What is Scripture to me?
I was texted a question today which doesn’t deserve a 160 character response. The question of the position of Scripture is one which deserves much attention and caution.
To me, the Hebrew and Greek texts of Scripture, in their archetypal intent, are accounts of the ongoing struggle of humanity to partner with the LORD to recover creation’s intended experience. This process began centuries ago with God’s Adamic and Abrahamic pledges, continue today, and will culminate in the imminent earthly reign of Christ.
Scripture, itself, is both simple and complex. Mystery and normal. Prose and poetry. Cryptic and informational. The more we delve into how it came to arrive at our doorstep, the more we realize it must have come with much effort.
The Bible, however, is not God. It is not to be worshiped or seen as a deity, itself. It is to be revered with great care, but is a text written by humans with God’s inspiration. Some intended, inspired writings may not be in it (example: Q). Copy errors are not impossible to fathom (though largely absent). But as we peruse the texts, we find that God is involved in touching individuals, sometimes to embarrassing degrees.
This LORD is irascible, yet tender. Merciful, yet just. Near, yet far. And Scripture weaves a tale of just how interested in humanity God has become.
