Ten ways we hinder Bible engagement …
Tragically, we’re prone to reducing the Bible to something manageable, comfortable, or palatable. When we reduce the Bible to something less than it’s meant to be, we handicap Bible engagement.
Here are ten ways we hinder Bible engagement:
Marginalizing
We shut down the Bible when it’s treated as something insignificant or trivial. Pagans do this all the time, but so do Christians. When we say we’re Bible-believing but don’t open it to read it, we’re side-lining it. And when we open it to read it but don’t obey it, we’re not giving it the worthy response it deserves.
Sanitizing
When we connect with the things we like in the Bible but not the things we dislike, we strip the Bible of its efficacy. Are we worried that people will withdraw from God if we reveal His whole character? We’ve stepped out of line if we feel we must clean up the Bible by avoiding difficult, controversial, or distasteful passages.
Romanticizing
Treating the Bible in an idealized way, as a heroic tale or a book about flawless heroes, should be anathema. On one level, the Bible is a love letter but also a record of humanity’s sin, selfishness, guilt, shame, tragedy, deviancy, darkness and despair. When we engage with the Bible, we must engage with it, warts and all!
Trivializing
There are occasions (e.g. teaching the Bible to children) when we use approaches designed to make Bible engagement fun. While fun in and of itself isn’t wrong, we should never be amused spectators or reduce the Bible to our carnal level. We’ve missed the mark when the Bible is equated with feel-good preaching or entertaining storytelling.
Moralizing
The Bible is the doorway to redemption and reconciliation in Christ Jesus. If we diminish it to a niggling petition for ethical change, we close it down. The Bible should never be used to impose control, make demands, get people to conform, or make others feel guilty. It’s not a narrative on issues of right and wrong or a book of moral stories. And it’s never more important to be good than to know Jesus.
Legalizing
While the Bible contains statutes, precepts and commands, it’s not a book of rules per se. Nor is it the means to teach behaviour modification as the be-all and end-all of Christian living. The Bible should never be manipulated to keep people in little boxes. We lock the Bible down if we don’t understand that biblical law only makes sense within the context of faith alone, in Christ alone, through grace alone (cf. Romans 10:4, Galatians 6:2, Ephesians 2:8-9).
Sensationalizing
While the Bible is sensational (extraordinary), it shouldn’t be sensationalized (embellished or overstated). Presenting the Bible in ways designed to provoke interest and excitement at the expense of accuracy is always wrong. It always impedes meaningful encounters with the One who is the Word, Jesus Christ.
Minimalizing
Do you snack on a Bible verse a day? Maybe only consult the Scriptures for guidance or directions when things go wrong? Or, do you select just a few favourite passages to the exclusion of others? If you’re doing these things, you’re getting in the way of the Bible thoroughly having its way with you.
Categorizing
Sometimes, we treat the Bible like a school textbook, a history of the Jewish nation, or a book of outstanding literature. The Bible is more than information, more than spiritual sayings, more than tips for better living, and more than a storehouse of doctrines or propositions. Pigeonholing the Bible as anything other than the Book of books makes a mockery of the fact that the Bible is God’s living, active, unfettered Word.
Liberalizing
When the Bible is considered fable-laden or false, when it’s treated as something that doesn’t reconcile with modern thinking, or when reason is deemed the final authority for interpreting which teachings are correct and which are not, then the ultimate shutdown of the Bible has occurred. When this happens, Bible engagement is a misnomer.
Sometimes, our reductionist approaches are unintended; sometimes, they’re due to inexperience, and sometimes, they’re intentional. Are you helping or hampering Bible engagement? If you’re doing any of the things mentioned above, you’re reducing the Bible to something less than God intends it to be.
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Summary
We hinder Bible engagement in several ways, often by reducing it to something more comfortable or manageable. These include marginalizing its importance, sanitizing its content, romanticizing its stories, and trivializing its message for entertainment. Other obstacles include moralizing its teachings, legalizing its commands, sensationalizing its content, and minimalizing its scope by only engaging with select verses. Ultimately, when we categorize, liberalize, or simplify the Bible, we prevent it from fully impacting our lives and fulfilling its true purpose as God’s living Word.
© Scripture Union Canada
Soli Deo Gloria
