Do You Ever Actually Read the Bible?

D L Henderson
6 min readJan 12, 2025

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January 12, 2025

My view is that many Bible critics run off at the mouth before even trying to obtain a basic understanding of what they are criticizing. It’s like a person like myself, at my meager educational level, attempting to criticize Isaac Newton’s Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (wikipedia.org) which is, if you didn’t already notice, written in Latin… which I know nothing about…

There is an essential principle which must be applied with focused thinking. It’s the core principle often ignored by some with particular opportune expediency. Just listen to what the Apostle Peter wrote:

“He {Paul} writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.” — 2 Peter 3:16, New International Version (NIV).

Similarly, they contort Bible verses to conveniently fit their own way of thinking, their own philosophies, points of view, and personal moral and ethical codes… However, life is for learning, and God preserved the Bible for us to learn His righteous and prosperous ways — not as suggestions to a proposal He makes to us to which we might wistfully amend with all our own half-baked ideas…

Note that the Greek understanding of the word “ignorant” means simply “not knowing” or the more pejorative “willful blindness.” So, take your pick, and “if the shoe fits, wear it.” So remember, as used here, “ignorant” does not insinuate “stupidity.” Rather, it suggests that we have a lot to learn, and we have a choice to make…

This basic concept is reinforced with this:

“The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” — 1 Corinthians 2:10–14, NIV.

If you take offence to these Bible excerpts, can you possibly imagine the offense God takes to Mankind’s critical blatherings? Revisiting Newton, wouldn’t he laugh heartily if I tried to tell him there is no such thing as gravity? I mean, I could argue that nobody has ever seen gravity. Right? I could place on the table that there’s a lot of documents from the 8th Century communities that argued vehemently against scientists like Newton, or I could insist that the Earth is flat, and so on.

Who’s to prove me wrong?

So, who to believe? Here’s a clue:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have gazed upon and touched with our own hands — this is the Word of life. And this is the life that was revealed; we have seen it and testified to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us.” — 1 John 1:1–2, NIV.

Seems very plain to me.

So, there’s that…

Sidney the Pirate

Here’s an example of an age-old argument between people’s denominational dogmas that becomes silly after reading what Jesus said… The dispute is whether Saturday or Sunday is the true Sabbath…

He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” — Mark 2:25–28, NIV.

I guess the “Church Fathers” never read their Bibles, either.

Now, how about reading the recollection of the Tower of Babel, mankind trying to build his own stairways to heaven. We continue that technological pursuit with billions spent in our vain attempt to actually conquer the heavens and Colonize Mars…

Just think that through. Mull it over, round and round, a few times…

Any questions? No? Well, I have a few to start us off. How are we going to get the materials to build a colony all the way to Mars — a 5-year trip one way? First, a couple shed kits for the tools?!? Maybe a barn for the large machines and the equipment?!?

Ooh! Ooh! I got a great idea! We can mine all the needed materials and manufacture what we need right there on Mars! No shipping needed!

Sure…

Great idea…

Ever seen a Steel Mill? They’re humongous! A mine?!? They’re quite the Big Dig! Coal? Iron ore? Where do they come from, anyways?

Here’s an idea: Why not live in the real world. You know, this world… the one we are living in… the one we can see right outside our windows…

It looks to me like we will do anything and everything to avoid and replace God, Jesus, and the Bible.

But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. — Genesis 11:5–6, NIV.

So, what did God see as such a big problem to make such a big fuss over?

Here’s one idea I have:

While we focus on our futile attempt to reach the far flung physical kingdoms of the heavens, we take no notice of the transcendental and eternal Kingdom of God, the Heaven where God lives and where God is generously making a home for penitent Believers in which we will have a home where we can live forever.

No? Bang is coming…

So, anyways it’s an existential problem, and we must deal straight with it.

“What?!” an Unbeliever might challenge. “What possible harm is there in seeking the advancement of Mankind?

I say it depends on what a person considers “advancement”…

Look. Mankind has thoroughly messed up pretty much everything we have been able to reach — like little children reaching for a boiling pot on the stove, we have no concept of the consequences.

Even in our initial conquests of the heavens, what did we do immediately after the weather and communication satellites?

We have militarized every new project.

What do I mean? I mean we are polluting Outer Space preparing to absolutely annihilate everybody who is not “one of us.”

Well, then, I. for one, do see great harm in these projects born of the proud parents, Ignorance and Presumption.

Open your eyes to what Mankind has done to this planet! And we are doing the same thing off world!

All those massive expenditures could easily be made elsewhere… For example, the moneys could be used to benefit all our neighbors.

There are many more things about God, Jesus, and the Bible which need clarification, and fuller understanding, and a putting into practice.

Still, everyone should stop paying attention or giving credence to the misguided and ignorant comments from strangers. Rather, read the Bible for yourselves. Seek God’s presence.

My opinions may be an easy target for some… Well, if you think that stoning me will justify your mindset, I really wouldn’t mind, and I’ll try to answer with patient intelligence.

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D L Henderson
D L Henderson

Written by D L Henderson

Born 1950; HS 1968; Born again 1972; Cornell ILR; Steward, Local President/Business Agent; Husband, father, grandfather; winner/loser/everything in between

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