I've learned a few things. Just because someone believes in something does not make it true. Just because someone believes INTENSELY in something does not make it true. Someone's belief in something has nothing to do with whether or not something is true. Something is true because it is true, and for no other reason.

My Belief:

My Faith is in God and in his working in my life and in the lives of others. He has demonstrated his love and his care for me through many trials. He showed Himself to be real to me. My faith is not in the Bible or in any other book. I believe that godly men wrote much of the Bible. But, like the writers of  any book they were human and were not perfect. What they wrote wasn't perfect, but it has great value to many people.

Written by Godly Men

The bible was written by the minds and hands of godly men.

• "Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught." Luke 1:1-4   [Luke very clearly said that he had personally investigated the facts (the implication is that he used his own mind) and the he had written an order account. He said nothing about the he was writing for God or that God was writing through him. Luke was doing the writing on his own account.]
• "I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand....." Philemon 1:19 [Paul very clearly said that he wrote letter to Philemon. He said nothing about God writing it through him. It was Paul's personal letter to Philemon.]
• "I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you." Colossians 4:16
• "Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction." 2 Peter 3:15-16
• "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." 1 John 5:13
• "I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete." 2 John 1:12
• "I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink." 3 John 1:3

Paul would be appalled if he saw that his letters were taken to be the "Holy Word of God". He did not see himself as someone who would be viewed as equal to God.

"But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting:  “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them." Acts 14:14-15

Christ came to this earth to show us how to live. It's the life that we are to live that is important, not the words that describe.

God cares deeply about all of us on this early, so much so that he

The Word of God is very personal and very specific to each person and each situation.

We don't hold onto our beliefs; that doesn't give our beliefs a changes to grow and evolve. Rather, we hold onto those things that are true. Our beliefs will follow as we grow and mature into that which God has for us.

Paul considered his writings as letters

• "After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea." Colossians 4:

Peter also considered Paul's writings as letters, 2 Peter 3:15-16

God's principles and concepts that are lived our are more important than how the words are expressed. Immature people, who have little or no true understanding, will focus on making sure that the words are said correctly. Mature(ing) Christians will understand and put into practice the principles and concepts of godly living.

The only time the phrase "word of God" is used is when God sent a message..

It is true that God is in all things. When the men wrote the documents that were later put into the Bible, these men wrote the things that they had learned from God through their own life experiences. They did not learn these things from just reading "Scriptures", but from God teaching them through each situation in their lifes. "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete." 1 John 1:-4

Just because some men got together and put all these writings into a single volume does not make it into anything more than they were initially. After all, the name Bible simple means "book". To be practical, it is easier to read and refer to all these writings in a simple form of a book as they currently are. However, they are still the same documents as they were at the beginning.

Writings of godly men are unquestioningly valuable to other believers and all people trying to live godly lives.

You might ask, what difference does it make if we call the writings of the bible as the "Word of God". It makes a lot of difference.

1. We are not being true to the intent of the original authors to distort their purpose and meaning.

Too many people hold onto their beliefs about the truth rather than holding onto the truth itself. John had it right when he said, " That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us." 1 John 1:1-3a

Church

Look at the wide range of "Christian Churches" that claim to believe the Bible (Bible-preaching, Bible believing). And yet, why do they fight and quarrel about so many different things. Why are there some many different denominations, with all the many split-offs.