My last post discussed how we can accurately view and teach Scripture. If you didn't read it, you can read it here. There is a second part to my thoughts tonight. I'd also like your thoughts on this one.
One
classmate responded to the question with a decent answer on how it is
dangerous to add our own thoughts to Scripture, which is good. However
she then stated, "As bible teachers we are under a divine mandate to
teach the Word of God in spirit and in truth and the best way to do
that is to teach from the tool itself. Many today use the iPad, cell
phones and other technological ways to read God's Word which is ok, but I
still believe that as believers we should never replace the hard copy
of the bible for anything else."
Ummm What?!
So this is how I responded.. Too harsh??
I
feel that I must disagree with the full statement that "as believers we
should never replace the hard copy of the bible for anything else."
I
do agree that there is something sentimental and nostalgic about
holding a Bible in our hands. It is good for us to hold books and to
underline and flip pages; to touch the Words of God. I personally prefer
this over technology. However, at the end of the day, the Gospel is the
Gospel and whether it's being read on a computer, iPad, ancient scroll,
or hard bound book, God's Word is still alive and active in people's
lives. The same is said of reading Scripture in different languages. One
cannot make the jump to say that if scripture isn't read in the
original Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic, then it has been replaced. Sure
sometimes the weight of each word might change, but God is still
speaking through and to His people. We cannot confine God to English,
when there are thousands of other languages in the world. God is a God
above language and above paper and pen, screen and typed letters. This
makes our relationship with God so personal and unique - He longs to
know us where we are at.
I feel like the "technology war" for
Scripture is the same way. I think that God is still pleased that His
children are reading His letters if it's on a tablet or if it is from
pieces of paper bound together. He is not bound by little boxes in our
minds or to pages or scrolling websites. Each person is different, and
some find it more personal to read from their phones. This could be a
benefit when people are on the go. There are also useful tools coming
out all the time that help in studying, teaching, and learning the
Scriptures.
I still prefer my paper Bible, but I'm not comfortable
confining God to a statement saying that God cannot speak to people in
different forms, when the Words are the same, and God is still moving in
our lives.
_______________________
Thoughts??
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