What I Wish Christians Knew about the Bible: A Conversation with Dr. Michael Bird
What are the most common mistakes Christians make when approaching the Bible? In this video, I interview Dr. Michael Bird about his recent book “Seven Things I Wish Christians Knew about the Bible.” We discuss misunderstandings about how we got the Bible, where it came from, and how to read it.
READ: Seven Things I Wish Christians Knew about the Bible, by Michael Bird (https://amzn.to/2TrakXt)
LISTEN: Can We Trust the Copying of the Bible? (Podcast): https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2020/trust-copying-of-bible
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Most of fictional stories contain bits of Bible! Even One Piece, Netflix live action derived from a famous Japanese manga. Fruits that give various power to the eaters , that’s from fruit of knowledge in Genesis! More than two thousand years that the Bible has been with us, with or without consciousness, it’s foundation of what we are today, I think.
It really bothers me that people who tell us they follow Christ, are well educated, may be Ministers, who hold themselves out as having particular understanding of spiritual matters go about regularly using words like "woke" as pejorative labels of outright disrespect towards others, even their own brothers and sisters in Christ.
And some of those people are directly in the public eye in various formats.
More is expected. It's embarrassing to me as a Christian to be asked about that by non-Christians and frankly I can't blame non-Christians for having serious reservations about Christianity because of it. It's shameful.
Christ gave no command to put down others with labels but rather commanded that we love our neighbors as oursrlves.
They shouldn't have ignored over the question about Jesus treating the scripture with authority. As many don't understand that the scripture Jesus studied was of course Jewish scripture as He was a Jew. It should be pointed out to people that Christian scripture did not exist at the time. Obvious , but not Obvious to everyone.
The Bible is legit!
Ive found that learning the Greek and Hebrew of the Old and New Testaments demystify and expand my understanding of Gods plan. Never stop learning. ❤
At 43:30 he speaks humorously about Christians who think only some parts of the Bible are authoritative. But earlier he says precisely that himself and Sean replied, "Sure."
I'm a fan; but come on, really!?!
Take your head out of the clouds and read The Book of Mormon!
Thank you so much!
In my older age I find myself becoming more and more thirsty for intellectual, theological discourse!
God bless ✝️🙏🏼✝️
@36:50. Birds definition of authoritative is not how it is generally used in Christian apologetics.
He says it already has an impact on society ,therefore it is authoritative.
By that definition corporatism, gay activism, violent movies, YouTube shorts…. are all authoritative.
He then says.. of course not all parts of the bible should be authoritative…
There he switched to another definition.
So, we should just accept as authoritative those parts of scripture that either conform with our worldview or are helpful or beneficial in our current society.
The typical anti-religious zealot (nice honest framing there) has a worldview and ethical system that is formed with the bible, not based on it.
My worldview shares some of the characteristics with yours, just like yours shares some with the one that came before the bible.
Golden rule is MUCH older than the bible.
Your worldview is soooo culturally dependant, it seems you have cultural myopia.
When you mention splitting off the “Apocrypha” into a separate section you failed to mention that this didn't happen until Luther
I tell you i can see people just rewrighting the bible and saying oh i dont think that should be in there. You know people is between hell and heaven. You would think they would have a sound book to go by. You know if jesus was serious about hell. Then we have alot at stake . So i pick the right verse go to hea en but my neibor says no.i belive this.verse sounds better and he goes to hell . And it would seem i got lucky
Sean for the first time im gonna havt say im more confused after i watch this video. He seems to be saying its a pretty good book to read its got some good stuff, you just kinda gotta figure out whats best in it for you if you can find it
C.S. Lewis is part of scripture, definitely 19:55
You are not taking into account that in the Old Testament, during the conquest of the promise land, God testified that the land had vomiting its inhabitants out. God has used one nation to punish another due to their sin reaching a certain level. If you say that this warfare is wrong, then you are declaring God was wrong in judging their sin. I would advise caution
Amen to that!!!!!
