what makes you an authority on the Bible?

Question

if you are not even a christian

Answer 1

There aint no such person...even among those of us of The Christian Faith... it is a life long study that will in fact take much longer... No man has enough knowledge of God's Word to claim any real expertise in Bible knowlege... but many non Christians "think" they have such knowledge... ignore them...study The Word for yourself... If God is leading the study you will find what you seek...

There in in fact no inerrant text of The Bible in existance today... what we have are copies of copies of copies of transllations that man has been mucking with for 2000 yrs.... The Salvation message has been preserved in the hearts of the believers... the rest of what has been passed to us today can only reveal God's Word by the leading of The Holy Spirit... I do not think any of the "leading authorities" of today can claim to be The Holy spirit

Answer 2

Do you assume that someone needs to call themselves a christian to want to know more about the bible? For 60 years I have studied Buddhist, Hindu , christian, Hebrew, Mithran, Native American, and other scripture. I have read the bible through more than once and studied many of the Scriptures that have survived from the time of Jesus that did not make it into the bible. I have also spent 7 years studying the words of Jesus from a book called the course in miracles.

I don't claim to be an expert or an authority, but from what I have heard many Christians don't qualify as authority's either.

Love and blessings
don

Answer 3

well, not an authority, not many people on here could claim that. But you dont have to be a christian to know about the bible. I guess if you are wanting to be an authority on it, then read it over and over. Not sure what else.

Answer 4

Reading it and considering it in a logical, reasoned way. I know what is coming next, you can't be an authority on the Bible unless you are a saved believer, filled with the Holy Spirit, blah blah.

But it takes a thinking person 2 seconds to realize that such an idea is simply a mechanism to protect a bunch of nonsense from outside criticism.

Answer 5

You must be one of those who claim that you cannot understand the Bible without the holy spirit right? However, in Psalm 119:130 we read that the Bible, called the Word of God, is understandable even to the "simple." And we read in Revelation 22:18 that anyone who adds to the Bible will be condemned. Calling abortion a sin is adding to the Bible. Calling smoking a sin is adding to the Bible. Calling premarital sex a sin is adding to the Bible. And, though we would disagree, even calling slavery a sin is adding to the Bible.

Answer 6

My grandad was a trained qualified Lutheran priest. My grandma used to read the bible to me. I have been reading it for 30 years. I have a couple of bible concordances. I have downloaded the entire bible from the Net - OT, NT, & Apocrypha and can find any word using the find feature. I visit a different church every week to observe different christian practices and teachings. I have friends who are priests and are willing to lend me any book I need. I am trained in the scientific method. I have a good wife to whom I am fully faithful. Satisfied?

Answer 7

As long, involved, and sometimes confusing as the Bible is, I only knew of one way to be an authority on it. Have the Author explain it to you.

Answer 8

Being a christian makes you less of an authority on the bibble then a nonchristian. Christians tend to belive automaticly on faith. So you cannot be a true expert because you belive. You do not question.

Answer 9

I have not read enough to consider myself an authority, and that bothers me, but I'm too lazy. I know the important parts, and most of the general stories, but as far as where to find them in there to support a point I'm trying to make, I'm pretty bad about that.

Answer 10

You don't have to be a christian to know about the bible, after all it is one of the most studied pieces of literature ever written.