Is the Bible literal and always true?
The acclaimed film director Woody Allen once remarked that “We have no spiritual center—we are drifting alone in the cosmos.”
This feeling of spiritual limbo is reflected by data released a couple years ago; a Gallup Poll found that for the first time ever in the history of America, a minority of people are members of a church or other religious meeting place. Not surprisingly, this trend is being led by millennials and younger generations. Only 36 percent of millennials are members of a church, while 31 percent report having no religious affiliation whatsoever.
Allen’s observation that our culture lacks a spiritual center is seen most clearly when people are asked if the Bible is the literal Word of God. Only 20 percent of respondents said that it is.
If the Bible is not the spiritual center of a person’s life, they will drift along in the cosmos, feeling alienated, lost, and without hope.
The decline in belief of a literal, inspired Word of God has given rise to various interpretations about the role and use of the Bible. By the way, there’s no question where we stand today—you can count me with the 20 percent who believe the Bible is the literal Word of God. Frankly, this is a foundational belief for the Christian’s life and practice.
And while most of this magazine will be devoted to defending this position—theologically, scientifically, and historically— we must first begin with a brief survey of the opposing viewpoints regarding the Bible. It’s possible that you believe one of them; it’s almost certain you will converse with someone who does. It is crucial at the outset that we understand the presuppositions of others, so we can give an informed defense for the truth.
VIEWPOINT 1: THE BIBLE IS A COLLECTION OF FABLES, FOLK TALES, MYTHS, AND LEGENDS.
Supporters of this position will say that the moral teachings of the Bible are at times good and beneficial to society. They will agree that most of the Ten Commandments and much of Jesus’ teachings are worthwhile philosophies for civilized living.
But they reject all supernatural power and the existence of any miracles. Influential proponents of this belief will claim that Jesus didn’t really walk on water; he was stepping on floating lily pads that carried Him to the boat where His disciples were. The raising of Lazarus from the dead was a staged performance with the help of Mary and Martha to make Jesus more famous and cause more people to believe in Him.
I think—frankly—it takes more faith to believe that a giant lily pad could keep a full-grown man floating on top of a raging sea than that Jesus actually is the Son of God with the power to walk on water.
VIEWPOINT 2: THE BIBLE IS A COMBINATION OF GOD’S WORD AND FABLES, MYTHS, AND LEGENDS.
The problem with this viewpoint is obvious—who decides the combination? Who sits in the seat of the judge and decides what passages are God’s words and what passages are myths? Are we to be like Thomas Jefferson, the American statesman who didn’t believe in miracles or the deity of Christ? He copied his own version of the Gospels—I have a copy—and it ends with Jesus dead in the tomb— end of story!
Those who hold this viewpoint replace the authority of God’s Word with their own authority.
I listened to a local pastor in my area who teaches at a church that rejects the inerrancy of Scripture. I was baffled as he selectively used the teachings of the apostle Paul to argue whatever position the pastor wanted to believe. Because the pastor does not believe in hell, he teaches that Paul was speaking metaphorically in Romans 6:23 about “the wages of sin” being “death.” He claimed that death must be some sort of metaphor.
This same viewpoint is how people can change the translated word “homosexuality” in the Bible to “pedophilia,” changing the real sin they think God is condemning based on which sexual preferences are more socially acceptable.
Beloved, you won’t find a pastor or teacher who holds to this worldview who can give a consistent defense for which parts of the Bible they choose to take literally and those they dismiss or rewrite!
VIEWPOINT 3: THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD BUT IS NOT THE FINAL WORD FROM GOD.
This viewpoint argues that additional writings beyond the 66 books of the Bible are equally authoritative and inspired. Whether it’s the Muslim Koran, or the Mormon Book of Mormon, or the Jehovah’s Witnesses Watchtower Magazine, or the Roman Catholic Apocrypha and Papal decrees, these religions claim to take the Bible seriously, but not uniquely.
Mormons believe their teacher’s version of Jesus, who along with his brother Satan, were born of women who had sexual relations with God the Father. Muslims follow the gospel of Barnabas, an allegedly inspired fifth gospel that teaches Jesus was never crucified, but Judas was, instead.
Have you ever thought about the fact that the very first temptation was when Satan asked Eve, “Did God say …”? And ever since, Satan and his demons have been using the same strategic approach: tempting people to question, reinterpret, add, erase, ignore, or retranslate according to their own religious or personal views.
When you are confronted with one of these viewpoints and are asked to defend why you take the Bible seriously—literally—this edition of Heart to Heart is designed to equip you with the answer. Ultimately, to trust the Word of God as the final authority in your life today.
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So appreciate your clear teaching of God's Word...I've received so much from your messages and have used portions of them in teaching, along with some of your illustrations.
Thanks and God's blessings brother!
By the way…Different subject: I’m relishing the current Tribulation series! I especially appreciate the definitions of the various views on the Millennium. I grew up in the Church of Christ during the ‘50s. The Churches of Christ split, many years prior, over their views of the Millennium. A preacher in Louisville, KY, Robert Boll, taught the pre-millennial viewpoint, which was the teaching of “our side” of the Churches of Christ. My Dad’s family, from TN, were, of a different viewpoint…amillenial, maybe. They just agreed to disagree. In 1952, a dear preacher friend of ours, Hall C. Crowder, was the Minister at the Main Street Church of Christ in Gallatin, TN. He organized a week-long series of debates in Nashville. We traveled from Louisville to attend. I was only seven, but I vividly remember the debates, and one scene stands out in my mind. The preacher from the “other side”, took the podium , armed with many books, which he referred to during his talk. When it came time for our guy, Frank Mullins, Sr., to speak, he approached the podium, armed with only one book—God’s word, and presented his case with scripture, only.
It’s ALL there!
5 lies that the world have commonly embraced, and is now embraced by apostate churches 1. Homosexuality is normal- 2. Pagan spirituality is OK 3- Feminism is good - Transgenderism is normal and - Modesty is outdated. " Isaiah 50:4b " Morning by morning he awakens, he awakens my ear to hear as those who are taught."
RESPONSE FROM WISDOM INTERNATIONAL: At the bottom of each page of our website is a blue chatbot icon. If you open the chatbot and ask "How can I identify false teachers?" it will provide you with the messages where Stephen addresses it.