Trouble believing in Scripture

Frances6098 said:

@2PhiloVoid Hi there! Well, it's certainly nice to find a friend. I'm only at the very beginning of approaching the Bible as a seeker, rather than someone merely curious or looking up cultural references, and I am willing to change my mind. But at the moment at least, I truly struggle with this idea that it's word for word true. Is there any particular school of thought, websites, books or thinkers you'd recommend?

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Hi Frances,

Yes, friends who understand where you're coming from are always good to find, especially in dealing with something that brings as much questioning (and many times debate) as does the Bible.

From what you've said, I know that you're just at the beginning in investigating and understanding the nature of the Bible for yourself, so I'd encourage you to hang in there as you seek out and explore various ways to think about it. Don't rush it. There is definitely a lot to consider, as well as various angles and approaches to explore.

You asked me about books, and there are in fact dozens I could recommend, but since you said that you're just now kind of wading into the whole thing, I think you might find the following two books to be helpful to you at this point:

1) The Bible Made Impossible by Christian Smith (PhD) [This book deals with the various issues regarding the overuse or over emphasis of the claim of biblical 'innerrancy.' Smith addresses these issues in a way that is fair and still remains faithful to the idea that the Bible is Inspired. If you get this book, I think you'll find it to be a very good starting point for addressing the kinds of questions you're likely thinking about right now. However, you may notice that Christian Smith is a sociologist not a theologian, and he has recently converted from Protestantism to Catholicism--but don't let that throw you because this book is written with all Christians in mind and is not specifically for a Catholic audience. I'm not Catholic myself, but I still find this book very relevant and thoughtfully written.]

2) What Christians Believe by Don Thorsen (PhD) and Keith H. Reeves (PhD). [This book is written by two theologians, and it covers different historical points on how the bible has been interpreted and evaluated through time by various Christian thinkers. It also lays out and compares several theories of Biblical Inspiration that have been developed within different denominations. It then follows all of this up by discussing how these various views in turn affect how we perceive the Bible's authority and trustworthiness.]

I'll just leave you with these two books for now; I've got several hundred sources, but I don't want to bog you down. These two would probably be the most helpful for where you are at the present moment. But, if you consider these and then decide that you don't think they'll be of use to you, feel free to ask me again about some other aspects of the bible you're struggling with, and I'll see if I can wrangle up some sources to address more specific issues you feel you have with the bible.

Anyway, good to meet you. Feel free to chat with me anytime.

Peace,
2PhiloVoid

Frances6098 said:

@OnePeter315 I totally know what you mean - I've always thought of myself as rather knowledgeable about religion through school studies and the like, but a few hours of Bible reading quickly put an end to that! There is so much to understand, and to read, and to think on, and to pray about... But, as you said, these things take time. And patience, which is a virtue I should probably start practising!

I found your advice about writing in the Bible incredibly useful, and it's helpful to mark out what feels important or moving, what feels confusing, and what just feels like both. It's hard when a lot of the advice about reading the Bible is to pray and be guided by the Holy Spirit, because when you're a beginner to both, it can make things seem more confusing rather than less. I've also been keeping a journal for a while now - writing things down helps me organise my thoughts, though goodness knows I tend to ramble a lot. As for the mentor thing, I completely agree, it's just that mentors imply Church, and that's something I'm finding harder than expected. I got off to a bit of a bad start with a Church that I emailed a few times, that took a long time to get back to me - I know it's ridiculous to let that affect me, and that they're very busy people, but it took most of my courage to reach out once. I'm usually quite a forward going, independant person, so the nervousness is somewhat confusing/annoying - I'm not used to giving myself pep talks!

That biblicaltraining.org site is great too. I've listened to the first few lectures and I like how they cover all the basics in a really in depth way. After all, if you can't believe or understand the absolute fundamentals, the rest doesn't really follow.

Best wishes,

Frances

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I can't speak for everyone else, but the whole idea of praying to God to show you the answer, closing your eyes and opening a random page in the Bible expecting to find the answer almost NEVER works for me

With that said, when I come across an answer I have been seeking it's like a sledgehammer to the face. And it usually comes when I am least expecting it. Like a few days after I've asked a question, am not even thinking about it anymore and then WHAM!

I know what you mean by unresponsiveness. I had a similar experience when inquiring about some youth group stuff for my kids at a church we are looking to attend. I just had to remember that the youth pastor is a volunteer and has another job outside of the church. Still... frustrating

I actually don't attend services physically myself because of some logistical transportation issues. The church I am a member of happens to post their services on Youtube every Sunday (they are not even a big congregation) so I can watch them when I have a chance. I have also been blessed to be put in touch with a pastor (I work with his wife) who I have a TREMENDOUS amount of respect for. I don't attend teir services, but I listen to his recorded messages that get posted a few days after the service. He's one of the realest, most down to earth people I'v ever heard preach. His messages are all focused on teaching his congregation (a REALLY small congregation) core doctrine. He and I correspond regularly via email as well when I have questions and need some guidance. If you want to check him out, the church's website is http://www.ccwinnetka.org

I still feel like I need to be going to church, though, and I'm figuring out how to make that happen. We need to be surrounded by other Christians and worship together. Even though I'm educating myself, I really need to get some fellowship in my life. And you should too. Again, the patience thing Just keep looking. The best thing to do, if you can, is just show up to a service.

I've been jumping around a bit on the biblicaltraining site. I went straight through all the way up to most of the Old Testament Survey and then got pulled in another direction of study. I need to get back to it though...

If you're into podcasts, I can give you about 6-7 that I listen to regularly as well

God bless you and your search.

Until you meet Jesus, you cannot understand His Word... God the Son IS the WORD. It's the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that gives us wisdom. God says, For the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God for they are "foolishness" to him, neither can he know them for they are spiritually discerned.

The first step is to believe WHO Jesus is, and take His gift of salvation.... then you can begin to understand the rest of the story.