Every morning when I wake up, I grab my Bible and my little “Our Daily Bread” devotional book. Yesterday morning’s devotion was about how people are always wanting to add or subtract from the Bible. “In every era there has been a spirit of the age that challenges our acceptance of the Scripture” (ODB, 2005).
It surprises me how controversial the Bible can be. Many people want to add extra things to the Bible because they think there are important things that aren’t in it. The biggest example of this that I can think of is The Book of Mormon. To the Mormons, this book is just as important and special as the Bible. Other people feel that they have to take certain things out of the Bible because they don’t agree with them. “Christians” who have premarital sex may feel that the parts of the Bible that rebuke that action and call it sin should be removed.
There are huge consequences for adding or subtracting certain parts of the Bible. Revelation 22:18-19 says, “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.”
2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” Instead of adding or taking away from Scripture, we should pray that the Lord would show us where we are wrong. Every part of Scripture is important.
Our Daily Bread. (2005). No alteration needed. United States of America: Radio Bible Class Ministries.