CAL THOMAS COMMENTARY JULY 11, 2022
A GALLUP POLL SAYS TWENTY PERCENT OF AMERICANS BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS LITERALLY TRUE, A RECORD LOW. TWENTY-NINE PERCENT THINK SCRIPTURE IS “A COLLECTION OF FABLES, LEGENDS, HISTORY AND PRECEPTS RECORDED BY MAN. FORTY-NINE PERCENT SAYS THE BIBLE IS THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD, NOT ALL OF TO BE TAKEN LITERALLY.
THE PROBLEM IS THE MEANING OF THE WORD LITERAL. SCRIPTURE SAYS WE ARE TO BE THE SALT OF THE EARTH – A METAPHOR. THAT DOESN’T MEAN WE SHOULD TAKE THIS TO LITERALLY MEAN WE ARE ALL MADE OF SODIUM CHLORIDE.
THE GALLUP BREAKDOWN SHOWS PROTESTANTS MORE THAN CATHOLICS BELIEVING IN THE LITERAL TRUTH OF THE BIBLE.
PAUL WROTE TO TIMOTHY THAT ALL SCRIPTURE IS INSPIRED BY GOD AND IS USEFUL TO TEACH US WHAT IS TRUE AND TO MAKE US REALIZE WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR LIVES. IT CORRECTS US WHEN WE ARE WRONG AND TEACHES US TO DO RIGHT. THAT’S THE NEW LIVING TRANSLATION OF 2 TIMOTHY 3:16.
THERE IS A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF BIBLICAL ILLITERACY AMONG US. I’VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY, “GOD HELPS THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES,” A STATEMENT NOT IN SCRIPTURE. THE REVERSE IS TRUE.
THIS IS WHY BIBLE STUDIES AND SUNDAY SCHOOOL CLASSES ARE SO IMPORTANT. I’M CAL THOMAS.
