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"Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things. Then he said to me, ‘See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.’ And he said to me, ‘Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.’" (Revelation 22.8-10).

The angel and prophet of this verse alluded to a book, a book containing words originating in the heavenlies from the mouth of God Himself. Nowhere do we find a general commandment given to bind up all the words of the prophets into one volume (e.g., the Bible), yet that responsibility is obvious when we consider the heavenly mission of the prophets. If, as they claimed, their words were of Divine and not human origin, and if these words speak of commandments intended to bring us into favor with Creator God, it is incumbent upon us to distinguish their words from all other words and to treat them differently that the works of mere men. Though God never told us to make a bound volume of all the words of the prophets, this requirement is implicitly laid upon us once we recognize and honor the work of the prophets. Hence, the book which we have come to recognize as the Bible is the product of our recognition of God’s implicit and explicit will expressed by the prophets through their work.

What has this to do with me? Answer: EVERYTHING!!! As a created being subject to the express will of my Creator, my worldview is shaped by this realization. As His creature, I have an obligation to recognize the existence of His will. I likewise have a responsibility to study His will and to make proper application of it to my life. As one made in God’s image, I turn to the scriptures to determine just what His image is and in what manner I am made similarly. I have an obligation to my fellowman to warn him of dangers and even to rescue him when such dangers warrant that action. These responsibilities to warn and rescue are inherent in being human and extend to the spiritual aspects of man as well as the physical. That being said, it becomes my responsibility to help others see the Divine guidance that is available in the Scriptures (the Bible) and to assist them in understanding and applying that guidance to their lives. As a result of these responsibilities and the recognition of them, I come under a moral and spiritual obligation to hold in special regard His Holy Scriptures; I must never abuse, or alter, or add to them; I must protect them from others who do not hold them in the same place of reverence and who would do them harm. These responsibilities are implicitly extended to every person of the human race and from these responsibilities come the reverence that we ought to have for the Bible and its message. We must ever be ready to defend it from every negative action regardless of the intent of the person or persons doing violence to God’s Holy Word!

When I regard the Bible in ways consistent with the principles and conclusions just cited, I am not guilty of bibliolatry as some charge. Rather, I am responding in a rational way to the word of Creator God. If we are to worship God, we must revere His book!

Questions:

1. What was the "character" of the book to which the angel alluded? How did (past tense) that character distinguish it from other books? Does that character (present tense) still distinguish it from other books? If not, why not?

2. Is there "authority" for the Bible, the collective work of the prophets, to exist?

3. What is bibliolatry? Where did the term originate?

4. Can one worship God in truth and fail to properly revere His word? Explain your answer!

"Bible verse and quote" from Jan Couns

Bible and Quote - February 3-7