FAQ

The answer to Your question in a large measure depends on the meaning you give to the word “trust”. To trust the Bible as a historical source makes sense because all its historical information has evidence for itself in independent sources. But historical information in the Bible has, surely, minor importance. We shouldn’t trust the Bible as a Revelation about God, world and human – the necessity is out of place here – we have the opportunity to learn and believe. Strictly speaking, either unbeliever, or believer should read the Bible objectively. Besides, it’s important to remember that the Bible is a theanthropic book. The word that God says to people in the Bible, takes a human form, depending on the language and mentality of a concrete author and editor. The Revelation is well and sufficiently rendered in the central part of the Bible – in the Gospel; other books, especially books of the Old Testament have more or less significant human components.

It’s important to remember that books of the Bible were written (in a vast majority) for the believers and for the Church (community of believers) – and at the Church there were and are always people who can help nonbelievers to understand the Holy Scripture. There is a point either for the believer or for the nonbeliever to read the Bible as a testimony of the Lord from people, who knew God in their spiritual experience and to whom He {God} opened something important and necessary for us. Since the Bible doesn’t consider the question about God’s existence (the formulation itself of such a question seemed to be quite absurd at the time the Bible was written,), it’s important to remember that the authors of the Bible weren’t concerned with proving the obvious to the reader. And if it is so then it is desirable to read the Bible appealing to God for help. For nonbeliever it is hard to do this, if possible at all. But if the nonbeliever wants to find faith, it’s indispensable to read. If the unbelieving reader of the Bible doesn’t want to find faith then the Bible will remain for him only a historical and literary document.