Can I say from the very beginning that by saying I do or do not believe something or see it slightly differently does NOT mean that I am saying that other people's beliefs are wrong. Believing that there is 'that of God' in everyone (see  page 10) means that you respect other peoples beliefs however different.

When I first left my home corps to go to the International Training College I suppose that if I was asked I would have accepted the Bible literally. The truth is that I had never really thought about it before. What a watershed my time as a 'Messenger of the Faith' was to be. Not only did I have the time to study and the books to explain but other young Salvationist and wise tutors to guide me in my growth.

If I had been asked when I left the ITC, again I cannot remember that I was, I would have said that I now accepted the Bible not as a literal book, or a history book, or a science book but as a Spiritual guide that showed our relationship with God, what he wanted us to do and how we could achieve it.

It did not matter to me that there are sections (whatever the fundamentalists says) that did not agree with each other or actually contradicted themselves. I saw it as a growing revelation of man's view of God. That meant (and I still believe this) that as their knowledge of God grew and their experience of God grew there  picture changed. One example will suffice, In the early days of the children of Israel God is thought to have told Moses that the rule should be an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. When seen in the context of the morality of mankind at the time this was a great moral step forward as other nations demanded seven times the offence to be the punishment. It is only later that we see this shown by the words of Jesus to need to become even more compassionate.

I sincerely feel, and I know that many will not agree, that the Bible writers were limited in what they wrote because of the limits and the customs of the times. We would not expect Isaiah to write about nuclear physics because he would have no concept of this. There clearly are other areas where over time concepts grew and even changed.

Perhaps the last point to make now (you will see the next page explains Quakers view of the Bible with which I would concur) is that the revelation of God did not end with the revelation of John.

I believe that God continued to reveal himself and his ways long after the end of the Bible and still does so to-day.

Many Christians will believe in God's leadings on a personal basis cannot seem to accept new revelations on a corporate level.

A favourite Verse:
When I was a child I thought and acted as a child but when I
matured I put away childish things.
1 Corinthians 13.11

<--- Yes that is Me!!