Scripture, Revelation, and the Trap of Bibliolatry

For Christians, scripture is text inspired by God. But how can scripture be distinguished from other written words? God doesn’t speak Aramaic, Hebrew, or Greek; it is doubtful that even the original texts of the Bible can begin to capture the simplest idea that resides in the mind of God. The words alone are not enough; before a Christian can gain knowledge of God’s message through scripture, inspiration must be obtained from the Holy Spirit. This is referred to as being "in the Spirit". When such inspiration is found, it may reveal a different or even contrary meaning to what the scripture seems to mean on the surface, but the inspired interpretation will always fit into the context of the passage and of the Word of God as a whole. Many Christians understand this very well, but far too many tend to quote scripture out of context and outside the Spirit to justify their own ideology.

There is a word for the practice of worshipping a book, as opposed to worshipping God Himself. It is "Bibliolatry", and I think it is a growing practice among many proud, well-meaning, conservative people that think of themselves as good Christians. God is unchanging, but people aren't, and what the Holy Spirit reveals to us through scripture changes with us, even as the scripture remains constant. God doesn't contradict himself, but without divine inspiration to understand His Word from one's own perspective at the moment, it can seem that way, and this fact is a dangerous and potent tool of evil.