Can Bible teachers question the Bible?

Is it appropriate for a church leader to publicly question Christianity and the Bible? That's apparently what happened when Kent Dobson, a respected Bible teacher here in my corner of Michigan, appeared on a Discovery Channel program that raised questions about the historicity of the Bible. Dobson resigned under pressure from the school board and some concerned parents:

Dobson, the 31-year-old son of retired Calvary Church pastor Ed Dobson, resigned his post as Bible teacher at NorthPointe Christian High School last week after the school board questioned his role in the March 16 special, "Jesus: The Missing History."

On the hourlong program, Dobson questioned biblical scholars on possible contradictions between the Gospels and the historical evidence of Jesus' life. The questions included:

  • Was Bethlehem Jesus' birthplace?
  • Was Jesus a carpenter or a stone mason?
  • Was Jesus' eviction of money changers from the temple a political or religious move?
  • Is there any truth in the Gnostic gospels?

In the program, which is not scheduled for rebroadcast, Dobson does not definitively answer the questions or take a position. He interviews biblical scholars who present evidence that contradicts the Bible.

It was quite a shock to see this in the newspaper this weekend—I don't know Kent personally, but he did contribute a few posts to ThinkChristian back in 2005. The problem, it seems, is not that Dobson doesn't believe in the Bible, but that in the Discovery Channel program, Dobson doesn't strongly answer or settle some of the difficult questions he raises. Here are a few clips from the program—keep in mind that these are just those clips that presumably caused the controversy, and aren't displayed in their full context:

A series of emails from the school board and community shows that the situation is predictably messy and complicated, and while I'm sympathetic to Kent and have a great deal of respect for his work, I don't want to comment much on this case because I don't know all the facts. Hopefully he and his church community will work this out in a Biblical manner. However, this bit—from an email by an upset parent—stood out and points to a broader question (emphasis mine):

We understand that this was done with unbelievers and that parts of this were edited.

The part that actually concerns me that as a Christian the Bible was questioned. The Bible is never to be questioned!

Why as a Christian would one place himself in this type of situation where we would actually be questioning the Bible.

I'm not sure how I feel about that. I don't know any Christian who hasn't, at some point, questioned God and the Bible—whether it's out of honest doubt or angry skepticism, most people have asked these questions. But is it different when a Bible teacher raises these questions without offering a definite answer to them? If your local Sunday school teacher publicly raised questions like this, would it upset or worry you? Should kids see their adult leaders asking these questions out loud, or is that potentially harmful to their faith?

That's a lot of big questions... but what do you think?

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Comments (25)

The people who say "The Bible is never to be questioned" are people who have never studied it in a serious way, know it at best superficially, and have never used an academic commentary or read some other serious scholarly book about the Bible. "The Bible is never to be questioned" is a slogan used by those who want to be able to quote the Bible out of context to settle matters, or to pass on the responsability of wrestling with difficult issues to others who misuse the Bible in this way.

We need to stop putting up with the rhetoric of the fundamentalists who pretend to have a moral or Biblical high ground by using such slogans as this, or as "I believe the whole Bible and take it literally". They can only claim this because they read the Bible in English translations that smooth over difficulties for them, and don't know the Bible in sufficient depth and detail to know what the real issues are. Yet they have the audacity to claim that their approach is superior to that of people who recognize the problems not because they are less spiritual, but because they know the Bible better.
I think the idea that "The Bible is not to be questioned!!" is one of the scariest I have ever heard. How do you shut off the part of your braint that questions, and why would God want you to?
Of the four questions listed, only the first (Jesus' birthplace) could really be considered "questioning" the Bible.

Concerning Jesus' profession, this is not a matter of questioning the Bible. It's merely a question of what the word "tekton" actually means. According to the Louw and Nida lexicon, "one who uses various materials (wood, stone, and metal) in building — ‘builder, carpenter.’ ... There is every reason to believe that in biblical times one who was regarded as a tekton would be skilled in the use of wood and stone and possibly even metal." It may be shocking to some to think of Jesus as a stone-cutter, but the Greek clearly permits this translation.

Similarly, the motive behind Jesus' temple action is not a matter of questioning the Bible. It's not as if the Bible told us precisely what Jesus' thoughts are as he takes on this action.

Likewise, the Bible doesn't tell us that there is no truth at all in the Gnostic gospels, though their central assumptions are obviously not consistent with Scripture.

