Is the bible out of context with today?

[Slaffjohn]

The bible was crafted quite a long time ago and I do think some teachings apply to today, but it seems like much of it was meant for the time it was written, and today it's hard to apply what it said in the bible since our worlds are vastly different. It's like the same ways laws change to fit today's world.

 

[Kerry]

Time changes but the truths do not. It's like when my son said, dad its 2010 things are different now. No, they are not. People still want the same things as they did 2,000 years ago. As Solomon would say there is nothing new under the sun.

 

[mystdancer50]

Hebrews 4:12says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” While the Bible was completed approximately 1900 years ago, its accuracy and relevance for today remain unchanged. The Bible is the sole objective source of all the revelation God has given us about Himself and His plan for humanity.

Read more:Is the Bible relevant for today?

 

[Desdichado]

What I find ironic is that people question the Bible's relevancy, but they do not typically question the relevancy of Homeric epics, Plato's Republic, Cicero's laws, etc, etc, etc.

The propensity of people to question the Bible's relevancy is almost proof of it's relevancy as it is still a looming threat to them.

 

[Kerry]

What I find ironic is that people question the Bible's relevancy, but they do not typically question the relevancy of Homeric epics, Plato's Republic, Cicero's laws, etc, etc, etc.

The propensity of people to question the Bible's relevancy is almost proof of it's relevancy as it is still a looming threat to them.

And the bible has stood the test of time. It is the most studied and scrutinized book that has ever existed and out sales any novel or book yearly.

 

[crossnote]

Even after 1000's of years people still covet, still kill, still lie, still steal still die. We're still victims of the fall and there is still only One Rescuer from the Cross...Jesus Christ the same Yesterday, Today and Forever!

 

[UriahSmith1844]

The Word of God will always be relevant. God will always be our Creator and know what is best for us. Its a light to our path. Needed more today than ever before, it tells us all about the end times in which we are living now.

 

[chips1024]

For as long as sin is still an issue, the Bible will be relevant.

In your post Slaffjohn, you say "it's hard to apply what it said in the bible since our worlds are vastly different". When you take things at face value, it does become hard, but we are called to the deeper meanings in the Word. When we learn the principles taught in the Bible, it then makes it easier to apply through the help of the Holy Spirit.
For example, the Bible never says anything about using harmful drugs - so does that mean that we are free to use drugs? No!! Why? Because the Bible speaks about a principle of treating your body correctly and looking after it. By using that principle, we can then apply that to situations in any day or age. Learn the principle in what the Bible is teaching, and then application is made much simpler

 

[4enlightment]

The bible was crafted quite a long time ago and I do think some teachings apply to today, but it seems like much of it was meant for the time it was written, and today it's hard to apply what it said in the bible since our worlds are vastly different. It's like the same ways laws change to fit today's world.

God has prepared everything for this Age (Era). God knew what is going to happen when satan is unleash in this world. satan will distort all of God's creations. satan has distorted everything, and we has people born cripplle, blind, gay, deaf, and born without limbs or extra limbs. But God has shown in His first coming what He is going to do in his second coming, and that is to put everything back in order. The devil want people not to hear and understand the gospel or else the end will come. A few centuries ago, people who suffered from Epilepsy or any disfigurement weren't allowed in the churches, because they had thought that they have had a demon in them and it has made others uncomfortable of them being in their presence; and their caretakers or guardians couldn't read as well because most of the people in those times didn't know how to read; and so they were unable to hear the word. But society has overcame that issues and now there is many others that will be conquered. But the devil is trying his best to keep the gospel being spread by making sure everyone hates each other for kinds of reasons.

Acts 10:13
Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
Acts 10:14
“Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”

 

[oldhermit]

The bible was crafted quite a long time ago and I do think some teachings apply to today, but it seems like much of it was meant for the time it was written, and today it's hard to apply what it said in the bible since our worlds are vastly different. It's like the same ways laws change to fit today's world.

