British broadcaster, author, and speaker, Justin Brierly, has written a profoundly responsible and well-sourced book (title cited above and linked here) that will prove quite encouraging to those who believe everything mainstream social media has to say about the Christian faith.

Brierley cites atheists, agnostics, and numerous skeptics both from academia and mainstream who, weary of the hopelessness of the “God Delusion/neo-atheism” agenda, are coming to terms with the hope found in the Judeo-Christian faith (our Christian faith that has its origins in the ancient Jewish culture) i.e. human dignity, the equality of women, defending the weak. All of these have their roots in the Judeo-Christian faith.

Within the context of the Bible’s influence on secular culture alone, Brierley mentions,

“the Bible’s cadence, beauty, and rhythm informing the poetry and literature of subsequent generations.”

Consider the following excerpt:

“Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Marilynne Robinson, has declared the Bible as ‘The Book of Books,’ writing, ‘Even when references to Scripture in contemporary fiction and poetry are no more than ornamental or rhetorical – indeed, even when they are unintentional – they are still a natural consequence of the persistence of a powerful literary tradition.”

“Persistence.”

Read on…

“Some three hundred years ago, one of the world’s most famous skeptics of Christianity was the French intellectual, Voltaire. He is reputed to have said that ‘one hundred years from my day, there will not be a Bible on earth…”

“The great irony of Voltaire’s prediction is that, a century after his declaration, Voltaire’s home in Geneva, Switzerland, had become a storehouse of Bibles and tracts produced by the Evangelical Society of Geneva.”

Brierley adds,

“Many people dismiss the Bible’s contents as outdated, irrelevant, and untrue on the basis of the background noise of a largely skeptical culture. Yet the Bible has a tenacious ability to surprise each new generation of readers when they actually open its pages…

“Despite skeptics past and present predicting the demise of Christianity and its founding Scriptures, the Bible has a stubborn habit of refusing to die.” [end excerpt]

That last statement reminds me of something written about the Bible by 20th century theologian, Bernard Ramm:

“No other book has been so chopped, knifed, sifted, scrutinized, and vilified. What book on philosophy or religion or psychology of classical or modern times has been subject to such a mass attack as the Bible? With such venom and skepticism? Upon every chapter, line and tenet?”

Ramm continues,

“A thousand times over, the death bell of the Bible has been sounded, the funeral procession formed, and the inscription cut on the tombstone. But somehow the corpse never stays put.”

Isaiah, the prophet, put it this way:

“Grass withers and flowers fade, but God’s Word stands firm and forever.” (40:8)

In Jeremiah, chapter 36, we read the story of King Jehoiakim reading a message from God through the prophet, Jeremiah, then, without even finishing it, cutting it up into pieces and throwing it into his fireplace.  Done! No more word of God, right? Not even close. God then dictated to Jeremiah the same words to warn the king of what was to come. (This is yet another example of both the patience and relentless love of God for us when we dismiss him and rebel against him.)

Mankind can burn and destroy the paper on which the Word of God is recorded. However, no one can destroy the Word of God. As Isaiah stated, “God’s Word stands forever.”

Reading the Bible for all its worth.

The Bible is ancient literature – an anthology of diverse literary genres such as poetry, history, prophecy, biography, and law, just to name a few.  As such, it is helpful to approach these genres accordingly. In this Reflections on the Psalms, C.S. Lewis (who knew a little about ancient literature), offers wise counsel:

“…the Psalms are poems, and poems intended to be sung: not doctrinal treatises, nor even sermons…Most emphatically the Psalms must be read as poems; as lyrics, with all the licenses and all the formalities, the hyperboles, the emotional rather than logical connections, which are proper to lyric poetry. They must be read as poems if they are to be understood; no less than French must be read as French or English as English. Otherwise we shall miss what is in them and think we see what is not.”

Lewis’ counsel would apply to the rest of the Bible as well.

For instance, when you approach the book of Galatians as Paul’s frustrated plea to Christians who’ve forgotten what the Christian gospel is actually about, it begins to come into better focus. As for Ephesians and Philippians, both were written by Paul while he suffered in prison for his faith.  While both contain strong theological teaching, the former is filled with encouragement to be fearless in the face of satanic/occultic hostility since the Ephesian believers lived in the shadow of the Temple of Artemis , while the latter is Paul’s heartfelt expression of love and thanks to a group of people who have helped him so very much. And 2 Timothy? That would be equivalent to Paul’s “last will and testament.” (He was soon led to his execution.)

That the Bible was written over a 1500 year period, by some 40 authors from all walks of life, on three continents, in three languages – and tells a single, harmonizing, overriding story – is nothing short of remarkable.

The Bible is, at its root, a story.  Its pages are replete with mankind experiencing the highest of highs, the lowest of lows, and everything in between. In short, it’s the unsanitized story of the history of mankind and of the God who is in love with you. This love finds its apex in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

An Invitation into the Great Adventure

If you’ve never really read the Bible (this invitation is for Christians too), I invite you to consider finding an easily readable translation (such as the New Living Translation) and give the Bible an honest try. Begin in the New Testament with one of the biographies (gospels) of Jesus – Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. Then, perhaps, move on to one of Paul’s letters such as Ephesians, Philippians, or Colossians.

On a personal note,…

The Bible has provided me with wisdom, hope, peace, and strength in my darkest and most difficult seasons of life.

If you have any questions about the Bible please don’t hesitate to contact me. It would be my joy to visit you about this story of God’s love for you and me.

“Your Word is truth.” – Jesus Christ (John 17:17)

Sola Scriptura, Nick