You Don't Need a Bible to be a Christian?

[The Reverend Bob]

Exegesis fun time, my friends. Let us examine the scripture below and see if we do need a Bible or not in order to be a Christian. Many religions require a holy book as a revelation of God but in my opinion and of others that I have read, a Christian does not need a Bible to be a Christian, that there is another source of revelation that Christians can and do rely on. Let us take a gander:

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. - Acts of the Apostles 2

 

[David T]

Exegesis fun time, my friends. Let us examine the scripture below and see if we do need a Bible or not in order to be a Christian. Many religions require a holy book as a revelation of God but in my opinion and of others that I have read, a Christian does not need a Bible to be a Christian, that there is another source of revelation that Christians can and do rely on. Let us take a gander:

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. - Acts of the Apostles 2

Thats an interesting question. Justin martyr said heraclitus was a christian. So yes based on that. Of course no one else in greece was at the time according to heraclitus. Apparently the bible is needed for those kind of folk.!!! So its a yes no. If in doubt yes.... If you dont think you do double yes. Very very few are like heraclitus.

 

[Rational Agnostic]

Exegesis fun time, my friends. Let us examine the scripture below and see if we do need a Bible or not in order to be a Christian. Many religions require a holy book as a revelation of God but in my opinion and of others that I have read, a Christian does not need a Bible to be a Christian, that there is another source of revelation that Christians can and do rely on. Let us take a gander:

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. - Acts of the Apostles 2

A Christian can read the gospels that are not in the bible--like the Gospel of Thomas.

 

[Kenny]

Exegesis fun time, my friends. Let us examine the scripture below and see if we do need a Bible or not in order to be a Christian. Many religions require a holy book as a revelation of God but in my opinion and of others that I have read, a Christian does not need a Bible to be a Christian, that there is another source of revelation that Christians can and do rely on. Let us take a gander:

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. - Acts of the Apostles 2

I voted "no". I got saved and became a Christian without having a Bible. A couple of months later I bought a Bible because I was saved.

 

[The Reverend Bob]

A Christian can read the gospels that are not in the bible--like the Gospel of Thomas.

What does this have to do with the topic?

 

[The Reverend Bob]

I voted "no". I got saved and became a Christian without having a Bible. A couple of months later I bought a Bible because I was saved.

What made you become a Christian?

 

[Enoch07]

Exegesis fun time, my friends. Let us examine the scripture below and see if we do need a Bible or not in order to be a Christian. Many religions require a holy book as a revelation of God but in my opinion and of others that I have read, a Christian does not need a Bible to be a Christian, that there is another source of revelation that Christians can and do rely on. Let us take a gander:

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. - Acts of the Apostles 2

It all depends on the definition. You can be a Christian in the sense you are "Christ like" from hence the name derives. But to have a greater understanding of God and His ways a Bible is needed. But even then just owning one doesn't make you a Christian either. Studying the word, discussing it with others leads to a greater understanding. I voted yes but just because I feel like the more you understand why you are doing the things you as a Christian is just as important as doing them.

 

[Darkforbid]

 

[Kenny]

What made you become a Christian?

I'll try to make it short.

Sanitized: I came from a divorced home (childhood), no church and absolutely no Bible, and no compass with a dictate from my father that "Either you get into the girls panties or someone else will, might as well be you". Got married to a young lady, Catholic in name only, from a divorced home, with an alcoholic abusive dad who never said "I love you" and assumed we could be different. However, both with a sense that there was a God.

We got married and made a go of it.

Made a decision that I was going to be a success in the business world whether it cost me my wife and children (just like my dad). And, around 6 years, eyes started to stray. (Probably just needed an opportunity)

At 8 years... through a series of circumstances... my sister-in-law, my wife and I found ourselves at a church where they read Rom 10:8 In fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.” And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: 9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

Asked if you needed to openly declare and they said "What does it say".

Mental Process of each person (as we thought individually):

1) Sister-in-law: I am a sinner and want Jesus.
2) Me: My life is going from bad to worse; it won't hurt me to confess it; the Bible is either false or true... I will start with it is true. I will test the sucker and will find out soon enough if it is false
3) My wife: I haven't killed anyone, I live a good life, I don't lie.... but if they are going up, I'm going up to confess too"

In twenty-four hours, our marriage was completely turned around. I had no idea what happened spiritually, just knew that there was a BIG difference. All three of us got a hunger for God and the Bible. We were insatiable with a thousand questions.

That is a very short of the long of it.

 

[David T]

I'll try to make it short.

