What Is Bible Bashing? Is It Prevalent Today?

Last updated on: September 16, 2015 at 2:52 pm by Jack Wellman

What Is Bible Bashing? Is It Prevalent Today? 2015-09-16T14:52:19-05:00 Jack Wellman

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What is “Bible Bashing?” Why is it a bad thing and why is it still so prevalent today?

Bible Bashing

All too often, Christians bash one another over the head with their Bible. Not in a physical or literal way but by using certain scriptures we use them like a club and beat one another over the head with them. Even worse, we bash other people who are not believers on the head by the Word of God for which it was never intended and which they obviously can’t understand as Paul writes “these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God” (1st Cor 2:10) because “who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God” (1st Cor 2:11)? We are no better than unbelievers; not one bit, the only difference is we have the Spirit of God and can understand Scripture and can be changed. That doesn’t mean were superior; just blessed.

Sword against Sword

The Bible says that “the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb 4:12). What this means is that “no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Heb 4:13). The Word of God, like a sword, cuts to the heart of the matter and discerns our own thoughts, attitudes, and even our intents. Nothing in us “is hidden from his sight.” And the sobering thing is that “we must all give account” to God. The sword, which is the Word of God, is the only offensive weapon in the armor of God (Eph 6:17) so when we use this sword (Scripture) against or in opposition to other Christians, we’re using it against the wrong persons. It was never intended to be used for close hand-to-hand combat with believers but to fend off the enemies of God; Satan and his minions. We should never use the Sword against our brothers and sisters in Christ in order to be “right;” we’re to use it with our brothers and sisters to fight side by side against the enemy.

Word Cuts

At one Bible study we had two men who had opposing views on a certain belief in the Bible. One would pull out one verse to try and disprove the other. Each one fired volley after volley of scriptures as they would a cannon against a castle. Neither refused to even consider the other’s view point; there was no discussion on what they both believed…which was a lot; but most of the discussion was on the little they didn’t agree on. It reached a point where one said that “You either believe the Bible is wrong or you’re calling God a liar.” That didn’t leave the other man any real choice. One man finally got up and nearly left the study because of it. The Word of God does cut like a knife but it cuts us in order to heal us; we don’t cut others down with it in order that “they’ll finally get it!” I believe it was best that we cancelled the study and then I spoke with these two men separately about what just happened. The pride in both sides was evident and God will resist those who operate from that type of attitude (James 4:6). How sad that these men had far more in their common beliefs about God and the Bible than the one thing they disagreed on. Even though they only differed in this one little area, they were still willing to “go to arms” over it.

The Power of Salvation

It’s never necessary to ram the Bible down someone’s throat. All we need to do is to trust it. The Gospel is a power within itself as Paul writes it “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom 1:16). This doesn’t mean you never use Scripture because God’s Word also has its own power to do what He pleases as Isaiah writes “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11) which explains why “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17). Some would argue, what about those who have not heard of Christ? Paul writes “But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world” (Rom 10:18) meaning that they are without excuse (Rom 1:20). The conclusion is that we must trust God because He is really the evangelist Who saves (John 6:44); we must trust that His Word will do just what He wills for it to do; and that Word must be proclaimed out loud because faith comes only from hearing; hearing “the Word of Christ,” found in the Bible. That doesn’t mean reading Scripture all the time around your unsaved family, friends, and co-workers. It means living it and not just saying it. You might be the only Bible anyone ever reads.

Conclusion

When I was a young boy, we used to play with sticks as if they were swords. Only a few times did anyone really get hurt but when we try and wound others by using Bible verses, either inside the church or out, then we are using the Word of God for the wrong purpose. Words really do hurt. The power of life and death is in the tongue (Prov 18:21). We can either start a whole forest fire (James 3:5) or we can praise God with it (James 3:9a) then turn around and “curse people who were created in God’s likeness” (James 3:9b). That “cursing people” can be talking about people behind their back when they’re not there. I can’t think of anything worse than these two things. Which is worse; gossiping about someone who’s not there or by using the Word of God against their brother or sister when they are there? I’m not sure which is actually worse.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.

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