Monday, October 8, 2012

Christos viventis



I have been known to raise some eyebrows in regards to speaking the truth I've come to know regarding the Bible, Torah, Talmud and Quran.

None of them are the definitive word of God.

It's a common problem for Christian, Jewish and Islamic scholars and apologists to have to answer for historical errors and conflicting testimony within these texts. This is very easy to explain when we look at it through the pragmatic lens of truth. They are a compilation of stories, laws, poetry and tracts written at different times by different groups of people. Of course they are historically inaccurate and conflicting.

If I started a book but left it unfinished, my grand daughter picked it up and added to it, then her daughter so on and so forth what we would have is a book written over many generations with many stylistic, historic and thematic contradictions.

And that's A-OK. It can still be a really good book, even a great book. It just may be difficult to understand if we try to read it in the same manner we would read a book written by a single author from beginning to end.

The Bible, Torah, Quran probably have tens if not hundreds of authors written over hundreds of years , or perhaps much longer. Some archaeological estimates have concluded that the Old Testament was written over a 3000 year period.

We need to stop making excuses for why Biblical inaccuracy exists. Why? It just doesn't matter.

While scripture is a large part of being religious, it's of zero practical importance when it comes to living faith. Why do I say that? Do we really believe, for one fraction of one second that the great creator of the whole universe who is the living Lord can be confined to a book?

Of course not, that very notion goes against living faith. It makes you reliant on a book that cannot possibly answer your questions, cannot offer you the warm embrace of comfort and cannot offer you an attentive ear or sincere words of wisdom. It's just a book, written long ago by men you'll never know and will never know you.

God however does know you. He does know your struggles and your triumphs. He knows your pain and most of all he knows your joy. He's living within you and within the vastness of his great creation. Isn't it much more powerful to listen for his words for today, the hear and now within your heart and on the wind than written on some page that may or may not even relate to your living struggle?

Today, there is much importance on being a Bible Christian. I can't think of a worse fate. I honestly mean that.

I say be a living Christian. Have a personal relationship with Christ. Live as he wants you to live, when your not sure what to do , ask in real time. You'll have your answers.

Live, love and know God!

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