Christians--What does it mean to have faith in the Bible?

Question

To me, having 'faith' means believing in what the Book stands for--The Book that God wrote through people for the purposes of communication with people.

There are translation flaws with some, or perhaps, all versions. And having questions about the biblical text is natural.

However, our faith in the Bible ought to stand firm, in my opinion, and we ought to pursue our understanding of it, knowing that God uses it to speak with us and teach us about Him and this world that He has created.

How about you? What are your thoughts?

(This question is for Christians only, please.)

Answer 1

I agree, we do need to stand firm. Some versions of the Bible are closer to the original text than others. NIV for example, when read next to the Greek is correct in essence but not exact word. I have a New Testament that has the original Greek on the right side of the page and the KJV on the other and it is so close, almost word for word.

A lot of people on here discredit the Bible because they do not know it's history. There are some great books on the subject. One I have been looking through is The Text of the New Testament; Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration, by Bruce Manning Metzger. Very interesting.

Answer 2

The Bible is called the "living word" of God. That's because if one reads it and seeks to understand it God will show Himself and His will to us through the Bible. Have you ever read a scripture before and not understand it at all? Then later, maybe even years later you read the same passage again and all of a sudden you "get it". That word has come alive to you for that particular time in your life. It's happened to me many times. The Bible is not like a novel. We can't sit down and read it in one sitting and get up knowing and understanding exactly what every passage means. It's much more complex than that. After all, the Bible is not just a diet book or a dating book or a book of ethical standards to follow, or a history book - it is ALL of those things and so much more. Could one possibly sit down and read all of those books and reatain all of that information at one time? No. Rather we choose to read books that we need to gather information to apply to what is going on in our lives at the current time. God's word offers ALL the answers to ALL the questions but it is fed to us in little doses that we can digest.

Another thought, if we have Faith that the Bible is God's word why would it be so hard for us to take that Faith a step further and believe that God was able to help the translators of the Bible choose the right words to print?

Answer 3

John 14:6

Answer 4

The definition of faith is belief in things unseen. Of course we should have faith in what the bible stands for...as well as what it teaches, what it taught, the standards of living that it gives us, and the prophecies it gives us. All of us as christians began our walk with Christ in a leap of "blind faith". And yes that sounds redundant, but that is exactly what happens. Someone witnesses to you, and you close your eyes and hope He catches you. And if not for the bible this message may be a myth to us, but the bible is a living thing that reaches everyone at some point in our lives. So to respond to your initial question, in my opinion and personal experience, the bible is not just Gods communication to us, for us, and to others... It is the very bedrock of every believer and non-believer whether they know it or not.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

I feel the same way especially because 2 Timothy 3:16 says "All Scripture is God-breathed and us useful for teaching, rebuking correcting and training in righteousness".

Sometimes while reading the Bible I begin to doubt, but I have to take those thoughts captive and make them obedient to God's Word.

Answer 7

Hey your are correct that God uses the word to speak with us because Jesus is the word. But, he wants us to have faith in what he is revealing to us through his word and not the book itself. One of the scriptures says that "faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God". That's why the bible is so repetitive because Our Father wants us to get it. But, in my opinion. I read the NIV version but the KJV is the most valid b/c it's the more closer to the greek, hebrew, and latin languages.

Answer 8

Faith means taking action. James says "Faith without works is dead." If one is convinced God is speaking to him/her but, is not doing what he/she thinks God is telling him/her, that one is not hearing with the ears of faith. He/ She may not
understand the importance of obeying God when He speaks. Obedience brings joy and a closer relationship with God. It results in learning to know God better and hearing Him speak more.

Answer 9

To have faith in the Bible is to yes, have faith that what we are reading is from God and written with God's almighty guidance.

I agree we should persue our understanding...but remember to "selah" once in a while. Pause and ponder what it is you just read. Like eating a big meal, you should pause to chew and taste what you are being fed.

Answer 10

Faith in the words of life contained in the Bible. Not the Bible itself. That would be idol worship.