Adherents of this view seem to teach, although not always deliberately, that God quit working with man once the New Testament was completed in its writing. All that we need to know is contained in Scripture, and through Scripture is the only way that God works. The Bible has, for all intents and purposes, become God's prison.
This view comes from a twisted and out-of-context interpretation of 1 Corinthians 13:9-11:
For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
In this view, God no longer needs to interact with humanity because he has laid out his word in Scripture. The perfect, Scripture, has come. The Bible contains all that is needed to attain salvation, which is usually the ultimate goal of these adherents.
Professor William Cook of the State University of New York uses the illustration of Huey, Dewey, and Louie, Donald Duck's three adventurous nephews, and the Junior Woodchuck Guidebook to describe the results of this view of Scripture. Whenever Huey, Dewey, and Louie, had a problem to any sort of issue, they could open up the Junior Woodchuck Guidebook and it would tell them what to do in that specific situation. The Bible is no Junior Woodchurch Guidebook.
When I was a lost freshman in college and struggling with whether to surrender my life to Christ, I spent much time thinking, reading the Bible, and praying. Some might be able to make that jump of faith based upon some passage of Scripture, but for me it was difficult because I did not understand why I should believe the Scriptures. It seems rather silly to say, but God revealed himself to me through Tom Hanks' Apollo 13. After seeing that movie, I was ready to surrender my life to Jesus. And I did.
Some might argue that Apollo 13 is not a firm foundation because it is not the Word of God, meaning Scripture. I could not tell you because I have not seen the movie in a long time. I do not hold it up as Scripture, but I do know that God spoke to me through that movie to spur my heart toward him. He was not confined to the Scriptures but he was living and breathing in every aspect of my life. He still is if I would only pay attention to it all the moments of my day.
We can learn about God, and more importantly, know God, from movies, books, conversations, through loving the lost, or any other moment of living. Every aspect of our life is a window into God if we would only look.
This is not to belittle the role of Scripture but to highlight the role of living. Scripture still has a role to play. Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:15-17:
How from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Sometimes it seems we have morphed the passage into saying:
How from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are the only thing able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Only Scripture is God-breathed and is the only useful tool for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
This view of God working through all things is derided because it is dangerous and can lead to all sorts of strange beliefs. The Apostle John addressed this problem in 1 John 4:1:
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
We are to test those spirit that we encounter throughout the day against the Scripture. There is no truth contrary to the Scriptures, but that does not mean that Scripture contains all truth. It might be dangerous to encounter God throughout the day, but that is the danger that is.
Let us realize that God is unlocked from the Scriptures. When we do that, we will begin to encounter God every where we go in everything thing we do. The Scripture is useful to check our understandings against and to derive understandings from, but it is not the Junior Woodchucks Guidebook or God's prison. God is free. God works through all things, whether it be a bush, a donkey, or a wrestling messenger like he did in the Old Testament, or through a movie, a book, a neighbor, a homeless man, or a prisoner like he does now; God works through all things. Let us have the eyes to see Him.
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4 comments:
It seems to me that the debate centers on inspiration. When many people say, “Scriptures is inspired” the implication is that inspiration has ceased. However, if that is the case, what are preachers doing from behind the pulpit on Sunday mornings? What are Youth Ministers and Sunday School teachers using for teach students? If these people are not inspired then how are lives affected, changed, and impacted? I believe inspiration continues today just as it did during Biblical times. Granted, we have a foundation on which to build (the Bible) but God is still speaking – expounding and applying the principles from the foundation.
First, Regan. I'm not sure I've ever encountered someone who believes quite what you describe. I've known plenty who would be skeptical of God speaking a special message (something that he did not already say in Scripture) for you through a movie. But even they would at least affirm what we typically call general revelation. I'm not sure if you have oversimplified their point, or if this is just something I have not encountered.
second, Sam. I cannot agree that I, or any other teacher am inspired just as they were in Bible times. I'm inspired, no doubt. Others are too. But I've never heard a sermon good enough to be called "God breathed". It's different.
I am in a more conservative area, so it might just be here or a misconception on my part.
Shannon - is it different because we have the Bible as a basis or because it is not "as" inspired? I guess I would like you to flesh out your "It's different" comment.
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