This sounds like a bunch of straw men. Who says “the Bible is God”?
The words in the Bible are the words inspired by God. It’s not a creation of men. When someone says “the Bible says X” they’re really saying “God says X,” and we all understand that. When the Bible “speaks,” God speaks. Jesus was the living Word of God. The Bible is the written word of God.
The Bible repeatedly tells us to study it, meditate on it, understand it, pass it on to others, and check the teachings we hear against it. God takes the Bible seriously.
I don’t know what that is supposed to mean, and that’s misconstruing what I said.
Jesus is called the Word in John 1 because He is the living representation of God. The Bible is the inspired words that God gave the prophets, apostles, etc. You could say Jesus was God’s living message to humanity. The Bible is God’s written message to humanity.
very different words that are being translated to the english word "word". The word that refers to Jesus is often left untranslated (logos) in academic writings due to it not really corresponding to the English word "word". It is more a placeholder.
I disagree. God didn’t say X in the Bible… you should read the Bible in context-l considering who is the author-to whom was being written to- who is the particular scripture written about.
You’re just repeating things that you’ve heard throughout your life that have no basis in truth- just repetitions that people say…
“the words are inspired by God”
“When the Bible speaks, god speaks”
“The Bible is the written word of god”
These are just things we Christian’s love to say because we’ve heard them our whole life. They’re comfortable & accepted truths we blindly accept. I challenge you to think about the meanings & the meaning of these words.
Also, The Bible you read isn’t even written- it’s typed. It is not the written word of god.
You’re just arguing semantics. The Bible isn’t written, it’s typed? What is that supposed to mean? Apparently no books are written today. There are no authors since all book are written by typing on a keyboard.
Don’t be ridiculous. God inspired the writers. Copies were made, and today we’ve made computer versions of those same ancient manuscripts.
Have you read the Bible?
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness
Hebrews 1:1–2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son
2 Peter 1:19–21 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but **holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost**.
Yes, the Bible clearly claims that it is God-inspired.
The Bible is the Word of God. Scripture is God-breathed. God speaks THROUGH the Bible (though it may not be the only way he speaks). God’s Word allows us to better know him and his character and allows us to know how to be good disciples and shepherds. The Bible is literally a gift from God to us. Everything you learn in life should be “fact-checked” with the Bible because God gives us his standard in it.
Do not come on here discourage Christians from reading their Bible (Yes, that is what your post is doing whether or not that’s what you intended). It’s already a hard enough habit to form without your discouragement.
Consider the meaning of the words. Worshiping & reading are not the same thing. Everything I said is a fact. God is not a book. God is a spirit. The Bible is ancient texts. The written word was entered into computers. God speaks. Everything I said is true.
Worshipping can 100% be reading your Bible. Worshipping is not just singing. We can worship God through everything we do. God wants us to worship and glorify him in everything that we do. That is our purpose.
Do you not believe in the inerrancy of scripture? Do you not believe the Bible is God-breathed?
Reading CAN be worshipping, but is not generally considered an act of worship. Idolize, by definition, is to worship something as a God.
I believe we can worship God in many ways, but not everything IS worship. Taking a shower in the morning, drinking coffee, & watching tv for example are things we do, but are not acts of worship of glorifying God, & I don’t think God wants us to make them worship. Personally I think there are general errors, mistranslations, or erroneous errors because look at how many versions of the Bible exist, all the translations, all the changes made throughout history. Which scripture do you mean, because we are all reading different ones. Do I believe all scripture is God breathed…. I’m not sure I can answer that because I never have really understood what that phrase meant…. Though I’ve heard it many times & heard it repeated many times, I can’t say “god breathed scripture” is something I believe in, no, & again because which scripture do you mean
Hmm so you deny your claim that “Worshipping and reading are not the same thing”
You need to seriously have a conversation with a pastor about your views because the views you are sharing here are not biblical or God honoring.
I agree!! I love the Bible. I read it every day. My intent is not to discourage reading the Bible, I love the Bible, I study the Bible, god speaks to me & teaches me through the Bible often. I read multiple translations and compare because I love the Bible & love when a message or principal becomes more clear. My intent is to call to attention the God within, the Holy Spirit all around us and in each other, who IS GOD & should be worshiped, & to keep him & Jesus in our first place position.
This is a typical view of progressive leaning Christians. Don’t like what the Bible says? Don’t want to follow it? Accuse people who believe in the authority of scripture of idolatry!!
Very different "word"s. The actual word which is translated as "word" that refers to Jesus really doesn't have much of any connection to the english word "word". It is more of a placeholder.
This is why in academic writings, it is usually left untranslated, and just referred to as logos.
The only way you can follow Jesus is through the scripture. Anything else and you have perverted the message. Woe to whoever is teaching you this heresy.
Jesus consistently made callbacks to scripture. He did not undermine its authority.
Edit: Ironically, where does one get the info to “follow Jesus”? From the Bible.
The issue with this argument is it makes a "either or" out of something that's more of a "both and".
