Can you be a Christian and reject certain parts of the Bible?

[Thedictator]

That's nice. Prove whose definition of salvation is correct and whose is "watered down"?

The Bible (Mostly the New Testament) Proves the way of salvation, not a TV minster or who ever.

 

[Thedictator]

Someone on another website once said:
Some have a Trinity of Father, Son and the bible

Was not me.

 

[Moriel]

Late to the conversation, but wanted to chime in on the OP:

No, "rejecting parts of the bible" disqualifies someone to call themselves "Christian." However, that doesn't necessitate people accept "one specific church's interpretation of the bible." We have to remember, it was written accurately GIVEN the available language at the time, so while a global flood would be within God's capability, it's not impossible for the event explained in the bible to have been a very large local flood.

I.e. if humanity hadn't spread out of the valley that's now the Mediterranean sea, perhaps the strait of gibraltar was connected at the time... flood came, then a large earthquake causing the ocean to rush in filling the valley... From Noah's perspective, the world would have been flooded for as far as the eye can see... it would have wiped out all other human life... without needing to flood south america.

Likewise the creative week... there simply wasn't language back then to represent the period of time the formation of the universe may have taken. So, while it could have been 144 hours, God could have just described the basic process in 6 steps. God's perspective of time isn't necessarily defined by the earth, so each step may have taken a microsecond or a trillion years or anywhere in between.

 

[Armoured]

The Bible (Mostly the New Testament) Proves the way of salvation, not a TV minster or who ever.

Whose interpretation of the New Testament? Yours? Mine?

 

[pshun2404]

Rejection and seeing a different meaning based on other factors is quite different. God was trying to communicate some complexities to an ancient people who would not be capable of grasping all the details. He sometimes spoke in metaphor, symbolically, simplicities, and even hyperbole to convey the main point. For example "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" but what constitutes a day (especially days one through three) in Genesis 1 has been subject to conjecture and debate from the 1st century on (is a day 24 literal hours, 1,000 years, an epoch?) but more importantly is the purpose of the telling...what is the point we need to accept to move forward through the reason for man's separation from Him into the recognition and acceptance of His redemptive provision (no need to answer)?

Then there is the ideas surrounding "inerrancy". One should not be what has been labelled a "wooden literalist" such that when Jesus says He is the door are we to assume He had hinges and a knob? So as a result we have some who take the words of the Lord's table literally (expanding later into whether we are talking transubstatiation, consubstantiation, and other real presence theologies) or is merely symbolic ritual with ZERO effectualness?

Somethings are given that we may never have the absolute answers to until the parousia but that should not mean we can pick and choose what suits our beliefs or behaviors.

 

[Thedictator]

Late to the conversation, but wanted to chime in on the OP:

No, "rejecting parts of the bible" disqualifies someone to call themselves "Christian." ( True) However, that doesn't necessitate people accept "one specific church's interpretation of the bible." (true) We have to remember, it was written accurately GIVEN the available language at the time,(100% True) so while a global flood would be within God's capability, it's not impossible for the event explained in the bible to have been a very large local flood. ( The bible teaches that it was worldwide, the problem is some people have more faith is what scientists say than what the Bible says. )

I.e. if humanity hadn't spread out of the valley that's now the Mediterranean sea, perhaps the strait of gibraltar was connected at the time... flood came, then a large earthquake causing the ocean to rush in filling the valley... From Noah's perspective, the world would have been flooded for as far as the eye can see... it would have wiped out all other human life... without needing to flood south america. (Except that is not what the Bible teaches)

Likewise the creative week... there simply wasn't language back then to represent the period of time the formation of the universe may have taken. So, while it could have been 144 hours, God could have just described the basic process in 6 steps. God's perspective of time isn't necessarily defined by the earth, so each step may have taken a microsecond or a trillion years or anywhere in between. ( I have no problem with that)

 

[Thedictator]

Whose interpretation of the New Testament? Yours? Mine?

Well its not the Pope. Again Interpretations does not define God's Word.

 

[JacksBratt]

If the Bible is the word of God, and He told us that He did it this way, what knowledge have you received and where did this knowledge come from that is causing you to doubt what God said?

If the information causing you to doubt came from man...... who then do you hold as more accountable for the truth, God or man?

The way I see it.. God could easily do it as He is Omnipotent. He told us that He did it.

Why would I have any reason to doubt Him?

Should I doubt Him because some men told me it isn't true?

