The foundation of our faith

[Revmitchell]

"....we must teach the next generation the FOUNDATION of our faith is an EVENT not a BOOK.” ~ Andy Stanley

To give some context this statement made by Andy was in reference to a young lady who denounced Christianity because of the teaching that the Bible is to be understood literally.


So what say you, is this an appropriate statement by Andy or is it problematic?

 

[Deacon]

"If people put their faith in either a text or in a particular, modern method of reading a text, their faith is misplaced. People should be better educated theologically to realize that the Christian reading of scripture must be learned and practiced as an activity of faith in God, with assurance of the Holy Spirit will not lead us to perdition if we read in faith and with love as our guide and goal."
The Reliability of the New Testament: Bart Ehrman and Daniel Wallace in Dialogue, p.92-93

I presume Andy Stanley would say the EVENT would be the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Rob

 

[Zenas]

It's really hard to separate the two because the Book is our main source of knowledge of the Event--by far. However, if every bible in the world were vaporized and all digital copies wiped clean, we would still have the Event. The Gospel would still be preached and people would be saved. So Andy Stanley is correct.

 

[Iconoclast]

"....we must teach the next generation the FOUNDATION of our faith is an EVENT not a BOOK.” ~ Andy Stanley

To give some context this statement made by Andy was in reference to a young lady who denounced Christianity because of the teaching that the Bible is to be understood literally.


So what say you, is this an appropriate statement by Andy or is it problematic?

It is completely problematic and defective.
Give him the benefit of the doubt...he is speaking with an unbeliever and trying to get her to look at the cross {perhaps, hopefully}

and yet what he does here betrays an unhealthy view of scripture and doctrine no matter how you slice the pie.....

Jesus taught this;

17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

Paul wrote
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

The word of God must be established and defended at all cost. This undermines the whole gospel message. Without the word we do not have Jesus or the gospel.

No serious gospel minister would make such a statement.You cannot divide what God has put together.
Those who turn from a doctrinal base which we are given , unto pragmatic methods are susceptible to such thought. This as written is tragic.

 

[Revmitchell]

What I do not like is that it place a division between the Bible and knowing Christ. Not really possible and it is not necessary to try.

 

[Iconoclast]

What I do not like is that it place a division between the Bible and knowing Christ. Not really possible and it is not necessary to try.

:thumbs: It cannot be....the word is the foundational basis of faith when quickened by the Spirit. Either he did not think this through ...or just blanked out on truth here. Hopefully.....he was not shrinking back from the literal aspects of believing a supernatural book.:thumbs::thumbs:

 

[go2church]

I would say the foundation of our faith is a person, Jesus, not a book. I or anyone else, can be saved without a bible, but not without Jesus.

Though it seems, from what has been reported, that he was trying to make an emphasis on Jesus and not cast doubts on scripture to someone who was not a believer.

Is there a way we could read or listen to the entirety of the conversation?

 

[go2church]

Goggled the phrase, it was a Tweet. At 140 characters, tough to be theologically specific, which I think this conversation must have or the accusations of worshipping the bible or ignoring the bible will fly fast and furious but not very accurately.

 

[Zenas]

What I do not like is that it place a division between the Bible and knowing Christ. Not really possible and it is not necessary to try.

Do you think you have to know the Bible to know Christ? That's absurd. There are a couple of people in my church, both over 40, who have never read a single word and never will. They couldn't distinguish between Genesis and Revelation, the O.T. or the N.T. They have Downs Syndrome. But I can tell you they know Christ better than most of our other members, some of whom have PhD's.

The Bible is a tool for teaching and learning about Christ, nothing more, a very important and useful tool, but not quite indispensable.

 

[Yeshua1]

"....we must teach the next generation the FOUNDATION of our faith is an EVENT not a BOOK.” ~ Andy Stanley

To give some context this statement made by Andy was in reference to a young lady who denounced Christianity because of the teaching that the Bible is to be understood literally.


So what say you, is this an appropriate statement by Andy or is it problematic?

