I received a very moving email recently from a friend of mine and in it was a series of questions that made me wonder just how misunderstood I’ve possibly become. There are things I have said that probably muddle a lot of what I actually believe, and thanks to my friend I really had to step back and retrace the basics. I’m sitting up sleeplessly in the small guest bedroom of a German farm, writing, typing, reading, and feverishly flipping through pages because I feel overwhelmingly compelled to answer these simple questions: why do I write about the Bible? Why this book?

Aside from the fact that the Bible is, for me, the most tangible way that I can hear from God there are two main reasons that I continue to come back to it again and again.

Something I’ve noticed, especially recently, is how transient life can be. For instance, I’ve never been in a stable relationship, friends are here and there, the places I call home shift within months, and for me there are very few things that remain constant.

One of them is the word of God.

Isaiah 40:8 “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord our God stands forever.” 

Matthew 24:35, Mark 8:38, Luke 21:33 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

Psalm 119:160 “All your words are true; all your words are eternal.”

This is why I need it, why I crave it.

I believe the word of God is worth teaching and worth reading and I give it this preference because I know it will always be there – it will never change or cease to be what it is. In the same way I believe it also retains all the characteristics that make it perfect and that it will continue in the same way throughout eternity.

For example, the Scriptures will always be these things:

-flawless Psalm 12:6 / 18:30 / Proverbs 30:5-6

-right and trustworthy Psalm 33:4 / 2 Samuel 7:28

-above all things Psalm 138:2 

Scripture always is, and is always these things.

Unfortunately, I think there may be an attitude, sometimes, in the way other people and I approach scripture and that is to treat it as an archaic, or boring text. Once it’s been over, it’s over, as soon as we’ve heard certain truths it’s not long before we treat them as unnecessary and trite.

In response to this problem:

Hebrews 4:12

“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any two edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

In the sense that it is “living and active” I do not believe it changes or that it is inconsistent, I merely believe it can always be fresh. It is impossible for me to ever exhaust the scriptures of their usefulness, or to mitigate the impact they can have upon my life. Should I pick a book, say a small one like Jude, and read it for a year, making careful examinations of the language and the cultural context, dissecting the themes verse by verse, and should I also take my Bible to quiet places and meditate upon the verses for hours until God has impressed upon me every detail I think I could find from that book, I could return to Jude a year after and the book would challenge me again.

I could memorize the entire text, and this would still not exhaust its ability to affect and teach me. 

Scripture, no matter how many times it has been read, it will never lose its edge. And if I am interested in refining my character, I believe there is no better means to accomplish this than reading and studying the word. It can cut into my soul deeper than any mentor, pastor, psychologist or author; it is ALWAYS a fresh tool which can be used to improve myself.

Knowing that, how could I ever not love this book? Why would I choose any other book as the most important text to communicate to others? 

~

Before going on, there is a slight matter of opinion that I want to admit (take it or leave it).

Returning to something I mentioned earlier, there are two theological topics I want to address – I think they’re important even though they are a little arbitrary.

1) Scripture will never change, however the way we understand it can change

Example:

Acts 1:8

“… you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

I believe the span of history affects the way we understand this verse. What do you suppose a 1stcentury Jew would think when reading “the ends of the earth” – would that mean the expanse of the Roman Empire, maybe the Parthian Empire? What about Luther? He most certainly read this verse during his lifetime – would he think of Germany, or China or some place in Africa as the “end of the earth”? And what about today? As a 21st century Californian, I understand “the ends of the earth” in a manner that even Luke, the author, and other 1st century Jews could never even fathom. 

But this doesn’t mean Scripture has changed, only the way that we understand it. Which means I believe God’s Word (which is eternal) was written in such a way that it would accommodate any period of history. 

On another little side note, I do believe that the further our history separates us from the original audience, the more we lose the ‘nuance’ of Scripture – we lose its idioms and wit, its poetry and puns. That’s why it is necessary to study the original audience and language as best as we can.

CAN SCRIPTURE EVER BECOME OBSOLETE?

Yes, but ONLY in those specific instances where Scripture itself says so. I know that sounds really controversial, but let me explain (it’s not really all that scary)

Christ made a “New Covenant”

Hebrews 8:13

“By calling this covenant ‘new,’ he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.”

