The Third Testament

There is the famous Jefferson Bible where Thomas Jefferson cut and extracted various pieces of the New Testament. He essentially put together his own version of the Bible that was anything but. His purpose was to write his view on the “Christian System” looking at the “deism and ethics of the Jews.” Now we have a new person wanting to alter the Bible. Yvette Flunder is the senior pastor at the City of Refuge United Church of Christ (UCC) in Oakland, California.  In a recent clip she is heard saying that we need a newer testament or a “third testament”. She said, “This is a very dangerous thing that I’m about to say now… a bit dangerous. I’m of the opinion that we need a Third Testament , because the Bible has become problematic.” It is a bit curious that a “minister” of Christianity would have a problem with the Bible. Usually those people do not become ministers. That is like saying an avid hunter thinks it's wrong to eat meat.

Why does she have a problem with the bible? Well she continues:
“ ‘Slaves obey your masters as you do the Lord’- It’s a text. ‘Let the women keep silent in the churches and if they have any questions let them ask their husbands at home.’ Now I’m a believer. My whole heart, I trust God with my whole heart. I wake up in the morning talking to God and God talking to me. But I am completely frustrated with the ways in which the text speaks to the kind of vitriolic God that makes those kinds of things.” Which brings me back to the question of why are you ministering in a church? If you do not like a religion's beliefs, then don’t follow them. If I don’t like the food at the restaurant, I don’t try and get the cook fired, I just choose another restaurant to go to. Yvette should become Mormon, Jehovah’s Witness or an agnostic because she is certainly not a Christian. But no, instead she is getting angry at what the Bible says.

So what is her solution? Pretty close to what Thomas Jefferson did over 200 years ago: “And people will say, ‘well, it’s in the book.’ And I said, "Then we need to pull that page out.” Once again we have someone wanting to alter God’s word just because they do not like what He has to say. It seems so simple, doesn’t it? Don’t like something, just get rid of it. Act like it didn't even exist. Except the One who wrote the book may have something to say about that: “You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.” (Deuteronomy 4:2) This is still all so puzzling. How can a supposed minister of God have an issue with what God has to say? This leads us to the real issue at hand. See, Yvette doesn’t believe that the Bible is the word of God. After saying all of this, she openly admits, “And they said, well, you can’t do it. It’s the Word of God. I said, no, it’s words about God. Come on now. But is it the Word of God? No. It is not the Word of God.” Here lies the real problem. We’ve found where the roots lead for this rotten tree. It certainly is easy to dismiss the Bible if you do not think it ever came from God. If all the book is, is what some people wrote about God, then what is the harm in taking away or adding some things.

This is why what you believe about the bible is such an important doctrine of our faith. What you believe about the Bible will affect so many other aspects of your Christian life. How you walk with the Lord will be drastically different depending on what you believe about the scriptures. In the beginning of the Gideon Bibles they have written a paragraph that summarizes this well: “"This Book is the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding; its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's character. Here paradise is restored, heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. Follow its precepts and it will lead you to Calvary, to the empty tomb, to a resurrected life in Christ; yes, to glory itself, for eternity.”

And what Yvette believes about the Bible has clearly affected her life. She is prideful, selfish, idolatrous and not really a Christian at all. And how do I know this? Because she believes the bible is just words about God.  She doesn’t want to worship the true God, but a god that she has in her mind. She admitted as much when she said, “I am completely frustrated with the ways in which the text speaks to the kind of vitriolic God that makes those kinds of things.” Her issue is not with the bible, like she thinks. Her frustrations are with God Himself, because these are His words. This is His book. The bible is God revealing to us the truth about life. Yet because she doesn’t believe the bible is the word of God she doesn't see the truth of the matter. We do not need a third testament. Yvette needs to see the current testaments for what they really are; God’s words. So really, the problem is Yvette herself.