What God May Really Be Like – Misbeliefs About God

The Bible is still useful for spiritual reflection, even if God didn’t somehow magically control what human authors wrote. Few believe God verbally dictated Scriptures. OT laws seem to condone inhumane actions in God’s name, which may only illustrate God allows freedom to determine one’s own laws. The Bible writers suggest the sun rotates around the earth. The Bible was not meant to be a book of science written by scientists.

When we insist the Bible is infallible, we often don’t recognize that it is our interpretations that we are proclaiming are infallible.

We become dogmatic in our views without accepting the possibility of being wrong in our attempts to defend a Book. This sows discord and debates over God because the Bible supposedly says so. Many sincere people have different views of the same biblical passage or topic. Reading the Bible as always required discernment and a flexible attitude. The main message is clear as we seek God’s help in being more the person desired.

Some interpret the Bible as God condemning homosexuality. This may lead some to oppose homosexuality in God’s name, though their heart tells them such views are judgmental and uncompassionate. This can lead one to not wanting anything to do with the Bible or God for it contradicts their views of what a loving God would be like. Oh, so all sex goes! Most don’t accept sexual behaviors that are mindless, selfish, uncommitted engagements, as opposed to consensual monogamous relationships.

When we insist the Bible is infallible, the Bible can become somewhat of an idol.

The Bible becomes an object of worship rather than our Creator. Insisting the Bible is without errors can lead to worshipping a Book and not who the Book is about. We focus on defending the Bible than having a relationship with God. God didn’t promise an infallible Book but God’s spirit to discern what God is really like (Jn. 14:16).

When we insist the Bible is infallible, one may wonder why a loving God didn’t put this magical book in the hands of all.

A loving God would never insist that information about God is only discernable by the written word, since the majority of the world never had access to a Bible. God has always accepting the constraints working through human means. The Bible was God using human means available to communicate to as many people as possibly what God is really like, while not condemning those who misunderstand it or never had a chance to read it.

When we insist the Bible is infallible, the temptation is to make the Bible a magical book of rules rather than consideration for wisdom and reflection on one’s individual situation.

When Jesus said turn the other cheek, He wouldn’t advise a woman to allow an abusive husband to continue to beat her. The Bible didn’t have assigned chapters and verses until centuries after written. Read the Bible as stories about God’s relationships with others as you discern your own relationship with the Creator.

We do not have to assume the Bible is infallible; we do not have to assume the Bible is without truth about God.

The Bible can still be inspired by God without assuming God is all-controlling. God never intended human-reasoning to not be necessary in our journey with God. We can rely on our personal relationship with God to discern what God is like and if worthy of following.