“Prayer and a relationship with Him through the spirit is most important. The bible is a nice teaching tool. One can be a Christian without ever seeing a bible. One can not be a Christian without a relationship with Him.”
And that is exactly Andy’s point. He is our pastor and his comments have been taken out of context. His aim in this series was to encourage millennials who have stepped away from the church to find Christ again. For three hundreds years after the resurrection of Christ, the Church grew exponentially without the benefit of a compiled New Testament.
I am in a southern gospel band that visits a lot of small baptist churches in KY. The “Bible worship” I see makes me really nervous. It’s actually kind of creepy. My focus is on Christ. I see the bible as an “owners manual for the Christian human.” I don’t worship any more than I worship the owner’s manual for my car.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
It is not merely a good teaching tool. It is the very word of God.
“For three hundreds years after the resurrection of Christ, the Church grew exponentially without the benefit of a compiled New Testament.”
Yes but many of them had Paul’s letters or copies of the letters. Stanley asserts that it’s all black and white but it’s not.
Also, in Acts the apostles continued the many miracles and mighty works Jesus started in His ministry. Performing miracles was part of the reason for people to believe Jesus was who He claimed He was (Acts 2:22), something Stanley’s church doesn’t do.