SUNDAY: Bible Study - 9:00 AM | Worship - 10:00 AM | PM Worship - 6:00 PM WEDNESDAY: Bible Class - 7:00 PM ~ 8110 Signal Hill Road Manassas, Virginia | Office Phone: 703.368.2622

StudyBible           Mickey Yost shared an interview with me which was featured in the August issue of Washingtonian (pp.24-27).  It was titled “The Outsider” and contained an interview by Mary Clare Fleury of Tom Reese, a Jesuit, and Senior Fellow at Georgetown University’s Woodstock Theological Center.  It focused on the sexual abuse scandals persistently in the news, the role of women, the status of gays and lesbians, abortion and birth control.  Most if not all of these topics led naturally to a question about allowing priests to marry.  His answer was interesting:

For 1000 years the Church had a married priesthood…Jesus chose married men.  The issue we’re starting to see now is that we don’t have enough priests to serve the community.  If we don’t have enough priests, we don’t have the Eucharist.  We become a Bible church, and we’ve always been something more than that.

            I don’t know what Mr. Reese means by “Bible church.”  He could be referring to the kind of Calvinist-cum-pop culture mega-stop congregation that combines all the charm of a convention-center, and a neighborhood-gym.  If so, we share a similar disdain, if not a similar theology.  I suspect he means exactly what he seems to mean – a Bible-based, Bible-only church.

            That would not be a surprise. A Priest friend of mine back in Ohio use to say to me, “Now Barry, if this devolves into question of book-chapter-and-verse, you know you will win that argument.” Another friend, a lay-leader, used to ask me to recommend good material for small group study. I invariably offered up books of the Bible.  She always replied “You know we’re not into Bible study.” Amazing.

            But I am not concerned about taking Catholicism to task.  I am concerned about us.

All scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be complete – thoroughly equipped for every good work.    II Timothy 3.16-17

            Paul makes two claims about scripture. The first is that it is alive with the breath of God.  It is God-breathed (inspired).  He is its source.  He quickens it with the same part of Himself that gives us life.  The second thing Paul claims about scripture is that it is all we need.  We don’t need “something more.”

            And yet we often feel we do,

            I am so glad, and believe we are greatly blessed, to have the wisdom of thoughtful men and women preserved for us on the printed page.  What an advantage it is to be able to pick the brains of those more intelligent than I by picking up their books.

            But there is only one book that is alive with the breath of God.  There is only one book which is His voice. Only one book with everything we need.  There is no need for “something more.”

            I am not asking that we stop reading good commentaries, great histories, reference or devotional works, fiction, or the funny papers.  I am arguing, entreating, and cajoling that we feast on the Word of God. The Bible must be our life’s focus, our intellectual passion, our soul’s support.  For it alone is equipped to fill these roles.

            It alone equips us – fully.

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