CrabCake
DP Veteran
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- Jul 6, 2014
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Not necessarily as evidenced by so divergent interpretations of so many so learned people.
More importantly, why have you not answered my question before asking your own?
It seemed your question was why we should read the bible if reading the bible wasn't important throughout Christianity's history. My questions were an answer to that question. The fact it was not possible before but now is should be celebrated and should give us a greater reason to read it now.
Having re-read your post to see why you feel your question wasn't answered, I see you were actually going deeper than that and questioning the necessity of the bible for salvation. I don't think we disagree on this. Salvation does not require reading the bible and it never has. But salvation is the starting point of the Christian journey, not the end. I believe we were made for more than salvation. God didn't save us so that we would continue living an aimless life. God saves us and invites us to join him in the task of restoring the Earth. The bible is one of the most valuable resources we have for guiding us in doing that and helping us to understand our place in world history. Sure, you could still rely on your church leaders to read and interpret it for you, and the vast majority of believers still choose that route instead of doing it on their own; but we don't have to now that we have access to it ourselves.