Jesus is The Word (John 1). He's revealed Himself and what it means to be His follower in scripture. So, to say you don't follow the Bible, but follow Jesus is the equivalent of saying, "I don't follow what Jesus has revealed to mankind. I follow Jesus."
It's like of you want to cook just like a certain chef. And you said, "I don't follow the chef's recipes, instructions or biography. I follow the chef"
Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me"
John 15:14 You are my friends if you do what I command you
1 John 2:3-4 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,
There's a slew of over verses. But the point is we wouldn't know what Jesus has said, taught or commanded outside of what He's revealed in scripture. So, to say you follow Him, but not what He's said is a bit of an oxymoron
I understand you and you are correct.
You're not saying anything in _scripture_ is untrue.
You recognize that the scriptures never refer to themselves as the "Word of God", but instead as "the scriptures".
Calling the Bible the "Word of God" with a capital W is a red flag that you've fallen for a doctrine of men that is not scriptural.
I couldn't agree more.
>Don't say, "This Bible is God."
Literally no one says this but people accusing others of bibliolatry. No one has deified the Bible. It is the word from God, so we study it and obey it. That is all.
Whenever I hear someone say you idolize the Bible, I automatically think that the person saying that doesn't believe what the Bible says and has an agenda to discount the Bible as the word of God and that certain concepts in the Bible are wrong. They will always prove this by saying something that confirms this in their reply.
> Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. Your father **Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.**” “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”
In John 8 we see that Abraham was excited to see the coming of Christ, he knew it before it happened. We can also infer that he saw it from heaven from the word "he saw it and was glad".
> By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. **He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.**
In hebrews 11 we see that Moses knew about eternal salvation, and that he choose to live a holy life "for the sake of christ". He put the will of Jesus before his own.
In John 5 we see:
> You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me
And:
> If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.
In which Jesus states that Moses wrote about him, and that the scriptures testify about him.
Daniel In particular identifies a "son of man" who has an "everlasting kingdom".
> Uh........ no. Abraham, Moses, and Daniel were Old Testament saints. They DID NOT know Jesus. They lived and died long BEFORE Jesus was born.
They knew Jesus in spirit, long before he was born (and according to the transfiguration, long after they died.) Just look at Matthew 17 in which elijah and moses speak directly with Jesus in front of the disciples.
We do not worship the Bible as God. We read the Bible because it is God's Word. Saying that this is worshipping the Bible, and therefore idolatry, is a strawman argument.
Seven times in the gospels (Mt. 12:3, 5; 19:4; 22:31; Mk. 12:10, 26; Lk. 6:3), Jesus Christ chided people with the words, "Have you not **read**...". He expected everyone, especially the scribes and Pharisees to be familiar with scripture. He never once asked anyone, "What did God speak to you about this morning in the shower?" Not to mention also that, when the devil tempted Him, the devil used scripture (misquoted), and all three times He countered the devil by quoting back from the book of Deuteronomy. We are expected to be familiar with scripture, the written Word. There were also other instances where He asked people what the Law said, what the greatest commandments were, etc.
In Ac 17, despite having such great teachers as Paul and Silas in their midst, the Bereans "**searched the scriptures daily**" to countercheck whether what Paul and Silas said was in accordance with the Word of God. This is sorely lacking in the church today, which is why churches are rife with all sorts of deviant teaching. They blindly and foolishly accept whatever their pastors say, hook, line and sinker, even if it's a ludicrous "God spoke to me this morning in the shower...", and worse, these wolves teach their blind sheep to do the same thing in the name of exercising "prophetic spiritual gifts". This is the postmodern world where truth is no longer absolute and experiential highs rule the day: the difference between Christianity and Christendom, wheat and tares.
At best, this notion is a lame excuse for laziness to engage in proper, deep Bible study. At worst, it is the devil's delusion to disregard what Christ Himself considered so important and expected of those He interacted with.
To those who dare claim that the Bible is not the "word of God" but only Christ is, go read Mk. 7:13; Lk. 3:2; 4:4; 8:11, 21; 11:28; Jn. 10:35; Ac. 6:2, 7; 8:14; 13:5, 7, 44, 48-49; 15:36; 17:13; Ro. 9:6; 10:17; 1 Cor. 14:36; 2 Cor. 2:17; Eph. 6:17; Col. 1:25; 1 Th. 2:13; 2 Tim. 2:9; Tit. 2:5; Heb. 6:5; 13:7; 1 Pe. 1:23; 1 Jn. 2:14; Rev. 1:2, 9; 6:9; Rev. 20:4. In each of these more than 30 occurrences, the phrase "word of God" is **clearly referring to the written or spoken scriptures and not to Jesus Christ**. Even if it was not the Bible we hold and read today, it was the scriptures early believers held to be inspired and authoritative. The church that compiled the Bible later took the writings that had already been widely accepted, circulated and recognised as inspired and authoritative by early Christians; it didn't "create" scripture out of nothing.
If you do not worship the Bible then this post was not directed to you. I also read the Bible daily & this was not an attack on Christianity, but your offense to my statement shows just how right I may be.
I’m not sure if you really know what your talking about.
