How does Psalm 151 speak of Jesus? Haha. Just trying to bring in my Catholic and Orthodox friends here to this discussion…Just provoking another controversy regarding the canonization of Scripture…

A missionary is trying to say to UBFriends that UBFriends needs to repent of their own sins rather than pointing out the sins of UBF. It is a very interesting exchange. More than anything else, it should teach anyone how NOT to use the Bible.

God willing, I hope that one day I will have the opportunity to meet this missionary (whom I do not know) and engage him face to face, so that I may love him and embrace him.

I want to see more articles (and I wish to compose them too!) that look at the various books or chapters within the Bible. I also want to have open discussion on the non-canonical books. I am a scholar at heart on Biblical matters but my present circumstance has limited my ability to sit down and do what I want to in terms of reading and research. I have many books and resources in Canada – but not here.

Recently I expanded on explanation of gnosticism during a group study – referring to the texts. Okay – If we are university students then does it not make sense that some of us have a curiousity about these things. Since they are not in the canon then they should be ignored – I don’t think so. But “such people” always reduce the desire to read to your personal faith. (If you really need to….but I of course do not need to…)

Personally, if there is a topic, theme, reference or anything that I have not thought about before I am thankful when someone points it out to me. It has nothing to do with building my faith. But maybe it has something to do with the fact that “others” attempt to control and limit what I read. Are we not in error when we read those silly DB books? Anyone of us can read the Bible cover to cover – without a gun to our head. But it is for God alone to speak to us and the Holy Spirit to intervene with our understanding. Instead, those books which recycle the same summaries again and again, stop us from thinking. Instead they tell us what to think and how to understand each passage.

No, I want to see Christian living or education or even scholarship which opens the door for blasphemous conversations. It is not so much a need for our faith, but certainly a fascination and appreciation for the history and controversy. Hell, even in UBF we have a variety of ideology and theology without looking at the books. Makes talking to people in real life face to face conversations look scary.

My newfound virtual friend Joe Machuta loves to talk about this subject. It is part of his thinking behind the article he submitted to us a while back: Finding the key to Real Transformation. JoeM’s blog expresses much of the “butterfly transformation” I’ve been going through, and it was amazing to talk to him on the phone and connect via Facebook. Plus he’s from Michigan originally.

Some of the readers here might be saying “So what? Who cares if the word is Jesus or the bible? Same thing.” I used to think like that about all theology issues.

But a big part of my transformation 2 years ago was something I like to call “butterfly theology” or “outlaw theology”. I realized through many conversations that it really is true: “word = Jesus”.

The popular notion, especially among Western Evangelicals, is that “word = bible”. John 5:39-41 comes to mind immediately now. The bible is not some sort of spell book, where we gain a magical power simply from meditating on it so much.

Your article is an excellent look at a much needed topic, which I call “bible idolatry”. This is spot on “I believe that the best guide to how Christians are to understand and apply the Old Testament is in the New Testament. Jesus taught his disciples that the Old Testament is all about him”.

In regard to Psalm 119, your article prompted me to take a second look at this. I see something similar to what Chris mentioned about God’s flock. The Psalm may seem to be about the law, but the Psalmist seems to me to be infatuated with the Lord, speaking over and over about seeking him, his statutes. So I’d say this is a love/worship of God himself. Just as we might express love for a great author by commending his writings, the Psalmist seems to me to be expressing love for a great God by commending his precepts, statutes, words, etc.

The administrators of UBFriends (Brian, Ben and myself) have each expressed some desire to move forward and use this website to discuss topics other than UBF. Speaking for myself: I have said just about everything that I need to say about the organization. I do not regret anything that I have written, and anyone who might to listen and consider my perspectives has already done so. The GD knows exactly where I stand, and more words from me are unlikely to sway anyone. It’s now up to the organization leaders to figure out whether and how to address the difficult issues that we have already laid out. Brian expressed his intentions in his previous article. My intention is to post articles that can spawn useful discussion beyond the realm of UBF.

I want to also say that the psalmist is mainly speaking directly to God, The Lord, his Creator – that we can identify as Christians with Jesus. Everything is expressed and often repeated again and again in slight variation and articulation.

Love for God’s word and commands. Deep vulnerability of weakness to sin and oppressors. Acknowledgment that God is sovereign over one’s life and the only way to be sure of long life and blessed life. There is so much more than limiting ourselves to man made approaches. Once again when comparing Jesus to Pharisees and learned men etc….I am reminded somewhere of a video presented here a while ago. The speaker mocked the elitism and exclusivity that man tries to impose on salvation when Jesus clearly made it open for all who come to him.

When I read this psalm I am reminded about Jesus’ willingness to accept anyone of us without conditions beyond simply accepting him. When simply reading the psalm I could be reminded that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are all that I am dependant on in this walk. I don’t care about what church or organization – most often there will always be more to the application that suffocates us. But with Jesus it is all very simple. We can be vulnerable, humble, thankful, dependant etc….on Jesus.