Why the Bible?
By: Brian Harris
I don’t know what you think of the new fad of bringing old authors to life. It’s pretty widespread, and you can now read new Poirot or Miss Marple mysteries written not by Agatha Christie but by her fans, or dive into a new Ian Fleming novel (Anthony Horowitz of Foyle’s War fame is taking this on) or read a fresh take on Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes.
Some fictional characters are able to capture the imagination of multiple generations, and become a permanent fixture in our collective consciousness – after all, most of us have heard of James Bond or Poirot or Sherlock’s Dr Watson – even though their original creators are long dead.
True, not everyone appreciates the changes! My wonderful wife Rosemary is amongst them, and when we watch the Marple TV series there are frequent outbursts of “that’s outrageous” as she notes how the revised interpretation deviates from the original. Having said that, we both agree that Marple: 12 New Stories – by 12 different authors, is well worth the read.
Why this start?
I’ve often reflected on how remarkable the Bible’s ongoing popularity is. After all, it is a book that was written over a period of about 1600 years, by around 40 different authors (none of whom realised where their writing would land up) and completed almost 2000 years ago. Who would pay attention to it today – other than for a handful of scholars interested in antiquity? Yet it is comfortably the worlds all time best seller (to say nothing of the hundred of millions of free copies that have been given away). Why is it still so popular?
There are many different answers.
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks in his excellent book Morality notes that the ancient Rabbis spoke of the “70 different faces of the text” and argued that you hadn’t understood a biblical passage until you had considered at least 70 different possible meanings (or faces) for each account. It’s a fascinating insight, and one which I increasingly appreciate. Indeed, when you next read a passage from the Bible instead of saying “Hmmm, now let me remember, what is it that this passage means,” why not ask, “What is it that I have not noticed in this passage before?” I’ve been reading the Bible for well over 50 years and am stunned at how often I have a fresh answer to that question.
Another is that the Bible claims that its writing was inspired by God, or as 2 Tim 3:16 puts it, “All scripture is God-breathed…” Now given that’s a claim the Bible makes for itself I understand that some will view the claim with more than a little scepticism – in much the same way as we don’t take the promotional claims of most books seriously. But this one is worth deep thought, not so much because the claim is made, but because the history of the Bible demonstrates that at least at some level, it must be true. At the very, very least it is an inspired text in the way that Shakespeare and Dickens are inspired (they have inspired multiple generations and the genius of their writing is widely recognised) – but dig a little deeper and I think you will conclude that it is more than just that kind of inspiration. This is a book that has changed the world – and that is not hyperbole. Be it the 10 commandments, or the Sermon on the Mount, or Paul’s teaching about love in 1 Cor 13, or the story of David up against Goliath, or the Parable of the Good Samaritan, and you realise that these passages have shaped the way we view reality and how we treat one another. I think the impact statement of the Bible on the world is enough evidence to suggest that its claim to be God-breathed is “probably true” – to cite part of the title of my book on apologetics.
Now I know that some will object to these comments and quickly remind us of the more blood thirsty passages in the Bible. The Bible is an adult book, and as we read it we make choices about how we will interpret it. There are indeed 70 different faces to every text, but not each face is as good as the others. Some interpretations favour a dangerous face, or an oppressive face, and we must learn to see beyond them. I aim for a Christological reading of the text – in other words one which reads the overall biblical text in the light of the story of Jesus. The question to ask is: In the light of Jesus, how should this passage now be understood?
Not only is the Bible God inspired, but it is Spirit illuminated. Having inspired the writing of the Bible, the Spirit helps us to interpret it. In very practical ways the Spirit draws our attention to passages that are relevant to our situation. Ps 119 spends most of its 176 verses extolling the value of Scripture. A repeated refrain is that it gives light to us, most famously in v105: “Your word is a lamp to my feet, a light to my path.” When I read this book, I get light for the path I must travel, I am guided on the steps I should take.
I could go on, but my hope is not that you would read my words today, but that if you have let your reading of Scripture fade, you would read it in a fresh new way – asking to see things you have not noticed before, confident that it speaks in hopeful new ways to ever changing circumstances. And so that I don’t just say this – let me point you to Psalm 3, which I have been contemplating recently. It was written by David when he was facing a situation that seemed near impossible. It speaks of the God who is our shield (v3), the reason we can sleep deeply (v5) and our deliverer (v8). Here it is:
Psalm 3
1 Lord, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!
2 Many are saying of me,
“God will not deliver him.”
3 But you, Lord, are a shield around me,
my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
4 I call out to the Lord,
and he answers me from his holy mountain.
5 I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.
6 I will not fear though tens of thousands
assail me on every side.
7 Arise, Lord!
Deliver me, my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth of the wicked.
8 From the Lord comes deliverance.
May your blessing be on your people.
Article supplied with thanks to Brian Harris.
About the Author: Brian is a speaker, teacher, leader, writer, author and respected theologian who is founding director of the AVENIR Leadership Institute, fostering leaders who will make a positive impact on the world.
Feature image: Canva
