Does Christianity Need the Bible?

Doug Beaumont.org ^ | 12/8/11 | Doug Beaumont

[Salvation]

You belive in Scripture, correct?

 

Then why don't you believe this?

 

John 21: (We'll be using the KJV today to keep things on even footing): "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen."

 

The Bible Itself declares that it doesn't contain everything.

[count-your-change]

Christianity is shaped and instructed by the Word of God, the Bible, and it existed before Christianity, Jesus saying, “It is written”.

It wasn't a “movement” that produced the Scriptures but the operation of God's spirit. It is the instruction and teaching book for Christians, as Paul called it, “Sharper than any two edged sword”.

Of course some may not like the idea that the “sword of the spirit”, God's Word, is alive and so want a view of the Bible as unnecessary or even a hindrance to their brand of Christianity.

[editor-surveyor]

>> “No the Bible does not make it Christianity, Christ does, and without Him it would be Judaism.” <<

.
No, it certainly wouldn’t be Judaism.

Judaism is completely about Christ; perhaps it would be Islam?

To fight the good fight and to reach the Dawkins of the world requires the word of God; that is what it is for. Our own wisdom is foolishness, so let’s sharpen our knowledge of the word of God, and then we will be able to reach them.

Without the Bible we would be lost in nonsensical “traditions” like the catholics.

[OneVike]

HUH???> what does that have to do with this?

[OneVike]

OK, try this, without Christ, it would be Judaism still looking forward to it’s Messiah.

However, Christianity became Christianity because of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, not the Bible.

[RegulatorCountry]

What it has to do with this, is that you're posing a question as to whether Christianity can exist without the Bible. That has drawn the attention of a Catholic who fancies your question a favorable thing toward an infallible Magisterium, which carries more weight with Catholics than does the Bible alone.

The Bible alone, Sola Scriptura, is a tenet of Protestantism. All is to be tested by scripture. If a doctrine or belief does not find support in scripture, then it is not an acceptable doctrine or belief. This means that any number of Catholic traditions are unacceptable to Protestants, because these traditions fail when being tested by scripture.

[editor-surveyor]

>> “The Bible Itself declares that it doesn’t contain everything.” <<

.
It does no such thing!

You have completely twisted the meaning of the verse.

The verse says that John’s account doesn’t describe each and every adventure of the Lord’s life on Earth, but the Bible as a whole states in many places that it does contain everything that we need to find eternal life in the presence of God through belief in his Son.
.

[Salvation]

Well, if John’s account doesn’t include everything, then parallelling that, the bible does not contain everything.

[Salvation]

Are you saying that the Apostle John, who wrote his Gospel after all the other Gospels is lying?

[Salvation]

Or are you saying that you do not believe the Gospel of John and therefore do not believe the entire Bible?

ALL the books, not just the Protestant Bible.

[momincombatboots]

I am no theologian, therefore the pitfalls of such sometimes pass me by. As I studied... I have found Christ used scripture in the desert and with those who knew it best. However, I find little value in arguing word for word, it is a trap at the most, an intellectual... Um pissing contest at worst. However from the first book to the last, it defines our relationship with Christ and with others.. In that order. Of all the times The Bible took my breath away, consoled and delighted me.. I will keep it. This philosophical back and forth spans centuries, it does not feed the hungry, touch the untouchable. Christ did that and so much more. He is my example.. I am not to blame if some hard heart sees two words in The Bible as foolish. I will certainly plant truthful seeds in love and let God open the eyes.

[cva66snipe]

The first chosen 12 were taught scripture by Christ yet they had little if any understanding during His time with them it seems. I doubt if any outside of Matthew given his profession had reading skills. The Word was before the creation and exist after it and forever. So what happened? How did they learn? These were not educated men in any sense.

I have said this before in other threads and I believe it. If by some catastrophic or man made by force event most if not all Bibles were destroyed The Word Of GOD continues to be taught to man. Man in his own follies thinks he or his church is why The Bible still exist today and that is simply not true. The Church of the believers in Christ is built upon the Rock of Divine Revelation and is proven time after time in scriptures. This was revealed when Christ told Peter that "No man has told you this but it was revealed to you by my Father in heaven." Divine Revelation through The Holy Spirit as promised believers by Christ is why the gates of hell can not prevail. That is how scripture can not go away. It is in our hearts. The Holy Spirit leads us into truth and warns us of wrong if we choose to listen that is.

In that respect this could not happen until Christ went to the cross and was risen. His last act was to given Them and the believers The Holy Spirit. This and this alone is what has kept The Gospel intact for 2000 years. If it were left up to man? We wouldn't recognize it. Added laws, added rules, added conditions, corruption, just like the scribes and Pharisees of old had done would make salvation through Jesus Christ a legalistic boondoggle no one could obtain or rather believe that they could. It would take reading decades of ancient text, understanding several languages, etc to understand what message Christ said in a few sentences if man had his way about it. A person should be able to to talk about & discuss salvation from remembered passages of the Four Gospels and help others.

