Dealing with My Doubts About the Bible

If I am going to use the quadrilateral (see last blog) to work on my doubts, I must first confront my own doubts about the Bible itself. Sometimes I think it is helpful, other times I think it causes more problems than help. I’ve had seen people verbally beat up others using the Bible. Others seem to be hurting themselves trying to live up to something they believe the Bible tells them to do.  To my mind, this centers around what individuals understand “The word of God” to mean.

Years ago I developed an idea about the Bible according my ideas on communication. When someone says or writes something they are trying to express what is on their minds and/or in their hearts. In turn this communication must be conveyed in some way.

If it is written, the language used, the punctuation, any illustrations added to the text attempt to carry the writer’s intent. If it is oral, the intonation, facial expressions and other body language may also seek to carry that message.

Then the message arrives at the reader or listener destination. Here it can be received in a variety of ways—lightly, with half-attention, seriously studied, questioned, or taken literally according to the understanding of the recipient. 

All three parts have something to do with what I accept and believe. And when I have trouble communicating with others, it is helpful to see where this process breaks down. 

Here is how I apply this model to my thoughts about the Bible and the Word of God.

First issue: who is seeking to communicate? As a kid I thought it was that grandfather figure on a throne dressed in a white robe and with a wonderful white beard. This is part of many thoughts that see God directly speaking to God’s creation. What is written in the Bible is the literal Word of God.   At the other extreme, there are those who see the Bible as simply the words of men and women reporting on their thoughts and ideas.  If there is a God, some would say that God inspired men and women to write, but what they have written is filtered through their human language.  There are other positions along this continuum of ideas. 

Second: how is the message shared?  Since we do not possess the original copies of the Bible I have numerous questions here.  If God spoke the word was it in Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek—all three languages probably represent part of the original text.  I am sure it was not King James English as I have had some Christians tell me!  But since I work in English, how do the words get translated for me? The message capsule is a fragile one passed , not just from one to another, but passed again and again over two thousand years.

Third: how do I receive the message? As a doubting Thomas, I admit some skepticism. That affects how I perceive the message. Some believers take the message on face value, often seeing the meaning through the eyes of significant others who have helped the development of their faith positions. Personally, I sometimes experience meaning from the message that affects my faith life; at that point, I like to think the words may be called “the Word of God.”   More about this later.

Finding Help to Explore My Questions

So I’ve got issues—doubts and questions. How am I going to work on them? Years ago I learned from Prof. Albert Outler that John Wesley seemed to apply a quadrilateral of Scripture, Tradition, Experience, and Reasons as sources to explore. Over the years I have found these to be helpful.

As I have said before, I started with Experience. I didn’t reason things out. While I was taught to read the Bible, it only took on the meaning others shared. The people I cared about shared love and caring with me. I sang, “Jesus loves me”, and I liked the thought of God loving me. When I got into trouble, I responded to the message of forgiveness by God and others. Even today when something falls into place about my issues, I experience satisfaction that this has a rightness about it.

From early on I have listened to the voices of tradition. The significant people in my life have told me what they believe is right. They helped shape my understandings of what the Bible said. They taught me what the “church” (their church!) said was right and wrong. For some that was, “don’t smoke or drink, and don’t go with girls who do.”  Later I was introduced to other traditions, other theological teachings, other interpretations of what the Bible said.

In my questioning phase, reason took on a significant role. As I learned to think abstractly, I began to have abilities to compare traditions and arguments, weighing them, and arriving at positions that I could believe. Sometimes what I had been taught and experiences held up under my rational investigation. Sometimes they didn’t, and I had to go searching for more information. Sometimes I still find myself arguing with my reasoning, trying to arrive at a position I can live with.

All through these stages, I have used the Bible.  I can’t throw it out. But I still experience a feeling that it has an important role to play explorations. The Bible has taken on different values as the other stages become important .  At times the interpretations from traditions governed much of my thought. Then again my reasoning reflections had to replow the Bible to see how I could understand it. More about that next time.

For now I affirm that I do use the elements of Wesley’s quadrilateral in my search for answers.