How can a Christian reject part of the Bible and still call themselves a Christian?

[Arkilogue]

It's purpose is to convict the reader of God's existence, his relationship to mankind and his kingdom under Jesus Christ. [..] I believe that the bible does a good job of leading people who have the desire to know God.  For those with no desire, it won't happen, even if God himself comes and has a conversation with them.

The bible is a book possessed of multiple genres.  It contains literal passages and metaphorical passages.  But the two are not clearly delineated.  This invites the reader to be their own divining rod, literalizing the metaphorical and metaphorizing the literal as they see fit.  This is an implicit quandary in a book containing an admixture of styles with no clear demarcation as to which is which.  It is inherent in the book itself that the reader is given the task of rejecting and accepting as they please.  Saying that the bible serves the purpose of leading someone to Jesus, besides being an intent not clearly spelled out anywhere, ignores this dualistic nature of the text.  For all your good intentions, Lek, at the end of the day that is merely how you personally choose to read the bible.  Nowhere is it spelled out unambiguously that this is the intention behind the bible.  You have your own personal hermeneutic of the bible that is backed by nothing at all.  For every one who has the witness of the spirit and agrees with your reading, there are four more who don't.  What you have is an opinion on how the bible is to be read and nothing more.

And the bible, as an abridged collection, still contains such instructions:

2 Tim 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God that hides the word (matter, a thing in other translations), and the glory of the King that seeks for the word.


Taking something at it's word can only ever equal mental belief. But in working it for yourself is spiritual growth.