Asking A Better Question

We who call ourselves Christians turn to the Bible for guidance. It is important to us if something is "biblical," that is, taught in the Bible.

In last week's post (Is It "Biblical"?, 3/25/19), I questioned this kind of thinking. I suggested that we were asking the wrong question when we asked "Is it biblical?"

We who call ourselves Christians often treat the Bible as though it is God's final, most complete self-revelation. We turn to it and quote it as though what the Bible says is the final word on what is true. We place our faith in its total reliability.

In reality, the Bible is not God's most complete self-revelation. The Bible bears witness to - is the record of - God's most complete self-revelation. Jesus and Jesus alone was, is, and always will be the most complete revelation of God's nature and God's ways. Consider the testimony of the New Testament writers:

• He (Jesus, the Son) is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being (Hebrews 1:3, NRSV). 
• The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son ... who has made him known (John 1:14, 18).
• Jesus speaking to his disciples: whoever has seen me has seen the Father (John 14:9).
• He (Jesus, the Son) is the visible image of the invisible God. In him, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell (Colossians 1:15, 19). 

The Biblical writers were clear. Jesus reveals God to us - God's nature and character (God's glory), God's ways, God's grace. If we want to know what God is like, we look at Jesus. If we want to know the ways of God, we turn to Jesus' teachings. If we want to know how to live God's ways, we look at how Jesus lived.

So we turn to the Bible ... to know what Jesus revealed to us about God! Whatever "truth" we identify must be in harmony with God's nature and character, in harmony with God's ways, an expression of God's grace. In other words, "biblical" truth will always be in harmony with who Jesus revealed God to be.

Some things in the Bible are an expression of our human nature, not God's nature ... of our ways, not God's ways. (I developed this thought in last week's post.) Our thinking, our understanding, our position might actually be "biblical," i.e., found in the Bible, but not in harmony with God's nature and character or an expression of God's ways of grace. Because it is "biblical," we think we are "right" when, in reality, we are out of step with God.

So, the better question to ask: is my understanding, my thinking, my position in harmony with the nature and character of God? is it an expression of God's ways of grace? is it in harmony with the life and teachings of Jesus? Is it Christlike?