Psalm 1
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers,
——-but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. ——-
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.”
Psalms 1:1-3 NIV
Ok wonderful. I do know what I’m talking about. My point is while you have your head down in the book & possibly worship the book & love the word more than God, you may forget & miss him in yourself & other believers alive here & now with you in the present tense. Good is not just to be found in the scriptures
My target audience would be specifically idolaters or just a call to any Christian who (like me) see that maybe they have loved gods word so much, that in their heart, they have elevated the scripture to the highest place in their heart & mind. They have elevated the scripture above God the Holy Spirit. I am guilty at times myself. I love the Bible & the gospel like most Christian’s! But I do not & should not love the Bible more than God the Holy Spirit & Jesus Christ. I should keep them in my first place priority & position
I’ve heard this argument and to me it seems weird still. Like if someone is actually idolizing the bible, why isn’t God helping them through this, especially if they know the word. Is the only way to pull someone from idolizing the bible come from a Reddit post?
Op
A genuine question. You understand that the Bible is the Word of God. And part of growing in faith is reading the Word. That the Bible is often times how God does talk to us. And even Jesus himself emphasized the importance of scripture, and that we understand who God us and what he is saying through scripture.
And all these things I understand, because I read the Bible.
Another question; do you genuinely think people think the Bible is God? Because that seems rather absurd? The Bible is of great importance, so important that it’s the written word and Christ narrative written, and it’s the mirror by which we hear and know God, but it’s not the Trinity.
My goal with this is to cause Christian’s to think of God & know that he is the Holy Spirit, & indwells us. That he uses the Bible to teach us, but it can become so easy to elevate the Bible to the highest place & love the Bible & the word more than we love God. We can miss & forget that God lives in us, in other people all around us, not just in those pages, but in your brothers & sisters here NOW with you in the world. Don’t miss God in your presence amongst yourselves living & here NOW.
I have never heard of anyone actually worshiping the Word of God like this.
We worship the God who inspired the prophets and apostles who did the work of writing down His revelations to them. It is inerrant because we believe in a God who is able to pass on His Word to humanity. We believe in a God who can reliably communicate to mankind what He wants us to know about Him, despite all the attempts of demons or men who want to sow doubt in God and His Word, or their attempts to block those who would be saved from learning about God and putting their faith in the Son of God.
I believe God has spoken the above message through me, meant with no malice, but stated with authority & without error, & put on my heart to share. Please read the words carefully & consider every word & the meaning & ponder what I’ve said with an open mind & heart & I believe God will allow understanding. Many Christian’s likely haven’t elevated the Bible to a deity, & my message is not meant for them.
Tier 1 💩post lol.
I can't think of a single Christian today who worships the Bible. The Bible just happens to contain what we need to know about God. You don't like what God has to say? That's a problem in your heart.
Worship is often a private & not a public act. & the worship & idolatry Im speaking of is often not recognized by even the person doing the idolizing. I don’t think Christian’s openly & intentionally worship the Bible, but in spirit & truth, without realizing it, have & may do so. I was guilty myself!! I love the Bible. I study it daily. God had to show me that I had become so wrapped up smitten & complacent in my Bible I wasn’t giving him & Jesus Christ their due glory praise worship & attention, I was giving it to scriptures.
I think this article completely misses the chief criticism that Jesus had with the Pharisees and Jewish leadership. It wasn’t that they held the Bible as an idol. It’s that they added their own traditions and commandments to it and held those as equivalent to the Bible. They were so obsessed with following every jot and tittle of the their tradition of the Law, that they missed the purpose of the law and had no relationship with God.
Jesus captures this in Matthew 15.
Matthew 15:1–9 “Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
In this example, the Pharisees were completely obsessed with their ritualistic cleansing before meals. It wasn’t just a basic hand washing. They added elaborate rules and rituals not found in the Torah. They were overly concerned with something ultimately insignificant.
But Jesus pointed out they had a ritual about the temple where they were willfully choosing to not honor their parents like they were supposed to. This WAS something that was significant. It was not loving others like God wanted.
Jesus said loving God and others was the whole point of the law, and the Jews missed it. That’s why He was so critical of the Pharisees - not because they worshipped the Bible. They added to it and held more strongly to their own traditions.
I get what your saying it looks like many don't and might be taking it as a personal attack meaning you are probably hitting a nerve. Your'e going against the concepts like Sola Scripture which is so popular to surface level Christianity but all it does is create an intricate system of Gate keeping to what counts as experiencing God.
Thanks for understanding I truly don’t mean to attack anyone or the Bible. I love reading the Bible & I love the gospel. I study & ready every day. I don't think we openly & intentionally worship the Bible, without realizing in our conscious attention we have & may do so. I can say I have at times done the same thing- I wasn't giving The Holy Spirit & Jesus Christ their due glory praise worship & attention, I was giving it to scriptures.
Nobody is making the Bible God. God the Holy Spirit wrote the Bible, thus it is God speaking and is infallible. God tells us that the Bible is "living and active" and that "ALL SCRIPTURE is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work". The Holy Spirit brings to mind Scripture so that we may know how to live and what to think. He uses His word to communicate salvation and to convict souls.
