Vol. IV No. 8, March 27, 2005

Forget the Bible! It’s Not Hip.

Written by Christopher Mentzer

A few weeks ago, a young woman found herself a hostage of a man involved in Atlanta’s court slayings. During her stead she decided to show the man what she was about. Here is an excerpt from a news article written by the Associated Press:

ATLANTA (AP) - Ashley Smith says she gently talked to the armed suspect in Atlanta's courthouse slayings -- turning from hostage to confidant as they discussed God and the Reverend Rick Warren's "The Purpose Driven Life." During the long weekend ordeal, Brian Nichols eventually untied Smith, who suggested it was a miracle that he'd escaped alive. She also told him that God's purpose might be for him to surrender so he could spread the gospel to fellow prisoners.

Another example is found in an article entitled, The Smiling Preacher, which focused on Joel Osteen who had a new book called “Your Best Life Now”. Here is that excerpt:

Osteen and his wife say there are just so many hours in the day and his time has to be reserved for his calling: the sermons. "The truth is, if someone says I want to be counseled by Joel Osteen, my first thing is to say get the tapes, read his book," said Victoria Osteen, who is a major part of each service. "It's not like he's got a secret he's not telling us."

In both instances an opportunity to open the Bible and see what God says is presented and yet a human’s book is used instead. Why is that? Mostly because the Bible is some two thousand years and isn’t hip for the 21^st Century. Plus it’s a great plug for whatever book is popular and puts more money in the author’s pocket.

In 2 Tim. 3: 16-17 Paul writes, “Every scripture inspired of God `is' also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. 17. That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.” That man may be made complete! Can this be said of Mr. Osteen’s book or Mr. Warren’s book? What about the apostle James when he wrote, “But he that looketh into the perfect law, the `law' of liberty, and `so' continueth, being not a hearer that forgetteth but a doer that worketh, this man shall be blessed in his doing.” (Jas. 1:25) This declares the Bible to be perfect. Can that be said of the other two books?

All too often people want others to read the Bible for them and give them the gist of the scriptures. Turning to human fiction like the Left Behind series or the latest warm fuzzy story by Max Lucado, they’ll assume this to be truth rather than suggestion. Jesus said in John 8: 31-32, “If ye abide in my word, `then' are ye truly my disciples; 32. and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” He said MY WORD. Does that leave room for others? NO!! Also Jesus said in John 18: 37, “…To this end have I been born, and to this end am I come into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.” Again Jesus said in Matt. 28: 18, “All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth.” This leaves no room for others in authority or their books to be the primary source of information concerning God and His commands.

In conclusion, we learn from Proverbs 23:23, “Buy the truth, and sell it not; `Yea', wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.” If the Bible is the soul source of all of these, then who needs hip?