As Christians we sometimes do things that don’t help our cause.
Sure, they are done from good intentions and with a sincere heart. But they actually take our legs out from under us in the long run.
Sometimes this happens with the way Christians talk about truth. Unfortunately we can be too spiritual for our own good. Let me explain what I mean.
2 Dead Ends
There are two versions of how this plays out in our assumptions or conversations:
(1) Only the Bible gives us truth.
(2) Truth derived from the Bible is in a unique category.
Regarding (1) Only the Bible gives us truth. This is clearly false. There is general and special revelation.
To claim that the Bible is wholly true and without error does not entail that only the Bible gives us truth. I can learn truths about the city of Jericho from the book of Joshua and also other ancient historians / archaeologists.
The Bible does not reveal the elements of the periodic table. These are truths I can discover from outside the Bible.
Regarding (2) Only the Bible gives us truth. I like to ask a question which makes this clearer: Which statement is more true?
a.) Water is H20
b.) Jesus of Nazareth rose from the dead
It’s not a trick question. Truth is not a “degreed” property. Meaning that you either have it or you don’t. Either a belief or statement corresponds to reality or it doesn’t. Period.
Whether that is in a laboratory or a ancient document, the standard is the same. Does the claim math up with reality? We must push through that little tug in our hearts and minds that wants us to put the Bible in a different category.
Truth is Truth
Authority is a different question because some sources are more authoritative than others. But truth is a “univocal” term. Whether you are a Christian, a Buddhist, a Hindu or an Atheist…Truth is truth. Why? Because it deals with reality.
As Christians we think that faith is rooted in history (cf 1 Cor. 15). We believe that the evidence best supports the Christian worldview. So we don’t need to put the Bible in a different category.
In fact it increases our credibility when we don’t have special rules when it comes to religion or spirituality. A level playing field is an opportunity for Christianity to really shine.
That’s why we need to define our terms like “faith” very carefully and admit that it’s possible that Christianity could be false (though I think there are very strong reasons to think it is true).
So no, something is not more true because it’s in the Bible. And it’s certainly not “unspiritual” to say this out loud.
If you found this post helpful, you would enjoy How to Respond to the “That’s Just Your Interpretation” Objection
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