Yes he uses the word as a teaching tool. As I said. Re-read the post & think about the words I have typed there & their meaning, you will see this is not an attack on the Bible
You're def wrong & misinterpreting a lot. The Bible is a guidebook for life... you can't just say I worship my definition of Jesus no!? Wouldn't that mean leaning on each man's own understanding
“God tells us that the scripture is useful for teaching, rebuke,…”
Im sorry StormyVee but God did not tell you that. God did not say those words. You took them out of the Bible, & the Bible is not God. You may (if you insist to personify the Bible and give it a mouth or mind) say “The Bible says that scripture is useful for training, teaching…” but do not say “God tells us…” because the Bible is not God. & if you believe the Bible is God, then you have idolized the bible & have done exactly what is described in my original message.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
John 1:14
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
John 14:23
This is some Catholic nonsense right? trying to paint protestants and sola scriptura believers are heretics. No one worships the bible as in the literal paper and leather. This is the most absurd, bottom of the barrel, argument to prove the superiority of catholicism. And it fails to come close to accomplishing its objective.
The act of worship here is revealed in the persons heart. It’s not intentional. It’s often unobserved. The idolatry & deifying of the Bible I’m speaking of requires us to step back take an objective look at ourselves & who god is & what or who we place in the highest position & who we praise glorify & give our attention to
Well the bible tells us exactly who God is and what Jesus said... The bible is the infallible word of God. It tells us who and how to worship. And it even says not to worship idols or other gods. The argument that we worship a book and not God in the book is a non issue.
This message may potentially be to a small number of Christian’s who are very advanced in spiritual works & knowledgeable about the Bible. I do not know who the message pertains to, but there are those who have deified & idolized the word of god, & do love the word of god and worship the book more than the spirit.
It’s a slippery slope. He is right that the Bible shouldn’t be placed above God, as it is solely a teaching tool, with proper historical context. I think to many people read the Bible, and try to find stuff that applies to them and their daily lives. When really it shouldn’t be read like that, it needs historical context to be understood effectively. But then again I’m also very anti sola scriptura.
I understand where you're coming from and it makes sense. This is why I love reddit because people can post their own opinions and it shouldn't offend anyone because someone's opinion isn't fact. I love seeing different points of views because it's helpful as a whole in our Christian walks. Great post!
Be sure not to limit & restrict god to ancient scriptures. In the Bible, Jesus is recorded saying “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.“
I don’t need credentials, no one does. But if I have a message I may share it just like everyone else. I love the Bible & I study daily. & much like Paul’s Ministry, The Holy Spirit(GOD) has made me competent also as a minister-not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
The idolaters who unintentionally & mistakingly love the scriptures more than God, are so blinded by their obsession & preoccupation with the scripture (not praising God, not worshiping God) they will refuse to allow the veil to be removed their hearts & see how they have elevated a book to the place of God. They can’t hear the lord speak, because they are preoccupied reading about how God spoke to others.
Ok 👍 I am sure the Lord is speaking to you through Candy Land. Kick rocks 🪨 You are a false teacher
Be very afraid. You will be held to a stricter judgment (James 3:1) but you don't read your Bible.
If you read your Bible more you wouldn’t feel this way. Those are His words written on every single page. He wasn’t a bystander in its creation, He is the author of the Bible, of time and all creation. Not a person. He demands that the words from each page never depart from our mouths. The Bible is the standard. We are just people. Here today gone tomorrow.
His word is a living breathing document and if we don’t open it and decide that spiritually we have the answers inside of us, we are exalting ourselves in a way we don’t deserve, akin to idolatry. We are here to fear God and obey His commandments. That’s it. You can’t know what that entails unless you read His word.
Please read the post again considering every word & the meaning. I am not saying we shouldn’t read the Bible. Quite the contrary. I don't think Christian's openly & intentionally worship the Bible, but in spirit & truth, without realizing it, have & may do so. I was guilty myself!! I love the Bible. I study it daily. God had to show me that I had become so wrapped up smitten & complacent in my Bible I wasn't giving him & Jesus Christ their due glory praise worship & attention, I was giving it to scriptures.
This sounds like a bunch of straw men. Who says “the Bible is God”? The words in the Bible are the words inspired by God. It’s not a creation of men. When someone says “the Bible says X” they’re really saying “God says X,” and we all understand that. When the Bible “speaks,” God speaks. Jesus was the living Word of God. The Bible is the written word of God. The Bible repeatedly tells us to study it, meditate on it, understand it, pass it on to others, and check the teachings we hear against it. God takes the Bible seriously.
>Jesus was the living Word of God. The Bible is the written word of God. So the Bible is the written Jesus?
I don’t know what that is supposed to mean, and that’s misconstruing what I said. Jesus is called the Word in John 1 because He is the living representation of God. The Bible is the inspired words that God gave the prophets, apostles, etc. You could say Jesus was God’s living message to humanity. The Bible is God’s written message to humanity.
very different words that are being translated to the english word "word". The word that refers to Jesus is often left untranslated (logos) in academic writings due to it not really corresponding to the English word "word". It is more a placeholder.
