The Book of Faith
Christians disagree with others about many things.
Christians disagree as to whether or not we baptize adults only or also baptize infants. Christians disagree as to who receives Communion in a worship setting. Is Communion for members of a particular denomination only or is it open to all?
Christians disagree over the form and content of worship. Christians disagree over various doctrines. Christians also disagree over the role of women within the life of the church with some denominations limiting their participation and others allowing them full participation.
With all the disagreements that Christians have with each other there is one thing that all Christians have in common and that is that all Christians believe that the Bible is God’s word and revelation.
The founding father of my denomination, John Wesley, in speaking of the Bible said, “I am a creature of a day. I am a spirit come from God, and returning to God. I want to know one thing: the way to heaven. God himself has condescended to teach me the way. He has written it down in a book. Oh, give me that book! At any price give me the book of God. Let me be a man of one book.”
The Bible is one of the foundations of the Christian faith.
It is one of the things which binds all Christians together. While all Christians certainly do not agree on a single interpretation of the Bible and the all Christians do not agree on the context in which the Bible speaks, there is no denying that all Christians look to the Bible for guidance.
While all Christians share the Bible there is tendency for some to idolize the Bible. By that they venerate the Bible to a position of worship.
The truth is the Bible itself should not be worshiped. Rather, the Bible points us to the one who is to be worshiped.
The truth is the Bible is not to be read in a vacuum. Christ established the church as a companion to the Bible.
The Bible was given as the word of a God and given to guide the church. The church was given the responsibility of carrying out the Bible and delivering its message to the world.
The church and the Bible are in a sense conjoined twins with the church being guided by the Bible and the church offering the truths of the Bible to the world.
There are those who through the years have misused the Bible. Often times there are those who have selected portions of the Bible to justify their own personal views and prejudices.
Playwright George Bernard Shaw once observed, “No man ever believes that the Bible means what it says: He is always convinced that it says what he means.”
Alexander Pope concurred with Shaw saying, “The scripture in times of disputes is like an open town in times of war, which serves in differently the occasions of both parties.”
Yet, the noted clergyman William Sloane Coffin wisely noted, “It is a mistake to look to the Bible to close a discussion; the Bible seeks to open one.”
The truth is there are times that the Bible does not answer all of the questions of life. Rather, there are times that the Bible points us to the questions that we need to ask.
Sadly the Bible is often treated as a work of art and not as the living word of God.
The Bible is viewed but not used. Many possess and own Bibles. They adorn nightstands, bookshelves and coffee tables but how often are they read and studied.
Many know the importance of the Bible but fewer actually read, study, and meditate upon it.
The Bible is God’s word; it is intended to be read and to be studied. More importantly it is meant to be lived.
Our congregation at the First United Methodist Church is dedicated to the teaching of the scriptures. We are offering to our community a “Brown Bag Bible Study” beginning Wednesday, January 11 at 12:15 p.m.
Participants are invited to bring their lunch and spend this time in studying the Word. Sessions will be designed to have participants on the way back to work by 1 p.m.
Everyone is invited. Come and join us in the study of the word of God.