I’ve had many discussions over the years with believers and non-believers alike, usually about a position that they hold, and they’re either trying to prove their position is justified, or trying to disprove my belief about something the scriptures say. It’s odd that I can sum up arguments over biblical stances for believers and non-believers in one sentence, but it usually amounts to the same thing. We justify our beliefs, not by the Bible, but by what we were taught, raised in, or the tradition we hold most dear. And when asked to prove my point, I use the Bible to defend my biblical positions, and am usually met with a response like “You use the Bible too much” (over a Biblical point), or “I don’t know why you’re telling me that, I already know it” (when proving my point about a worldview or tradition), or “You’re just trying to show you know more than me; I know what I’m talking about!” The thing is, I’m not trying to make someone feel stupid, or beat someone over the head with the Bible, but we’re told to correct one another through the word (2 Timothy 3:16-17 comes to mind). And I will continue to use the word over and again to prove Christ and His will, because that is what the Bible says I can do, to test God’s good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2).
The problem isn’t that it’s wrong to use the Bible to defend one’s position. It becomes a problem when we’re trying to make the Bible defend our point of view instead of being conformed to the image of God by reading it! For millennia, people have used scripture to control people. They have poured their points of view, ideas, current culture and norms (a lot of heresies coming around today because people want the Bible to say something to justify lifestyles) and traditions in to it. I just want to be biblically correct, and every believer should as well! When someone rebuffs with “Okay, prove it!,” I want to be so grounded in God’s word that I feel secure knowing He justifies me and fights my battles, not that I’m stating my case and justifying myself. God’s word is the source of true wisdom, and it all points to Jesus Christ, the source of grace, truth and life. So if I must prove anything, it is His will by His word so that all may walk in His way.
2 Timothy 3
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.
You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
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