What's Behind The Story?

2 Timothy 3:15-17 (NIV)

From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.                                

What is the Bible?  Does it have authority or is it simply moral guidelines?  Are we supposed to believe every story really happened?  Did any of the events recorded really happen?  What do you think?

I believe God used humans to craft the Bible.  He inspired the writers and committee of decision makers to compile a library of books that reveals God’s love and plan for humanity.  Phew!  God used people to deliver His message. The common thread from start to finish is that this God is uniquely different from any other god in that He loves us, wants the best for us and has always had a plan for spending eternity in relationship with us.  God is for us and with us.

So, what about the stories?  I believe the stories in the Bible are primarily about the message, the big picture, the meaning rather than the facts.  Early stories that were retold around campfires for generations are meant to reveal God’s character more than document actual events.  They explain why and not so much how.  I have much more confidence in the details of later stories for which there were eye witnesses alive while the stories were circulating. 

For all of the writings, our goal is to discern God’s intended message.  I’m fascinated by a series Rob Bell is writing about the Bible that can be found on his Facebook page.  Bell asks these questions:  Why did the ancient people find it important to tell this story?  What was it that moved them to record these words?  What was happening in the world at that time?  What does this story tell us about how the original audience understood who they were and who God is?  What’s developing in the world that caused these people to think the story was worth telling?