 

[PanDeVida]

Can you be a Christian and only believe some parts of the Bible? For example, can you reject a global Noah's Flood, a six-day creation, a literal exodus, etc.? Could you reject other parts as well, like Christ walking on water? Discuss.

Achilles, you stated: "Can you be a Christian and only believe some parts of the Bible"? FYI: The Protestant Bible/KJV Martin Luther removed 7 Books away from the Bible, which are: Tobit, Judith, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, as well as parts of Esther and Parts of Daniel, AND nearly took the Book of James from the Bible.

Achilles, AND you are worried: "Can you be a Christian and only believe some parts of the Bible". lol lol lol

Achilles, the question you should be asking is: Can you be a Protestant Christian if your Protestants Bible is missing 7 Books and parts of Esther, parts of Daniel are Missing.

Truth is you can be a protestant Christians, you have the Bible of Martin Luther/King James. However, you can NOT be a Catholic Christians who have the intact Bible of the Apostles/Jesus Christ, to this present day Thanks to the guidance of the Holy Ghost.

Achilles, To sum it all up you have to BELIEVE all that the Bible tells you, to be a Christian, and frankly the Protestant bible is missing a lot.

 

[Thedictator]

If the Bible is the word of God, and He told us that He did it this way, what knowledge have you received and where did this knowledge come from that is causing you to doubt what God said?

If the information causing you to doubt came from man...... who then do you hold as more accountable for the truth, God or man?

The way I see it.. God could easily do it as He is Omnipotent. He told us that He did it.

Why would I have any reason to doubt Him?

Should I doubt Him because some men told me it isn't true?

You said that so beautifully. The question here is where do I put my faith in God and his Word or do I put my faith in Scientists who have been proven wrong numerous times just in the last 100 years. God's Word stands unchanged for 1000's of years. It all come down to faith, faith in God or Faith in man. You can only have faith in one not both.

 

[Tina W]

Can you be a Christian and only believe some parts of the Bible? For example, can you reject a global Noah's Flood, a six-day creation, a literal exodus, etc.? Could you reject other parts as well, like Christ walking on water? Discuss.

No, the Bible is God's Word. You can't reject certain parts you have to believe it all. Otherwise how do you choose which parts to reject? Can you reject Jesus dying on the cross? Being born of a Virgin? Being the Son of God? If you can't reject those parts then how can you reject other parts? I think you can challenge certain interpretations of certain parts, like Gap Theory verses 6 day creation. But you can't just outright completel reject any parts.

 

[Thedictator]

I accept the New Testament because it portrays a loving, merciful, forgiving, just and righteous Father Jesus introduced us. I have not found a single scripture in the New Testament that condones, approves or commands us to steal, kill and destroy. John 10:1-10 So in another words I know my masters voice.

But I do not believe and I wholeheartedly reject MANY Old Testament scriptures that command the merciless slaying of innocent children, the invasion and merciless extermination of entire civilizations and even the abduction and raping of young virgin girls. And I certainly do not believe our true heavenly Father would EVER command a human being to kill their own child and burn him on a sacrificial altar.

So are you suggesting that one will be condemned if he/she chooses not to believe (and certainly not to obey) the EVIL commands written by people 3500 years ago who claimed to be sent by their creator and final judge? Are you suggesting that our true heavenly Father wouldn't allow anyone to alter His loving, merciful and forgiving word and replace it with MANY evil commands?

If this is your belief, then you yourself are choosing not to believe the words of every prophet and every scripture in the Old Testament. Yes indeed, the scripture below written by the prophet Jeremiah clearly indicates that His law has been altered by the lying pen of scribes...

“‘How can you say, “We are wise, for we have the law of the Lord,”when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely? Jeremiah 8:8

Do you not believe this scripture is true? Are you rejecting the words of the prophet Jeremiah whom He sent to warn us that His law has been altered by the lying pen of the scribes? Are you calling God a liar?

The first tool of Satan is to sow doubt into God's word, He used this to bring the first sin into the world. Matthew 7:15 applies to a lot of what is being said today. Attack God's Word, there will be a judgement one day.

 

[Anguspure]

Can you be a Christian and only believe some parts of the Bible? For example, can you reject a global Noah's Flood, a six-day creation, a literal exodus, etc.? Could you reject other parts as well, like Christ walking on water? Discuss.

