Man's Arrogance Knows No Bounds...

Adam and I were talking about a post he found yesterday.  It is quite interesting. You can read some of its wording down below. I must admit that the only reason I gave the post any time or consideration is because someone I know (no, not Adam) somewhat agreed with the post. In a sentence I would summarize the blog’s post to be saying this:  “Since I am so smart and the others (Evangelicals and Conservative Christians) are so foolish, I can tell when the Bible has not gotten things right while the others just can’t accept the fact that the Bible sometimes is wrong.”

Being a Conservative Christian and in some ways an “evangelical,”  I would prefer to give other passages of Scripture some serious consideration before I just assume “the Bible sometimes is wrong.”  Me thinks it would be better to conclude this: “Sometimes my perception of what I think the Bible is saying is wrong.”

2 Peter 1:20-21 - Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Isa 55:8-9  "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,"  declares the Lord.  9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

2 Peter 3:8-9 - But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Rom 11:33-34 - Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!  34 "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?"

Phil 3:15-16 - And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.

Rom 1:21-23 - For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.

"Sometimes words in the Bible are wrong." That's a dangerous thing for clergy to stand up and say in American churches, yet that's one of the main messages of your work. I would love it if every clergyperson would stand up and say to their congregations: "Sometimes the Bible is wrong." There is a taken-for-grantedness in conservative American Christian culture—and it's true, I think, in much of mainline Christianity today as well—that understanding the Bible is simple. And, if the Bible says something is wrong, then that pretty much settles it. There are very few Christians who are willing to stand up and say, "Sometimes the Bible is wrong." Yet, I think that's really important for Christians to say occasionally.

Before some of our readers start throwing things at their computer screens, let's remind them that what you're saying actually makes a lot of common sense if we stop to think about the whole scope of the Bible. Obvious examples are passages in the Bible that say slavery is OK. And, there are some passages in the Bible that absolutely prohibit divorce. In Mark 10:9, it's complete. Matthew has an exception clause: except for reasons of adultery. Then, there are clearly passages in the New Testament that expect Jesus to come again very soon from their point in time. Now, 2,000 years have passed. There are so many more examples where in plain terms we need to say, "Sometimes the Bible is wrong."