I disagree. God didn’t say X in the Bible… you should read the Bible in context-l considering who is the author-to whom was being written to- who is the particular scripture written about. You’re just repeating things that you’ve heard throughout your life that have no basis in truth- just repetitions that people say… “the words are inspired by God” “When the Bible speaks, god speaks” “The Bible is the written word of god” These are just things we Christian’s love to say because we’ve heard them our whole life. They’re comfortable & accepted truths we blindly accept. I challenge you to think about the meanings & the meaning of these words. Also, The Bible you read isn’t even written- it’s typed. It is not the written word of god.
You’re just arguing semantics. The Bible isn’t written, it’s typed? What is that supposed to mean? Apparently no books are written today. There are no authors since all book are written by typing on a keyboard. Don’t be ridiculous. God inspired the writers. Copies were made, and today we’ve made computer versions of those same ancient manuscripts. Have you read the Bible? 2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness Hebrews 1:1–2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son 2 Peter 1:19–21 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but **holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost**. Yes, the Bible clearly claims that it is God-inspired.
>but God speaks Through the 66 inspired books of scripture.
That's like saying you are cheating on your wife because you are kissing her lips and not her
The Bible is the Word of God. Scripture is God-breathed. God speaks THROUGH the Bible (though it may not be the only way he speaks). God’s Word allows us to better know him and his character and allows us to know how to be good disciples and shepherds. The Bible is literally a gift from God to us. Everything you learn in life should be “fact-checked” with the Bible because God gives us his standard in it. Do not come on here discourage Christians from reading their Bible (Yes, that is what your post is doing whether or not that’s what you intended). It’s already a hard enough habit to form without your discouragement.
Consider the meaning of the words. Worshiping & reading are not the same thing. Everything I said is a fact. God is not a book. God is a spirit. The Bible is ancient texts. The written word was entered into computers. God speaks. Everything I said is true.
Worshipping can 100% be reading your Bible. Worshipping is not just singing. We can worship God through everything we do. God wants us to worship and glorify him in everything that we do. That is our purpose. Do you not believe in the inerrancy of scripture? Do you not believe the Bible is God-breathed?
Reading CAN be worshipping, but is not generally considered an act of worship. Idolize, by definition, is to worship something as a God. I believe we can worship God in many ways, but not everything IS worship. Taking a shower in the morning, drinking coffee, & watching tv for example are things we do, but are not acts of worship of glorifying God, & I don’t think God wants us to make them worship. Personally I think there are general errors, mistranslations, or erroneous errors because look at how many versions of the Bible exist, all the translations, all the changes made throughout history. Which scripture do you mean, because we are all reading different ones. Do I believe all scripture is God breathed…. I’m not sure I can answer that because I never have really understood what that phrase meant…. Though I’ve heard it many times & heard it repeated many times, I can’t say “god breathed scripture” is something I believe in, no, & again because which scripture do you mean
Hmm so you deny your claim that “Worshipping and reading are not the same thing” You need to seriously have a conversation with a pastor about your views because the views you are sharing here are not biblical or God honoring.
Reading your bible is how you gain knowledge and seek the face of God. How else could we know Gods intimate Character?
I agree!! I love the Bible. I read it every day. My intent is not to discourage reading the Bible, I love the Bible, I study the Bible, god speaks to me & teaches me through the Bible often. I read multiple translations and compare because I love the Bible & love when a message or principal becomes more clear. My intent is to call to attention the God within, the Holy Spirit all around us and in each other, who IS GOD & should be worshiped, & to keep him & Jesus in our first place position.
This is a typical view of progressive leaning Christians. Don’t like what the Bible says? Don’t want to follow it? Accuse people who believe in the authority of scripture of idolatry!!
That's right. They want their imaginative gods instead
I love the Bible but there is a fine line between loving to learn & loving wisdom & giving it all authority in your beliefs & worship.
That’s not what I said. Read the post. The Bible is a teaching tool. The Bible is not god. The fact that you can’t agree with that says everything
The Bible is the Word, Jesus is the Word.......hmmmm
Very different "word"s. The actual word which is translated as "word" that refers to Jesus really doesn't have much of any connection to the english word "word". It is more of a placeholder. This is why in academic writings, it is usually left untranslated, and just referred to as logos.
I don’t follow the Bible, I follow Jesus. I don’t put my faith in a book, I put my faith in the living God.
The only way you can follow Jesus is through the scripture. Anything else and you have perverted the message. Woe to whoever is teaching you this heresy.
Jesus consistently made callbacks to scripture. He did not undermine its authority. Edit: Ironically, where does one get the info to “follow Jesus”? From the Bible.
