Framed by Faith » The Bible

The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.

Psalm 119:130

As true as these words are, it is easy to misunderstand the meaning. What are the words of God? Most people that you ask would quickly point you to the Bible. This collection of writings, spanning better than 3,000 years, is the accepted standard of man’s relationship with his Creator.

It is not only the centerpiece for all of Christianity, it is touted as the only Word of God for most of Christendom. Like the Bible Belt comment for the Authorized King James Version (”If it was good enough for the Apostle Paul, it’s good enough for me!”), we make the assumption that men have always had it, and that God directed the writing and compilation of it.

The Holy Bible is the primary guidebook for millions of spiritual followers around the world. It’s touted as still the best-selling book ever. The fact that it has been expanded from the King James Version to more modern translations and paraphrases is likely what has kept its ranking in book sales. Add to that the many study Bibles (for men, women, teens, depressed people, workaholics, charismatics, etc.), and you can see why it remains popular. But is it really God’s word?

One of the best dialogues I have heard recently was on the Neal Boortz talk radio show (I’m recreating it as best I can from memory.), when a caller remarked that God didn’t like such and such, to which Boortz replied, “How do you know that God doesn’t like it?”