Actually, the very foundation of christianity is Jesus Christ, and the events are his birth/death/resurrection/ascension, but we can only know of that if we have an infallible witness to those events, the Bible!

 

[Yeshua1]

Do you think you have to know the Bible to know Christ? That's absurd. There are a couple of people in my church, both over 40, who have never read a single word and never will. They couldn't distinguish between Genesis and Revelation, the O.T. or the N.T. They have Downs Syndrome. But I can tell you they know Christ better than most of our other members, some of whom have PhD's.

The Bible is a tool for teaching and learning about Christ, nothing more, a very important and useful tool, but not quite indispensable.

or those who do not have handicaps like you mentioned here though..

The bible is the only real infallible way to understand and know what God is really like, as its divine revelation unto us!

 

[go2church]

Record of the revelation

 

[Yeshua1]

Record of the revelation

God has given to us the wriiten revelation, the Bible, and Himself as a man, Jesus, and BOTh are equally accurate, as the bible is the same as if jesus spoke all of its words!

 

[Revmitchell]

Do you think you have to know the Bible to know Christ?

Yes anything else is heresy.

That's absurd. There are a couple of people in my church, both over 40, who have never read a single word and never will. They couldn't distinguish between Genesis and Revelation, the O.T. or the N.T. They have Downs Syndrome.

And someone had to have the word in order to teach and preach Christ and Him crucified to them.

But I can tell you they know Christ better than most of our other members, some of whom have PhD's.

Let's not exaggerate.

The Bible is a tool for teaching and learning about Christ, nothing more, a very important and useful tool, but not quite indispensable.

And this folks is what is wrong with much of the church today. By the way this is heresy.

 

[Revmitchell]

I would say the foundation of our faith is a person, Jesus, not a book.

Which does not surprise me that you have such a low view of scripture.

 

[Revmitchell]

Folks we cannot know Christ without the word of God. To down play it as just a book is an attack on the need and authority of the word of God.

 

[Yeshua1]

Folks we cannot know Christ without the word of God. To down play it as just a book is an attack on the need and authority of the word of God.

We have to agree with God that BOTH the written and living Word of God are equal revelations to us, as if the Bible is not fully inspired and accurate in all that it stated, how do we know Jesus was the One He claimed to be?

 

[blessedwife318]

I see it as a veiled attack on the sufficiency of Scripture. Everything we need to know about God, Jesus, The Crucifixion, Salvation, etc is all in the Bible. Yes there is General Revelation about God, Romans 1 but the Bible makes clear that we need the Bible to really know God. I'll never understand where the false dichotomy came from that you can either study the Bible or have a relationship with Jesus. I have a relationship with Jesus by studying the Bible. I know about the Crucifixion and everything that event means by studying the Bible.

 

[Revmitchell]

I see it as a veiled attack on the sufficiency of Scripture. Everything we need to know about God, Jesus, The Crucifixion, Salvation, etc is all in the Bible. Yes there is General Revelation about God, Romans 1 but the Bible makes clear that we need the Bible to really know God. I'll never understand where the false dichotomy came from that you can either study the Bible or have a relationship with Jesus. I have a relationship with Jesus by studying the Bible. I know about the Crucifixion and everything that event means by studying the Bible.

Amen Sister!:thumbs:

 

[Use of Time]

I see it as a veiled attack on the sufficiency of Scripture. Everything we need to know about God, Jesus, The Crucifixion, Salvation, etc is all in the Bible. Yes there is General Revelation about God, Romans 1 but the Bible makes clear that we need the Bible to really know God. I'll never understand where the false dichotomy came from that you can either study the Bible or have a relationship with Jesus. I have a relationship with Jesus by studying the Bible. I know about the Crucifixion and everything that event means by studying the Bible.

Extremely well said. I don't know why the guy making the quote felt like knowing the Bible and knowing Jesus are mutually exclusive concepts. I have been told in every church I have attended that the Bible is 100% true from front to back and I strongly agree.