It is Christ Jesus that we belong to, not a book.
Being a Christian is founded on embracing the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of sin. In another sense being a follower of Christ is founded on following the person of Christ in Love, and in yet another sense being a disciple would involve learning and accepting the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth, who considered the books of the Bible as accurate and true.
Nevertheless I cannot imagine that having accepted Christ as saviour as the free gift of God, that you can loose your salvation because you are sceptical or struggle with some the stories written in a book.

 

[Thedictator]

It is Christ Jesus that we belong to, not a book.
Being a Christian is founded on embracing the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of sin. In another sense being a follower of Christ is founded on following the person of Christ in Love, and in yet another sense being a disciple would involve learning and accepting the teaching of Jesus of Nazareth, who considered the books of the Bible as accurate and true.
Nevertheless I cannot imagine that having accepted Christ as saviour as the free gift of God, that you can loose your salvation because you are sceptical or struggle with some the stories written in a book.

Struggling with understanding of God's word is one thing. Rejecting with skepticism the Word is another. If you reject the Word (John 1) then you reject Jesus Christ. Your opinion or my opinion does not matter only what God's Word says matters. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says it all, Paul was talking about the Old Testament for the most part.

 

[Thedictator]

It is Christ Jesus that we belong to, not a book.
Being a Christian is founded on embracing the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of sin.

The Word of God is not a book, The words of God are written in a book, But the Word is not the book.
Without that written book you would be lost. Why? because that only way you know about God, Jesus, Sin, or salvation is through the Bible.

 

[marineimaging]

Really? So you believe Jesus was a sheep? Feel free to take a crack at the question about Biblical hair length, too.

I would say, "You know what I mean." But after reading several of your responses I see someone who is more interested in pushing people's buttons than understanding answers. Faith is the most important aspect of being a Christian. We must have faith in our living God. In that faith I find that the Word of God is sufficient for all things. In that faith I find a loving God who gave His only Begotten Son so that we may not perish. In faith, I find understanding of how Jesus was the Lamb of God and in the sense that God breathed the Word that His son, Jesus was in fact, the Lamb. He wasn't a lamb. He was The Lamb of God.

 

[Armoured]

I would say, "You know what I mean." But after reading several of your responses I see someone who is more interested in pushing people's buttons than understanding answers. Faith is the most important aspect of being a Christian. We must have faith in our living God. In that faith I find that the Word of God is sufficient for all things. In that faith I find a loving God who gave His only Begotten Son so that we may not perish. In faith, I find understanding of how Jesus was the Lamb of God and in the sense that God breathed the Word that His son, Jesus was in fact, the Lamb. He wasn't a lamb. He was The Lamb of God.

I do know what you mean. That you reject parts of the Bible, just like I said. Faith's great. But let's no pretend that "having faith" means "believing every bit of the Bible", because, apart from anything else, the Bible is a self contradictory and imperfect book written by humans.

Now, sorry if that "pushes your buttons", it's not meant to. It's just a basic acknowledgement of fact.

 

[Bluerose31]

Can you be a Christian and only believe some parts of the Bible? For example, can you reject a global Noah's Flood, a six-day creation, a literal exodus, etc.? Could you reject other parts as well, like Christ walking on water? Discuss.

I think that you can be a Christian and reject parts of the Bible. I feel God looks at the heart. I don't believe in hell but I still consider myself a Christian.

 

[Kutte]

No, the Bible is God's Word. You can't reject certain parts you have to believe it all. Otherwise how do you choose which parts to reject? Can you reject Jesus dying on the cross? Being born of a Virgin? Being the Son of God? If you can't reject those parts then how can you reject other parts? I think you can challenge certain interpretations of certain parts, like Gap Theory verses 6 day creation. But you can't just outright completel reject any parts.

Dear Tina,

Many parts in the Old Testament point to vague reports of events in ancient times thousands of years ago. The OT also contains vulgarities and obscenities. If one insists that every word in the Bible are God's words then one must also accept stories like the one found in EZ 4:12 (KJV) as true:
"And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man, in their sight. And the Lord said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread..."
My best

 

[Aldebaran]

Dear Tina,

Many parts in the Old Testament point to vague reports of events in ancient times thousands of years ago. The OT also contains vulgarities and obscenities. If one insists that every word in the Bible are God's words then one must also accept stories like the one found in EZ 4:12 (KJV) as true:
"And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man, in their sight. And the Lord said, Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread..."
My best

In what way wasn't it true? At the time, there were things that were commanded and traditional that no longer are today. Same goes for the laws of Moses.