Must We Know Biblical History To Find Salvation?

For I am not ashamed

of the gospel of Christ;

for it is the power of God

unto salvation to every one

that believeth; to the Jew first,

and also to the Greek. For therein

is the righteousness of God

revealed from faith to faith: 

as it is written, the just

shall live by faith.

Romans 1:16-17

      It is by faith that we have the righteousness of God, it starts with faith and it ends with faith: the Greek is very clear on this subject: "ἐκ πίστεως εἰς πίστιν"; the literal translation is "out of faith into faith" and it is by this faith that we live. But must we know Biblical history to find this faith? No! Some may ask: "Can we not find a salvation that is independent of history, a salvation that depends only on what is with us here and now? This objection does have weight but it ignores one of the evidences that is primary for the truth of the Gospel record. The evidence that we need to fully understand that history is an important aspect of our faith and understanding is to be found in the Christian experience. No, our experience of salvation does not depend upon what happened some 2,000 years ago, but that event has had effects that continue even today. That event as told to us by the Bible is the occurrence in Palestine when Jesus Christ died upon a cross as an innocent man for the sins of men and  we are to believe upon Him and His sacrifice. This is the record and we must examine that record and when we do we find that it is true. Yet, when we examine that historical event we find that this event in history is truly a living Savior today. 

     Caution is necessary when we examine this event there is a fatal error waiting to expose itself. It is an error that is at the root of liberalism. When I have spoke of a Christian experience I do not mean what many Churches teach in regards to having an "experience." Many have determined that this "experience" is all that is necessary. This experience that I write about is useful as to confirm the Gospel message: it is the event of history as recorded in God's Word. Some may admit to that experience as a true event in history yet place a great importance on a present experience of Christ in the heart, and that we are to hold that experience no matter what history has told us about the event of the crucifixion, or about Jesus Christ. They cavil at the results of Biblical criticism so that no matter what is told to us by our examination , no matter what history has to say about Jesus Christ, His death, His story of His resurrection, it is more acceptable to continue in the experience of Christ in our souls? Sounds reasonable, does it not? 

     There is a serious problem associated with the above statement; that of this experience as believed by many for that experience is not Christian experience. It may be a religious experience, but is not a Christian experience. Why? Because the Christian experience depends solely upon an event. Many Christians says to themselves: "I have meditated upon this problem, I have come to believe that I have sinned, I have been caught in my sin and I do not want to be caught in this or any sin, that is how to become right with God, I came forward when the pastor gave the invitation, I made a decision to be saved, and I have attempted to produce a righteousness that will be approved by God." But, when one examines the Bible, the Gospel that is recorded in the Bible, personal experience is downtrodden by the truth that is recorded in the Bible. It is not what I have done to be righteous, it is not my making a decision for Christ, (A teaching that is not to be found in the Bible), my righteousness does not depend on my efforts. What is to be found in our examination of this historical event that took place in Jerusalem is that what I had been striving for has already been accomplished by Jesus Christ when He died for me on the cross, when He shouted, 'It is finished." His redeeming work that was accomplished by His resurrection for without that event, that accomplishment by Jesus Christ, if it had not been done, all a person would have is an idea of an accomplishment, this would leave men in their sins. The Christian life depends altogether upon the truth of the New Testament record. 

     Christian experience, not some euphoric experience as demonstrated by those who are seeking some supernatural revelation to confirm their beliefs, attempting to provide proof that they are acceptable to God, this being done by their works, i.e., visions, revelations, gibberish tongue speaking, healing, and emptying themselves so to bring down to earth the kingdom of God, etc., yet, this form of religious experience can never possibly provide a substitute for the documentary evidence, rather the experience for the Christian when rightly used confirms the evidence as recorded in the Bible. We we research and examine the Biblical record we find that the evidence in the Gospel, the Bible is true, by the early date of the manuscripts, the internal evidence of their truth, the impossibility that this evidence is based upon a myth. It it when the Christian experience, based upon the truth or evidence in the Bible is rightly used that helps us and convinces us that the events of the Biblical record are true and did actually occur, but this evidence, while presenting truth, will not enable us to be a Christian, whether that event occurred or not. Why? Because to be a Christian is not by any means which a person causes of himself, rather it is a gift of God. 

     Now, we need to know something more about the Bible, that is, how and by what evidence did the Bible, a book, a book revered by Christians come to be compiled; why this letter, and not another, why this narrative and not another; and why did it take so many years to decide upon the 66 books we now have and are the inspired words of God. What about corruptions, variants, and those Apocryphal books? I shall next address those questions in the next following blogs. 

Whosoever therefore shall break 

     one of these least commandments,

and shall teach men so, he shall be 

    called the least in the kingdom

of heaven: but whosoever shall do

    them, the same shall be called

great in the kingdom of heaven.

                                  Matthew 5:19

May This Day Be Blessed For You

Richard L. Crumb