What's Holy about the Bible?

I have been spending time rereading Marcus Borg's 2003 book, The Heart of Christianity.  I have to say that I don't agree with everything Marcus Borg says in his writings, but then again, I like to read books from authors where I disagree, and as a college professor of mine once said, "If you can't find something you both agree and disagree with when you read a book, then you haven't read critically enough."  Having prefaced my comments with the above statements, let me share something that Marcus Borg wrote about the Bible that I really do agree with - it is on page 48 where he writes, "But a clear vision of the Bible and its role in the Christian life requires seeing it as both sacred scripture and human product.  It is human in origin, and sacred in status and function."  

What does this mean?  For me, it means that the Bible is both the sacred writing of an infallible God and the human product of the fallible humans who were inspired to write it.  While it is impossible to read the Bible as if you were reading the manuscript of a divine Dictaphone, the Bible does contain the Word of God that is infallible in matters of faith and practice.  What is important is how you unpack the Scriptures through the art of interpretation so that you separate the societal norms and cultural milieus of its ancient world - which are conditioned by time and space - from the eternal truths of God's Word - which are eternal through time and space.  This requires a focus on the meaning of the stories, and that involves questions that explores the Bible for what it is; a theological book that is written to tell us what God looks like, what we look like, and what God requires of us.

So, what is Holy about the Bible?  Everything, if you understand that while you may not want to take every story in the Bible as literal history (like the creation stories of Genesis) there is literal truth on every page of Scripture.  Perhaps October could be a good month for you to explore the Bible by reading a chapter a day.  There are four full weeks in October.  What if you spent the first three weeks reading the Gospel of John, which has 21 chapters.  All you need is 1/2 hour a day for reading and meditation.  Then use the final week to read through the three epistles of I John, 2 John, 3 John.  Those three epistles have 7 chapters total.  Within the month of October you will have read through the entire  Gospel of John and the three epistles of John.  As you read ask yourself the questions of meaning . . . what do these stories tell me about God, about myself and the relationship that God is calling me into with both God and the world around me?  If you do, then you will discover infallible truths that transcend both time and space.

God bless you on your journey.  

Dennis