Are Jesus And The Bible Equals?

I know it’s coming. I expect to hear those words at any minute. The pastor clears his throat, pauses and utters the words that, IMHO, can make cheese curdle — ‘This is my Bible..I’m standing on the word of God’ Gasp….I let out a long sigh. My heart begins to break; sadness isn’t far behind. 

The Word of God means...pick one, only one: 

1) The Bible; 

2) The msg of God in the Bible;

3) Jesus. 

Think about the simple shift of emphasis between number one and number three. It's really important. The role Jesus plays in how we interpret, understand, and apply everything in the Bible is hypercritical, if we are going to be disciples of Christ. As we mature as believers, as we lead others to the hope we have within us, we may have to grapple with, and give space to, the question: are Jesus and the Bible equals? 

The Bible is an invaluable and beautiful tool for getting to know and follow the teachings of Christ. The Hebrew and Greek scriptures are precious and inspired; they, from Genesis to Revelations, bear witness to the Word of God who is Jesus the Christ — the Word made flesh. I use both the Old and New Testaments to help me see Jesus clearly and to follow him faithfully. But I’m critically careful, or at least prayerfully cautious, to ensure that I don’t misuse any biblical text to countermand the teachings of Christ. Ask yourself, do my my biblical interpretations trump Jesus’ teachings? Is my final authority - The Bible or Jesus? 

So the next time you hear a clearing throat, the rustling of pages and the words, ‘the Bible says’ remember that God didn’t come in a book, he came in a manger, incarnate, in the person of Jesus of Nazareth to whom all authority in heaven and on earth has been given...#pkes

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