Are You Sure That Is What The Bible Actually States? by David R. Kenney

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Are You Sure That Is What The Bible Actually States?
By David R. Kenney
 When teaching an adultBible class I asked, “Where in the Bible will you find ‘Consistency thou art ajewel.’?”  Some began to search whileothers had looks of contemplation.  As sometime passed, one cautiously responded—“It sounds like something out ofProverbs, but I do not think it is in the Bible.”  He was correct—the statement is not in theBible.  In fact, the origin of thisstatement is debated, but the principle is accepted so readily that some thinkit belongs with the Bible.  Morerecently, the White House erroneously attributed “The Lord helps those who helpthemselves” to the Bible.  The WhiteHouse issued a correction acknowledging the statement was not from the Bible.  Likewise, this phrase’s origin is uncertainbut believed to have been made popular by Benjamin Franklin’s Almanac.  These two examples bring me to the point—Areyou really sure you know what the Bible actually states?  Not “we” or “they” but do YOU know what theBible actually states?
 We live in a nation that hashad a healthy respect for the Bible and its principles.  The teachings of the Bible were incorporatedinto our textbooks to instruct our youth. But today it seems Biblical instruction is being forced further andfurther out of the mainstream to where we have reached the point that many failto recognize the source of our nation’s morals and ethics.  We often hear that we are a “ChristianNation”, that we derive our values and ethics from the “Good Book” or the Bible.  Some may state we have “Judeo-Christian Values”which is another way of stating this same historical truth.  Our nation has a critical knowledge andunderstanding gap in two fundamental areas—the founding principles anddocuments of our Republic and values and ethics of the Bible.  We can cite examples of misapplications inboth areas.  What George Washingtonstated is still true:  “It is impossibleto rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.”  Perhaps Washington had these words in mindfrom the prophet Hosea:  “My people aredestroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I alsowill reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law ofyour God, I also will forget your children” (Hosea 4:6, NKJV.)
Some resist the principlethat our nation’s morality is tied to the Bible, advocating that morals andethics are autonomous or  free floating similarto the fluctuations of the U. S. dollar on the currency market.  The removal of the Bible as the foundationfor our nation’s values and ethics and making these arbitrary is not only a haphazardcourse but a dangerous one.  Consider allthe factors which can impact the stability of the dollar.  As the dollar goes up and down in value, thevarying factors also impact our nation’s economy.  Likewise, if we allow our values and ethicsto change with varying factors, we are in essence turning ourselves over to thewhims of those in power at the time. While our ethics may seem comfortable to us now, what will we do whenthe environment changes?  What will bethe basis for argument for stronger morality or against wrong when we havesurrendered the very foundation on which our standards have rested?  Before our nation is given over to a sea ofuncertainty and confusion at the hands of multiculturalism, politicalcorrectness and ecumenicalism, we should examine afresh what the Bible actuallyteaches.
Perhaps you respect theBible as a good book and would like to know more about it, but you are unsurewhere to begin.  Maybe you have questionsbut are afraid to ask for fear of embarrassment.  Then consider attending the Wadsworth Bible StudyGroup which meets at the Wadsworth Public Library.  We are seeking those who respect the Bible,but for whatever reasons, they do not know its structure or layout.  Perhaps religious jargon or church historyhas kept you from a study of the teachings of the Bible.  Come join us. Check the Wadsworth Public Library Calendar of Events for details.
David R. Kenney preachesand teaches for the Wadsworth church of Christ at 236 West Good Avenue, Wadsworth, Ohio 44281. This article originally appeared in the Wadsworth Post, December 24, 2011