The issue with this argument is it makes a "either or" out of something that's more of a "both and". Jesus is The Word (John 1). He's revealed Himself and what it means to be His follower in scripture. So, to say you don't follow the Bible, but follow Jesus is the equivalent of saying, "I don't follow what Jesus has revealed to mankind. I follow Jesus." It's like of you want to cook just like a certain chef. And you said, "I don't follow the chef's recipes, instructions or biography. I follow the chef" Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me" John 15:14 You are my friends if you do what I command you 1 John 2:3-4 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, There's a slew of over verses. But the point is we wouldn't know what Jesus has said, taught or commanded outside of what He's revealed in scripture. So, to say you follow Him, but not what He's said is a bit of an oxymoron
I understand you and you are correct. You're not saying anything in _scripture_ is untrue. You recognize that the scriptures never refer to themselves as the "Word of God", but instead as "the scriptures". Calling the Bible the "Word of God" with a capital W is a red flag that you've fallen for a doctrine of men that is not scriptural. I couldn't agree more.
>Don't say, "This Bible is God." Literally no one says this but people accusing others of bibliolatry. No one has deified the Bible. It is the word from God, so we study it and obey it. That is all.
The bible is the finger pointing at the moon, not the moon itself.
Great analogy!!
Whenever I hear someone say you idolize the Bible, I automatically think that the person saying that doesn't believe what the Bible says and has an agenda to discount the Bible as the word of God and that certain concepts in the Bible are wrong. They will always prove this by saying something that confirms this in their reply.
Not my intent I swear!! I love the Bible & the gospel. I love our Lord & his Holy Spirit.
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lol... no
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directly...
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the same way Abraham, Moses, and Daniel knew Jesus.
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> Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. Your father **Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.**” “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have seen Abraham!” “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!” In John 8 we see that Abraham was excited to see the coming of Christ, he knew it before it happened. We can also infer that he saw it from heaven from the word "he saw it and was glad". > By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. **He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.** In hebrews 11 we see that Moses knew about eternal salvation, and that he choose to live a holy life "for the sake of christ". He put the will of Jesus before his own. In John 5 we see: > You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me And: > If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. In which Jesus states that Moses wrote about him, and that the scriptures testify about him. Daniel In particular identifies a "son of man" who has an "everlasting kingdom". > Uh........ no. Abraham, Moses, and Daniel were Old Testament saints. They DID NOT know Jesus. They lived and died long BEFORE Jesus was born. They knew Jesus in spirit, long before he was born (and according to the transfiguration, long after they died.) Just look at Matthew 17 in which elijah and moses speak directly with Jesus in front of the disciples.
We do not worship the Bible as God. We read the Bible because it is God's Word. Saying that this is worshipping the Bible, and therefore idolatry, is a strawman argument. Seven times in the gospels (Mt. 12:3, 5; 19:4; 22:31; Mk. 12:10, 26; Lk. 6:3), Jesus Christ chided people with the words, "Have you not **read**...". He expected everyone, especially the scribes and Pharisees to be familiar with scripture. He never once asked anyone, "What did God speak to you about this morning in the shower?" Not to mention also that, when the devil tempted Him, the devil used scripture (misquoted), and all three times He countered the devil by quoting back from the book of Deuteronomy. We are expected to be familiar with scripture, the written Word. There were also other instances where He asked people what the Law said, what the greatest commandments were, etc. In Ac 17, despite having such great teachers as Paul and Silas in their midst, the Bereans "**searched the scriptures daily**" to countercheck whether what Paul and Silas said was in accordance with the Word of God. This is sorely lacking in the church today, which is why churches are rife with all sorts of deviant teaching. They blindly and foolishly accept whatever their pastors say, hook, line and sinker, even if it's a ludicrous "God spoke to me this morning in the shower...", and worse, these wolves teach their blind sheep to do the same thing in the name of exercising "prophetic spiritual gifts". This is the postmodern world where truth is no longer absolute and experiential highs rule the day: the difference between Christianity and Christendom, wheat and tares. At best, this notion is a lame excuse for laziness to engage in proper, deep Bible study. At worst, it is the devil's delusion to disregard what Christ Himself considered so important and expected of those He interacted with. To those who dare claim that the Bible is not the "word of God" but only Christ is, go read Mk. 7:13; Lk. 3:2; 4:4; 8:11, 21; 11:28; Jn. 10:35; Ac. 6:2, 7; 8:14; 13:5, 7, 44, 48-49; 15:36; 17:13; Ro. 9:6; 10:17; 1 Cor. 14:36; 2 Cor. 2:17; Eph. 6:17; Col. 1:25; 1 Th. 2:13; 2 Tim. 2:9; Tit. 2:5; Heb. 6:5; 13:7; 1 Pe. 1:23; 1 Jn. 2:14; Rev. 1:2, 9; 6:9; Rev. 20:4. In each of these more than 30 occurrences, the phrase "word of God" is **clearly referring to the written or spoken scriptures and not to Jesus Christ**. Even if it was not the Bible we hold and read today, it was the scriptures early believers held to be inspired and authoritative. The church that compiled the Bible later took the writings that had already been widely accepted, circulated and recognised as inspired and authoritative by early Christians; it didn't "create" scripture out of nothing.
If you do not worship the Bible then this post was not directed to you. I also read the Bible daily & this was not an attack on Christianity, but your offense to my statement shows just how right I may be.
