The Preacher's Pen

In some ways it is easy to dismiss liberal and modernistic scholars like ABC relied upon in their lame program about Jesus. We look at all of that, shake our heads, chuckle a bit and go on our way. Yet I wonder sometimes if we fully realize the impact that modernistic scholarship can make in our lives.

Regularly I hear people complaining about all the debate over homosexuality in various religious denominations. ""How can they even vote on that?"" people ask. ""Haven't they ever read Romans 1 or 1 Corinthians 6? Homosexuality is wrong!"" Well, of course it is - if you believe in the Bible as the literally inspired word of God.

There's the catch. What is the Bible? Is it a collection of fairy tales, myths, poetry and interesting stories? Or is it the verbally inspired word of God, that instructs, teaches, rebukes, reproves and demands our compliance because it represents the very will of our Creator for our lives today? How one answers that question makes all the difference. What so many Christians don't realize today is that many religious seminaries long answered that question with a resounding ""No."" Their preachers simply don't believe the Bible is God's word. Thus, in their debates about homosexuality or any other matter what the Bible says is not the paramount issue. It may not even be considered at all. What was written two thousand years ago has no impact on what they wish to do today. Why? Because they don't believe in the Bible. They may say they do, and they may carry Bibles around in the officially pious under-the-arm position but they don't look at that Book the way you and I do. It isn't the iron-clad word of God that must not be altered because it must be obeyed.

That is why I am convinced we cannot simply dismiss liberal scholarship, ABC's program, and guys like John Crossan with a shake of our heads. They are changing how people perceive the Bible and that changes everything. From what we believe about our origins to what we believe about Israelite history to what we believe about Jesus Christ and how to be saved - it's all determined by our attitude toward the Word of God. ""The entirety of Your word is truth"" (Psalm 119:160).