John 5 - The Danger of Reading the Bible Legalistically and Literally!
39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
Click Here to Read the Rest of John 5
The Pharisees made a mistake that a lot of people make. They are more focused on the bible, than the God of the bible. That may sound like a strange thing, but one of subtle ways that legalism can creep into a church is when bible reading becomes a work. People think that by reading the bible it makes them a better Christian than someone who doesn't. Now don't get me wrong, from I am a big fan of reading the bible.
But Jesus tells the Pharisees that the purpose of the bible is to lead them to Him. The first, primary and most important purpose of the bible is to lead us to Christ. The Old and New Testament together have a cornerstorne that cannot be removed, and that is the person and power of Jesus Christ. Everything in the bible centers on the "the Word (Jesus) that became flesh and dwelt among us." The Pharisees were so caught up in the scriptures, and specifically the law, that they missed the gospel. They missed Jesus when he was right in their midst. This has been called "bibliolatry". The dictionary calls this, "an excessive adherence to a literal interpretation of the bible, (and I would add) ... which causes one to miss its original meaning"
We see the problem of legalistic, literalism with the Pharisees view of the Sabbath. God gave the Israelites a Sabbath, as a day of rest from their labor and a day to worship Him. It taught them to worship God, not work. It taught them to rely on God for their provision, not just their own hands. But the Pharisees had gotten so legalistic about the Sabbath day observance that when Jesus healed a man paralyzed for 38 years, they scolded him for doing so. Clearly their legalism had completely lost sight of the reason God gave the Israelites a Sabbath. Jesus re-iterated this when he said, "The Sabbath is made for man, not man made for the Sabbath."
This tendency to "legalize" what was meant to be "life-giving" can easily creep into the church. Sometimes churches emphasize bible study and reading the bible, but it for its' knowledge alone. They forget the real purpose is to meet Jesus in the scriptures and get in alignment with the Father's will as he describes in John 5. The power of the word is that it contains the Word of God, Jesus Christ.
As we read the scripture we should always ask the question, "What is Jesus speaking to me about in this passage?" And, "How is he calling me to take this word into my life to be the kind of person that he would be if he was me." This is when reading the bible gets exciting because we realize by reading the bible in this way it enables us to live in a power greater than ourselves. And through the Word, Jesus brings us into life and life abundant.
Click Here to Read the Rest of John 5
The Pharisees made a mistake that a lot of people make. They are more focused on the bible, than the God of the bible. That may sound like a strange thing, but one of subtle ways that legalism can creep into a church is when bible reading becomes a work. People think that by reading the bible it makes them a better Christian than someone who doesn't. Now don't get me wrong, from I am a big fan of reading the bible.
But Jesus tells the Pharisees that the purpose of the bible is to lead them to Him. The first, primary and most important purpose of the bible is to lead us to Christ. The Old and New Testament together have a cornerstorne that cannot be removed, and that is the person and power of Jesus Christ. Everything in the bible centers on the "the Word (Jesus) that became flesh and dwelt among us." The Pharisees were so caught up in the scriptures, and specifically the law, that they missed the gospel. They missed Jesus when he was right in their midst. This has been called "bibliolatry". The dictionary calls this, "an excessive adherence to a literal interpretation of the bible, (and I would add) ... which causes one to miss its original meaning"
We see the problem of legalistic, literalism with the Pharisees view of the Sabbath. God gave the Israelites a Sabbath, as a day of rest from their labor and a day to worship Him. It taught them to worship God, not work. It taught them to rely on God for their provision, not just their own hands. But the Pharisees had gotten so legalistic about the Sabbath day observance that when Jesus healed a man paralyzed for 38 years, they scolded him for doing so. Clearly their legalism had completely lost sight of the reason God gave the Israelites a Sabbath. Jesus re-iterated this when he said, "The Sabbath is made for man, not man made for the Sabbath."
This tendency to "legalize" what was meant to be "life-giving" can easily creep into the church. Sometimes churches emphasize bible study and reading the bible, but it for its' knowledge alone. They forget the real purpose is to meet Jesus in the scriptures and get in alignment with the Father's will as he describes in John 5. The power of the word is that it contains the Word of God, Jesus Christ.
As we read the scripture we should always ask the question, "What is Jesus speaking to me about in this passage?" And, "How is he calling me to take this word into my life to be the kind of person that he would be if he was me." This is when reading the bible gets exciting because we realize by reading the bible in this way it enables us to live in a power greater than ourselves. And through the Word, Jesus brings us into life and life abundant.
Comments
Post a Comment