Mike Parsons
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Rethinking How We Use the Bible
Much of the confusion around this topic comes from how we use the Bible—treating everything in it as if it is God speaking directly to us today. The truth is, it is not. If we did not use the Bible that way, and if we did not see it as the primary way God speaks to people today—as “God’s Word”—we might approach it very differently.
The Bible is not God’s Word. It contains some words that God said, but it is not the Word of God. Jesus is the Word of God. He is the logos—the Word made flesh. He was with God in the beginning. When we understand that Jesus is the Word of God, then when we read “the word” in the Bible, we do not need to assume it is referring to the Bible. It usually is not—especially since the Bible did not exist until about 385 AD.
The Canonisation of Scripture
In 325 AD, at the Council of Nicaea, church leaders selected various writings—those they believed God had spoken through—and labelled them as scripture. Then in 385, they canonised a particular group of those writings and called it the Bible. The implication was: God cannot speak outside of this now. But of course, He still does. He is speaking to us all day, every day.
I spoke to someone recently who insisted that God inspired the selection of the Bible. So I asked him: why, then, did the Protestant version remove thirteen books that were in the original Bible—the ones the Catholic Bible still includes as the Apocrypha? If God inspired the creation of the canon, who had the authority to later remove books from it?
It does not add up. God never required a book. He wanted to speak to us directly—Spirit to spirit. Yes, some of those ancient writings are useful, even valuable. But without them, would we really be worse off? Arguably not. We might not be as divided into denominations, all centred on different interpretations of canonised verses.
Jesus: The Living Word
I believe every generation should have inspired writings that help them understand what God is doing in their generation. But those writings should not be canonised. They should not be seen as a final word that limits how God speaks.
Someone once quoted Revelation to me: “You must not add anything to this book.” But that is referring to that particular book, not the entire Bible—because the Bible did not even exist yet. People assume it means you cannot add anything to the Bible, but that was never the intention.
Similarly, 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “Every inspired writing is useful for doctrine…”—but it does not specify what counts as inspired writing. It could not have meant the Bible as we know it, because that came centuries later. The Greek word used is graphe—it means writings. That verse is often mistranslated or misread to mean “all Scripture”, with a capital S, implying the Bible. But it actually means “every inspired writing”, which is a broader and more flexible idea.
The Bible Contains Words—But Not All Are God’s
God has inspired writings throughout history. I believe there are writings today that help us understand how He is working now. But we should not base our lives on texts written 2,000 years ago as if they are the only things God ever said.
The Bible is a collection of books written by people. It contains words from God, but also words from others—Pontius Pilate, for instance. It contains poetry, history, letters and songs. Some of it is clearly inspired by the writer’s relationship with God. But it is not dictated by God. The Psalms, for example, were David’s personal expression of what he was going through. They were put to music, just like other writers did with their experiences. That does not make them irrelevant—but neither does it mean we must follow them as rules for today.
Should we follow David’s emotional outbursts, or should we listen to what God is saying to us now? I believe we should be listening to the Spirit today. That is the real issue here.
Led by the Spirit, Not the Book
This view can upset evangelical Christians, especially those who hold to sola scriptura—scripture alone—the idea that the Bible is the only authority. But where does that leave the Holy Spirit? If we have to read the Bible every day to know what to do, where is the Spirit’s role in leading us? The Bible itself says, “Those who are led by the Spirit are the children of God.” It does not say, “Those who are led by the Bible are the children of God.”
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Unconditional Love – new book out now
Mike Parsons’ new book, Unconditional Love, is out now. Order it from your favourite local or online bookseller today, or get the ebook instantly from our website. More details at eg.freedomarc.org/books.
Sons of Issachar 