Is the Bible Necessary for a Good Relationship with God?

Recently I’ve been working with a group of people on a project focused on the Bible. Our goal is to help people fall in love with the Bible, either for the first time, or all over again. After several discussions on this, I had a question pop into my mind. 

"Is the Bible necessary for a good relationship with God?"

I’ve since asked this question in a few venues, and each time, people were nodding their heads in agreement that yes, it is necessary.  I then present another question, or more like a monkey wrench into the gears of their minds. I ask them if they think Noah had a good relationship with God? What about Abraham? Moses? Enoch? By this time people begin to realize they believe these people to have had amazing relationships with God, some of which are even heroes in this area.

What’s the point? None of these “heroes” who had amazing relationships with God had a Bible. Moses only did after he wrote some of it. My next question is then, “If the Bible is necessary for a good relationship with God, are children who can’t read unable to have a good relationship with Him?” We know that can’t be true, because Jesus told us if we want to enter the kingdom we must become like them. 

I’ll leave you with one verse from Jesus Himself, just to have you thinking, then I’ll write another post which will hopefully help you fall in love with the Bible. 

You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!  -John 5:39 (NLT)

*Stayed tuned for Seth's blog post on this subject!