Sanitized: I came from a divorced home (childhood), no church and absolutely no Bible, and no compass with a dictate from my father that "Either you get into the girls panties or someone else will, might as well be you". Got married to a young lady, Catholic in name only, from a divorced home, with an alcoholic abusive dad who never said "I love you" and assumed we could be different. However, both with a sense that there was a God.

We got married and made a go of it.

Made a decision that I was going to be a success in the business world whether it cost me my wife and children (just like my dad). And, around 6 years, eyes started to stray. (Probably just needed an opportunity)

At 8 years... through a series of circumstances... my sister-in-law, my wife and I found ourselves at a church where they read Rom 10:8 In fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.” And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: 9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

Asked if you needed to openly declare and they said "What does it say".

Mental Process of each person (as we thought individually):

1) Sister-in-law: I am a sinner and want Jesus.
2) Me: My life is going from bad to worse; it won't hurt me to confess it; the Bible is either false or true... I will start with it is true. I will test the sucker and will find out soon enough if it is false
3) My wife: I haven't killed anyone, I live a good life, I don't lie.... but if they are going up, I'm going up to confess too"

In twenty-four hours, our marriage was completely turned around. I had no idea what happened spiritually, just knew that there was a BIG difference. All three of us got a hunger for God and the Bible. We were insatiable with a thousand questions.

That is a very short of the long of it.

When we hit that point, do we piviot towards beauty or further into disaster?
You chose beauty. Thats the experience from a flat dead, to an alive open experience.

After that its a bit of a muddle in church that can rapidly shatter if ones not careful. The truth is not on the page, nor your action you were confronted with an infinite wrongs and one right. And you touched beauty and it touched you in its fulness. We call it love unbounded forever and ever and ever for ever more.

I never ever have ever challeged THAT. perfection if but its but for a moment.

After that well i can start barking as nonsense is piled upon piled on that experience. That is why i bark.

 

[David T]

I voted "no". I got saved and became a Christian without having a Bible. A couple of months later I bought a Bible because I was saved.

Why did ya get the bible then? You were saved no bible needed so why the book? Did ya think it was going to explain it to ya?

 

[The Reverend Bob]

In twenty-four hours, our marriage was completely turned around. I had no idea what happened spiritually, just knew that there was a BIG difference. All three of us got a hunger for God and the Bible. We were insatiable with a thousand questions.

Do you believe that the Holy Spirit was involved in your decisions?

 

[Kenny]

Why did ya get the bible then? You were saved no bible needed so why the book? Did ya think it was going to explain it to ya?

Because I was hungry to know more from this God who changed me in 24 hours. Not to mention I had determined that it was either false or true and I was going to test the sucker.

 

[Kenny]

Do you believe that the Holy Spirit was involved in your decisions?

That could be a loaded question.

Personally, I think that the Holy Spirit draws (as He draws all) but the decision was mine.

 

[Rational Agnostic]

What does this have to do with the topic?

It has to do with the topic because the Bible is not the only book with Jesus in it.

 

[The Reverend Bob]

It has to do with the topic because the Bible is not the only book with Jesus in it.

The topic is about whether Christians need the Bible in order to be Christians.

 

[Rational Agnostic]

The topic is about whether Christians need the Bible in order to be Christians.

And they don't because they can read the non-biblical gospels and become Christian's that way, or hear of Jesus by word of mouth

 

[David T]

Because I was hungry to know more from this God who changed me in 24 hours. Not to mention I had determined that it was either false or true and I was going to test the sucker.

Well its sort of impossie to taste an orange then now i am going to read about the taste of an orange to test my tasting of the orange.
And if i test it out false i will be able to prove i did not taste the orange!

 

[Unveiled Artist]

No. You don't.

I read a verse that goes like this: [You] search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. John 5:39 yet you refuse to come to Me to have life.

I'm assuming this doesn't apply just to the Laws of Moses. If the Laws of Moses is summed up in Jesus' teachings of sacrifice, it would go to say people are using the bible NT as an idol rather than his father -through- christ himself. Not just the OT but the NT law too.

You don't need the bible to be christian. Just christ himself. Not the red words but the Word [his father's dictations incarnate].

Least that's how I understood it. Christ in communion not his apostles' and prophets' words.

 

[Ponder This]

Exegesis fun time, my friends. Let us examine the scripture below and see if we do need a Bible or not in order to be a Christian. Many religions require a holy book as a revelation of God but in my opinion and of others that I have read, a Christian does not need a Bible to be a Christian, that there is another source of revelation that Christians can and do rely on. Let us take a gander:

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. - Acts of the Apostles 2

Considering that the ability to read didn't become wide-spread until after the invention of the printing press... what shall we say of the many illiterate Early Christians?