The Bible ain't for everybody

Excuse me, I'm probably going to speak in the vernacular a bit here. But don't get me wrong, the Bible was given to all wo/men.  The fact is, not everyone recognizes the Bible as the Word of God. And I get that. In order to believe that the Bible is God's "love letter to mankind", one has to have faith. Maybe even a lot of faith. Since I grew up believing, the leap from what my parents taught me to what I let the Bible itself teach me wasn't that huge - once I got serious about studying for myself.

There are varying degrees of belief concerning the Bible, too. Some people believe it's a great history book about a certain group of people, and only for that group of people. Some find the Bible full of contradiction and bloody wars commanded by an angry and jealous God. Others believe it's a nice book that has some neat guidelines on how to live in harmony with others, but no attachment to anything like soul salvation. I know a few people who consider it a book of straight fiction. And then there are those of us who believe what the Bible says about itself...that, yes, it was written by men. Most Bible detractors can't get past the "written by men" part. But - these men were filled with the Spirit of God, and wrote words of life, admonition, encouragement, and judgement, as the Spirit moved. (paraphrase 2 Peter 1:16-21) However, you can't believe that if you don't have faith.

I wrote in another post, that the Bible is as relevant to our lives today as it was way back when Moses wrote the Torah, or, the Pentateuch. (the first five books of the Bible). Grant it, my opinion is founded on my faith in the Book, and the God of the Book.  I've been a serious student of the Book for a few years now, and I find that there are new insights every time I read it. Even texts I've been knowing most of my life, have brought me a different, deeper perspective than times before. David said in Psalms 119:105(KJV), Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. That's just real. And I think that people sometimes allow the volume of the Book to intimidate them - and many say they don't like the King James Version because it's too hard to comprehend with all the "thees" and "thous". That's been handled, though, because there are now so many contemporary versions that speak to the reader  in today's language without watering down the message.(however, there are KJV lovers who don't trust any other version)

Add to that, there are folks who get caught up and turned off by the confusion of all these different churches and their different interpretations of what the Bible says. And that's a  hot mess, for true, I ain't gonna lie.  Earnest prayer goes hand in hand with Bible study. God has made His truth so clear and real to me, that I can meet up with other believers I haven't seen in months, or even years, and we find confirmation and agreement in our understanding of the teachings we've been studying! The Truth is unifying, not divisive. There were beliefs we all held in common in the past (learned in churchianity), that we now, through further study, understand much differently.

These same believers I just mentioned don't necessarily attend "church" regularly, either.  They're engaged in various outreach and in-reach ministries, small Bible study groups in their homes, sometimes going from house to house. This kind of intimate fellowship cuts down on the preponderance of indoctrination/parroting that one finds within the traditional  churches. Because there is the tendency some churches have of elevating/exhalting their interpretation of the Scriptures above other churches/denominations. A person who studies the Bible in sincerity, will unlearn what they were taught second hand. In other words, the Holy Spirit is the true Teacher of the Book.  Jesus told the Disciples what would happen after His death and resurrection, in John 16:13 (ESV):

 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.

And the Apostle, John said it again in 1 John 2:27 (ESV):
  
But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.

Oh wow! Am I saying we don't need preachers? No - I'm not saying that. But one must be taught by a Spirit-filled preacher (finding one led by the Spirit might be tricky these days - I kid you not). So, then, how does one access the Spirit for oneself?  Praying sincerely for the Lord to show us what He wants us to know of His will for us through His Word, is a good start. Check what happens when we pray... the Holy Spirit actually takes our words and translates them into heavenly language, presenting our true needs before God!  The Spirit  intercedes on our behalf before the Father! Don't take my word for it - see for yourself in Romans 8:26-28 (ESV)

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.  And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

All this stuff is meaningless if we don't have the faith necessary to believe the Book.

In conclusion, I'll share the other anchor text, that along with 2 Peter 1:16-21,  settles this issue for me:
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.  


My hope is that I'm striking a chord of understanding or even curiosity within the heart of whoever is seeking a closer walk with the Lord. I'm also very much aware that there are many reading this who will roll their eyes, smirk and say, "whatever!" I'm good with that, too. The Bible ain't for everybody!

Blessings!