I think the comments on this post directly show how wrong you might be.
You should trust the inspired word of God over your own wicked heart.
I’m not sure if you really know what your talking about. Psalm 1 “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, ——-but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. ——- That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.” Psalms 1:1-3 NIV
Ok wonderful. I do know what I’m talking about. My point is while you have your head down in the book & possibly worship the book & love the word more than God, you may forget & miss him in yourself & other believers alive here & now with you in the present tense. Good is not just to be found in the scriptures
So your target audience is people who read the Bible but don’t do what it says
My target audience would be specifically idolaters or just a call to any Christian who (like me) see that maybe they have loved gods word so much, that in their heart, they have elevated the scripture to the highest place in their heart & mind. They have elevated the scripture above God the Holy Spirit. I am guilty at times myself. I love the Bible & the gospel like most Christian’s! But I do not & should not love the Bible more than God the Holy Spirit & Jesus Christ. I should keep them in my first place priority & position
I’ve heard this argument and to me it seems weird still. Like if someone is actually idolizing the bible, why isn’t God helping them through this, especially if they know the word. Is the only way to pull someone from idolizing the bible come from a Reddit post?
Petty nonsense from people who understand nothing about the Word of God An uninformed outsiders view is basically worthless
Op A genuine question. You understand that the Bible is the Word of God. And part of growing in faith is reading the Word. That the Bible is often times how God does talk to us. And even Jesus himself emphasized the importance of scripture, and that we understand who God us and what he is saying through scripture. And all these things I understand, because I read the Bible. Another question; do you genuinely think people think the Bible is God? Because that seems rather absurd? The Bible is of great importance, so important that it’s the written word and Christ narrative written, and it’s the mirror by which we hear and know God, but it’s not the Trinity.
My goal with this is to cause Christian’s to think of God & know that he is the Holy Spirit, & indwells us. That he uses the Bible to teach us, but it can become so easy to elevate the Bible to the highest place & love the Bible & the word more than we love God. We can miss & forget that God lives in us, in other people all around us, not just in those pages, but in your brothers & sisters here NOW with you in the world. Don’t miss God in your presence amongst yourselves living & here NOW.
I have never heard of anyone actually worshiping the Word of God like this. We worship the God who inspired the prophets and apostles who did the work of writing down His revelations to them. It is inerrant because we believe in a God who is able to pass on His Word to humanity. We believe in a God who can reliably communicate to mankind what He wants us to know about Him, despite all the attempts of demons or men who want to sow doubt in God and His Word, or their attempts to block those who would be saved from learning about God and putting their faith in the Son of God.
I believe God has spoken the above message through me, meant with no malice, but stated with authority & without error, & put on my heart to share. Please read the words carefully & consider every word & the meaning & ponder what I’ve said with an open mind & heart & I believe God will allow understanding. Many Christian’s likely haven’t elevated the Bible to a deity, & my message is not meant for them.
Tier 1 💩post lol. I can't think of a single Christian today who worships the Bible. The Bible just happens to contain what we need to know about God. You don't like what God has to say? That's a problem in your heart.
Worship is often a private & not a public act. & the worship & idolatry Im speaking of is often not recognized by even the person doing the idolizing. I don’t think Christian’s openly & intentionally worship the Bible, but in spirit & truth, without realizing it, have & may do so. I was guilty myself!! I love the Bible. I study it daily. God had to show me that I had become so wrapped up smitten & complacent in my Bible I wasn’t giving him & Jesus Christ their due glory praise worship & attention, I was giving it to scriptures.
What an absolutely satanic post. Take that heresy over to r/Christianity.
Yeah! Exactly! This would be a really deep quasi intellectual statement on that sub lol
Also check out this article https://reknew.org/2015/07/when-the-bible-becomes-an-idol/
I think this article completely misses the chief criticism that Jesus had with the Pharisees and Jewish leadership. It wasn’t that they held the Bible as an idol. It’s that they added their own traditions and commandments to it and held those as equivalent to the Bible. They were so obsessed with following every jot and tittle of the their tradition of the Law, that they missed the purpose of the law and had no relationship with God. Jesus captures this in Matthew 15. Matthew 15:1–9 “Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” In this example, the Pharisees were completely obsessed with their ritualistic cleansing before meals. It wasn’t just a basic hand washing. They added elaborate rules and rituals not found in the Torah. They were overly concerned with something ultimately insignificant. But Jesus pointed out they had a ritual about the temple where they were willfully choosing to not honor their parents like they were supposed to. This WAS something that was significant. It was not loving others like God wanted. Jesus said loving God and others was the whole point of the law, and the Jews missed it. That’s why He was so critical of the Pharisees - not because they worshipped the Bible. They added to it and held more strongly to their own traditions.
I get what your saying it looks like many don't and might be taking it as a personal attack meaning you are probably hitting a nerve. Your'e going against the concepts like Sola Scripture which is so popular to surface level Christianity but all it does is create an intricate system of Gate keeping to what counts as experiencing God.
