Advent 09- The Bible

A book that's sold more copies than even Harry Potter, yet vast numbers of those copies remain mostly unread. A book that's been argued over more than any other, which people have been banned from reading in many countries and at many times- even countries that profess to be Christian.  Probably the most translated book in the world- some language groups have even had to have alphabets invented so that it could be translated.  What book am I talking about?  The Bible.

Sadly it's also a book that probably more than any other has had bits of it misused and taken out of context.  The problems of translation also don't help.  But misuse of a text doesn't have to mean the text itself is to blame, or looses all validity.  Even if you don't believe the claims of Christians that the Bible is God's message to us, you can still respect it as a book that has had a tremendous impact on Western culture- both from its' content, and from the post-Reformation focus on the printed word.

But I do believe those claims.  I do believe that the Bible is a collection of books* given to us by God through the inspired writing of human individuals across several centuries to act as a guide and help book.  It tells us what our priorities should be:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength,"
"Love your neighbour as yourself," Mark 12 v29-31
"And what does the LORD require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Micah 6 v8
It gives us advice on how to do this, through practical teaching in Paul's letters and stories of how the early Israelite leaders did- or didn't- do the right thing.  It gives us reasons why and  examples how we should praise God.

And perhaps most importantly it tells us about God's big plan for his creation.  His plan that would bring back to him all people who believe in him, that would destroy the power of sin and death, our selfishness and disobedience.  It tells us how humans- all humans, represented by Adam and Eve**- turn away from God because we think we know better, but that he does not give up on us and works through first chosen individuals (Abraham, Moses) and later a whole nation (Israel) and its leaders (judges, kings) and prophets to bring this about, culminating in Jesus the Messiah, both God and human, who was born, lived, suffered and died and rose again in the compelling blow that freed us from our mistakes; and going on to tell us about how this good news was spread out through Jerusalem and Judea, and all the nations.  I think that's a Good Thing.  Do you?


*Talking about a book is actually misleading.  There are many books in the Bible, and several different styles, from poetry to history to prophecy to letters.  There are, however, no science textbooks!
**I think the Adam and Eve story is probably metaphorical.  If you think differently, fine.  It still works.