For Christians (or non-christians). Is the Bible an idol?

Question

I have heard it said that the Bible is holy. The Bible is the Word of God and is infallible. But there is only one thing in or out of this universe that is perfect. There is only one that is infallible, God. How can a mere object be holy? Even the bible itself often condemns idolatry. Would this not apply to worship of the same scriptures you read from? How could you not call such praise like "infallible" and "holy" worship?

The bible was penned by humans. The books within were voted by men to be included and some books were voted to be kept out. How different would our bible seem today if those old men had voted differently? This doesn't sound very divine to me. Sure, it might be reasonable to say that God had some influence upon the writers. There is some great advice within the pages of this fascinating collection. I wish more people would follow the path of Love. But to call it holy and perfect? It is just an object. Doesn't that mean the bible has become an idol?

Even a message might be deemed as an idol. Sure, the argument can be made that the physical book is not the Word, rather the Word is the message held therein. Yet some still call that magical message perfect, holy and in all ways god-like. Or so it seems to me, especially with the significance of a capitalizated "w". It is not the actual act of falling on one's knees and bowing before the object that is worship. It is merely the suggestion that anything other than God is perfect. That hints at idolatry. Perhaps I am using the wrong word, but would you rather I say blasphemy? Take your pick. They both sound rather harsh.

The Bible is truly a fascinating subject and you have given some great answers. I could ask a hundred more questions based off of this, but alas I have not the space or time at the moment. Thank you all.

Answer 1

For some people, it is an idol. . .
as for me, I learned this by expressing my own understanding as follows:
Jesus is God -- Jesus is the Word of God --
I've gotten in trouble for telling people I do not believe the bible is the Word of God -- says itself that Jesus is the Word of God.
And the message in the bible (as you speak of in your additional information) is the same thing...The bible contains a passage about "My Word shall be written upon their hearts, and they shall be My people and I shall be their God"
That word written upon my heart is the Word of God, not the words in the bible although they helped me open my heart to God. I worship God, including the Word of God as God wrote it on my heart. (Jesus in me). The bible is not the Word of God and I do not worship the bible or scripture. On this point I've upset a lot of people. I think they were upset because they idolize the bible without realizing it. My expressions of my own understanding showed them their idolotry and they were upset. I didn't mean to upset them. If I'd known they were so, I'd not have told them about my own understanding.

Answer 2

You confuse the physical book, pages, etc... with the messages and stories that are contained within .The Bible is not the book itself; the book is merely the delivery mechanism where the Word of God is passed to us. Still, your point holds up.

The primary contributing factor for the NT books that finally made it in was the credentials of the author--Paul, John, Luke, James, Matthew, John Mark, Judas (NOT ISCARIOT!), and Simon Peter. As for the OT, the early church used the same books that the Jews considered holy; the Protestants did the same when they cut out the parts that the Jews had removed over the next 1200 or so years.

I see your point that we take it on faith that the Bible is the true word of God, but this does not make it an idol. Primarily, we don't worship the Word of God but God himself; we turn to the Bible to tell us how he wants to be worshiped.

Answer 3

This is an interesting question. Yes the Bible is Holy. Holy simply means seperated, or cutting off from, for a divine or for a special use. (1) Yes you are correct in saying that only God is Holy, but the Bible is not just a mere object. To some it is just a book with pages and a cover that sits on the shelf, but to me it is what God has spoken. I have herd some people call the Bible "Gods love letter to His people". It is not the phsical aspects of the pages, but the words written on them. I believe that God speaks to me through the Bible, and I speak to Him through prayer. There are times in my life which I have had problems or questions, and in my daily quiet times (reading the Bible, thinking about it, and praying) God speaks to me, giving me the answer. (It is very hard to describe, so please bear with me.) It is like a peaceful feeling, that the problem doesnt seem so gigantic any more, and I feel that God is going to help me.

2 Timothy 3 : 16 says "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2) I believe that the word 'inspiration' means God breathed. As a Christian I dont worship the Bible. It is the means to getting to know who God is and how we can worship Him and only Him better. This verse is not just talking about day to day good living, (although the Bible has that too) but it is talking about a Christians main reason for living. To serve and to worship God.

