is dangerous and actually shows some spiritual immaturity. Before you get too offended, let me explain with another metaphor. As someone beginning to study almost any science you must begin by studying the research and conclusions of other scientists, and as you grow in knowledge and understanding you begin to build the basic core knowledge of things science says to be true (but also making sure you can explain the findings that makes it so). And, I imagine, every scientist would like to strive for the point where they are doing new research of their own, and not just regurgitating and testing someone else's studies. Our end goal as Christians, similarly, should be to be a theologian of our own, not just a Christian that bases beliefs upon the teaching of others, but also upon their own personal study of Scripture. It shows laziness to an extent to only be interested in a concept or ideal as long as someone else does the work and studying for you.
Our heart and desire, as Christians, should be to understand Scripture through personal study with the Holy Spirit providing understanding. A scientist who does in depth study and research of their own is going to have a way deeper understanding of a concept than someone who just repeat what other people have said. There are tons and tons of bibles and reference guides out there, go pick one up, pray that the Spirit give you understanding, and let the Bible be your primary source of theology. (Relevant to this, here is a part of a sermon by pastor Art Azurdia)
I'm not saying books and sermons are bad, I actually think they can be great, (I mean I just provided you with one) just make sure you realize you have the source of all their knowledge right at your fingertips. So quit being lazy and coming up with excuses for why you cant and take the time to learn techniques and ways to study scripture on your own. If you have any questions or comments to make feel free to comment below. Stay awesome and immerse yourself in scripture, I love you all.
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV)
The unfolding of your words gives light;
it imparts understanding to the simple.
(Psalm 119:130 ESV)
