In this world in which so many voices would tell us the Bible is just another religious book, just another ancient work of literature, just a compilation of human aspirations and cherished legends and so on, it’s vital to pause and get our bearings: to renew our respect for and devotion to God’s inspired and fully truthful Word.
And yet, some may find it odd to talk of “devotion” to a book. In fact, there are those both in and outside of the church who charge Bible lovers with “bibliolatry” (i.e., practicing idolatry with the Bible as our object of worship). What do we make of this?
Consider Psalm 130:5: “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.” Notice how waiting for the Lord and hoping in his Word are tied together: in fact, relying on God and depending on the Bible are profoundly intertwined. There’s no necessary conflict between trusting God and trusting his message to the world. In fact, not to cherish the Word and devote ourselves to it would be a serious problem. And further, how could we possibly not love to hear from the One who has forgiven and adopted and loved us? So let me urge you to think carefully and not fall for any simplistic separation between God and God’s message. Loving the Scriptures is natural and good and right for all God’s children.
Still, concern over bibliolatry is legitimate—it can be a real problem. When is love for the Bible wrong?
First and foremost, when it’s not inspired by a love for the God who speaks in the Bible.
Zeal for Scripture also goes awry when it’s not paired with sincere readiness to embrace and apply what is taught. If we just love the intellectual stimulation of Bible study and theological bantering, but we don’t really (deep down) intend to live out what God says, we’ve put ourselves on the throne and effectively rejected God as Lord!
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