Hebrews 10:1-2,10

“The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming – not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship… [In the New Covenant] we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus once for all.”

In that sense, the Old Covenant is satisfied by elements of the New and therefore we are not required to follow what was written in the Old. It becomes obsolete in those very specific instances which are outlined in the New Testament. Therefore, Scripture will tell us when other portions of Scripture become obsolete.

Animal Sacrifice: Leviticus 1-5 and Hebrews 10:1-10

Circumcision: Genesis 17:10 and Galatians 5

Sabbath: Exodus 20:8 and Colossians 2:16-17 / Hebrews Ch. 3-4

Unclean food: Leviticus 11 and Acts 10:9-15 

Regardless of our changing understanding, and regardless of these instances where the New Covenant “satisfies” elements of the older Covenant, Scripture does not change, it does not alter. It is steady, and all scripture, whether it has been fulfilled and satisfied by the person of Christ or not, is always necessary and purposeful. 

Romans 15:4

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

Even if it is the Old Testament, or a bit of material that has been called “obsolete,” Scripture still gives hope. It still reveals the heart and desires of God, and because of this, I am interested. No matter what Scriptures we are reading, we can always learn more about Him, and the words give us direct access to the God who has created us, loves us, and saved us.

~

There is another “reason”, aside from the stability of Scripture that I write about it, and that is the effect of Scripture. It is because of what Scripture does to me that I am passionately seduced by it.

There are two passages on the point that I’d like to share (well, three actually, but for the sake of space I’ll just give the reference to the third) and then I’ll give you a load of bullet points if you want to look up some others.

Hebrews 5:12-14

“In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

I believe that if I lack discernment or if I am confused in how I should act, or if I am even completely ignorant of a flaw in my character, the constant study into the depth of God’s word will train me to see what is right and wrong. It will give me a clearer mind and heart when I don’t know what should be done.

2 Timothy 2:16-17

“All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

I crave what comes from God’s mouth just as a man would crave every word and sentence written in a letter from the woman he loves. It is God-breathed; it is not stirred up by the interpretation or dreams of the writers, and for that reason I’m in love with it. Its uses are clearly marked and they all intrigue me; Scripture will flesh out my character and prepare me to live the life that Christ lived. If I read it, it will inspire me to be kind where I have been rude, to give where I have often drawn back my hand, to comfort when I was previously indifferent, and to repent from sins that have entangled me in sadness for too long.

I guess I’ll just type out the third… it’s really good.

Psalm 19:7-11

  “The law of the Lord is perfect,

       reviving the soul.

   The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,

        making wise the simple.

   The precepts of the Lord are right,

        giving joy to the heart.

   The commands of the Lord are radiant,

       giving light to the eyes.

   The fear of the Lord is pure,

          enduring forever.

   The ordinances of the Lord are sure

        and altogether righteous.

   They are more precious than gold;

      than much pure gold.

   They are sweeter than honey,

       than honey from the comb.

   By them your servant is warned;

       In keeping them there is great reward.

Other effects and characteristics:

-They can generate spiritual longing in the listener/reader – Luke 24:32

-The Scriptures produce faith – Romans 15:4

-Ignorance of the scriptures causes error – Matthew 22:29 (Mark 12:24)

-The Scriptures can cause salvation – 2 Timothy 3:15

-By listening we can learn to fear God – Deuteronomy 31:12

-We have the word very close to us, it’s not distant or inaccessible – Deuteronomy 30:14

-Scriptures are not the idle, impotent words we often make them out to be, they are our life – Deuteronomy 32:47

-They teach us to revere God when we don’t – Deuteronomy 4:10

-The gospel comes with power, the Holy Spirit, and deep conviction – 1 Thessalonians 1:5

-When we obey it, the love of God is completed in us – 1 John 2:5

-It gives freedom – James 1:24-25

-His word sustains all things – Hebrews 1:3

-It should dwell in us richly if we are to teach or admonish others – Colossians 3:16

-It can cleanse us – Ephesians 5:26

-It is how we keep our way pure Psalm 119:9

-It will keep us from sin Psalm 119:11

-… actually, I recommend reading all of Psalm 119 for 176 verses worth of insights into the value of God’s word.

So why do I continue to write of it to people? Why do I continue to read it myself?

Because it gives direct access to the person and character of God and its effect upon those who listen is endless and powerful, something that I desperately need and desire.