What if you could remake the Bible? How would you change it? Maybe you might take out anything to do with the cost of discipleship. Perhaps, you would remove all exclusive language about Jesus, men and women, commandments. Also, you could take out anything that doesn't fit the politically correct language of the day. Also, you might take out the miracles, they just aren't so believable. So what's left? Not much.
But that's what our culture is doing to the Bible today. It's not just our culture, however, it is also the church. Grace Community Church just held a Biblical Inerrancy Summit, and in John MacArthur's opening address, he shared this story:
But that's what our culture is doing to the Bible today. It's not just our culture, however, it is also the church. Grace Community Church just held a Biblical Inerrancy Summit, and in John MacArthur's opening address, he shared this story:
He began by reminiscing about the meetings that led up to the 1978 Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. In an ironic turn of events, John left those meetings—where the Word of God was faithfully exalted—only to fly back to California sitting next to Robert Schuller, a well-known televangelist and one of the fathers of the seeker-sensitive movement. During the flight, Schuller told him, “I can say I believe the Bible and make those words mean anything I want them to mean.”
Some of us might cringe to hear those words from Robert Schuller. I wonder, however, if we shape Scripture to fit our felt needs as much as Robert Schuller does. We are just not as honest as Robert Schuller. There are far too many times we say we believe in God's inerrant Word and yet, we either fail to live by it, or to quote Al Gore, it becomes an inconvenient truth. I have had numerous conversations with people who say they believe in Scripture's authority, but when I present my case to them using the Bible, they do not respond back either refuting my use of Scripture or present their own case in God's Word, they simply ignore it and go to what they feel.
Robert Schuller was honest. I completely disagree with him, but he shared what he believed to be true and he lived by it. Sadly, there are many who actually live by Robert Schuller's words but would say they actually live by God's inerrant word. That is a recipe for disaster.
Robert Schuller was honest. I completely disagree with him, but he shared what he believed to be true and he lived by it. Sadly, there are many who actually live by Robert Schuller's words but would say they actually live by God's inerrant word. That is a recipe for disaster.