I would distinguish between challenging the veracity of Scripture and challenging traditional interpretations. I think we as Christians need to be firmly committed to the Bible as God's reliable word to us. Therefore, we should be eager to understand it accurately, even if that means rejecting traditional interpretations.
James 3:1 says
"Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." (NIV)

the issue here is that Kent is in a position of authority on God's word.
this can go the other way too. As someone in authority, he is responsible for questioning and making sure that what he is teaching is true, and not by blind faith. i would never trust someone in authority who does not question their faith and especially the bible. They, more so than anyone else should question.
So right. Christians are afraid to question. They are shouted down, preached at, have their faith questioned and followed by well meaning christians to put a harsh spotlight on all their behavior. They are treated like guilty suspects. I applaud Kent for his bravery. He is a pk and a pastor, he has a lot to lose.
I think any well meaning sound Christians questions and doubts. Hey just read scripture and see all the doubts and unanswered questions. Once again and sadly many Christians can not deal with this and quickly denounce someone for bringing up legitimate concerns. Is every word of the bible written and spoken by God, hardly for it is man's interpretation and mans translation not God's. But the essence of who God is, who Christ is and the redemptive story are all intact. Will we fall from grace, and Christianity become another myth if we learn that the story as we know it of Jesus' birth is not accurate, hardly. We might remember the wise words spoken from Paul in Romans 2:1 when dealing with our brothers and sisters as particularly the world.
What a difficult issue!

I think a lot of it depends on the spirit in which questioning is done, and it depends on your fundamental posture towards God's revelation. Any questioning should be done in the spirit of truth and humility, submitting ultimately to God's revelation of Himself, not as we would have Him or have history be.

But as Sheldon points out, there is a whole other dimension to this issue when you are talking about people in positions of authority. Our sermon this week was on Jesus' warning that it would be better to be drowned in the sea then to cause another sin. This is a warning to be taken very seriously before a leader of any kind begins asking questions which could scandalize and damage the faith of those in his or her care. If they are questions which may lead to a deeper faith and understanding. But if they are questions which will only lead to further doubt and darkness - I don't a spiritual leader should ever lead someone in that way, even if it be the path they are struggling on themselves.
I think there's a difference between questioning and doubting. As a follower of Christ, I hold that the Bible is without error or contradiction. Therefore, I do not doubt that what it says is true, both in history and in teaching. So when history seems to contradict the Bible, I must ask questions - but not ask in a way that would undermine the truth of God's word. The question - if we are questioning the Bible in a doubting way - really becomes "Is God really able to preserve truth for us accurately?" And that comes to doubting and not believing in God. That's ground that I won't step on.
I questioned the bible. and found that within it pages was not perfection. but within it's pages was the story of God. written by inspired but mere men. men who could be sexist, racist, genocidal.

There are three kinds of "christians"

those who think everything is the bible is literally true, and koala bears were on the ark. (the bible is totally perfect/divine)
those who think we cannot know anything for sure, so we should love. (the bible is human/fallible)

and the third....those who have experienced Jesus and use the bible as the origin and touchstone of faith. just because we have learned that there was no literal adam and eve does not mean that Jesus did not rise from the dead and transform all of history.

the bible is both awesome and able to connect you to god. it is also an earthen vessel, just like all of us. Why would god become flesh if the "important" stuff was coming out in hardback with footnotes?

Jesus is the final WORD. the bible is just the written, inspired by god record of the people of god experiencing god.
I know exactly how I feel about that! Skeptics and seekers question the Bible all the time. If Christians don't do the same, how can they answer the questions unbelievers ask? If we can't take the time and effort to "test all things," how will we know how to "hold fast to what is good" (1 Thess 5:21) when exposed to the negative assessments others make of the Bible? That upset parent had better not let his or her children ever go to college or even have any non-Christian friends...
The bible is the word of God, inspired by God given to man. Many who have not had the opportunity to be with God will question the bible. Those who know God will use the bible to help themselves and others to understand what we are to do for God. I have asked questions of others to better understand what has been written. I have never questioned weather his word was true or just an explanation of something. When you doubt the word of God, you doubt God. Please remember he came to give us what we needed to come home. If you doubt that, pray and pray hard so that you will know the truth. We are in difficult times where information of all kinds will penetrate your every moment. The great deciever wants you to doubt and will tell you,"Is every word of the bible written and spoken by God, hardly for it is man's interpretation and man's translation not God's, JEFF". He wants you to believe that man wrote the bible without any help from God and that you should doubt what is said. In God's Grace John

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