The Bible is neither temporally equidistant nor equicultural. In other words, it is not contingent on time, history,or culture. How we understand this book determines how we understand our roles in the universe. For centuries it has been determined that the Bible should be handled as a historical phenomenon. Since the Bible has been handled in such a secular manor, we have come to rely upon secular historical sources to offer their varied contributions to the text. Through exegesis, we have tried to give history and culture the final word on the meaning of scripture and to define its place within human history. The science of exegesis takes into consideration all of the historical and cultural evidence we can martial and attempts to explain the text based upon the collection of the evidence. This is actually just another form of intertextuality. If we take this approach to scripture, it would follow that we could never understand anything about the text that could not be supported and collaborated by what evidence we are able to piece together. Our understanding of the text would then be limited to our ability to collect and correctly interpret this evidence. In the exercise of exegesis, our understanding of the text is determined by how well we understand ancient times and cultures. The farther removed we are from the time and culture in which it was written the less we would be able to understand it. Our ability to understand the text correctly then would diminish with the passing of time, not increase.

With exegesis, truth is determined by the historical context rather than the language of the text. For many who have tried to make sense of the text by the use of exegesis this has been a source of frustration. Some have even concluded on this basis that truth is unknowable. Since revealed truth is not determined by history, this should not be a surprising legacy for the use of the exegetical approach to scripture. The language of the text was not conditioned by the cultures of the time. It was received from the mind of the Holy Spirit who stands outside of human history and culture. If history is allowed to be the metric for determining truth then we root spiritual truth in the temporal rather than in the eternal. This makes the historian the sole proprietor of what can be considered as truth.

It is a mistake to think that we can ever get into the mind of the individuals who put scripture into written form. Even if we were able by some means to manage such a feat this will not tell us what was in the mind of the author. Contrary to what Gordon Fee claims, the Bible is not both human and divine. The Bible is exclusively a divine document and was written independently of human contribution. Man can no more lay claim to any contribution to the biblical text than my computer can to the creation of this post. Man was simply the tool through which the Holy Spirit recorded scripture in written form. Since the Bible is solely of divine origin, we cannot discern truth by trying to delve into what was possibly in the mind of the apostle Paul when he wrote the book of Romans. The apostle Paul is not responsible for the contents of that or any other letter of scripture pinned by his hand.
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]
The people of God must be dedicated to the proposition that the Word of God relativizes all knowledge as it is found in socialization. The Word of God reveals the inherent short comings of human intelligence by comparing it to what God has revealed to us of his own intelligence. The Word of God must be allowed to relativize what society thinks. Intelligence is looked upon as a product of social engendering but, true intelligence is not just an emerging social property and it cannot be allowed to be defined by the social conscience. We have allowed society to pronounce upon us what it believes must be regarded as the standard for an intelligent pattern of thinking. The world relies upon what is regards as the nine fields of inquiry as the foundation of all knowable truth. This is all knowledge that comes about as a result of full socialization. The Word of God exists in a state of hostility with what society regards as knowledge. What the world operates on as a basis for knowledge is not what God regards as true knowledge. Society seeks peaceful coexistence, but only on its own terms. The problem that faces the world is that when the Word of God is brought to bear upon the social collective it produces a friction within that society. The Word of God renders the wisdom of man as foolishness. Human knowledge cannot be accepted on the same par with the revelation of God, (Act.19:19 the burning of books). The Word of God cannot prevail in the mind of man unless there is a conscious effort on the part of the individual to render the mind subject to the power of the Word of God. All other forms of knowledge must be rendered subordinate to revelation. The two cannot function together in the same mind. As long as we allow human knowledge to assume an elevated position in our thinking it will always dominate over the Word of God. God will not force His knowledge upon us but He does render forced consequences for the mind that rejects His wisdom. [/FONT]

 

[GodIsSalvation]

On the face of it this argument seems to have some merit. I have thought the same thing myself before. However after reading the entire Bible I have to say, this compilation of many books called the Bible is probably the most relevant piece of Ancient Literature to our world today. Even more relevant than much contemporary literature I would even go as far as to say. The most obvious relevancy as some people all ready pointed out is the truths contained within it, such things like why you shouldn't kill or murder or cheat on your spouse, the good of repenting to the LORD, and of course the strong power of forgiveness etc.

Even if you look at some of the shortcomings and flaws of the many mortal biblical characters there is something uniquely human about them and their stories parallel well with today's world beyond all other ancient literature. Examples would be like the many egomaniac kings throughout history and the Bible, inter-family disputes over mixed racial marriages (ie: Miriam scoffing about Zipporah, Moses' wife. (Which God epicly punishes her by making her own skin turn leperously snow white in a direct and poetic punishment to her making fun of Zipporah's dark skin)), and things like family vengeance (like when Simeon and Levi wipe out Hamor and Shechem's tribe for Shechem having sex with their sister Dinah. Also note that Jacob was not happy about his sons taking vengeance since he had just arranged peace and a marriage between Shechem and Dinah, so I am not condoning what Simeon and Levi did since their own dad rebuked them, but you can see how some angry brothers going berserk on the tribe of the guy that messed with their lil sister is a very human story and much things that are similar to it happen even today.)

