AboutMartin W. Eldred Expertise I have been a Lutheran Christian for 47 years and a Lutheran pastor for almost 19. I can answer most general questions about Luther, Lutheran History, Lutheran Theology, and a Lutheran approach to Biblical Interpretation. I am ELCA, for those who know what that means, and I tend to be moderate theologically. I hope that I can converse with those that are either more conservative or liberal than I, and especially with those who are really just seeking.
Experience Pastors are "generalists" and generally have a working knowledge on many subjects. We are also used to working with a variety of answers from a variety of people. I teach a great deal, especially in the area ofthe New Testament. I particulalry enjoy the Pauline literature.
Organizations I have been a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, an international gathering of biblical scholars and teachers, since the late 1980s.
Publications I have written a few book reviews for the journal, "Lutheran Quarterly."
Education/Credentials I have a B.A. from Pacific Lutheran University in Religion (Biblical Studies)and a Master of Divinity from Wartburg Theological Seminary.
Is the bible the word of God, or just another philosophical book written by man?
If the latter is true can we then say that thier is nothing in the bible that we can say is without a doubt absolutly true?
And can christians say, "We belive that Jesus Christ is the son of God, He died for our sins, And he rose from the dead, BUT, maybe all that we believe may not really be true".
Thanks
Bob
Answer Bob:
Thank you for your question, sorry for the delay.
I would say that the Bible is the word of God since it points to THE Word of God--Jesus Christ (Cf. John 1:1). Luther made that distinction that the Bible is "the manger where the Word of God (Jesus) is laid". It is the inspired words of God that point us to the complete revelation of God in Jesus Christ. While is written by human beings as their experience with God in their time and place, we also believe that the Holy Spirit guided the process and that we have received the necessary words that show us God's love and grace for Creation.
That being said, we hold that it is true in that it points us to the Truth in Jesus. We don't need to dissect it's historical or scientific facts since that is not the purpose of the Bible. The truth of the Bible is primarily reserved for how it reveals Jesus Christ (The Way and the Truth) to humanity.
In this way we can be assured that the Bible reveals to us what we need to know about salvation and reconciliation to God through the grace given to us in Jesus. That is, of course a faith statement. I cannot "prove' that this is fact, but I believe that it is true.
