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Posts Tagged ‘written word’

Why Is It Important To Consider Bible Not Inspired?

Posted in Bible, christian living, Love of God, tagged , , , , , , , , , on February 9, 2025|

By Mike Edwards

Most hearing claims that God inspired the Bible assume all characterizations in the Bible about God are true. They assume inspiration means God approved all recorded by the writers. They don’t think of inspiration as meaning that God encouraged or motivated writers/editors to record their history with God, thus possible being right or wrong.  I felt inspired to write this Post about God. That doesn’t mean all I claim about God is necessarily true. I would suggest biblical writers were motivated to record their assumptions about God – possible right or wrong. We can’t prove God controlled the thoughts and pens of the writers. When we don’t assume God inspired the Bible, we are more likely to question if the writers’ assumption about God are right.

Our interpretation can give the wrong image of God, thus turning others away from God 

Ancient literature subject to interpretation cannot be the definitive word on truth. Biblical scholars who have a deep respect for Scriptures don’t agree what the Bible says about gays, women, hell, and other moral issues. It is seldom acknowledged our interpretations could be wrong. Gays are often condemned, women’s leadership roles are limited despite their gifts, and infidels face a torturous afterlife – all declared to be true in God’s name. People often reject God because of such claims made about God. When we don’t assume God inspired the Bible, interpretations are more likely to become discussions rather than definitive declarations about God. 

We quit using our moral intuitions, therefore possible trusting wrong interpretations

Many who claim that God inspired all written in the Bible to be true about God suggests we are made in God’s image. (Gen 1:27) If God is good, this suggests God created us with an inborn sense of good and evil. Self-evident rights aren’t hidden in the Bible or any Book. Even the Bible suggests we aren’t morally clueless. We are encouraged to be perfect like God (Mt. 5:48) or follow God’s example. (Eph 5:1) Interpretations about God’s love that don’t match how most know you ought to love your neighbor may be amiss. When we don’t assume God inspired the Bible, we are more likely to use common moral sense when interpreting the Bible.  

An inspired Bible can “inspire” violence

Many interpret the Quran or the Bible advocating killing Jews or condemning gays respectively, because Allah or God supposedly approves such actions. Most, especially extremists, don’t acknowledge their interpretation could be wrong. God supposedly orders Israel to commit hundreds of atrocities in the OT – “… put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys” (I Sam. 15:3). God’s possible justification of violence can lead to imitation of violent solutions such as capital punishment, blowing up abortion clinics, or unnecessary wars in the name of God. 

The Bible still can inspire useful thinking about God. 

Our relationship with God should be our focus, not the Bible. The Bible is God’s story beginning with Israel and culminating with the life of Jesus that we don’t possess in other documents. God may have inspired/encouraged the writers to write but didn’t necessarily approve of everything written about God. When reading the Bible, contemplate what a loving God is really like. Enjoy what God is trying to reveal to you about your Creator and how to treat others. A Book must not replace our relationship with God and common moral sense. Questioning the Bible may lead to knowing God better!

Why Is It Important To Consider Bible Not Inspired?

Mike Edwards has been writing for Done with Religion for some time and has been a great addition to the site. He couldn’t find enough people to discuss God openly so he started blogging years ago. Mike also has his own site where he writes that can be found at What God May Really Be Like  He can be contacted by email at: medwar2@gmail.com

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The Word of God – Book or Person?

Posted in christian living, Word of God, tagged , , , , , on March 15, 2017| 14 Comments »

Growing up in the church I learned quickly that the Bible was the word of God and that God spoke to us through his word. Everything had go along with the Bible or it was not of God.BibleatJohn1-1

I often wondered how a book written by many different people over many years, and in a time period so different from our own could be inerrant and the only way God communicated.

My personal belief is that the written word of God, which we call the Bible is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, as mentioned in 2 Timothy 3:16.

Yet while reading some of the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5:21 to 44, we listen to Jesus as he speaks to the crowds. Many times he says “you have heard it said” then mentions a verse from the written word. Each time he follows this with “but I say unto you” and follows with his words of advice. To me this says that Jesus, who is the living, inerrant Word of God has final authority over any written word which we call the bible. And remember Jesus spoke these words before the New Testament of our Bible was even written.

We read in John 1:1, in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

JesusWordofGod2Again in John 1:14 we read ‘The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth’. The written words of the Bible did not become flesh and dwell among us, only Jesus fulfilled that verse.

And in Revelation 19:13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

For me, I believe the Bible is inspired by God, written by men and useful for leading us to the living, inerrant Word of God who is Jesus.

I am certainly not saying we should not read the Bible, but we should not elevate the Bible to a position of authority which matches that of Jesus. We are not to worship the Bible, nor are we to disregard the leading and teaching of the Holy Spirit who lives within us. He will guide us into all truth.

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The Word

Posted in Word of God, tagged , , , , on April 18, 2012|

John 1:1 The Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

The Word is not just written words. The Word mentioned here is Jesus, the Living Word.

So many of us focus on what version of the Bible is the true word of God. This verse states that the true Word is alive and living within us as children of God.

If we were never again able to read from the Bible or hear it read to us, we still have the Living Word of God within us to teach us and guide us.

We should read our Bibles no matter what translation we prefer, but we need to remember that the Bible is the inspired words of God, and the true Word of God is Jesus, who lives within each of us through the Holy Spirit.

We can read the words on the pages of the Bible, but it is the Living Word within us that brings to life and gives power to those words we read.

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