The Bible says so... (Pt.2)

I feel the need to further explain my last post. Maybe not needed, but I feel it is. Many times, in my haste of writing, I leave out complete thoughts I had or after taking a day or two and coming back to it, I see a self-perceived shortcoming.

This happens alot with me, but this subject, I felt, requires more explanation.

I truly believe that the Bible is the divine, inspired, exact word of God. No exceptions anywhere. Further, I do believe the 66 books in the current Bible is exactly the whole Bible. Nothing more, nothing less. Findings such as The Apocrypha, Dead Sea Scrolls, maybe even the Gnostic Gospels by not being included does not mean they aren't good reads and provide more insight and spur thought. However, so is C.S. Lewis and none of his writings appear in the Bible. This is how I view such items as The Apocrypha, Dead Sea Scrolls, etc.

This leads itself further that to qoute these sources in the same context as a Bible is incorrect.

But back to the divine inspiration of the Bible, nothing trumps it. The problem exists in the secular world. If I have a conversation with my wife or one of my close friends, we can qoute the Bible all night long and not think twice about its authenticity. But nonbelievers do not believe in this. Many will and do write you off as uneducated and almost idiotic. This is very sad but true. The claim I am making is that you need to be able to do more than this. Nothing should ever stop you from telling the story of Creation as it is written in the Bible, but the unfortunate and very sad truth is that you may have to do more than this when you are epxlaining something to an unbeliever.

Finally, this leads me to something I failed miserably at with the first post. The focus of a Christian is leading someone to Jesus. Not arguing for Jesus. The Gospel is "The Good News" and this should be our focus. But this doesn't mean discussions do not happen with unbelievers. Even Paul "disputed in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met him." But if you read further (the whole 'MarsHill' story is in Acts 17:16-34) you'll see that Paul did not pass on the chance to share the gospel with these people. Matter of fact, it is the last thing he says.

This should always be our focus. I am guilty myself of going to the coffee shop and "talking theology" with my unbeliever friends. I feel a sense of accomplishment about it, like I am speaking out for God and defending his word. That is noble and all, but Jesus' last command to us was to go to all nations and preach the gospel.

I hope this answered many questions and helped but into perspective where my first post failed. As always I anticpate all comments and questions on all my writings here.

Until next time

Brian