Christians say some odd things. It’s ok, most subcultures do. It’s important however to stop every so often and examine the words we use and the impact they have with people who don’t have a history in the church or in Christianity. One phrase that comes up at times as a way to stop conversations is, “God said it, I believe it, and that settles it”.

Background: This phrase is about the Bible, but doesn’t actually come from there. It arose in the midst of growing evangelicalism and a renewed focus on the importance of the Bible. It is an attempt to say that the Bible is a trustworthy authority for our lives, an objective standard.

Truth:  The Bible is a trustworthy source. It was inspired by God and teaches us, encourages us, and challenges us. The Bible is reliable, and does all that it sets out to do.

The Twist: This phrase is often used to stop conversations in their tracks. It’s a way of saying, “what I believe is correct and beyond questioning, and I don’t care to hear your thoughts on the subject”. It can be incredibly frustrating for people who have sincere questions about the Bible and/or faith.

The Way Forward: God said it, I believe it, and that settles it”, sounds like we are trusting God and the Bible and aren’t going to back away from our convictions. It’s not completely accurate though. Let’s break it down phrase by phrase:

God said it: It might be more clear to say that God inspired it. He inspired the writers to write down histories, poetry, prophecies, and letters that were written to and about people who lived approximately 2000 – 4000 years ago. It was written to encourage and challenge people trying to understand and follow God, and by extension reaches down through the ages to us.

I believe it: Actually I interpret it. Like all writings from the past, we interpret the meaning. We seek to understand it’s context and original meaning and how it applies to us. This is best done in groups, where we gather to prayerfully and humbly work together to understand and apply what was written.

That settles it: While God’s word is trustworthy and reliable, our interpretations aren’t always. That means that we do our best to understand and apply what we are reading, but we are humble enough to admit when we have misunderstood something. We pray to God for understanding and we hold on tightly to God, and lightly to our interpretations or present understandings.

So, a better offering might be: God inspired the Bible, and I am seeking with others to understand and apply it to my life, but I understand that I am only human, and if I make a mistake, I’ll humbly correct it and stay eager to learn and grow.

Ok, mine doesn’t rhyme, and it isn’t quite as pithy, but it works.

The post Odd Things Christians Say first appeared on Michael Ramsey.

I know a great photographer. My family has used her on a couple of different occasions, and she is simply the best. Everyone who sees her pictures absolutely loves them.  I recommend her highly to everyone I know, and will use her for all of our photographic needs in the future. How much sense would it make though if I asked her to bring over all of her equipment to the house to help me with my most pressing need right now, a deck that desperately needs to be stained? No matter how superior her camera is, it won’t do much good on the deck. Also, it wouldn’t make sense, no matter how great she is with photography to expect her to be equally skilled at  carpentry, fly fishing or chemical engineering.

It would be crazy to treat a photographer that way, but many of us have been taught that it’s ok to do that with the Bible.

The Bible is life giving. Every word it says is true. It informs our lives. It guides, inspires, and corrects. But, in the words of Reggie Joiner, “the Bible is all true, but not all truth is found in the Bible”. Yet we stretch the Bible to try to squeeze out answers that it simply does not contain. When we do that, we can begin to damage ourselves and others with the Bible. Here are three things we can all do to avoid damaging others with the Bible:

Allow The Bible To Remain Silent Where It Is Silent

Just because the Bible doesn’t tell us the year that the universe was created doesn’t mean that it’s less valuable. There is no reason to be afraid of what the Bible doesn’t include. God inspired the writing of the Bible to include what it includes. He has also inspired it to leave out what it leaves out. If He is ok with us not having all of the answers, then we can be ok with it too.

Quit Using The Bible As A Fact Finding Tool

The Bible wasn’t written to supply you with pithy answers to people who challenge you. It’s a bad idea to use the Bible to try to prove how wrong other people are. The Bible is a beautiful collection of stories, history, and poetry. It’s a story to be caught up in, not a tool to bludgeon others with. When we read the Bible with the primary goal of relating to God we will never be disappointed.

Quit Using The Bible To Try To Prove Your Point  

When we go to the Bible to back up what we already believe we close our eyes to other things that God may be interested in showing us. The Bible is not a tool to prove how right you are.  It’s an invitation by the God of the universe to open our hearts and minds and be changed. When we read the Bible we are entering into a relationship. In the same way that it’s not good to use someone for our own purposes, it’s bad to use the Bible simply to win arguments.

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The post Why The Bible Is More Like A Relationship Than A Google Search first appeared on Michael Ramsey.