Objection: "You Can't Trust the Bible"
If you start sharing the Gospel regularly, you will hear this objection a lot. It takes several forms. Here's a few tips on how to respond:"The Bible is full of contradictions"
Politely ask them to give you an example. Chances are they can't. Most non-Christians have never studied the Bible for themselves, they are just parroting something they have heard other people say. Appeal to their intellectual integrity, and ask them if it is reasonable to reject the Bible without first reading it?
"The Bible was written by men, therefore it has mistakes"
Just because a human being wrote something doesn't automatically mean it has to have errors. Ask them if they reject washing machine manuals or school textbooks just because they are written by humans?
Besides, if there is an all-powerful God and He wanted to give us a sacred text that was error-free, isn't it possible that he could have preserved it throughout the centuries? Then politely point out that the hundreds of fulfilled prophecies prove that the Bible is supernatural.
"The Bible has been re-copied and re-translated so many times that it is corrupted."
Many people believe that the modern Bible is really a copy of a copy of a copy, sort of like the game of telephone. That's simply not true. Every time a new translation is made, the translators go directly to the original Greek and Hebrew as their source.
Besides, the abundance of translations actually makes it easier to catch mistakes and weed them out. Suppose I gave copies of a recipe to five of my friends. Then they write out copies for their friends. And so on. Eventually someone slips up and writes "1 tablespoon" instead of "1 teaspoon". If we gather all the copies and compare them, the erroneous card will easily stand out from the rest. It's the same with the Bible.
One final tip: Never hesitate to quote the Scriptures to unbelievers. Suppose you put a sharp sword to my throat and said, "Give me your money or I'll cut off your head!" Then I respond, "Ha! I don't believe in swords!" Silly, isn't it? Similarly, the Bible is "living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword...it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). The sword of the Spirit can bring conviction of sin to even the heardest heart.
posted by Cedricstudio at 2:37 PM
4 Comments:
Never hesitate to quote the Scriptures to unbelievers.
That deserves a big hearty "AMEN!"
On the other hand a notion such as the perfection of scripture isn't a requirement for belief or trust in the scripture. The roots of faith by intellectual assent are grounded in a false Enlightenment notion of the supremacy of reason. Modernists like Josh McDowell would play into that camp, but so would Sir Isaac Newton who denied creedal faith such as the Trinity because it wasn't "reasonable". I prefer not to "reason" with people in a modernist sense (which BTW is an alien concept to the early scripture communities), but instead live my trust in the scriptures and encourage much of the same things you propose: reading before you pass judgement, not parotting what others have told you as their arguments against scripture, etc. I don't concern myself with trying to be on the same page with regard to a high view of Scripture, but rather show them the life of a Scripture believing man.
As for quoting scriptures, actually I think if you live and believe the scriptures then they will colour your speech. You don't need to memorize key proof texts, but rather let the Word of God dwell in your richly and it will come out in both word and deed. I guess the appeal to scripture as the authority is the issue when dealing with folks who don't also hold that high a veiw of Scripture. We do a similar thing when we talk about prophetic evangelism - no "thus saith the Lord" but letting it pepper your speach so that they walk away knowing that there was more in that encounter than just two people.
I like to think through these things from different angles as I am primarily called to minister to a post-modern group. The categories that assent or reason focused evangelism appeals to are not as important. Although they ultimately are when you get to the heart of matters. You just have to be patient to get to that heart.
Cedric,
Great points here! Well said and a hearty amen from me too.
Doug
One of freedom,
Though you are correct in the fact that we should live the word, And your different angle has value, We must not fear the proposition. Jesus used them, and doctrine all the time. In fact scripture which God gave us in the form of propositions tells us that Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. If God gave us these truths in propositional form, along with the embodiment of them in Christ. I doubt they are false(errant).
I agree with you that people do not have to believe in inerrency to be saved, but once you've denied that, what truths are you letting pepper your speech.
God bless you in your ministry to the postmoderns, but like you said, modernism is not inherently christian, but neither is postmodernism which you've seem to have adopted.
Doug
One of Freedom,
I may have jumped the gun on you. I just read some of your blog and you seem less postmodern there. Forgive me if I miss represented you.
Doug
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