Dr. Michael Allen dives into the challenge and beauty of understanding Scripture’s unity. Explore how the Bible, while complex, is a cohesive narrative that equips us for every aspect of life. The following is a transcript of the video above.
How is the Bible harmonious?
One of the things we confess of the holy Scripture is that it’s one that it’s unified, that it’s whole. It is not contradictory. It is not scattered. It’s not random or arbitrary. And so to read here is to read something that relates to there to read this text is to read something that really does entangle itself somehow with that passage. This is one of the great challenges of reading the Bible. It’s no simple affair. There is a simple, basic message that is clear as day and compelling still. And yet there are mysteries. And even the apostle Paul or the apostle Peter can name the mystery of the faith and the challenge of difficult passages. We want to be mindful that one of the great challenges is always asking the canonical question: How does Matthew relate to Moses? How does new relate to old? How does Paul relate to Peter? Those are pertinent questions because sometimes texts sound different. Sometimes they use different jargon or they use the same term in rather different ways. And on the surface, it can lead us to think that somehow this must be at odds with with itself. Somehow, this must be contradictory. One of the great challenges of growing as a theologian and growing as a Christian, a man or woman is increasingly perceiving the unity of Scripture.
All Scripture is Inspired
I think we can often somehow fall into a rut because reading Scripture can be a challenge, and it’s not always immediately obvious what something is saying. We can say, well, if something is hard, I’ll I’ll leave that there and I’ll go elsewhere. And so long as I’m going somewhere in the Bible, so long as I’m grabbing hold of some truth that has roots in some passage, I’m well and good. It’s to treat the Bible like a buffet, as though you can grab anything off it and fill your plate with it. But the Bible is all for our good. Second Timothy 3:16-17 says it is all of scripture inspired by God. It’s useful. And we’re told at the end of that passage it’s there that the man of God might be equipped for every good work. So if Christian women and men want to be fully equipped for all of life, they need to turn to not just scripture but all of scripture. All of this leads to and prepares for all of that. And if you don’t have all of this, don’t be surprised if you’re prepared for some, but not other parts of life.
Maturing as Disciples
We want whole an effective Christians. We want to grow mature in Christ. We don’t want to remain childish that we’re called the childlike faith and wonder. Childishness is chided again and again, not only by Jesus, but the apostles, not only by Moses, but the prophets. And so we want to grow wise in all of God’s Word. Turning yes to the difficult parts, asking how they, in their own way contribute something distinctive and exploring how they, in their own voice commend that which is found across the entirety of the canon. That’s not easy. It’s not always simple. It’s why we take our students through course upon course, not only studying the language of Scripture, the Hebrew, the Greek, but also considering the exegetical and interpretive challenges of various genres and authors. And that’s why our graduates labor hard as pastors, teachers, scholars, carefully trying to commend how this and that part of the word are there to build up Christians and churches. That’s the task we’re all committed to when we confess that God’s Word is one and that all of God’s Word is for our good.
