biblical

Everything I believe is biblical. You know the funny thing? There are a lot of people who believe VERY different things from me AND everything they believe is also biblical. You might be thinking “how can you believe something and someone else believe something contradictory and you both be biblical?”

I think maybe the confusion comes from what the word biblical means. Most people think that biblical means that a person reads the Bible, understands what it is saying, and then believes whatever truth they may have found through that process. In reality this is not what a biblical view is.

A biblical view is a view that you can defend with Bible verses. The real goal is not to learn from and develop an understanding from the Bible, but to use the Bible to defend whatever it is that we believe. If you don’t like secular music tell people that it is biblical to only listen to Christian music, I mean, obviously Psalm 1:1 states that “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,” but if you think it’s ok, you go to Matt 15:11 and remind someone that Jesus said that “it is not what goes into the mouth … that defiles a man.” (but in this case we apply it to the ear).

That is just one example. Basically, whatever you believe, you can find Bible verses to defend it. Then your views are biblical. It is important that we don’t let this true definition get out there for the general public to understand, because, by keeping people ignorant, when we tell them our views are “biblical” it makes it sound like we got them from the Bible, not that we put them into the Bible, and then we will seem more believable.

So, keep this post a secret. Thanks!

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    16 comments

    1. Donald Borsch Jr.

      So, then, is Jesus real because you believe in Him or do you believe in Him because He is real?

      Does a person say what The Scriptures teach them or teach what they want The Scriptures to say?

      I dig on The Scriptures quite a bit. I’m actually pretty fond of them. But I also know that The Word has been made flesh, and this is Christ Jesus, whom I have a covenant with. All my beliefs, no matter how ardently that I maintain are correct and true, still pale in comparison to His Truth, since, heh, He is The Truth, and I run the high risk of being wrong, anyways. Imagine that.

      Of course, it is important to study The Scriptures, for sure. Definitely. I would hardly discourage anyone from doing so and asking The Spirit to guide and teach them as they read, even if this means losing family members in Christ because of it. And by ‘study’ I mean to simply read and enjoy what our Father is saying.

      Let God be true and every man a liar, indeed.

      Reply
      • Dan Allen

        You mean Christ is more important than my dogma? Like, a real meaningful relationship with the Word made flesh is more valuable than five point Calvinism or Amillenialism? Say it ain’t so, or say it is so, cause it is! If that is what you are saying (and I think it is), I agree with you completely!

        Reply
    2. Donald Borsch Jr.

      Dan,

      I just read on Twitter that Billy Graham is encouraging folks to vote on/using biblical values. I don’t know Billy Graham personally, but I find this an interesting statement for him to make, and I thought of your post here, and the previous ones detailing your take on politics, etc.

      How would a person vote biblical values?

      Reply
    3. Chuck McKnight

      You said, “Most people think that biblical means that a person reads the Bible, understands what it is saying, and then believes whatever truth they may have found through that process.”

      I would say that is exactly what a biblical worldview is (or should be). However, in practice, many people wrongly apply it the way you described in this post.

      Perhaps you were employing sarcasm? Hard to tell with you. ;)

      Reply
    4. Steve Martin

      Turning the Bible into a ‘how to’ book isn’t a good idea.

      You’ll end up with prideful people who kid themselves that they are doing alright. Or, you’ll end up with despairing people (the honest ones), who will throw the whole thing overboard. Many never to return.

      Reply
      • Dan Allen

        Steve, thanks for stopping by and commenting. I think you’re right about the Bible not being a how to guide book, so if that isn’t a good use of the Bible, what is? I would love to hear your thoughts on that!

        Reply
        • Steve Martin

          Hi Dan,

          I think the Bible speaks to us in two ways. God’s law…and God’s gospel. Theologically speaking, the job of the law is to expose us, and reveal our need of a Savior (the first part of Romans is great for that, as well as the Sermon on the Mount, amongst many others).

          And, of course, that gospel Word of forgiveness, liberates us, frees us, gives us new life in Christ Jesus our Savior.

          I think that’s the best way to use the Bible, Dan.

          It keeps our feet on the ground. It keeps us off the spiritual/ladder-climbing project of ascending to higher and higher levels of obedience and holiness (good luck). And it keeps that life giving Word of the gospel in front of us in the highs and lows of life.

          Anywho…my 2 cents.

          Thank you, friend.

          Reply
    6. Pingback: How do you use the Bible? | The Assembling of the Church
    7. Tom Schultz

      May I quote you in a book I’m writing entitled Revisiting Scripture? You have hit the mail on the head about how different folks ‘go to the Bible for answers’ and come back unchanged!

      Reply

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