Do Christians “Worship the Bible?” Understanding the Charge of “Bibliolatry”
One of the more common accusations leveled against evangelical Christians is that we have made an idol out of the Bible. Critics sometimes call this “bibliolatry”, literally meaning “Bible worship.” The implication is that Christians have elevated a book above God Himself. But is that really what Christians believe? Of course not.
We Do Not Worship Paper and Ink
No Christian worships leather, paper, ink, or words on a screen. When my Bible wears out, I replace it. When I read my Bible app, I am not bowing before a smartphone. Our reverence is not directed toward a physical object. It is directed toward the God who has spoken through it.Imagine receiving a handwritten letter from someone you deeply love. You would not treasure the paper because of the paper itself. You would treasure it because of the person who wrote it.The Bible is God’s self-revelation. Through Scripture, God has chosen to reveal His character, His will, His plan of salvation, and ultimately His Son. The Bible describes itself as God’s inspired Word, “breathed out” by Him and written as holy men “were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21).Far from competing with God, Scripture introduces us to Him.
If Loving Scripture Is Idolatry, Then Jesus Was One Too
Some critics suggest that Evangelicals place too much emphasis on Scripture. However, if holding a high view of God’s Word makes someone an idolater, then they would have to make the same accusation against Jesus. No one in history held a higher view of Scripture than Him! Jesus quoted the Old Testament approximately seventy-eight times. Even His two greatest commandments were quotations from Scripture. “Love the Lord your God” comes from Deuteronomy 6:4-5, while “Love your neighbor as yourself” comes from Leviticus 19:18. Throughout His ministry, Jesus continually appealed to the authority of God’s written Word. “You are mistaken, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29)” …the Scripture cannot be broken.” (John 10:35). Again and again, Jesus declared that the Scriptures “must be fulfilled” (Matthew 26:56; Luke 4:21; Luke 22:37). Jesus did not treat Scripture as inspirational literature or merely the religious reflections of ancient people. He treated it as the authoritative Word of God.
Related:
INTERPRETING THE BIBLE LIKE JESUS DID
Jesus Believed the Bible’s History
Modern skeptics often dismiss many biblical accounts as myths or legends. Jesus did not. When questioned about marriage, He referred to Adam and Eve as historical people (Matthew 19:4). When speaking about His Second Coming, He compared it to the days of Noah and the Flood (Matthew 24:37-39). When predicting His own resurrection, He pointed to Jonah’s three days in the great fish as a historical event foreshadowing His own burial and resurrection (Matthew 12:40). Jesus also affirmed Moses, Isaiah, Daniel, and the rest of the Old Testament as genuine historical witnesses. If we claim to follow Jesus, we should take seriously the Scriptures He trusted.
Didn’t Men Write the Bible?
One common objection asks, “How can the Bible be God’s Word if human beings wrote it?”The answer is actually quite simple. If you write a letter with a pen, who wrote the letter? You or the pen? The pen is the instrument. You are the author. Likewise, God used human authors without ceasing to be the ultimate Author. As Peter explains, “Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). The humanity of the writers does not diminish divine inspiration any more than the humanity of the prophets diminished the authority of their message.
Jesus Authenticated the Old Testament
Jesus was also remarkably specific in affirming the authorship and authenticity of the Hebrew Scriptures. He affirmed that Moses wrote the Torah (Matthew 19:7-8; Mark 7:10; Luke 5:14; John 1:17). He quoted Isaiah as the true author of the book bearing his name (Mark 7:6-13; John 12:37-41). He referred to Jonah and Daniel as real historical figures (Matthew 12:39-41; Matthew 24:15). These statements were not incidental. Jesus consistently grounded His teaching in the reliability of Scripture.
Jesus Prepared the Way For the New Testament
Jesus not only authenticated the Old Testament, He also prepared the way for the New. When He sent out His disciples, He told them, “He who hears you hears Me” (Luke 10:16). On the night before His crucifixion, He promised that the Holy Spirit would guide them “into all truth” (John 16:13). Then, in His great High Priestly Prayer, Jesus prayed not only for the apostles but for everyone who would later believe through their message (John 17:20). That promise became reality. Matthew, John, Peter, James, Luke, Mark, and Paul would go on to write the books that make up the New Testament. Although Paul was not one of the original Twelve, he was publicly recognized as an apostle by them (Galatians 2:9). Peter even referred to Paul’s writings alongside “the other Scriptures” (2 Peter 3:15-16). In other words, the same Lord who affirmed the Old Testament also authorized the New.
Christ and Scripture Are Not Rivals
A well-known quotation from C. S. Lewis says, “It is Christ Himself, not the Bible, who is the true Word of God.” ¹ There is truth in that statement, but it can also be misleading if taken too far. Jesus is indeed the eternal Los, the living Word made flesh (John 1:1, 14). However, the Bible is also rightly called the Word of God because it is God’s written revelation. These truths are not competitors. They complement one another. The written Word reveals the living Word, and the living Word continually pointed people back to the written Word. You cannot separate Christ from the Scriptures that testify about Him.
God Has Exalted His Word
One remarkable passage declares:
“You have magnified Your word above all Your name.” (Psalm 138:2, NKJV)
Likewise, Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible and located near its very center, is an extended celebration of God’s Word. Nearly every verse emphasizes its beauty, authority, wisdom, and life-giving power. That is hardly the language of a God who wants His people to treat Scripture casually.
The Real Danger
Ironically, Christians are often accused of worshiping the Bible by people who spend very little time reading it. The greater danger today is not loving Scripture too much but neglecting it altogether. A church that loses confidence in God’s Word will eventually lose confidence in God’s gospel. Satan’s first recorded words in Scripture were designed to undermine confidence in God’s revelation:
“Has God indeed said…?” (Genesis 3:1)
His strategy has not changed.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Christians do not worship a book. We worship the God who gave us the Book. Our confidence in Scripture is not misplaced devotion to paper and ink. It is confidence in the God who cannot lie, who has graciously revealed Himself through His written Word and supremely through His Son, Jesus Christ. The written Word always points us to the living Word, and the living Word continually affirmed the written Word. To love Scripture is not “bibliolatry.” It is to value what God Himself has chosen to say. The more seriously we take Scripture, the more clearly we see Christ. The more clearly we see Christ, the more faithfully we will worship Him. Nothing could be further from idolatry.
Keep It Real,
James
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
1. Lewis, C. S. The Collected Letters of C. S. Lewis. Vol. 3: Narnia, Cambridge, and Joy, 1950–1963. Edited by Walter Hooper, HarperSanFrancisco, 2007, p. 246.
