Can The Bible Be An Idol?
An idol doesn’t have to be something on a pedestal that we worship. It doesn’t have to be made out of gold or silver. It could be anything that impinges on or replaces our devotion, commitment, and worship to the one true God, creator of the universe, Who has “granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence” (2 Pet. 1:3). No inanimate object can do that.
What are some things that could become idols in our lives? People, possessions, positions at work or in the church, praise from others, popularity, places of honor in gatherings, and more. What determines if something is an idol for us? Isn’t it the time we spend on it, thinking about it, polishing it, in other words, our “focus” on it?
Can the Bible itself,
the physical book we read, study, memorize, carry to church, become an idol? The Bible, according to 2 Tim. 3:16, is “…inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” So what? Only that if we don’t accept this verse as true, there’s no reason to read or study any of the Bible. So, one of the main purposes of the Bible is to equip the saints for every good work.
Someone asked me today, “Has the Bible replaced the Holy Spirit in our churches?” It seemed an odd question until I probed further. A few posts ago (Soft Heart Steel Spine) I pondered the line between love and truth or between liberalism and fundamentalism. My conclusion was that many, if not most, churches are at one end of the line or the other. Paul tells us that we can speak with the tongues of men and angels, have the gift of prophecy, know all mysteries and knowledge, have faith to move mountains, give all my possessions to feed the poor, but if we don’t have love, we’re a noisy gong and clanging cymbal. (1 Cor. 13)
What is love?
Where does it come from? Isn’t it first on the list of spiritual fruit in Gal. 5:22? And where does spiritual fruit come from? The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Aside from those churches that put, in this writer’s opinion, too much emphasis on the gifts of the Spirit, because He gives gifts as He wills (1 Cor. 12:11), many churches don’t talk about the Holy Spirit much if at all. But as in the love/truth alternative, in which both ends are wrong by themselves, overemphasizing certain aspects of the Holy Spirit on one side and downplaying Him on the other are wrong too.
One problem today is that the world’s definition of love isn’t the Bible’s definition. Paul tells us what love is in I Cor 13: “Love is patient, kind not jealous, does not brag. is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly, does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails;” The world tells us love is inclusive, love is tolerant, love doesn’t judge. That’s not love. It’s “feel good” emotion.
The Holy Spirit has several functions.
He points us to Jesus to worship and praise Him. He, “the Spirit of Truth,” dwells in us to guide us into all truth (John 16:13). He empowers us to share the gospel (Acts 1:8). He makes us abound in hope (Rom. 15:13). All believers have the presence and power of the Holy Spirit living in us. So with all this in mind, why do we not hear more from our pulpits about His activity in our life? I believe it’s partly that the overemphasis of gifts by some churches has been used by Satan to create a sense of foolishness surrounding the Spirit. And, as a result, the tendency is to avoid Him, fearing being tarred with the same brush. It’s also these who shun Him who are at the other end of the spectrum, giving great emphasis to knowing the Bible, not the author.
The Holy Spirit is the one who inspired men to write the Bible. It is true front to back. And it is necessary for a complete Christian life. But to venerate it above the Spirit who wrote it is foolish. I won’t go so far as to label the Bible an idol. But those who don’t embrace the person and work of the Holy Spirit are missing a fuller, richer, more satisfying walk with God. He gave us the Spirit as the Comforter. What’s comforting about not embracing His presence and role in our lives? You be the judge.