Christians - What's Your Take on the Bible?

Renounced Catholic. My take on the NT is its intuitive in some respects, can be inspiring in others. But its nothing more than mythology rewritten in monotheistic form.

I think both the OT and NT are designed to inspire and teach life lessons. But they're both screwey and far too mystical than necessary. They were written for ignorant people who had the intelligence of children at a time when literacy was near the depths of Mariana's Trench.

Yes, every story did happen but also they are written as an example for us. 2 Timothy 3:16, 17 and also Romans 15:4, and 1 Corinthians 10:11. But the Bible are things that actually happened and things in the future that will happen! Some things are currently happening like 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

It is coherent, accurate, and not just a source of positive life lessons, but a blueprint for how we can live the kind of lives God wants us to live and fulfill His will and our purpose with joy and love.

1 Corinthians 10:1 - 12

"Warnings From Israel's History

For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.

Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry."We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. We should not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.

These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come."

Revelation 19:9

"Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' " And he added, "These are the true words of God."

Good question. I've come to the point that I believe that it is the "God breathed" (inspired) word of God.

I also believe that HOW you read it makes a difference: it needs to be read and re-read. Front to back, chronologically, topically...and always asking God for understanding.

Taking things out of context or 'clips' usually don't make sense in isolation. Not having an understanding of the progressive nature of revelation also doesn't lend itself to understanding.

I started out with the 'good stories' belief, but moved to a point that the basic claims (not the stories) either had to be true or false: there is a God, God is a personal god and I am able to have a relationship with him, my own nature is that of a rebel, there are consequences to rebellion, and there is a way to deal with those consequences where God has made the way to be reconciled.

I found these to be true, and more importantly, they pointed out that man as a created being also had a purpose...I have a purpose. And I can know what it is.

As I worked back through and re-read the bible, I learned more and more from the 'stories' that brought me to the point that the bible is the Word of God and is reliable in teaching me about my own nature and about the nature of God. That in turn is the best explanation for the world and the condition it's in I have ever found.

I didn't get that from my parents or from Sunday school...they were not believers when I was growing up.

That it makes more sense taken as a 'collection of stories' was (for me) a cop out, an excuse not to have to answer the claims it made on me and the things it teaches as the "right" thing to do.

It is gods word, and things that are not deliberately labeled as stories, illustrations or visions are true to life things that happend on earth many years ago.

Here is a nice article about the bible and its worth

http://www.watchtower.org/e/200711/article_03.htm

i think it was meant as an ad hoc collection of stories meant to scare people into obeying some type of laws, since back then there really weren't any laws or "police" to enforce the laws.

It is the inerrant word of God. The Bible means what it says and says what it means. Absolute truth.

Took Hebrew.

Understand Koinonia Greek.

Read Commentaries.

Still Christian but not bibliolatrous one.