Dr. McDowell . I am interested in your stance on creation. Young vs old earth? I believe I heard a few instances where you mainly speak of old earth, but I can’t wrap my head around this idea when I read Genesis. Would love perspective
Law of diminishing returns: The higher the education,the less Faith
#1. The bible is just a hand-selected (from hundreds of possibilities) anthology of ancient documents which have been substantially edited and translated, incorrectly, multiple times, written by ignorant, unknown, misogynistic, racist, bigoted, men who liked to tell stories, and plagiarized even older stories, and knew nothing about the world outside their small geographic area. There are hundreds of versions of the bible. Truth doesn't come in versions. Religions are faith-based beliefs in the supernatural, contrary to factual knowledge and critical thinking. Most people are free to believe whatever they want but no one can assert their faith is true and others are false. Man has worshipped thousands of deities and none of them have been proven nor disproven. So one has to disprove all other faiths before any claim that one is true can be put forth. Thankfully our younger generations are rejecting religious affiliation exponentially.
Concerning the liturgy, the Church I meet with have no liturgy. In an attempt to seek unity, instead of inventing a new and modern form of worship, they attempt to emulate the way the original Christians worshiped, i.e. with a Capella singing of hymns, scripture reading, prayers, a teaching sermon and the Lords Supper. If you don't care for fancy liturgy and clownish vestments, or rock concerts and jugglers, you have another option… go primitive.
I'm liking your videos as intelligent explorations of many fundamental Chrisian issues, Dr McDowell.
McDowell was fascinated by the australian view on the use of inerrancy in the US. At least while he donned the kevlar helmet.
Get recommendation. Find Michael Bird in the video. Like.
One more thing (before I start pontificating), Blake, Dante etc… have given Christians a view of the Satan character that's been more pervasive than anything we find in any version of the bible. Likewise, the view of Jesus as a peace loving hippy doesn't exist in scripture unless you squint really hard while reading the gospels or any other anonymous NT writings.
Why is the gospel of John in the bible?
Atheists that care about the damage Christianity has inflicted for millennia tend to have a better understanding of scripture than Christians do.
“The first thing to realize…is that most people go through life with a whole world of beliefs that have no sort of rational justification, and that one man’s world of beliefs is apt to be incompatible with another man’s, so that they cannot both be right. People’s opinions are mainly designed to make them feel comfortable; truth, for most people is a secondary consideration.”
― Bertrand Russell
I think Dr Bird has oversimplified the Protestant view and why there were objections to the Apocrypha. I think the standard evangelical position was that these books should be excluded because they were not inspired by God. Of course, that raises a few questions, too.
I'm not sure that it's correct to say that the KJV always contained the Apocrypha until the 1880s, and that it was only omitted due to anti-Catholic prejudice. There was a controversy in Scotland over the Apocryphal books being printed along with the canonical books and this took place in the 1820s. The British and Foreign Bible Society printed Bibles without the Apocrypha for use in Britain, but included these books for shipment to the European continent where presumably many readers would be RC. Robert Haldane, Andrew Mitchell Thomson and other evangelical leaders opposed this practice, and a new Bible Society was formed as a result.
One of your guys that you've interviewed said that there are 3 places where he thought could that Jesus would have been buried. He said that he doesn't believe that The-Garden-Tomb was really the place where Jesus was buried, just because there were more than one slab where dead people should be laid when they died. But he shouldn't forget that Joseph didn't let The-Garden-Tomb built for Jesus, it was built for Joseph himself & his family. But he was only generous to have given his family Tomb to Jesus use. {So, that's why the garden Tomb is family styled…}
I'm not disputing any of the Bible I just want to read everything that was ever written about Jesus's walk on earth. Peter saying to Jesus to get rid of Mary Magdelan is a shock. I thought he was a exception and liked woman and wanted them in heaven.
What about the Gospel of Nicodemus?
New Covenant Whole Gospel:
Let us now share the Old Testament Gospel found below with the whole world. On the road to Emmaus He said the Old Testament is about Him.
He is the very Word of God in John 1:1, 14. Awaken Church to this truth.
Jer 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
Jer 31:32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by
husband unto them, saith the LORD:
Jer 31:33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Jer 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Is the most important genealogy in the Bible found in Matthew 1:1 (Gal. 3:16)? Is God's Son the ultimate fulfillment of Israel (John 1:49)? Why has the modern Church done a pitiful job of sharing the Gospel with modern Orthodox Jews? Why would someone tell them they are God's chosen people and then fail to share the Gospel with them? Who is the seed of the woman promised in Genesis 3:15? Who is the "son" in Psalm 2? Who is the "suffering servant" of Isaiah 53? Who would fulfill the New Covenant promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34? Who would fulfill the timeline of Daniel chapter 9 before the second temple was destroyed? Why have we not heard this simple Old Testament Gospel preached on Christian television in the United States on a regular basis?
