DeepSummary
In this episode of Curiously Caitlin, Caitlin Schiess interviews theologian Brad East to answer a child's question about how we can know that the Bible is true. East provides both a theological and a more grounded explanation of what the Bible is and where it came from. He suggests approaching the Bible with an attitude of trust and awe, rather than trying to build a purely rational foundation.
East offers three analogies to help understand the divine and human aspects of the Bible: ambassadors speaking on behalf of a sovereign, apostles performing miracles through Christ's power, and Christ's incarnation as fully human and fully divine. He encourages reading challenging passages in community, with wisdom from church history and tradition.
East emphasizes that the Bible's primary purpose is for worship and to encounter Christ, not as a puzzle to solve alone. He advises the questioner that if they see Jesus in the Bible and in the lives of believers, they can trust that the Bible is true.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- The Bible is the word of God expressed through human words and experiences.
- Approaching the Bible ultimately requires an element of trust and faith, not just rational arguments.
- The Bible is meant to be read and understood in the context of the worshipping church community, not just as an individual endeavor.
- Reading challenging or confusing passages in the Bible is aided by the wisdom of the broader church tradition and community throughout history.
- The Bible's primary purpose is to reveal Jesus Christ and facilitate an encounter with him.
- If one sees Jesus in the Bible and in the lives of believers, one can trust that the Bible is true.
- The Bible incorporates both the full humanity of its authors and the full divinity of its divine inspiration.
- The process of composing, editing, and transmitting the Bible was guided by the Holy Spirit over time.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “You're never, in my view, you're never going to get to the absolutely knockdown argument that puts every question or even doubt to rest. I just don't see that happening for most of us, maybe for all of us. And so you're going to have to trust just in the same way that Abraham and Mary trust in the promise of God, even though they can't see it with their eyes.“ by Brad East
- “The Bible exists in and for the church. And in particular, it has its home. The oxygen that it breathes is in worship. And so that question can sometimes be, man, I'm sitting alone with this book, and, like, it seems wacky and weird at times, and how am I competent or adequate to make sense of all of this stuff? But if you say, no, no, no, that's not where it's. That's not what it's primarily for, though that's a very good thing to do.“ by Brad East
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Episode Information
Curiously Kaitlyn
Kaitlyn Schiess
5/7/24
Theologian Brad East joins Kaitlyn to answer a really important question we have probably all asked: how do we know that the Bible is true? Dr. East also answers questions we might not think to ask but that are also really important: What is the Bible? How did we get it? How are we supposed to read it? We learn three analogies for understanding what the Bible is, some guidelines for how to read it well, and some encouragement to stay curious about passages that are confusing or challenging.