The Bible is Not a Science Book!
"The Bible is Not a Science Book!"
I have heard this statement more than a few times by those who disagree with the Creation story and timeline of Biblical events. I have even heard it from Christians who have adopted certain secular lines of thought. They believe that the Bible shouldn't be taken so literally because "science" has proven it wrong, but we won't get into that today.
In the past I would normally agree! My reasoning would be that the Bible is not a science book; it is a history Book. What better place to learn about the history of our earth than a history book. The Bible gives a recorded timeline of historical events that we can study to not only see how things where created but also when with fair accuracy. Sure, it doesn't give every detail and doesn't cover every civilization, but it is a trusted source of world history that would be foolish to ignore if you were doing any real science.
Today I came to a new realization: The Bible IS a science book after all; it teaches the science of salvation! Not only can we learn about history, but we also learn some science and this science is the best part.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Literalism in my early church days was the biggest obstacle to my belief.
It wasn't until I reconciled with myself that I didn't need to read it literally that I was able to develop a lasting faith.
Sola Scriptura was not one of my favorite doctrines. Personally I think authority lies within our individual consciences.
Sola Scriptura is blindness. We cannot understand Scriptures without Apostolic Tradition, because Apostolic Tradition is what gave us the Bible.