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The Bible—For What It’s Worth: Three Passages of Wisdom

© Richard Kent Matthews

I have studied the Bible off and on for more than 50 years. I used to believe that it was literally true from cover to cover, from the first verse in Genesis to last verse in Revelation. I often came across confusing passages and passages that seemed to contradict one another, but I always let it slide. When I would, on occasion, ask my minister about something that bothered me, he would tell me to trust God and let it go. So I would. Sort of. . .

In my heart of hearts, I knew I had to find out what was going on. When I was in my early thirties, I began the process of actually taking passages of scripture and running them through a kind of elimination process. If it didn't make sense to me, I would simply disregard it. As I did that, at first I felt a bit guilty. Who was I to tear the Bible apart?

Who wasn't I?

In 1981, while living in Denver, my friend Joan invited me to attend her church. At first I balked. She insisted. I told her I was through with churches. They all claimed to have Truth yet each interpreted the Bible in it's own way, and criticized those who disagreed. Joan said her church was different. How, I asked? Come see, she said. I finally did. And I'm glad. It changed my life.

The church is Mile High Church of Religious Science, a New Thought church. I quickly became engrossed in the teachings. In 1988 I moved to Portland, Oregon, and in 1989, along with my friend Iris, I enrolled in a New Thought ministry school. Iris and I finished in 1993, were ordained that same year, and started a small church on the Oregon Coast, eventually moving it to Portland.

The point? Once I changed my thinking about the Bible, I was able to search it and dissect it in ways I never could have as a fundamentalist Christian. And after all these years of study, I have found three passages of scripture that are the only ones that make 100% personal sense to me. I share them with you here. You may find others; that's OK. These are mine. Use this information as you will. I do not seek to convert anyone to anything.

"The kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:21 To me this passage says that I am one with not only the Creator, but with all creation. There is no separation between Spirit and me. I love that. I am Spirit in essence. Quantum physics tells me that I am mostly empty space. If all that space were to be removed from my body, the atomic structure left would be barely visible under an electron microscope. I am Spirit Expressing.

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