Recently in my Christian Scriptures class, we were asked to read and outline an article based around the question "Is the Bible true?" After studying this article in depth, the ideas that Placher presented became even more fascinating. In William C. Placher’s argument, he strongly presents the idea that “yes, the Bible is true” by incorporating different perspectives of looking at the argument. The author takes on reasonable and logical ways in his approach in order to appeal his argument to any type of person that could be reading his article.

• What does it mean for the Bible to be true?
• Why understanding the context is important

• “Different genres make different kinds of truth claims.” Placher argues that there are different meanings behind each genre. Let us take Dr. Seuss versus an autobiography written by Anne Frank. When we hear of Dr. Seuss, childhood and whimsical thoughts come into mind because he is a children’s book author. We do not think of a cat babysitting some children or Sam I Am eating green eggs and ham as a serious or real topic. But on the other hand, Anne Frank wrote about herself and about her experience in Amsterdam. Her story is not meant to be taken lightly because society knows that World War II is a serious topic. The Bible itself contains multiple different genres that range from a parable to non-fiction. We do not look at a Dr. Seuss book and Anne Frank’s book the same way because they are not meant to be looked at from the same perspective, and we should look at different aspects of the Bible through a new set of eyes for that reason.
• There is also a conflict when it comes to change across cultures. We, in America, do not have the same type of culture that Uganda has. We are going to have different perspectives on things depending on our culture and on the different perspectives of those who are writing these stories. Different perspectives from the writer can influence the readers’ thoughts on any given topic. Take social medicine or refugees for example. Both of those topics are hot-button topics. Just because the United States has an opinion on each of those things does not make it more right that Canada’s opinion on those ideas. The Bible is no different in this aspect. We in the United States cannot relate to Paul when he was in prison for his faith (where he wrote 2 Timothy). However, those in China have a better understanding of that because they are actually persecuted for their faith.
• Another issue is that Christians encounter different meanings over time as time progresses. As values and society change, so do our perspectives on certain issues. Some say that the Bible is “outdated” it was written so long ago. Therefore, many believe it simply can't be relevant to today's time. However, the Bible is still relevant because we need the Lord as badly now as they did two-thousand years ago. Sure, the scripture might have a slightly different meaning now because of cultural influence, but that does not make it any less relevant. Society must train their minds to seeing the Bible as an authoritative figure to the point where they would die for their beliefs. Even when times change and we go through different seasons, we must strive to continually get to know our creator passionately. The only way to do this is to study the text in depth and to believe that what we are following is correct.

• Like discussed above, the reader is not able to fully grasp the text without knowing what was going on during when the book was written, who the author is, or when (in the aspect of Christ) the book was written. If we truly believe that “all scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16), then we should strive to understand the text. The Bible is the only guidebook that we have in our lives. God has given us this guidebook. If we take the text seriously (as we should) then we would exegetically and devotionally get to know the sixty-six books and the One who inspired those very books. When we find ourselves pursuing that, we are able to start breaking down the complexity that lies within.
• When readers study the Bible passionately, they begin to “let it”, the Bible, “define [their] world and provide a language for thinking about the world, transform [their] lives.” Placher discusses the importance of “hard work” and truly “immersing ourselves” into its world. Without examining the context of the books of the Bible, it is like the reader is simply reading a story. The reader is only scraping the surface on what is actually happening in the text. We must let the Bible saturate into every aspect of our lives and go deeper than simply just reading the text in order to be able to comprehend what is going on. Even then, we will never fully comprehend what Paul or John is saying. The Bible is a work that society can study infinitely and still never be able to fully grasp every single word of it.

Even though we will never be able to fully understand the impact and the facets of the Bible, we must learn how to defend the fact that every piece of it is true. There is a fine line, though, of doing so “with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15). Placher discusses the importance of chasing the word of God with our every ounce of our being.

So today, and everyday, chase God with all that you have.