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First a little background on what brought me to start this thread. Awhile back on another thread a poster referenced an article by Peter Enns. I liked it so much I purchased a few books by him – - and now I’m enjoying that familiar experience of reevaluating certain beliefs in light of some new information…new to me anyway. I will get to something from one of his books in a little bit – but let me finish “the background.” Recently on another thread I offered a very brief analysis of one of The Way International’s favorite buzzwords (Way-speak or ministry jargon) which is simply “The Word”. From which Twinky suggested I start a thread "The Word of God is the Will of God??". Well…after mulling that over for a bit - - I decided it might be more interesting to hear from Grease Spotters on what is their current view of the Bible. It could be a combo of past and present views, why a change in your viewpoint, how you approach putting the stuff you learn into practice, why you don’t think it’s a book of any practical value, what you think of the quote from Peter Enns' book given below…whatever…In other words – the discussion is open to anyone – not just Christians. I really wasn’t thinking of starting a what’s wrong (or right) with The Way or The Way’s Doctrine thread…although I’m not going to play thread-police-control, so whatever happens, happens. Hey, I don’t care - if this thread flops – I’m willing to go down with the ship – which just happens to be a submarine anyway . I titled this thread “Concerning the Bible” – and that gives you the ok to comment on just about anything that comes to mind when hearing that phrase... uhm.. also that was on the top of the page in Peter Enns’ book - hey, a young plagiarist has got to start somewhere! …I also had as a subtitle “confessions of a former fundamentalist” so that readers might understand where I’m coming from. I have stated a few times over my years of being on Grease Spot that my beliefs are in a state of flux. I used to be such a study bug and checked out numerous versions of the Bible, a wide variety of systematic theologies, commentaries, biblical studies , etc....And so it was with perhaps a simple unspoken criteria for choosing what to read and study loosely based upon my preferences: -> the authors were NEVER associated with The Way, that they stuck to general academic standards, had reputable credentials – or at least honest in representing their area of expertise, - > that the things discussed made sense to me (they didn’t use double-talk or screwball “logic”) especially in areas that differed from what I was taught in The Way - >. and lastly and perhaps most important especially after leaving a dishonest and controlling cult – the books I chose appeared to be an upfront presentation of information (in other words, not having a hidden agenda of treachery) and of course arming myself with the nuanced understanding that they may have arguments intended to support or defend a particular doctrine. Going back and forth on what I think of this or that in my studies - - a few things seem to have been fairly constant in my belief system: there is a Creator, Jesus Christ is an actual person who once walked the earth, and the Bible is instrumental to informing me of the moral demands of the Creator. And it’s really the last point – the Bible as part of my moral navigation system that has always captivated me. There’s been quite a few times while reading some theological work that I would get the feeling I’m a cop-out for not holding to the fundamentalist mindset that I had in The Way Ministry…that I am a sub-standard Christian…my faith being damaged goods…who knows…maybe so… but if the will is still present to pursue a life of faith – then how screwed up is that? Okay – don’t answer that question - - I’ll just get to a quote from a book that offered me a glimmer of hope in understanding - at least in part “what a long strange trip it’s been.” There is something a little scary but also exciting when you cut loose the moorings of familiar dogma and set a course for uncharted waters. Granted, many way-points are probably familiar to others but not for someone like me who started on a journey with the idea that PFAL was the end-all for everything you wanted to know about anything. This is not a post to defend the Bible or my beliefs but simply a declaration of the course I have set. And now on to an excerpt from one of Peter Enns’ books… (And please don’t gasp when you hear the first part of the title of the book and start having PFAL flashbacks – please read the rest of the title as well as the quotes – you may be pleasantly surprised) The following is from page vii of The Bible Tells Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable to Read It, by Peter Enns, Harper One – Harper Collins Publishers, co. 2014: "The human qualities of the raw materials show through. Naivety, error, contradiction, even (as in the cursing Psalms) wickedness are not removed. The total result is not ‘The Word of God’ in the sense that every passage, in itself, gives impeccable science or history. It carries the Word of God; and we (under grace, with attention to tradition and to interpreters wiser than ourselves, and with the use of such intelligence and learning as we may have) receive that word from it not by using it as an encyclopedia or an encyclical but by steeping ourselves in its tone or temper and so learning its overall message… We might have expected, we may think we should have preferred, an unrefracted light giving us ultimate truth in systematic form – something we could have tabulated and memorized and relied on like the multiplication table…But there is one argument which we should beware of using...God must have done what is best, this is best, therefore God has done this. For we are mortals and do not know what is best for us, and it is dangerous to prescribe what God must have done – especially when we cannot, for the life of us, see that He has after all done it." End of excerpt == == == == Well…that’s all I wanted to share for now and would like to see to what other folks have to say - - - oh hey, forgot to mention the above quotes from Peter Enns' book - – well…he did NOT actually say those things... ....at the bottom of page vii, Peter references where he got them from… C.S. Lewis ...in his Reflections on the Psalms… I don’t know about you - - but as a former fundamentalist still nervously treading along a self-guided journey and realizing those words came from a very familiar author who I have respected and loved ever since I first laid eyes on The Screwtape Letters (and since I never read or heard of his Reflections on the Psalms) it was a combination of shock, euphoria, and validation all at once. Praise Jesus and pass the bookmarks! Okay - - now I’m done…anybody else have any thing they want to add? == == == one other thing...addressing the Moderators now - i just realized maybe I should have posted this in questioning faith forum...I don't care if you need to move it - go ahead