So not only both the obvious good and moral truths that echo from the Bible down through time but also the troubles and toils that men have faced still reverberates from the Bible down through time itself. Not only are the moral tales and lesson relevant, but then when we examine the prophecies, particularly the very unambiguous and straight-forward prophecies such as Israel being scattered throughout all the world and then regathered back in Zion all of which should be statistically impossible after 2000 years of happening, and yet, they have happened in the last Century, all this makes the Bible even more relevant above all ancient literature for the modern time.

 

[phil112]

Silly question, with the same answer as "Why did God leave me?". The bible, and God, hasn't changed. It is the world that has strayed from God.

 

[jb]

Is the bible out of context with today?

The question that really needs to be asked is: "Why is today out of context with the Bible?"

 

[GodIsSalvation]

The question that really needs to be asked is: "Why is today out of context with the Bible?"

Heh, I actually liked the original question. I would say for better or worse the Bible is not out of context with today though many people try very hard to take today's world out of context from the Bible, which is almost funny because no matter how hard they attempt to do it they never succeed and can only ironically prove either by their own wisdom or by their own foolishness that the many tales contained in the Bible is still very much relevant today beyond all other works of literature.

 

[IDEAtor]

What I find ironic is that people question the Bible's relevancy, but they do not typically question the relevancy of Homeric epics, Plato's Republic, Cicero's laws, etc, etc, etc.

The propensity of people to question the Bible's relevancy is almost proof of it's relevancy as it is still a looming threat to them.

For anyone curious about Homeric epics vs. the Bible's historical value, see A Ready Defense The Best Of Josh Mcdowell: Josh McDowell: 9780840744197: Amazon.com: Books

 

[oldhermit]

The Bible is neither temporally equidistant nor equicultural.

Correction: I just noticed a critical type-o in my opening remark. The statement I made was that "the Bible is neither temporally equidistant nor equicultural." What I meant to say was that the Bible IS temporally equidistant and equicultural.

 

[RedTent]

There is a problem today with understanding God's message to us because we are separated by many thousands of years from the people God used to explain Himself. I think that is why we were allowed to see the dead sea scrolls, hidden in plain sight in open caves and just discovered. It is only recently their information has been figured out. They showed that even though God's word was copied by hand for years, it is the same today. They opened up languages that had long disappeared so archeology was cleared up. As we understand, better, what the people were like that God used to explain spiritual truths to us, we are understanding those truths better.

This is the basis of the "Roots" movement. Everyone has heard of the many ways people have used this information in the wrong way, and also from the people who refuse to learn anything from it. Think back about the time of Luther when Luther made such changes in the Christian church.

This new information of what the old was is complicated. It is only our scholars who spend time learning it, they are now in our theological colleges. I found a man who had studied it on the net, it isn't an easy study.

As you all know, man can take eternal truths to extremes so instead of truth, the extreme is not truth. These are opening up truths to us, but any time these truths are added to by man's reasoning, they are not true. Never the less, it is causing a new growth in our churches.

 

[dcontroversal]

The bible was crafted quite a long time ago and I do think some teachings apply to today, but it seems like much of it was meant for the time it was written, and today it's hard to apply what it said in the bible since our worlds are vastly different. It's like the same ways laws change to fit today's world.

God's word deals with man, the nature of man and the fallen state of the world which is consistently the same. There is nothing new under the sun when it comes to the three listed as man by his very nature is fallen, the world by it's very nature is fallen and the word of God consistently deals with both no matter the age, time frame and or how (modern) the world may appear to be.

 

[Karraster]

The bible was crafted quite a long time ago and I do think some teachings apply to today, but it seems like much of it was meant for the time it was written, and today it's hard to apply what it said in the bible since our worlds are vastly different. It's like the same ways laws change to fit today's world.

You have just described main stream Christianity. The majority say the "law" has changed.

 

[Vernon]

without the Holy Spirit the bible makes little sense, and appears out dated, and the writing of tribal people. But with the Holy Spirit it becomes the word of life and it's truths made real and relevant to all generations.