FAITH: The Infallible Word or man’s imaginations?
Dr. William F. “Bill” Holland Jr.
By Dr. William F. “Bill” Holland Jr.
The common thread of Christianity pertaining to the understanding of the Bible is that everyone who declares by faith to be born again has free access to the Holy Spirit to help them discern what it means. At the same time, we must also consider that, with human free will, each individual has the opportunity to form their own opinions. It’s common and normal for Christians to have the confidence to voice their own interpretations, even if it’s rejected by their fellow brothers and sisters. Yes, the majority immediately condemns biblical and spiritual views that do not line up with mainstream theology as the errors of a novice or, even worse, a heretic. Multiply this among the billions of believers, and we have what is known as a divided, confused, and hostile world of religiosity.
Christians are taught that the Bible contains the infallible words of God exactly as he guided approximately 40 human writers to record them within a period of around 1500 years from Moses to the early church. If you are a traditional Christian, most likely you embrace this doctrine that promises God personally breathed and inspired divine truth through the minds and hands of His messengers. And it has been preserved without any alterations since the day they were written? Or do you wonder about errors, embellishments, personal worldviews and opinions mixed in between the lines?
When it comes to believing the Bible as perfect truth versus seeing the writings as religious philosophy and folklore, to be honest, I’ve come to a point in my walk that I’m tired of arguing with other Christians about Biblical interpretations. When I was a young student, I thought I could win any debate about Christianity and religion, and like most of you, I’ve always believed my views were correct. However, we cannot change someone’s mind about their doctrines and creeds unless these two things are involved: The Holy Spirit is intervening, and the truth seeker is sincerely praying that God will transform their conscience by the renewing of their minds.
People rarely change what they believe because their opinions and convictions are rooted deep within the core of their being. Have you ever argued with someone about the Bible and finally had to agree to disagree? This not only includes the angry discord between traditional Christians, but in today’s modern world we now have a growing movement called the agnostic theist. This is someone who believes in God but sees the Bible as a collection of passed-down, exaggerated oral stories and personal biased philosophies that are not necessarily based on proven facts. This way of thinking allows for belief in the perfect God of creation while maintaining skepticism about legalistic dogma and the exclusive “my way or the highway” attitudes and demands from dictatorial churches.
These are the seekers that have way more questions than answers, and have separated from those who they consider are afraid to use their intelligence and realize that much of the content is not literally accurate. They refuse to accept a compilation of ancient religious dialogues, visions, and stories from human writers as divine revelation simply by faith. Many are asking: “Is the Bible God’s word top man, or man’s word about God?” If God’s word is infallible and the Holy Spirit gives each follower perfect understanding, explanations, and interpretations, why why is there so much arrogance, antagonism and caustic attitudes? If God is broadcasting, evidently many are on the wrong channel. Agnostic theism emphasizes prayer and personal experiences with God rather than becoming entangled in the chaos of intolerant churchianity. This is not to be confused with secular agnosticism that does not believe in the existence of any God, along with the supernatural being unknown and unknowable.
Traditional followers argue that if portions of the Bible are not correct, how can anyone know what is true? For example, if someone is convinced there is no possible way the story of Noah and the Ark actually happened, then what else has been embellished or even fabricated? Does it matter that accuracy and credibility may have been lost through years of oral storytelling? Some may believe they can put their trust in God and live for Him without trusting the scriptures, but if the Bible is truly God’s perfect word, it is the most important communication from God to mankind the world has ever known. If every word is God-breathed, we must cherish it, obey it, and trust it. If the written Word IS God, and we dismiss it as inaccurate, isn’t this doubting God Himself.
Dr. Holland is an ordained minister, chaplain, and Christian author. Read more about LIVING ON PURPOSE at billyhollandministries.com