Fellows,
Just a bit of a query to the believers out there- is there truth outside of the Bible or is the Bible the only truth?
You see, there are many who claim that nothing but the Bible can be used for fellowship, but is not ALL truth good- and is not ALL truth from and of God? If not ALL truth is of God, then some truth is wordly?
Please, no scripture references- I know them all. Just philosophize a bit with me.
Thanks for your time.
2007-05-11 19:45:43 · 11 answers · asked by Brandon H 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Yes, my ecclesiastical name is "Innocent." This is a true statement. There is a blue cup for tea to my left. This is also a true statement. There are a certain number of books in the Bible, and this is a true statement (but it cannot be established from the Bible). The sun is a gaseous sphere caught in a vacuum powered by fusion of helium and hydrogen. This is a true statement.
Beyond science and observation, there is truth in the human heart that simply cannot be found in any book. Love is talked about in the Bible, but the Bible is a book. It cannot love. Then there are whole worlds inside man not written about in the Bible. If that were not so, then we wouldn't have to search our hearts; we could just open to chapter and verse.
People who want to make the Bible the summum bonum have unwittingly turned it into an idol. This isn't the intention, but they have replaced both God and the human heart with a book, and no matter how grand a book, it is still a book. If you set it in the wind and the rain, they will buffet it and destroy it. God made the wind and the rain (to appropriate an argument from a Taoist I knew).
So, yes, there are other grounds for fellowship. Granted there are limits to that fellowship, but there are other grounds. What a shallow world we would be in otherwise.
2007-05-11 20:01:49 · answer #1 · answered by Innokent 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Dear Brandon H,
There is most definitely truth outside of the Bible. i think many people understand what it means that the Bible is complete. It is complete in revealing to us everything that God wants to reveal to us in regards to how to have a relationship with Christ. It does not claim to teach truth in evey area (ie: Science, though the science that is taught in the Bible is truthful).
The Bible does not talk about the laws of gravity- but that does not mean that they don't exist.
Is all truth good? i guess it depends on what is done in response to the truth? i think all truth can be considered good if it's filtered through God's word.
As a Pastor i can tell you that i've had so many deep times of fellowship with my brothers and sisters in God's word. That being said that does not mean that this is the only way to fellowship. Just having coffee, a good phone conversation, enjoying a day of nature together and apprecating God's creation are all wonderful ways to fellowship (i am sure you can think of many others). Does fellowship always have to involve the Bible? No. But can it truly be fellowship if we never involve the Bible? i would also say "no" to that as well.
Very interesting questions. Kindly,
Nickster
2007-05-12 04:13:35 · answer #2 · answered by Nickster 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Bible's truth pertains to what is necessary to know God, other truths are not necessarily found in the Bible.There are no math equations in the Bible, no laws of physics which are true. I think the ability to distinguish truth from falsity comes from God because He gave us a brain and a moral conscience.
Not all "truth" is a moral good per se-the statements "Hitler was evil" or "Catalina Island is on fire" are both true but they are descriptions of things that are not good. But lying about Hitler or the fire would be bad as well. Some truths are merely descriptions of what is.
I think your statement that if not all truth is of God, then some truth is worldly is a faulty one, a false dilemma. It's not an either/or based on what I said about our ability to think and reason. As is the statement that nothing but the Bible can be used for fellowship - I can have fellowship with other believers based on many things (our personal experience of Christ, for one) other than the Bible.
2007-05-12 03:20:53 · answer #3 · answered by biblechick45 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, Jesus used examples of things not in the Bible himself, so I think there are some definite truths out there.
I can even see analogies in things like Harry Potter or Star Wars, go figure!!
EDIT: But not all "truth" can be applicable to God. Satan himself is the master deceiver because he understands how to use half-truths that are very credible. So be very cautious about considering things outside the Bible as things from God.
2007-05-12 02:50:38 · answer #4 · answered by Searcher 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Short answer...NO...there is no truth otherwise. Yes there is an outside world from the Bible or Heaven if you want, but in that world...it's the devil who makes everything go around. He takes the real truth and twists it. He doesn't make up lies...he just twists the truth. Remember when Jesus was in Gethsemane Valley the devil tempted him by saying true words from the Bible but " a little " twisted. So this is the apparently truth we see in the word. This is my opinion.
2007-05-12 03:07:58 · answer #5 · answered by RoxyNG 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not everything that is not in the
Bbible in it self is wrong some may even be true, but if you are going for the truth of God then the Bible is the best source of this truth for it is where God tells us about himself. But not All truth is good, Some truth is worldly and misleading even though it is truth and an example of this is philosophy
2007-05-12 03:05:22 · answer #6 · answered by I speak Truth 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that there is truth outside the Bible. I think that Christians can take alot of lessons that can be learned from many other religions as long as it does not interfer with the main purpose which is to Love God with all of your heart. I like the thought of meditation techniques in Buddism to create harmony in your mind, and all kinds of things. I think that there are many principles outside of the Bible that we can use in our everyday life that can make our lives better but also if it is used with the Bible.
2007-05-12 02:51:27 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
in the Roman Catholic faith, yes,we believe in the truth of the BIBLE, but their are truths too, that is based in TRADITIONS. Our TRUTHS comes from SACRED SCRIPTURE(Bible) and TRADITION.
2007-05-12 03:31:38 · answer #8 · answered by bagi 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What outside of the Bible are you talking about?? If you're talking about evolution or something like that, then no.
2007-05-12 02:48:33 · answer #9 · answered by SW1 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
no.. the earth is a flat circle, like a pizza, hell is below and heaven is above... that's why jesus ROSE TO heaven not vanished to heaven.
2007-05-12 02:52:17 · answer #10 · answered by Pisces 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