I don't think I am saved

[Iamscared]

Boy we need to get the Bible out of the hands of individuals and place it instead in the center of a community of believers as it was intended.

I am a believer...just one that is struggling. And what is wrong with non believers getting ahold of Bibles? Shouldn't they have every right to read God's word as we do? A Christian that I know of just started reading a Bible one day, and after that he wanted to become a comitted Christian. I'd say that it is a good thing to let non believers have Bibles.

As to the rest of your comments, and the rest of everybody else's comments, I have been reading them - just haven't been responding yet.

[marcus]

Jan 20, 2010 14:03:57 GMT -8 @Iamscared said:

I am a believer...just one that is struggling. And what is wrong with non believers getting ahold of Bibles? Shouldn't they have every right to read God's word as we do? A Christian that I know of just started reading a Bible one day, and after that he wanted to become a comitted Christian. I'd say that it is a good thing to let non believers have Bibles.

As to the rest of your comments, and the rest of everybody else's comments, I have been reading them - just haven't been responding yet.

I don't like believers or non-believers scouring scripture on their own. Sure good things can come from it, but it's like prescription medication - just because it's good doesn't mean that everyone should have full access to it. It's too powerful and too easily misused, even with good intentions. Scripture needs to stand at the center of the community (the church) not at the center of an individual's faith. Individual interpretation seemed like a good idea when it first began, but I think we Protestants have proven that our initial theory was wrong.

And my post to you assumed you were a believer. To bring this full circle and keep this thread from my own hijacking: Your search for answers to your struggle with sin took you to the Bible and immediately brought you more confusion and misunderstanding. That's no good.

Asking questions on a board like this is a good thing though! What do you think of our responses?

[robin]

I don't like believers or non-believers scouring scripture on their own. Sure good things can come from it, but it's like prescription medication - just because it's good doesn't mean that everyone should have full access to it. It's too powerful and too easily misused, even with good intentions. Scripture needs to stand at the center of the community (the church) not at the center of an individual's faith. Individual interpretation seemed like a good idea when it first began, but I think we Protestants have proven that our initial theory was wrong.

Perhaps you are going a little too far. For three plus years I found myself outside of a church community still found significant spiritual growth though studying scripture on my own. If fact I found greater growth on my own then I did in the church communities I was involved in prior to Aletheia. I read through my bible a couple time during that period without much outside interaction and I was able to discover real truth and growth from this experience.

I think we must leave room for God to work with people in many different ways and speeds. The bible can be most comforting, where many "Church communities" can be very condemning and judgmental, nor do they always make the bible the center of their community.

[Josh]

sorry for moving the thread, iamscared. I just realized that you wouldn't be able to post at the new location, so I brought it back here. we'd love to hear more from you.