by Sandra Bazen Cobb

Created on: June 14, 2009

The biggest problem with taking the Bible out of context, is that is impossible not to do so!

The very fact that generations of Bible "worshipers" have believed and taught that it is the inerrant, infallible word of God and therefor is the final authority on any question of doctrine, proves their lack of time spent in Bible study and that they have taken their stance on the Bible out of context.

Why? Does the Bible tell them so?

Many believers claim that the verse in Revelation which warns people not to add to or take away from the text, means that no one ever did add to or take away from not only the text of Revelation (which is the only writing the writer was referring to), but also assumes that no one has ever dared to change one iota of the entire collection! Since history tells us that governments and earthly powers have always manipulated the people over which they reign, this scenario is not logical.

One could argue that God has preserved the texts miraculously. The problem with that argument is if God was going to preserve anything miraculously, why wouldn't he have preserved the Godly spiritual condition of Adam and Eve in the first place?

Free will. Yes. It's all about free will.

Adam and Eve had to be provided free will, just as the other humans who have come in contact with the writings in the Bible. Since these humans were writing, collecting, revising and translating as humans, fully executing their own free will, what then, gives credence to the belief of an inerrant Bible?

How is it that an anthology of collected writings spanning thousands of years, has come to such a high place of honor and reverence, that it has actually become the determining factor of whether or not one so-called Christian group will accept another group's claim to salvation? Nearly every protestant doctrine claims to use the Bible as the sole and final authority, taking away God's ability to speak to them today.

The Bible is full of what appear to be contradictions. This could be attributed to the possibility of human tampering, which would disclose the fact that the Bible is not the inerrant and infallible word of God in its present state. Why does this possibility stir so much emotion among so many followers of Christ? It shouldn't. People have known God for thousands of years without the use of the Bible.

Shouldn't a true student of the Bible, or one who professes it to be the inerrant word of God, at least be one who has studied the language that it was originally written in and studied the original texts, giving them at least some authority on the subject text? Why would we agree with any other authority?

Paul tells us that the Bible is useful. Agreed. A lot can be learned from the Bible. A lot of judgment, hatred, and illogical rationalization can also be backed up by the Bible. It is a two-edged sword indeed. Read with caution, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

II Timothy 2:15

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

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