It’s biblical! What is? Hell; transubstantiation; purgatory; penal substitution; heaven; speaking in tongues; the rapture; pacifism; the Second Coming; being born again; just war etc. etc. etc. It’s all biblical. And that’s the trump card that’s presented with such a flourish whenever theological issues are debated. ‘My view is biblical and so my view is correct.’ It’s such a powerful word and in its negative is actually quite a powerful weapon. ‘You’re being unbiblical.’ Hear it and shiver.

Interpretation

The problem though is that while ‘my view’ can be argued from the Bible, so can a diametrically opposed viewpoint on so many different issues. The word ‘biblical’ then needs to be redefined from being ‘my view is in the Bible’ to ‘my view is in the Bible as I interpret it’. What a difference that additional little phrase would make!

How do you use this word?


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