The undermining of Christianity which we have observed in recent years has gone hand in hand with frequent attacks on the Bible. In the popular media it is seen as a problem book, if not downright dangerous. Projected on a society which has become largely ignorant of all things Christian, this sort of propaganda is effective and does not bode well for the place of Christianity in the future of our country. No one tells us what is to take its place!
Those of us who still identify as Christians need to think hard about how to respond to this. Some wish to distance themselves from the book, at the same time as they continue to look on themselves as “modern” Christians. People who see the book as God’s word, and the foundation of faith, are marginalized as ignorant extremists. A little thought reveals the wrongheadedness in this. All our knowledge of Jesus Christ comes from the Bible; what is Christianity if it is not aligned with Jesus? The foundations of western culture and morality come from the Bible. Do we think the ten commandments are self-evident? A study of cultural history will soon destroy that illusion. The sabbath principle – a day of rest each week – comes from the Bible; ancient societies did not know it. It has been adopted in principle by most of the world. Care of the needy is a principle of biblical faith. Universities and hospitals took their rise from Scripture. A biblical worldview underpinned the rise of modern science.
I asked an Indian Christian leader whether the explosion of Christianity in China is matched by anything in India. He said there was no politician in India today who can ignore the poor. “That comes from Jesus,” he said, “It was foreign to Indian culture. Jesus has had the most profound impact on India.”
Another Indian, Vishal Magdalwadi, in 2011 wrote The Book that Changed Your World. If you are a reader, I recommend it. Its subtitle is How the Bible Created the Soul of Western Civilization. Looking from outside our culture Mangalwadi sees so much good that has flowed from belief in and study of the Bible. Quite apart from whether you believe it is from God, ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of the most formative influence on our culture and is – it has to be said – is just plain ignorance.
And much ignorance there is. Our universities wallow in it. It has to be said that the foremost ally of the modern attempt to escape from our Judaeo-Christian heritage is the ignorance of church people of their own book, and Anglicans are the worst offenders. Say a word against the Qu’ran and a dozen Muslims will rise to correct you; speak against the Bible and Anglicans cringe – despite the fact that on Sundays we read from Old Testament and New, from the Psalms, and from what the early Christians called the Apostle and the Gospel. Most of our liturgy is plain Bible! Anglicanism is the most Bible-focused denomination in Christendom!
Beginning on Sunday 11 August, I intend teaching a ten-week Bible-based course at St James South Lake on the gospels, called, Explore the Life of Jesus. I wrote it as part of a correspondence program for lay people, teachers and church leaders. Those who can’t attend might be interested to enroll by correspondence. Check out George Whitefield College’s website: www.gwc.ac.za