Deconstructing Myths About the Bible

                                                  Deconstructing Myths About the Bible

                                                  By Dr. Juan A. Carmona


The title of this essay might just possibly ¨turn off¨ some readers and make them inclined to not even want to be bothered with reading the rest of it.  Some people cringe at the mere suggestion that there is something mythological in or about the Bible.  The term ¨myth¨ simply scares the living hell out of them.

Let me begin by saying that it is not my intention to denigrate or speak against the message of Scripture in any way.  I would hope that just the opposite would be true, i.e. that the reader would be strengthened in embracing the message. I am a Christian, a believer in Jesus Christ, and by His grace, a Minister of the Gospel.  Because of this calling, I find it my duty and responsibility to point out certain things relative to that sacred book that we consider to be either the sole, or at the very least, primary authority or source for what we believe and practice.  I think that I would be remiss and derelict in my duties and responsibilities if I failed to bring these things to the forefront.  In that spirit, then, with humility, fear and trembling, and all due respect for the reader,  let me point out that there are certain erroneous ideas and myths that some of us may have about the Bible.

1.  The Bible was written in Heaven and thrown down to Earth.  Nowhere in the Scriptures we will find any indication or even implication that there was an ink blotter in Heaven that God used to write the words of Scripture, and then cast them down to the Earth.  The variety of literary styles and the different issues that are addressed in Scripture make it very clear and plain that human hands played a role in the formation of this sacred text.

2.  The Christian Scriptures (New Testament), especially the four Gospel accounts, reflect the words of Jesus as recorded by His disciples who followed him around with a tape recorder, jotting down everything that He said and did.  Nothing could be more preposterous and further from the truth.  Biblical scholarship has demonstrated without the slightest shadow of a doubt that there is a big time gap between the earthly ministry of Jesus and the time that the Gospel accounts and other books of the New Testament were written. Subsequently, we would be deluding ourselves if we were to think that we have the words of Jesus verbatim in our sacred text.

3.  The various translations of the Bible are divinely inspired, inerrant, and infallible just like the original autographs were.  This problem is two-fold.  First of all, the affirmation that the original autographs were divinely inspired, inerrant, and infallible is an affirmation of faith, because none of us has even seen or will ever see the original autographs.  Secondly, the different versions and translations of the Bible have enough contrasts and variety among themselves so as to create the question of which ones most accurately reflect what the original autographs contained?

4. The only way to read and understand the message of the Bible is to take it literally.  Again, the variety of literary styles in Scripture make it clear that this is not possible.  It also makes it clear that this was not God´s intention in giving us the Bible.  The best way to affirm divine inspiration and the authority of Scripture is to acknowledge the sovereignty of God working how He/She wants.  This would allow for God to speak through actual historical facts, through allegory, metaphor, and even fiction, legend, and myth.

It is my hope and prayer that this essay will stimulate the reader to have not only a different, but a broader perspective on her/his reading of the Bible.  I also invite you, the reader to comment on this essay.

In the Name of the Creator, and of the Liberator, and of the Sustainer. Amen.

Rev. Dr. Juan A. Carmona