The Bible

The histories of the nation of Israel and the church have demonstrated that the Bible contains both the core of essential orthodoxy, as well as a veritable storehouse of wisdom, insight, beauty, and life-giving truths; the depths of which, after several millennia, the community of the redeemed are still trying to plumb. 

God invites us to not just read, interpret, believe and obey His word, but to meditate on, delight in, and savor it.  He invites us to meet Him in a powerful and transformative way as His Spirit brings His Words into our souls.  As we explore together this staggering ocean of God’s revelation, we come to love it, and to experience His love, truth and mercy for us- in deeper and more meaningful ways. The Bible reveals to us: who God is, what His love is like, who we are, and how we can flourish through a life-giving relationship with Him, one another, and the creation and life He has entrusted to us as humans who bear His image (Gen. 1:27-2:3, Psalm 8, Rev. 21:1-7; 22:1-5).

I believe the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired, authoritative Word of God and they are without error in all they teach. They were inspired by the Holy Spirit as He moved through human authors who wrote using their own language and style, and in various literary forms (2 Tim 3:16, 2 Peter 1:19-21). These books were affirmed by Christ and the apostles, and recognized by the community of the redeemed as God’s special revelation to humankind.  When properly interpreted, the Bible serves as our guide for all matters of truth, faith and life. I believe that the Bible should be interpreted according the literal, grammatical, contextual and historical method; and understood and applied with the guidance of the Holy Spirit through the discernment of the community of believers (Acts 15:1-29).  Through the Bible and the Gospel message contained within, we are invited to understand and experience what it means to be loved by God and transformed by His grace (Acts 20:32). I believe that the invitation to apprenticeship to Christ, and the steps to respond to that invitation are clear and easily understood from the Bible (“from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus,” 2 Tim 3:14).  The tension between this simplicity and complexity found within this one collection of works, the transformative power of its message, and the impact it has had on the history of humankind, further demonstrates and reveals its divine authorship.  

God invites us to meet Him in His Word, and when we do, we can say with the psalmist, “Your words are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb.”