You are correct is saying that the Bible was put together by men. However I believe that God gave the men a thought or a 'feeling' (not the best word to use) into making the right decision. If the Bible is going to be about God, and His worship, and other amazing facts, wouldn't He have some control in the situation? I am going to admit to you that there are a lot of things in the Bible that I dont understand. I think that as I grow as a Christian, I will come to better understanding as time goes by. There are Christians in the church who have been reading the Bible for 40 or 50 years, and they are still learning new things every day. It is not just a list of rules, or ethics, or even good advice, it is the Word of God. I understand that you may find this hard to comprehend. (and I dont blame you). However this is what Faith is. It is a belief, or a hope in something that cannot be seen. (3)

People do need love, but they also need faith and hope. (4)

So to sum up, the Bible is not an object but the words that God has given to us, which we dont worship, but use to know and worship God better.

Answer 4

Umm ... Suzi ... "breathed" and "inspired" are not two separate things, but two different translations of the same word in those original documents.

And it would certainly seem that those who call the Bible the "final authority" (subject to interpretation, allegedly something any believer is assisted by the Holy Spirit in doing right, yet why would the Holy Spirit tell so many people different things about the same passages of Scripture?) are, if not worshipping the actual pages and binding, doing something very like worship of the words.

And I say this knowing full well that the Gospel account I am fondest of, that of John, tells us plainly "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ... and became flesh, and dwelt among us". I'm aware that Jesus is called the Word Incarnate and believe it to be so.

Word. Singular, not plural. It is the *entirety* of Scripture, taken together, that is our source for understanding our relationship with God and His with us. Dissecting it into isolated, selective verses and basing an entire theology on them is taking the Word ... and reducing it to just so many words.

Answer 5

I have read around 12 or 13 Bibles.Only one have I not marked the heck out of. The Bible is the infallable word of God in it's teaching in the original tounges. The translations have a few insignificant errors but nothing that changes the meaning of the teachings.
I respect the Bible but it is not God,it is the Word of God ,printed on paper by men.

Answer 6

The Bible is idolized--made into an idol--by anyone who reads it uncritically, and especially by Protestants who follow Martin Luther's dictum, sola scriptura.

The Bible is a collection of human writings inspired by God, including mythology, history, prophesy, songs, poetry, wisdom, theology, and letters of rebuke and correction. It is an irreplaceable treasure of man's thinking about God's work in the world.

But as you say, and as Bible writers imply, "There is only one that is infallible, God." John presents the Christian view emphatically: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning." The Word of God is Jesus, the Son of God, not the collection of books assembled by the early catholic-orthodox Church.

Idolizing the Bible leads to practical difficulties every day here in Y!A when someone someone pulls a verse out of a letter from one of the apostles and uses it to overrule the historical teachings of the Word of God as recorded in one of the biographical gospels.

For example, those who don't want to do the works required of Christianity will quote Eph 2:8: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." Clearly, a sentence from an apostle cannot be used against the consistent teaching of Jesus that we will be judged by our works (e.g., Matt 25:31-46).

The problem gets even worse when Bibolators take Old Testament passages, e.g., about a man stoned to death for gathering sticks (Num. 15:32-36), and imagine God's complicity in a terrible injustice.

Making the Bible an idol thwarts our understanding of God's message. To learn from the Bible, we must read it critically, giving primacy to the teachings of the Word of God in the gospels over the fallible teachings of the Old Testament and in the epistles.

Cheers,
Bruce

Answer 7

God is perfect. He existed before He created everything we can observe. God is spirit. God's word is spoken through the prophets.

Man on the other hand was created by God. Man is body, soul, and spirit. Man worships God in spirit and in truth.

All we know about God is contained in the pages of the bible. We gets towards God through Jesus who is the way, the truth, and the life.

Answer: Christians hope for eternal life. Jesus is the way. Is God an idol? Is Jesus an idol? Is God's word an idol? No because the kingdom of God is not of this world.

Answer 8

The original writings of the bible were more than just inspired - they were god-breathed. The original writings are infallible, but with translations over the years, we have to really study the original greek and hebrew words and have faith that God has preserved His word for us. I do not bow down before the Bible or hold anything up above God. :) It is not an idol to me.

Answer 9

I think in some faiths, yes they have made the Bible an idol and "explain" it away by saying its Gods Word so that makes it NOT an idol.
Remember the saints remains in the churches? It was holy...so it wasn't an idol. And what are they screaming now?
Same thing, different millineum

Answer 10

The Bible is the inspired word of God. To me, some people make an idol of these words.