Core Values: The Bible

This is the last in our current series on the core values of our church.  This one is about the Bible.  It says, ”As a Christian community we see the Bible as central to our life.”  From the very beginning of Christianity this has been a core value of the faithful. We were often referred to as the people of “The Book.”  The word ‘bible’ simply means ‘book’.  It is a collection of writings about God and his relationships with humanity.  It was written by people of faith, to people of faith and finally recognised, chosen, sorted and edited by other people of faith for inclusion in this collection of books we call the Bible.  These writings were chosen because they were written by and about respected heroes of faith, who faithfully express the message of God’s dealing with them.  They were inspired by God, and these writings have the power to inspire anyone who reads them, because the Spirit of God is in them from beginning to end.  He is in the experiences reported, he is in the recording of those experiences, he is in the choosing the of the books and he is in the reader who comes to understand the message being shared.

For Christians the central message of the Bible is the coming of Jesus as the son of God, his ministry by words and deed, his revealing of the will and character of God through his life, death and resurrection.

Paul tells Timothy the importance of Scripture in 2 Timothy 3:16 and 17, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed.”  While Paul is writing about the Hebrew Scriptures, the words are equally applicable to Christian scriptures being written at that time.

Of course the Bible is central to our life both as a church and as individuals.  God has related with us through human history and particular human beings.  Their story, even Jesus story is our story.  What Jesus taught them he also teaches us.  The essential message is the same message.  The good news for sinful humanity, is the same way of salvation.  The values, beliefs and loving actions are the same and are still as relevant as they ever were.  It is true that we must apply all this within our own cultural framework, and there is some intelligent interpretation that needs to be done.  While Jesus is our Saviour and the centre of our faith, knowledge of him, his message of love and his call to us to continue his mission, has no definition, no clarity, no challenge without the Bible.

 Adrian