I saw this loving Christian answer?

Question

and thought I would share. She said:

Please stay out of the bible when you don't know what God is saying there. You don't have the Holy Spirit and without Him you cannot understand God's Word . He intended for it to be that way, it is too precious to be abused by people who don't know God, the bible is a book for believers , not heathen.

Do you agree with her?

EV- Exactly what I thought. They want non-believers to read the bible -- why when we won't get it anyways?

Seth- so believers have to believe in the bible before they can read it?

Thank you Chelso. I appreciate your view.

hsmomlovinit: Thank you, I appreciate your view.

Shahbarak: Your first sentence nailed it.

Answer 1

Definitely not!

Ohmmmm.....feel the love....

Answer 2

Scripture does say that the Holy Spirit allows us to understand things in ways that aren't possible without Him...but that certainly doesn't mean that unbelievers aren't to read the Bible. Far from it!

It's sort of like reading a letter from a stranger, and reading a letter from a close friend. From a stranger, you can get a good gist of what they're saying, and pick up on details that will tell you about them. From a close friend or sibling, because you know them so well, you can pick up on little nuances and personality details that you wouldn't see otherwise.

The Bible is the same way. It can and should be read and understood by all; however, the better relationship you have with God, and the closer you know Him, the more you will see and understand who He is through His Word.

No where does it say that the Bible is for believers only. There are many scriptures that contradict her statement. The apostle Paul built a good part of his life on it, as did the other disciples and leaders. I think that she got some lines crossed there. I'm not her, and have no clue who she is, but I'll say "sorry" that that remark was made! It's neither scriptural or Christian...but please understand that there are Christians who are still growing and understanding, too. We're not perfect, though some try to pass themselves off as such.

I hope that helps?

Answer 3

I remember reading an article in my philosophy of education class in grad school about something called, "The doubting game and the believing game". In this article, the author suggested that too many academics and intellectuals focused on the "doubting game" when they approached a new information such as a new book. This approach caused them to search for contradictions and errors to "critically" assess the information however, the author argued that this was a threat to true critical thinking. He proposed that learning would be better served if students first approached a new text using "the believing game"...that they should dwell on the new information and take it all in as if it were all true. Only after they have explored this perspective should they switch to the doubting game.

In essence, he argued that either perspective "doubting" or "believing" was a hinderance to the development of real critical thinking skills and that people must deliberately and consciously play BOTH games to fully assess anything they read. The believing game must come first because the doubting game can make it very difficult to play the believing game the way it needs to be played after you've already identified contradictions, errors, and other reasons to doubt the text.

In that respect, I do agree with her answer. Anyone that approaches the bible for the first time while playing the doubting game is going to find all the evidence he or she could want to support that doubt...and they are going to miss the truths and amazing consistencies it contains. If you can't play the believing game with the bible, I think it would be better to stay our of it.

On the other hand, I think that anyone, Holy Spirit or not, can choose to approach the bible with the believing game and in doing so, will find the Holy Spirit. In that respect, I would encourage anyone that can search for the truths in the bible with an open mind to do so.

Answer 4

No--but she has a point.

Think of the Bible like an ocean. A child can wade at the ocean shore. A scuba diver can go deep into the ocean's fathoms.

A non-Christian in his/her right mind or spirit can mine some valuable things from the Bible; think of Gandhi, who said "Imitate Jesus and Socrates". Much of what is said in Proverbs and in the Sermon on the Mount are just plain common sense.

A non-Christian will probably not understand or appreciate much of what is in the Bible. On the other hand, any human being, Christian or non-Christian, can take out pieces of the Bible and abuse them to fit that person's own agenda. A Christian in touch with the Holy Spirit, however, will probably have a lot more of the Bible illuminated to him or her.

Answer 5

Yes, and no.
Without the Holy Spirit it is impossible to fully understand the Bible. But we never know when the Holy Spirit might be working on a person to cause that person to believe. Keep reading the Bible, but realize you risk becoming a believer in Christ as a result.

Answer 6

Absolutely NOT!!! the Bible is God's word to everyone. Yes, Christians understand it better being filled with the Holy Spirit, but that DOES NOT mean that unsaved people cannot read it. Some passages are very easily understood, such as John 3:16 for example: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Isnt that clear? that was wrong of that person to say. How can someone get saved if theyre not allowed to read the Bible????

Answer 7

Sounds like an argument or rationalization for believing in something you know nothing about, to me. That seems right. In my experience, most "believers" haven't read their Holy Book anyway - or if they have, they've done it with their mind shut. But then, I got expelled from religious instruction at school for a politely correcting a visiting minister on his misquotation - and he wouldn't even let me back into the class to read the original to him and the class! My headmaster, a wise fellow, sympathized and I got all future religious instruction classes free to read as I pleased.

Answer 8

I can't make an opinon without knowing what exactly she was responding to. Perhaps someone provoked her to anger? Perhaps her train of thought was not focused?

While I have never and can't imagine that I would ever tell someone to not read the Bible.

There is some essence of basis in her statement, it comes from this passage (among others). 1st Corinthians 2 14-16

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

this is commonly referred to as "milk" and "meat", as we learn and understand more, more is revealed.......

Answer 9

No. I have a very STRONG relationship with God. The bible is for those who are willing to accept the word and biases of the men who wrote it along with that man in Rome they call a pope. I have my faith, God, and my love of him. That is all I need no matter what any bible thumper says. Sorry.

Answer 10

As a Christian, I don't agree. I encourage anyone and everyone to read it even if you don't believe. I do agree however, that your eyes are opened when the Holy Spirit allows, but this can be a gradual process.

Answer 11

Not exactly, what about the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8. Here he was traveling back home, reading scripture, not understanding what it was saying until Philip explained it to him.
Who can judge is someone has the Holy Spirit or not, certainly not I, that is Gods job not mine. My job is to be like Philip and explain. so that they will understand, God willing. And believe.