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“Sanctify them in the truth, for your word is truth.”

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During the 1920’s a great debate occupied the church as it struggled with the relationship between modern scientific knowledge and the authority of the Bible; a struggle brought about, for the most part, by the theory of evolution. Even then, the faculty at my alma mater, Luther Seminary, was divided. Some held to a literal, seven, twenty four hour day creation story. Others believed that where scientific knowledge was irrefutable (which may or may not include the theory of evolution), it should be accepted. It was during this time that the expressions “verbal inspiration” and  “without error” were applied to the Bible by many, in order to strengthen the former point of view. At the same time, other biblical students and scholars looked increasingly to scientific tools and insights in order to understand the Bible more fully. In the decades since, Christians remain divided. Some, on both sides, going so far as to say that if you do not accept their view, you cannot be Christian.

The deeper issue, of course, is the authority of the Bible. If I do not believe, for example, that the word ‘day’ in the Genesis creation story means a literal twenty four hour day, can anything in the Bible be trusted?  Must I accept the Bible as a verbally inspired, inerrant scientific textbook even when it contradicts secular scientific knowledge? Or, do I simply dismiss the miracles in the Bible and everything else that offends reason or makes me uncomfortable? Does anything go? What is the nature of the Bible’s authority?

Faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior does not require that you must hold to a particular view of the Bible. What it does mean is that you must take the Bible seriously. Both the perspectives outlined above, though reaching different conclusions, are efforts to do just that. And as difficult and contentious as discussions over these issues may be, there is no viable option for the Christian – and the Church as whole –  other than continuing to struggle with the meaning of the Bible for faith and life. All Churches read the Bible but no church owns the Bible. All churches are called to stand, in humility, under the authority the Living Word, Jesus Christ whose prayer for us remains, “Sanctify them in the truth, for Your Word is the truth.” 

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“May the peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

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