The Bible, a Cradle
Luther
famously wrote, “The Bible is the cradle of Christ.” This is very crucial for
understanding what Lutherans mean when we use the phrase Sola scriptura that
is, Word Alone. Some Christians seek to make the Bible into a science textbook
(see The Fundamentals by Lyman Stewart) or a rule book for
secular governance (for example, John Calvin’s brief theocratic rule of
Geneva), but as Lutherans, we believe Scripture testifies to Jesus Christ and
is the basis for the teachings of our faith. When we read the Bible, it strikes
us a Law and Gospel, naming both the reality of Sin in the world and the even
greater reality of God’s love for the whole wide world.
Now,
for those who haven’t done a lot of Bible reading, it can be a disorienting
experience. That’s because the Bible is not so much a book, but a library. It
is a library filled with all kinds of different documents, all describing God’s
ongoing faithfulness, each in their own unique way. A deed of sale (Jeremiah),
a Government Proclamation (Ezra), a Travelogue (Acts), a Hymnbook (the
Psalms), Apocalyptic Literature (Daniel and Revelation), a Cosmic Court
transcript (Job), and Poetry (almost every book in the bible) all pointing us
to God’s good acts among people.
In
addition to being disorienting, reading scripture can be daunting, especially
for people who endeavor to read the entire bible. How do you even do that? The
same way you eat an elephant, one bite at a time. If you read about three
chapters a day (except Psalm 119, it requires a day unto itself), you’ll have
read the whole bible in a year!
Regular reading of scripture reinforces the Christian story. These
days that is incredibly important. You see, since the internet came into
wide-spread use, the average American engages with 4,000 stories a day (some as
simple as “buy our shampoo and everything will be good in your life”). This
glut of stories can swamp the good news about God’s love found in Jesus Christ.
Making sure the biblical stories are part of your daily consumption of stories,
is vital for a strong faith life.
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