Reading and relying on The Bible? Yes, reeading wise I rely on it alone as far as for sound doctorine, dogma, whatever term one wants to call it. But besides reading we should pray and listen more so for guidance from The Holy Spirit. I've read books discussing scriptures and even Hebrew traditions etc. But I rely on The Bible, The Holy Spirit, and prayer for the truth.

I am also reminded of Christ final ride into Jerusalem when the leaders of the Temple were telling Christ too rebuke or quieten the crowd.

Luke ch 19 38“Bless the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in highest heaven!”£ 39But some of the Pharisees among the crowd said, “Teacher, rebuke your followers for saying things like that!” 40He replied, “If they kept quiet, the stones along the road would burst into cheers!”

The rocks would burst into cheers. Clearly GOD's Word prevails despite mans deeds not because of mans doings.

[editor-surveyor]

What John’s account doesn’t contain is the duplicative anecdotes of the Lord’s life.

So it really does contain everything necessary to describe the complete character of Yeshua’s life

[editor-surveyor]

>> “Are you saying that the Apostle John, who wrote his Gospel after all the other Gospels is lying?” <<

That is a foolish, baiting strawman.

Nothing that I posted indicates that John told anything but what the Holy Spirit led him to.

[editor-surveyor]

The gnostic works that Satan inspired are not a part of God’s word.

[mitch5501]

"As for my thoughts on this. I would say that off the top of my head, I would answer the question as a NO. Christianity does not need the Bible to be successful at winning souls. Nor does it need the Bible to survive, and my biggest defense it this belief would be what God told Jeremiah,..."But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." (Jeremiah 31:33)"

How would people know what exactly those laws are? Even God by His very own hand wrote down the law right from the very get go.No doubt there are some folks who think God has put it into their minds that it's fine to consume your neighbour.It's dangerous and shifting ground.

"Given this approach the skeptic’s target becomes both smaller and more difficult to hit – all without threat to Christianity’s teachings (which, after all, are the skeptic’s real prey)."

Ultimately it's the god of this world who drives attacks on the Word of God and his aim is to disarm christianity.The body of Christ has only one offensive weapon listed in their battle dress in Ephesians.

"The Bible at times I fear, becomes a hindrance for many."

It's far more than a hindrance to some.It is our only offensive weapon. Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

If it's souls you're after then putting aside the Word is going to let your enemy and theirs run roughshod over you both.

I know I've pretty much sidestepped your question but I honestly can't get past the thought of somehow moving the Bible to one side.In the times we live in I'd rather brandish the weapon than set it aside as a difficulty.

Just my $0.02 FWIW

[Cvengr]

Before deciding if Christianity needs the Bible, your friend may want to read, think, and understand the meanings communicated by Scripture.

FWIW, those who are believers are members of the Body of Christ. All believers are brought into the Body of Christ by one Baptism, by one Holy Spirit. The Bible contains Scripture which communicates the Word of God who is identified as the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who will remain forever.

The Bible is one of if not the major source for veritable truth regarding what God provides for us. Throw that out, and one simply throws away many blessings.

[GourmetDan]

"If you would at least read his closing paragraph, you would see in his conclusion he agrees with you."

Quotes from the closing paragraph:

"... perhaps it would be better to defend the movement that produced it."

Unless the Holy Spirit is now referred to as a 'movement', this is nothing but a real bowel 'movement'.

"This approach opens the door to even more clear, available, and accepted evidences."

Oh yeah, that extra-Biblical evidence always works out so well...

"If needed, it can also be used to neatly sidestep issues of biblical transmission, inspiration, inerrancy, or infallibility..."

Apologetics is a defense, not a method to sidestep the 'issues'. The 'great' ideas just keep on coming, don't they. /s

"Given this approach the skeptic’s target becomes both smaller and more difficult to hit – all without threat to Christianity’s teachings (which, after all, are the skeptic’s real prey)."

“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

[editor-surveyor]

>> “This approach opens the door to even more clear, available, and accepted evidences.” <<

.
A clear attempt to inject gnostic and super-critical corruption into what should be a solely Biblical discussion.

Doug needs our prayer.

[LetMarch]

Amen! Let everything that hath breath praise the LORD! Praise ye the LORD! (Psalm 150:6)

For many years (since back in the 60’s) I have had thoughts that Christians would be thrown in jails and prisons, and would no longer have access to His Word, and other Christian fellowships.(We seem to be closer that every day).
I knew a very godly man that was in his 50s when the doctors told him he soon would be blind. He began memorizing the New Testament,(and much of the Old testament)
When I met him he was in his 70s, you ask him to say, quote Matthew chapter 18, he would stop and think a little while, then quoted the whole chapter.