This grew out of a conversation on CRC-Voices about the relationship between the Bible and history, Genesis and Science, and the controversy surrounding the professors at Calvin College and the historical Adam.

We have many layers to us.

1. For cultural reasons many in our context have difficulty thinking about the Bible as history.
2. For cultural reasons many of us in our context have allergic reactions to anything that appears to undermine understanding the Bible as history.

Where do these two realities relate to piety, faith, living out the Christian life?

I personally find a bias towards assuming a close relationship between the Bible and history far more encouraging and conducive for trusting in Jesus. I think I can make a good argument that it is in fact a superior approach for yielding a faith that is revealed by cruciform, sacrificial, self-donating acts of trust and obedience in anticipation of the resurrection. For me, as I see it, if the disciples could do it, if the OT heroes could do it, if the Spirit of God worked amazing things among his people, then I can trust in him too. I find this perspective on the Bible very helpful and faith-life encouraging in terms of actually living in obedience to Jesus Christ. Obedience like loving enemies, turning the other cheek, forgiving, believing in the resurrection of the dead, the apostles creed, etc.

Having said that, I can’t assume that people with biases, likely generated by their experience, education and involvement in our skeptical, secular culture, will have a hard time reading the Bible as history. First of all they have a lot of good points. It is clear to me that how the Bible relates history is culturally different from how we relate history, compare the Synoptics.

I see the skepticism toward the relationship between the Bible and history as a bias. I like to encourage a bias towards giving the Bible the benefit of the doubt. Others have a bias the other way. Biases are usually cause by experiences, education, cultures, etc. We’ve all got them.

Now what if in fact you are biased against seeing a strong correlation between the Bible and history. What if your bias creates in you a regard that the Bible is a book that has some inspiring things in it but lots of other problematic things too so you don’t necessarily see it as “authoritative” in the way that some conservatives understand it. What if, however, you are still living a life trusting Jesus, even the Jesus that is in some ways impaired (in my opinion) by those biases you bring to the Bible? Does God cut you off because of those biases?

I see some Christian liberalism as a rather Thomistic path in the sense of the Apostle Thomas who doubted. I don’t know how they can do it with their set of biases, but I also know that God has crafted his body through a huge diversity of people from a broad set of cultural biases. Who am I to say that he can’t work through a church of skeptical, secular westerners that find various items like the virgin birth or the authority and inspiration (as conservatives understand it) of Scripture and doubts about hell?

I find those biases difficult for me to pursue a cruciform life, the kind of resurrection life that Jesus calls us to. I can’t say, however, that it can’t be done and there is ample evidence, in fact, that it is being done. My biases often lead me to judge people according to my biases, but Jesus is pretty clear about biases and judgment. By your biases you yourself will be judged, and I most often find myself failing even by my own standards.

I like debates about the Bible and history and I will continue to argue that the evidence suggest that we afford the Bible the benefit of the doubt when it comes to questions of history and the witness of Scripture. I think there are good reasons for affording the Bible that benefit even on secular evidence. I will in fact within the confines of my church and denomination advocate for maintaining this bias and promoting it as a helpful platform for Christian obedience and witness. I find my bias to be most conducive for reducing fear, encouraging faith, taking risks of love in the name of Jesus.

At the same time, however, I can appreciate when those with a bias going in the other direction have to engage the same concrete struggles I face of loving enemies, forgiving wrongs, taking up the cross, caring for the poor, awaiting the resurrection and the redemption of this broken world all in the name of Jesus. I won’t judge them to not be part of the body of Christ based on their bias with respect to the Bible and history. pvk