thoughts on the Bible -11/14/03
"THE BIBLE contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you.
"It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's charter. Here Paradise is restored, Heaven opened, and gates of Hell disclosed.
"CHRIST is its grand subject, our good the design, and the glory of God its end.
"It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, and will be opened in judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the hightest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents." -The Gideons International, Bible interface
I read this only a few minutes ago and decided I had to use it for my first "thought". There is so much the be had in the Bible if you only sit down and read it. Let's not pretend it's hard to get our hands on, the Bible I just quoted the interface of was handed to me by a group of Gideonites for free as I was walking to Chapel (required college class).
Arguments against the Bible:
-The Bible is an archaic book of stories by different authors.
The only reason people associate the Bible with "thee's" and "thou's" is because it was first published in English way back when King James was still alive (thus "King James Version"). Think about it. We don't avoid reading Shakespeare because it uses archaic words. Ok so maybe we do! But the thing is, the Bible has been printed in at least five different versions that I know of: King James Version, New International Version, New King James, Revised Standard, American Standard, and many, many others.
Why are there so many printings of the Bible? Because the Bible wasn't written in English. It was written in at least Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Many scholars translate it into many languages, therefore making for the minutely differing translations.
The Bible was written by many different people, but it was all inspired by God. That's why we call it God's Word. When it was being written I doubt the authors knew what they were going to ultimately contribute to (II Peter 1:21- "For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."). Everything in it is true, and I have no fear in saying that is what I believe. You may not agree, but it's what I and millions of others throughout time have held to be true.
-The Bible doesn't really apply anymore.
If somebody 100 years ago cut their leg on barbed wire, it would have bled. The same applies now. Believe me, I know. There are definite laws of life that will never change. This is called Definite Truth. That is what the Bible deals with. So long as a leg bleeds, the Bible will apply.