Once a person comes to understand the New Covenant promised to Israel and Judah in Jeremiah 31:31-34, which is found fulfilled by Christ during the first century in Hebrews 8:6-13, and Hebrews 10:16-18, and specifically applied to the Church in 2 Corinthians 3:6-8, and Hebrews 12:22-24, man-made Bible doctrines fall apart.
Let us now learn to preach the whole Gospel until He comes back. The King of Israel is risen from the dead! (John 1:49, Acts 2:36)
Watch the YouTube videos “The New Covenant” by Bob George, and David H.J. Gay.
"It was the yeeh… NEVVA!" 🤣 38:50
What a great interview! It was so interesting to hear the perspective of someone who is outside the 'pop evangelical' camp! Dr. Sean McDowell, you ask really good questions!
What is the bible? The OT is the religious self-defense of the Jewish people against centuries of foreign occupation. The NT is a continuation of Paul's Nigerian Prince scam targeting the poor and the slaves in the Roman Empire. Anybody who can't see that needs their high school diploma revoked for inherited stupidity.
Interesting how man always says “I don’t think God meant this or that, but adds their opinion as fact” To question the creation to try and affirm flawed theories of origin debates to maintain credibility in the secular science community is sad.
At around the 42 minute mark you talk about the religious wars on the Canaanites. I like some of what Dr. Bird says but I would like to interject with some thoughts from Dr Heiser. The Bible is telling the story (history) of the heavens and the earth. There is a spiritual battle being fought in Canaan as well as an earthly battle over territory and people. Dr. Heiser lays out the argument that God is dishing out judgement on a cosmic level that reaches all the way back to Genesis 6 and 11. I'd you add Dr. Bird's thoughts with Dr. Heiser's you will have a more robust understanding of the message the Bible is conveying about the holy wars of Joshua.
The scripture declares that believing comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God. If a person pokes holes in scripture then I don't think that will ever hear the Jesus that is in the Bible because Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life and no one comes unto my father except through me. That said I always will point people to the cross where Jesus shed His Holy Blood, died then after three days rose from the grave and is now seated at the right hand of God His Father having been given all authority. The gospel is still going out to all who will answer Christ call to believe and repent.
Jesus you're terrific/for you I'll swim the Pacific/yeah baby, yeah baby, yeah, yeah, yeah 🎶 😏
I am uncertain as to how one can possibly be a truly born-again Christian and reject the authority of the Bible… As you stated, the Bible is not a cafeteria… You must accept the unappealing & appealing, the difficult & easy, the convicting with affirming… “Your Word is truth.” (John 17:17); “ALL scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for TEACHING, for REPROOF, for CORRECTION, for TRAINING IN RIGHTEOUSNESS ; so that man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3: 16-17)… These verses, among many others, clearly define the authority of scripture… I am mystified as to how a “professing Christian” can view the Bible in any other light and still be saved… to those who hold these views, my counsel is this: be very careful, forever is a very long time to be wrong… Shalom & Maranatha..,
Amen 👍
Around 38:00, Dr. Bird is making the case that the Bible is "authoritative because it is." This is untapped argument. To what extent is the Bible part of the fabric of Western Society in unspoken ways, by certain assumptions, even the idea of personal liberties and the nobility of victimhood? These are the points that Tom Holland makes in his book, "Dominion," that much of what we assume to be bright light of Enlightenment secularism, is simply the shade of Christianity.
Very interesting discussion. This gave me a lot to think about, as a Christian. I absolutely love all of the stuff you're putting out. Keep up the good work!
I'm a little confused as to how the Bible can be authoritative if it's not inerrant?
😲do any Christians waste time watching the Simpsons when we have Bibles which each time we read the Lord uses to speak to us a fresh? If we read the Bible we will understand why God used the Hebrews to deal with the Canaanites. When reading Deuteronomy in a good Bible, it seems clear from the verb tenses etc in Deuteronomy 32:48 that Moses did write the account of his own death as there were no other human witnesses. We believe the bible by faith 🤔 although if I read some ‘modern’ versions I don’t always recognise as God’s word as they are so 🤔 modernise as to be virtually unrecognisable. If the Bible isn’t Gods word 🤔 how would we know what was fact and fiction, as Paul said, we as believers should be pitted for believing a lie. No, Gods, word is truth. Jesus is the truth, it’s all truth or nothing.