Question for you this morning: Do we speak for the Bible or does the Bible speak for us? No, it’s not the same thing! Folks, believe this or not, it doesn’t matter one single iota! The church today has a serious problem–when it comes to the answer of this question. In my own Tribe, the United Methodist Tribe, the given answer by leadership is literally ripping us apart. But before you Baptists gloat over our split, look at the beam sticking out of your own eye. And this isn’t just a 21st Century problem. It’s plagued the history of The Body Of Christ. The disease is speaking for the Bible rather than the Bible speaking for us–and thus–to us!
It was even a problem back when Jesus walked this earth as one of us. The Pharisees and Sadducces saw their job was to speak for The Word Of God. They thought it was their job description–but it wasn’t. And today, it isn’t in anyone’s job description to speak for the Bible. In my own Tribe we have those who are doing just that. Speaking FOR the Bible means it’s up to us to determine what it means and how it applies to daily life! Mishegas! Oy vey, nosh, klutz! It’s pure schlock! Pure bupkis! I love Yiddish words and phrases. Here’s some examples of speaking for the Bible.
- Torturing and killing anyone NOT a “christian”–by their definition
- Judging others based solely on their race
- Justification of slavery
- Making women as second class citizens by saying they can’t do certain things
- Jesus only died for certain people (predestination)
- The blood of Jesus wipes away every sin and gives us all a new beginning–except when it comes to divorce
- Jesus came to show us how to love, so this eliminates the long-standing sexual ethic, so it’s OK to be how you feel, sexually speaking
On that last example–Oy, Oy Vey, Oy Gevalt! It’s Dreck! Our Tribal leaders feel it is their job description (remember how Jesus felt about the Pharisees and Sadducces?) to tell the world that the tried and proven sexual ethic from the Bible is outdated. It takes an enlightened person, like them, to straighten out what the Bible got wrong. And if we don’t agree with them, then we’re mean, ugly, phobic, and hateful. What a bunch of schmucks!
Kingdom Pastor 
Biggest problem with the UMC, and some others as well, is the Bible is not their final authority. https://reformedtruths.com/2019/02/08/a-response-to-be-careful-using-the-bible/
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Exactly. The issue isn’t sexuality, but Biblical Authority!
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You have nailed it, my friend. The Bible is the source of Christianity. Without it there is no foundation for our faith and our communication with God is made known through it.
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