Much of the debate about religion in our society stems from a single question: "What is our standard for measuring what is true?" Is it personal opinion, political clout, public opinion, the Bible, the Koran or some other standard?
I would contend the Bible is the only true standard of truth. It is indeed God's Word delivered through the hands of men who have been supernaturally guided by God's Spirit to communicate the heart of God to sinful humanity. We are to measure our views by what the Bible says.
I don't intend to go into the arguments for trusting the Bible in this post. I do want to make an observation. Increasingly there are those who claim the Bible as their authority who feel free to dismiss various parts of the Bible as not truly from God or as no longer relevant. This is troublesome.
Let's be clear. Christians who submit to the Word of God as their authority do disagree on issues. Sometimes it is hard to know how to apply Scriptural truth. These discussions are usually helpful.
It is also very difficult to know how to interpret some of the Old Testament in light of the New Testament. I understand this struggle. How are we supposed to view the food laws of the Old Testament in light of the New Testament that seems to argue that all things are clean in Christ? How do we view the purification laws and the sacrifices? How do we view the capital punishment commands of the Old Testament in light of the emphasis on love and forgiveness in the New Testament? Christians will continue to struggle with these questions.
I'm more troubled by selective readings of New Testament passages (such as passages on greed, homosexuality, prejudice, the definition of marriage, and the way of salvation). When people dismiss what the New Testament clearly teaches and conclude that such things are no longer authoritative, then the Bible is no longer the standard of truth . . .we are! When we stand as "editors" of Scripture we take up a position of authority over the Word of God!! The Bible calls that idolatry.
When we no longer submit our thinking to the Word of God but instead submit the Word to our opinions, truth becomes slippery. Truth then will be defined differently for each person depending on what that person wants to call authoritative. That's not truth, that's confusion.
We need to once again be people of "the Book".
