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by Charlie Wolcott

There is a famous scene from the book/movie, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which always gets my attention. The people were trying to figure out what was going on with why they existed, so they built a giant computer named Deep Thought and they wanted to know the answer to life, the universe and everything. Deep Thought said it would take a while to figure out the solution and to come back after 7 ½ million years. So the people did and there was a great party ready to hear the answer to the ultimate question. And the answer Deep Thought gave was… “42.” The people were outraged and Deep Thought said, “It would have been simpler to know what the actual question was…only when you know what the question is will you know what the answer means.”

Many of us are seeking answers. Why is this happening? Why is that happening? If God is good, why did he let something happened to this person? Why am I here? What is my purpose? What is this all about? We are all seeking answers to these types of questions.

Many of us have heard that “Jesus is the answer.” I heard that growing up very often. But the answer to what? A very good friend of mine gave me a new way of looking at this and he based off “42.” Think about this. “How can Jesus be the answer unless he is first the question?” Too many times, we are asking God why this or why that, but in reality we are asking the wrong questions. Too many times we are questioning God and questioning his methods and ways instead of asking the right questions. Questions like “God what are you trying to accomplish with this?” or “God, what can I learn from this situation?” Too often our questions put us as the judge of what is going on, instead of seeking the King of Kings for what he is doing in his sovereign power. The reason men like Richard Dawkins and other atheists will not understand the truth is because they are asking the wrong questions. The answers don’t make sense because they are asking the wrong questions.

This week with Worldview Warriors our topic is “Why should we read the Bible?” But is this the right question to be asking? This question puts us as the judge of whether the Bible is worth reading or not. In February, I wrote about our worldview and how our worldview affects how we read and interpret evidence. So if we ask questions that put us as the judge, our worldview is going to have an effect on the answers we get or come up with. Ultimately, only one person had a 100% correct worldview: Jesus Christ. So every one of us has a flawed worldview in some way shape or form, including me. To address this issue, we need to ask questions that will be answered by a higher standard than ourselves. Can we truly be honest about this?

There is no question that the Bible is a unique book. It is different than the Koran, the Book of Mormon, or any other holy book. What makes it unique? That is a question we need to be asking. What makes the Bible stand out from all the others? Why is it singled out so often? Why is it officially banned in 51 or more nations? Why are so many people offended when something is mentioned from this book? These types of questions look to an outside source of decision than ourselves and it allows us to see the answers correctly.

This brings up an issue of authority and ultimate standards. The highest authority cannot appeal to any other authority lest that other authority be a higher standard. The highest authority can only appeal to itself. That does mean circular reasoning, but this is the only case where it holds true. For an ultimate authority to be valid, it must pass its own standards of judgment. The Bible does this. The Bible passes the same standards that it holds us to. It is internally consistent. Many have claimed there are inconsistencies in the Bible, but if you study what they are, it will not take long to see that the supposed inconsistencies are quoted out of context. The Bible is different from any other holy book because it passes its own standard. No other holy book does this. The Bible is a valid ultimate standard.

In the Bible, we find answers for every type of problem we may face. Jesus faced every type of temptation known to man and overcame them. He is the most brilliant tactician of all time and in every battle, every struggle we face, Jesus knows how to overcome them. So instead of asking, “Why are we facing this trial, this struggle?” ask “How can I can face it?” In the historical books of the Bible, we see the struggles of the great heroes of the faith and what they faced. We can use the lessons they learned to address how we face our problems. No other book can give us instructions on how to deal with certain issues through teaching, through poetry (like the Psalms), through history, and even through prophecy. There are many CEOs, some of whom do not believe the Bible, but will use the Book of Proverbs to get insight on how to run their business.

The Bible contains all the answers we need. It is the “Logos” word of God. The complete expression, everything God wanted to say about the subject. But are we asking the right questions? Are we questioning God as though we are the judge of all things? Or are we seeking the questions, understanding that God is the judge of all things? If you have the wrong questions, any answer given will make as much sense as “42.” Ask the right questions and God will make the answers revealed in the Bible and in his Son, Jesus Christ, totally clear.