Is the Bible the word of God?

Graeme Randall concludes the Bible is fallible

I once heard a dear old Salvationist soldier say, in a discussion regarding which Bible translation is best to use, “I use the King James Version. If it was good enough for Jesus to read, it’s good enough for me.”

I think many of us have heard comments like that. It highlights an issue that seems to have plagued Christians for centuries and regularly raises its head in discussions around “Does the Bible really say…” I think the questions facing us in this regard are these: Is the Bible the Word of God? If it is, how literally can we read it? If it isn’t, what is it? I don’t intend to answer all these questions in full, just raise some of the issues.

The question of whether the Bible is God’s word is not a new one. In Genesis, we read of the temptation of Eve by the serpent who said “Did God really say…” (Genesis 3:1). Let us assume for the start of the discussion that the Bible is the divine word of God, and therefore to be obeyed in its entirety. Doctrine in most denominations would seem to support this assumption. The Salvation Army Articles of Faith state “We believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testament were given by inspiration of God, and that they only constitute the divine rule of Christian faith and practice.” This raises a number of questions for me - chiefly, “How literally can we take it?”

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Tags: scripture

Get a shovel

Jonathan Gainey on the priceless word

The parable of the hidden treasure and the pearl in Matthew 13:44-46 has a deep and rich background in the Hebrew world, one which has always been a reference to the teaching of God’s word. Learning the word of God was more valuable than anything that had ever existed; it was a hidden treasure that was meant to be excavated by every child of God, and nothing was more valuable.

Jesus’ message was the message of the kingdom. He taught of the priceless way and will of God. And the people who found the kingdom - who found the way of God - had indeed discovered a priceless treasure.

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Tags: scripture

Adoniram

by Phil Laeger

T

he name “Adoniram Judson” is not one you hear mentioned all that often in Salvation Army circles, probably because the name belongs to a Baptist missionary whose life preceded the Army’s birth. Adoniram - what a great name! - was the first Protestant missionary from the United States. He is known for his life’s ministry to the people of Burma where he translated the entire Bible into Burmese and saw as many as 8,000 converts to Christ before he died.

He was born the son of a Congregationalist minister, in the late 1700s. Adoniram had a sharp mind, even from a young age. He learned to read in a week, at the age of three, and knew Latin, Greek and Hebrew by the time he entered college. However, as often happens with bright minds, skepticism soon crept in. He found himself with questions that his father’s faith did not answer.

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Tags: scripture

Uses of scripture in TSA

Paper title: The Uses of Scripture in The Salvation Army
Author/researcher: Craig Campbell
Country of origin: Australia
Publication/completion date: October, 1995
Length: 107 pages
Keywords: scripture, The Salvation Army, hermeneutics, authority
Abstract: Within my experience the scriptures are a key point of entry into Christian life and faith. In various ways the scriptures are honoured and used to mediate a saving and transforming experience of God, within the community of faith and by individuals.

The question of how the scriptures work in this way was raised in me from a young age. Early years of ministry presented the challenge of responsible use of scripture in a more forceful way. To this end I enrolled in BD studies and enjoyed the wider world that opened up for me. I recognise myself as moving from a somewhat dogmatic, authoritarian style to understanding scripture as gracious invitation.

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Tags: authority, hermeneutics, scripture