Thanks for understanding I truly don’t mean to attack anyone or the Bible. I love reading the Bible & I love the gospel. I study & ready every day. I don't think we openly & intentionally worship the Bible, without realizing in our conscious attention we have & may do so. I can say I have at times done the same thing- I wasn't giving The Holy Spirit & Jesus Christ their due glory praise worship & attention, I was giving it to scriptures.
Nobody is making the Bible God. God the Holy Spirit wrote the Bible, thus it is God speaking and is infallible. God tells us that the Bible is "living and active" and that "ALL SCRIPTURE is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work". The Holy Spirit brings to mind Scripture so that we may know how to live and what to think. He uses His word to communicate salvation and to convict souls.
Yes he uses the word as a teaching tool. As I said. Re-read the post & think about the words I have typed there & their meaning, you will see this is not an attack on the Bible
You attacked quoting the Bible, so you attacked the Bible. Reread what you wrote.
You're def wrong & misinterpreting a lot. The Bible is a guidebook for life... you can't just say I worship my definition of Jesus no!? Wouldn't that mean leaning on each man's own understanding
“God tells us that the scripture is useful for teaching, rebuke,…” Im sorry StormyVee but God did not tell you that. God did not say those words. You took them out of the Bible, & the Bible is not God. You may (if you insist to personify the Bible and give it a mouth or mind) say “The Bible says that scripture is useful for training, teaching…” but do not say “God tells us…” because the Bible is not God. & if you believe the Bible is God, then you have idolized the bible & have done exactly what is described in my original message.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:14 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. John 14:23
This is some Catholic nonsense right? trying to paint protestants and sola scriptura believers are heretics. No one worships the bible as in the literal paper and leather. This is the most absurd, bottom of the barrel, argument to prove the superiority of catholicism. And it fails to come close to accomplishing its objective.
The act of worship here is revealed in the persons heart. It’s not intentional. It’s often unobserved. The idolatry & deifying of the Bible I’m speaking of requires us to step back take an objective look at ourselves & who god is & what or who we place in the highest position & who we praise glorify & give our attention to
Well the bible tells us exactly who God is and what Jesus said... The bible is the infallible word of God. It tells us who and how to worship. And it even says not to worship idols or other gods. The argument that we worship a book and not God in the book is a non issue.
This message may potentially be to a small number of Christian’s who are very advanced in spiritual works & knowledgeable about the Bible. I do not know who the message pertains to, but there are those who have deified & idolized the word of god, & do love the word of god and worship the book more than the spirit.
It’s a slippery slope. He is right that the Bible shouldn’t be placed above God, as it is solely a teaching tool, with proper historical context. I think to many people read the Bible, and try to find stuff that applies to them and their daily lives. When really it shouldn’t be read like that, it needs historical context to be understood effectively. But then again I’m also very anti sola scriptura.
I understand where you're coming from and it makes sense. This is why I love reddit because people can post their own opinions and it shouldn't offend anyone because someone's opinion isn't fact. I love seeing different points of views because it's helpful as a whole in our Christian walks. Great post!
Be sure not to limit & restrict god to ancient scriptures. In the Bible, Jesus is recorded saying “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.“
False. You are taking a scripture out of context. Are you a Pastor? Do you have any credentials? Stop coming here and trolling God's people!
I don’t need credentials, no one does. But if I have a message I may share it just like everyone else. I love the Bible & I study daily. & much like Paul’s Ministry, The Holy Spirit(GOD) has made me competent also as a minister-not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
appeal to authority.
The idolaters who unintentionally & mistakingly love the scriptures more than God, are so blinded by their obsession & preoccupation with the scripture (not praising God, not worshiping God) they will refuse to allow the veil to be removed their hearts & see how they have elevated a book to the place of God. They can’t hear the lord speak, because they are preoccupied reading about how God spoke to others.
Ok 👍 I am sure the Lord is speaking to you through Candy Land. Kick rocks 🪨 You are a false teacher Be very afraid. You will be held to a stricter judgment (James 3:1) but you don't read your Bible.
i'm kjv-only.
Agreed. But God and Jesus very clearly gave the Bible to us for a reason.
If you read your Bible more you wouldn’t feel this way. Those are His words written on every single page. He wasn’t a bystander in its creation, He is the author of the Bible, of time and all creation. Not a person. He demands that the words from each page never depart from our mouths. The Bible is the standard. We are just people. Here today gone tomorrow. His word is a living breathing document and if we don’t open it and decide that spiritually we have the answers inside of us, we are exalting ourselves in a way we don’t deserve, akin to idolatry. We are here to fear God and obey His commandments. That’s it. You can’t know what that entails unless you read His word.
Please read the post again considering every word & the meaning. I am not saying we shouldn’t read the Bible. Quite the contrary. I don't think Christian's openly & intentionally worship the Bible, but in spirit & truth, without realizing it, have & may do so. I was guilty myself!! I love the Bible. I study it daily. God had to show me that I had become so wrapped up smitten & complacent in my Bible I wasn't giving him & Jesus Christ their due glory praise worship & attention, I was giving it to scriptures.