Can we really trust the Bible today? That’s a question a lot of people ask. Depending on who’s posing the question, it has different meanings.
Some people ask it because they view the Bible as an outdated book with no meaning in the contemporary world. It’s less of a question and more of a mockery of those who still read the Good Book.
Sometimes, it’s asked out of a genuine desire to know. Underneath is a plea: “I desperately want something I can count on, something reliable in this unpredictable world.”
For still others, they see the way things actually work as being radically different from the way they’ve been taught to believe. They see a disconnect between the real world and the insulated bubble of the church, and want to know what to keep and what to reject.
I’m sure there are other motives behind the question. I don’t want to try to psychoanalyze the emotional and spiritual baggage adhering to such a query, because I think that it’s the wrong question.
The answer to, “Is the Bible the inerrant Word of God?” only matters if you think there is a right answer. It only matters if you read the Bible as a legal document, a list of Life Rules to be trotted out like a reference book or an owner’s manual. It only matters if you believe there is one ultimate translation and interpretation for every word of the sacred text. It only matters if your goal is achieving doctrinal purity and perfection. It only matters if you view the Bible as your personal tool for living your own life.
Imagine that we didn’t even need to ask such a question. What would that kind of faith look like? What would a faith look like if we stopped idolizing our denominational interpretations of Scripture and instead began really reading what it says in there?
Would we develop more compassion? Would we seek justice in all things? Would we stop politicizing faith? Would different denominations be able to come together without tearing one another apart?
I don’t think it matters whether the Bible is “inerrant.” That’s a man-made term, and meaningless. That one word has led to countless debates over the discrepancies in the Bible, differences in the text that can’t be ignored. If we waste time arguing over accuracy, it leads us down the rabbit hole of either denying or excusing the clear contradictions (yes, there are some), or throwing everything out because if you can’t believe one thing, you can’t believe anything it says in the Bible. None of those are healthy approaches to reading the Bible.
But if we instead see the Bible as exactly what I called it at the beginning—the Good Book—it becomes something different.
A living document.
A covenant between ourselves and G-d.
A call to action.
A whisper of comfort in time of need.
A storybook of wonder to read to wide-eyed children.
A history of G-d’s love for people.
We can only see Scripture through our (limited) human perspective. Different interpretations of the Bible have brought little but denominational strife. Instead of worrying about whether the Bible is trustworthy, let’s trust that G-d is trustworthy. All else will fall into place.
