"All Scripture is God breathed...."

I believe that the Holy Scriptures were written by men, inspired by God, as one of God's ways of revealing himself to us and intructing us. He also reveals himself in "general revelation" (the creation itself speaks of a creator), through the prophets, and most significantly through his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

A false dichotomy: "either it's all true or it's all a lie, and you wouldn't call the Bible a lie, would you?"

Why is this the case tho? Would you say that ANY book is all true or all all a lie?

Here is an example (taken from a CHRISTIAN apologetics website):

How old was Ahaziah when he began to rule over Jerusalem?
2 Kings 8:26 and 2 Chronicles 22:2

1. Twenty-two (2 Kings 8:26) - "Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah the granddaughter of Omri king of Israel," (NASB).
2. Forty-two (2 Chron. 22:2) - "Ahaziah was forty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri,"

This is a mistake. Just a little mistake. But according to Bryant that means the whole Bible is a lie right? That's crazy.

And what's with the use of the word 'lie'? No part of the Bible is a lie. It's mostly folktales that were eventually written down and expanded on. Like Grimm's fairy tales. So it's more accurate to say that some (few) parts are literally true and some are not. Read it like you would any other ancient story book.

Happy Sabbath to you. Hope everyone is keeping it Holy by resting.

I love these daily devotionals, AND I believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God; however todays message is very confusing. Weren't there some scriptures in the old testiment that were applicable only for those times?

There are scriptures on eating shellfish, possessing slaves and burning sacrifices. These seem to be significant only to those times.

This is the first devotional that I don't understand. Help.

Christian, let me assist you.

First of all, the Bible clearly states a lot of nasty stuff, especially in the Old Testament. If Christians were to follow the Bible, to the letter, they'd all end up in jail because they'd be stoning people for adultery, or working on Sunday. Jerry Falwell said, “He hates f*gs”. If Fawell is saying this because the Bible says so, he’s right! So could this kind of Biblical content cause a lot of “good Christians” to hate homosexuals? It just might. And then if you are critical of this type of the ancient nonsense, people call the hate speech police. What are you going to do about that?

Christian, the Bible was written because ancient man was afraid of the dark, and afraid to die. Ancient man didn’t understand anything — disease, our place in the galaxy/universe, the construction of matter, evolution, the inner workings of the cell, gravity, quantum mechanics, and so on. So people started creating these stories to explain where we came from, in error of course. These words were written in a time with completely different sociological, ethical, and moral standards, complete with references to slavery, human sacrifices, and other nasty stuff as you point out. Most definitely, the scripture is false. And not just Christian scripture, but all monotheistic religions. They are all based on the same illusion, and they are all plagiarisms of each other.

Yet the cancer of religion remains and all religious belief will be completely and ineradicably there as long as we remain a poor, stupid, unevolved, uneducated species.

The chances that I’m right, vs. an ancient illiterate shepherd manning his sheep is right? I think the odds are overwhelmingly in my favour.

Christian, make the best use of the time you have left, because it’s all you have.

Christian, The Bible is for all time. Many of the accounts in the OT are are just that, accounts of what happened. The purpose of the story will vary and often have many life applications.

The underlying message of the Bible is the saving work of Jesus Christ. Everything points to Him. It is often said that "the OT is the NT concealed, and the NT is the OT revealed". This thought has proved invaluable to me in my Bible study and devotional time.

JCO may think that now is all the time you've got, but he's wrong. We all have been appointed one life to live and then judgement. Erik and JCO don't like that word, but without it there is no point to Christianity. Jesus Christ took your place "in judgement", and he offers that to you as a free gift.

Grant - I agree with what you say. I'm just surprised that Bryant would say that it is "applicable for all times."

It is a history of the times, but is not always applicable for these times.

"Many of the accounts in the OT are are just that, accounts of what happened."

Of course Grant, you have no evidence of that, and most modern understanding of history, science, and logic would suggest that none of these things happened. We all know nothing in Genesis happened, and the rest of it is most likely in error too. There might be some small fragrance of truth to some of it, but 98% of it is just myth/legend.

And where Adam/Eve weren't real, the whole point of Original Sin is moot, and there was no point to Jesus coming etc. So Christianity is built on untruths.

No one is to blame though. 2,000 years ago, we knew no better. There is no excuse for ignorance in the 21st Century, however. Only your own lack to read, and understand.

Grant - I'm sorry that Erik and JCO had to get involved with this question. No matter what my question, I do not go to them for answers. I can't imagine a life with out my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Thank you for your response. I enjoy your posts.

I believe the Bible is "applicable for all times," when you consider the OT alongside the NT. The OT records many happenings that people would not do today. The NT records the Jesus way of doing life. Some of what is in the Bible is showing the bad ways that some people choose to live...and the consequences of their bad choices. The Bible does not sugar-coat the reality of the times. The Bible makes note that there is nothing new under the sun. It is speaking of humans and how they behave, not about trinkets and techie devices.

There is a study Bible, The Life Application Bible, put out by Tyndale which might help you, Christian, with seeing how the Bible can be applied. I get their daily devotion, "livingwater" which is short and to the point. I believe you can subscribe at tyndale.com. It may be helpful in your quest to understand how the Bible applies to these times. Blessings.

Hi, Christian. Bryant's referring to the truths of the bible as it speaks about God and man, which are unchanging and applicable for all times. There are ceremonial laws in the Old Testament that were only applicable for Israel under the old covenant, and cultural mores that were written about that we don't necessarily ascribe to. As Grant says, though, the Old Testament points to the New Testament and Jesus. One of my favorite chapters in the Old Testament that ties the two together is Isaiah 53.

Unfortunately Janice, the things that the OT records are often no worse than what we see mankind doing today; many of whom claim to be very religious. Fifty+ million abortions in the United States alone in the last thirty years would rank up there with any child sacrifice of the OT. Homosexual and heterosexual activities that echo Sodom and Gamorrah. Genocide on a scale in the twentieth and early twenty-fist century that shocks and numbs the mind. And, I could go on. (It is foolish of anyone, like our resident atheists, to mock the cruelty of the OT and overlook the condition of the world today.) This and much more is also prophesised in the Bible.

I pointed out an error in the Bible. According to the devotion that means the Bible is "all a lie."

Do you believe this, yes or no please?

Thank you, Grant, for your relevant comment. You are so right that methods may have changed but the heart motives relating to the sacrifice of babies by abortion is still the same. The OT reasoning was to sacrifice children to gain favor with a god for one's personal benefit. The One true God did not want sacrifice of children. He wanted obedience to His laws. Now people have abortions which sacrifice babies for the current gods of convenience and finances. A baby takes time and money to raise up. Jesus came to earth as a baby and that shows God thought highly of babies. Thanks Grant for the point you made that made me think more deeply.