Martin Luther is famous for many things, including the phrase sola scriptura ("Scipture alone"). Interestingly enough, he had quite a distaste for several books throughout the Bible. In his Prefaces to the New Testament, Luther said of the book of James, "St. James’ epistle is really an epistle of straw…for it has nothing of the nature of the gospel about it." Regarding the book of Revelation he said, "I can in no way detect that the Holy Spirit produced it" (If you're interested, you can read more about Luther's scriptural views ). Even some of the greatest theologians, Luther among them, had low views of certain parts of the Bible.
So here's the (hypothetical) question: If you were forced to choose, which book of the Bible would you remove?1
- To clarify, the book would be essentially erased from human history and memory. All direct quotes and any references to the whole book or any passages/verses would disappear without a trace. [↩]
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I’d get rid of Revelation – not because it’s a bad book per se, but because of the way it’s been manipulated and misused throughout Christendom. Having the Left Behind books “erased from human history and memory” would not necessarily be a bad thing either. :)
Song of Solomon… sex is bad.
What a great question…First, I love the book of James so that is out. My first thought was Revelation but that’s just our fault for not interpreting it better and i think the bible and our faith would be missing something without that as a book end.
I might lean toward Hebrews. It’s way too archane, hard to get, and it addresses issues and draws together themes that may have been important for the early Jewish believers but today it gets applied in universality in ways I think that stretches things.
Erik: I agree about the LB books.
david: So that’s what Song of Solomon is about…
jbonewald: Hebrews is a good choice… I hadn’t even considered it myself.
First Corinthians.
That book has turned the faith of love described by Jesus into a list of rules to follow, and made the people of God into judges of others.
Mark: Can you give any examples?
As I’ve thought more about this topic myself, I think I would probably get rid of 1 Timothy. My buddy Mike would be at a loss without that book (If you’re reading this, Mike, you know I love you).
OK.
1 Corinthians 6 – this is one of the key verses used against homosexuals by the church.
1 Corinthians 7 – this is used against divorce
Explain how we have to follow 6 but can ignore 7.
And then there’s the whole hair thing in chapter 11 that is also used to justify male superiority by some.
And don’t get me started on speaking in tongues.
Thanks, Mark. People would have to find some new wedding vows, though. ;)
Aw – can I only remove ONE!?
Probably Revelation. Both because of its reception, and because its a bad book per se. I mean to say – burning most of humanity for eternity just because your little group was picked on by others. Obscene.
Bishop N. T. Wrong
Free Universalist Interfaith Church
North Carolina