Why Do Christians Pay Attention to Some Parts of the Bible?
10/24/24
Let me say at the start. "That's a really interesting question!" I really wish a few of my friends involved in journalism were handy. Before making an attempt at an answer, we need to explore the question. What does it mean?
Greg Koukl, in his book Tactics, advocates coming out and asking. "What do you mean by your question?" This is an excellent response, for several reasons. We really don't want to answer what the person didn't ask. And the question could mean several things.
Some questioners will use this as a "gotcha" question. The real question is "Would you please pay attention to what I assume you want to avoid so I can attempt to show you as inconsistent, ignorant, or hateful?" These questioners should be urged to admit it and drop their pretense, make a genuine inquiry, or talk about something we can all agree on like the morality of teachers giving extra credit opportunities or the likelihood of it raining cattle.
Some questioners are being forthright but have asked a vague and poorly worded question. Maybe they really want to know what I, as a Christian, think is the most important theme in the Bible. Great question! If that's the case, I can say without apology that the main thrust of the Bible is the way God deals with human sin and disobedience. When we act outside of the way God has made the world to work, life and society turn out badly. The big picture is God in Christ working to reconcile the broken world to himself. It is restored through Jesus, who is God the Son, dying voluntarily to keep the demands of God's law for all people, and rising from the dead to make life available to all who trust that he has purchased them from sin. There are lots of smaller pictures in the Bible, and they are important. But ultimately they feed into that huge picture. We normally concentrate more on those portions that make the picture most clear.
Some questioners might have a problem with one or more particular part of the Bible, and want to know how to deal with it. This is a radically different question. Careful exploration can take our discussion to the pertinent passages.
Notice that in all but the first scenario there is a genuine question being asked in good faith. We want to keep the door open to these real questions. The real God of the Bible has real answers to real questions. He has chosen to communicate with the world in these last days through Jesus, the real man and real God who gave himself as the real savior of the real world where we live every day. My prayer is that He will use me as a faithful witness of who He is and what He does. The questions are good!
10/24/24
Let me say at the start. "That's a really interesting question!" I really wish a few of my friends involved in journalism were handy. Before making an attempt at an answer, we need to explore the question. What does it mean?
Greg Koukl, in his book Tactics, advocates coming out and asking. "What do you mean by your question?" This is an excellent response, for several reasons. We really don't want to answer what the person didn't ask. And the question could mean several things.
Some questioners will use this as a "gotcha" question. The real question is "Would you please pay attention to what I assume you want to avoid so I can attempt to show you as inconsistent, ignorant, or hateful?" These questioners should be urged to admit it and drop their pretense, make a genuine inquiry, or talk about something we can all agree on like the morality of teachers giving extra credit opportunities or the likelihood of it raining cattle.
Some questioners are being forthright but have asked a vague and poorly worded question. Maybe they really want to know what I, as a Christian, think is the most important theme in the Bible. Great question! If that's the case, I can say without apology that the main thrust of the Bible is the way God deals with human sin and disobedience. When we act outside of the way God has made the world to work, life and society turn out badly. The big picture is God in Christ working to reconcile the broken world to himself. It is restored through Jesus, who is God the Son, dying voluntarily to keep the demands of God's law for all people, and rising from the dead to make life available to all who trust that he has purchased them from sin. There are lots of smaller pictures in the Bible, and they are important. But ultimately they feed into that huge picture. We normally concentrate more on those portions that make the picture most clear.
Some questioners might have a problem with one or more particular part of the Bible, and want to know how to deal with it. This is a radically different question. Careful exploration can take our discussion to the pertinent passages.
Notice that in all but the first scenario there is a genuine question being asked in good faith. We want to keep the door open to these real questions. The real God of the Bible has real answers to real questions. He has chosen to communicate with the world in these last days through Jesus, the real man and real God who gave himself as the real savior of the real world where we live every day. My prayer is that He will use me as a faithful witness of who He is and what He does. The questions are good!
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