Is it Possible to Idolize the Bible?
(This article was published in French at TPSG).
"Be careful not to make an idol of the Bible," warned the speaker. I saw little likelihood of that happening to me at the time because I was much more interested in miraculous gifts and extra-biblical revelations than in a thorough study of Scripture. Decades later, however, the question arose again in my mind.
I am no longer the young woman waiting for a new revelation from the Holy Spirit. I am now a woman in my forties with a love of theology and a thirst for the Word of God. Recently, I asked myself, "Could I now be making an idol out of the Bible?" As I thought about it, here's what came to mind:
1. The Bible itself never warns us of the danger of making the Bible an idol: the Scriptures list the sins that qualify as idolatry, from bowing down to images (Ex 20:3-6) to greed (Cor 3:5), from gluttonous eating and drinking (in excess) to sexual immorality (1 Cor 10:7). Jesus confronted the religious leaders of His time in the strongest of terms for elevating the "traditions of men" above the Bible, but He never reproached believers for loving His Word excessively (Mk. 7:8).
2. The Bible itself invites us to take pleasure in its pages: The first lines of the Psalter are a call to worship God by delighting in the Law of the Lord (Ps 1). The book of Psalms contains many songs/poems whose sole purpose is to exalt the Scriptures, foremost among which we find Psalm 119. Psalm 56, moreover, seems to speak of God and his Word as one: "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?" (Psalm 56:3-4). And Paul makes this remark to the Church of the Thessalonians: "Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored (literally "glorified" in Greek), as happened among you." (2 Th 3:1).
3. The Bible chooses to describe the Incarnation of the second person of the Trinity as the Word made flesh: God could have chosen any number of terms to describe the unveiling of his Son in John 1:1-14, but he speaks of the Infinite God as "The Word". Could we say, then, that Jesus is not only the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets (Mt 5:17), but the incarnation and the supreme manifestation of all that they represent? The first verses of Hebrews affirm this: "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world." (Hb 1:1-2).
That having been said, here is what I am not saying: Jesus is not the Bible. Jesus does not depend on the Scriptures for His existence, but we certainly do. Without them, we would be unable to attain the knowledge of the truth, and therefore eternal life (Rom 10:13-14). Yes, creation reveals that there is a Creator (Rom 1:20), and our conscience testifies that God's Law is written in our hearts (Rom 2:15). But these only serve to condemn us. We must put our trust in Christ alone as revealed in the Scriptures to be saved.
What I am saying is that the Law is a type of Christ. Psalm 119:105 states, "Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." But Jesus amplifies this thought with a statement about himself: "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (Jn 8:12). In light of this reality (no pun intended), what should our relationship to the Word of God be? I propose that we devour it, that we depend on it, that we take pleasure in it, without fear of excess, because when we do, we will find Jesus, we will find light, we will find life.
"Be careful not to make an idol of the Bible," warned the speaker. I saw little likelihood of that happening to me at the time because I was much more interested in miraculous gifts and extra-biblical revelations than in a thorough study of Scripture. Decades later, however, the question arose again in my mind.
I am no longer the young woman waiting for a new revelation from the Holy Spirit. I am now a woman in my forties with a love of theology and a thirst for the Word of God. Recently, I asked myself, "Could I now be making an idol out of the Bible?" As I thought about it, here's what came to mind:
2. The Bible itself invites us to take pleasure in its pages: The first lines of the Psalter are a call to worship God by delighting in the Law of the Lord (Ps 1). The book of Psalms contains many songs/poems whose sole purpose is to exalt the Scriptures, foremost among which we find Psalm 119. Psalm 56, moreover, seems to speak of God and his Word as one: "When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?" (Psalm 56:3-4). And Paul makes this remark to the Church of the Thessalonians: "Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored (literally "glorified" in Greek), as happened among you." (2 Th 3:1).
3. The Bible chooses to describe the Incarnation of the second person of the Trinity as the Word made flesh: God could have chosen any number of terms to describe the unveiling of his Son in John 1:1-14, but he speaks of the Infinite God as "The Word". Could we say, then, that Jesus is not only the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets (Mt 5:17), but the incarnation and the supreme manifestation of all that they represent? The first verses of Hebrews affirm this: "Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world." (Hb 1:1-2).
That having been said, here is what I am not saying: Jesus is not the Bible. Jesus does not depend on the Scriptures for His existence, but we certainly do. Without them, we would be unable to attain the knowledge of the truth, and therefore eternal life (Rom 10:13-14). Yes, creation reveals that there is a Creator (Rom 1:20), and our conscience testifies that God's Law is written in our hearts (Rom 2:15). But these only serve to condemn us. We must put our trust in Christ alone as revealed in the Scriptures to be saved.
What I am saying is that the Law is a type of Christ. Psalm 119:105 states, "Your word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." But Jesus amplifies this thought with a statement about himself: "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (Jn 8:12). In light of this reality (no pun intended), what should our relationship to the Word of God be? I propose that we devour it, that we depend on it, that we take pleasure in it, without fear of excess, because when we do, we will find Jesus, we will find light, we will find life.
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