Where does all scripture come from and what part it plays in molding your minister?

Answer 1

From a Christian perspective, and put very simply, all scripture comes from God through human agents. Christians believe that God has been able to preserve His divine word despite the various possibilities of human error. Of course the original divine messages are inspired and infallible - copies can contain errors although the very few that are thought to exist are not important in any sense. The large number of manuscripts acts as a corrective since they come from various sources and have an amazing tendency to agree.

The part it plays in molding the minister depends on a number of factors, primarily on the minister concerned. If a person does not hold the scriptures in high regard as the word of the living God, then they will not allow their thinking to be molded by it. People often tend to take their own personal philosophy of life and read it into the scripture - this can also include a belief in the infallibility of science over and above the infallibility of the scripture.

On the other hand, if the word is precious, and is heeded, then the hearers and those with whom the minister deals will be blessed. This blessing will come essentially as the minister stands aside in humility and lets the word speak, the Spirit of God doing the real work of ministry. From the state of many churches today, it is evident which of the two approaches is more prevalent. The former is easier, since it is like 'going with the flow'. The latter is more difficult, which is why many do not wish to pay the price - it may cost them some time on their knees, and some more time in serious study. But it certainly brings more blessing, firstly to the minister, and then this overflows to those with whom they deal.