Theme: Doctrine

The young student looked earnestly into my eyes, her brow furrowed with concentration and concern. “But Doctor Chris”, she asked, “The Bible says nothing about the internet, genetic engineering, cloning or any other twenty-first century issues, so how can you say that it is sufficient for faith and life?” This is a fair question.

The Bible was written in the days (or a time) when humans did not even dream of the things that we have to deal with in our age. However, it contains principles, values and models that have guided each generation for thousands of years. It does not address genetic engineering or cloning, for what use would that be to any generation other than the current one? But, it has much to say about the value of human life, the composition of each person, how we reflect the image of God and so on. We can deduce ethical standards and norms from what the Bible has to say about such things. No, it has nothing to say about the internet, but much about communication, what we see and hear, and how we should evaluate all the inputs we receive.

Most of all, the Bible reveals Jesus to us. By reading, studying and meditating on the scriptures, we can not only learn what Jesus said and did, but we can encounter Him in a very real way. It is in our relationship with Him that we chart our life through the complexities of the twenty-first century.

Another question the young student might have asked is, “What about the things that the Bible doesn’t address, even in principle?” Well, the claim I, and most Evangelical scholars, make is that the Bible is sufficient but not exhaustive. The Bible itself does not claim to be a record of all that is real, only an account of all that is truly important. When we get right down to it, the only truly important thing in life is our relationship with Jesus Christ. Second in importance is our relationship with others. Everything else is of passing and relative importance. What do you think? Is this true for you?

Share |