In a world where fast food spirituality reigns supreme and feel-good sound bites replace the meat and marrow of profound theological study, Selective Biblical Literalism has infiltrated even the most seemingly robust Christian circles. Its subtle, yet pernicious nature lulls people into a comforting but deceptive interpretation of the faith. It tailors a faux Christian message to suit personal preferences, casting a shadow on the full spectrum of truth contained within the Bible.
Let us consider a case that garnered much attention—false teacher, Brian McLaren, a writer and quasi-Evangelical pastor who was popular in the early 2000s as a leader in the emerging church movement. McLaren's book, "A New Kind of Christianity," ignited fierce debates in the Christian community. Some readers praised his bold questions about Christian doctrines, while others accused him of selectively interpreting the Bible to align with his progressive views. Critics argued that McLaren presented a stark example of Selective Biblical Literalism.
What exactly is this pervasive problem? Selective Biblical Literalism is the practice of exclusively adhering to certain parts of the Bible deemed literally true while conveniently dismissing or distorting others. It reduces the richness of Biblical truth to a collage of handpicked verses, constructed to support a preconceived worldview or even worse, to justify sin.
As true Christians, we profess the Bible as God's inerrant and infallible Word, wholly reliable in teaching us about God's character, human nature, salvation, and objective morality. However, with Selective Biblical Literalism, the Bible is no longer the defining lens through which we view the world—instead, it becomes a tool to justify worldly perspectives. This heresy prioritizes personal biases over Biblical truths, creating a “Designer Christianity” tailored to their tastes, inclinations, or even sins.
To dissect this aberration further, let's delve into the heart of the matter. Why would someone cherry-pick the Bible? The most seductive and common motive is the desire to justify sin or align the Bible with popular cultural sentiments. Sin, by its very nature, seeks to subvert truth, hence the temptation to bend God's Word to one's own liking.
The Bible warns us against such behavior. In 2 Timothy 4:3-4, the Apostle Paul cautioned Timothy, "For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." This passage perfectly captures the essence of this Selective Biblical Literalism, its roots, and its tragic consequences.
But we must also remember the nature of the Bible itself. The Bible is not a collection of unrelated writings slapped together by a third party with no real understanding or meaning behind it. Rather it is an integrated whole, a divinely inspired book that reveals God's redemptive plan from Genesis to Revelation. Jesus Himself testified to the authority of the entire Old Testament when he said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them" (Matthew 5:17). Furthermore, in 2 Timothy 3:16, we find, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." All Scripture, not some.