Scripture today ...

Monday, Oct 1, 2012. Have you ever explored the biblical books, the New Testament which starts with the gospel of Matthew, or the many Old Testament books, which cover history between creation and about 400 BC? There are often many discussions about the role of these books. For Christians, they are of tremendous importance.

What is the role of the biblical books? …

Should we read the bible at all? Definitely we all need to read it, since it is a book which is densely interwoven with human history. If we are interested in our society, its past and future, we need to look into the bible as well.

But there is more in this question. HOW do we read the bible? Is it a book of more or less strange stories? It talks about God and about his interaction with history, about the people of Israel and about the people of faith. It presents the life story of Jesus, but not in some neural way, but to initiate faith in us. Christianity holds the biblical books to be holy books, not because thy should be treated in a particular way, but since you can find life through them. They want to reconnect you to God. That is it, what makes them holy (=special, different, taken apart).

The special role of the scriptures is part of the New Testament interpretation of the Old Testament and of itself. Jesus said: 39 “You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!“ (John 5)

Very useful scriptures …

The scriptures are extremely useful books - if you know to read them. If you have ears to hear, eyes to see. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:

16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. This interpretation is first one which applies to the Old Testament. But quickly it has been taken as a word about the New Testament as well. Both Testaments have been seen as “the scriptures” from the quite early days of Christianity, until it was confirmed and bound together into the biblical canon around 300 AD.

Exploring the bible can, thus, be so interesting and exciting, that there are not many things which would be more fascinating. It is a practical book, but also a very intimate and personal book. It is a book where God talks, through which God talked in the past and through which God talks today. It is a book which points to Jesus and invites us to enter his community.

(Roland Potthast) ... more texts