Lee Moses
The above description was intended as an insult, cast by a woman in the audience of the Phil Donahue Show. The targets of her insult were members of the church of Christ. This particular episode of the Phil Donahue Show was dealing with an incident in which a woman was suing the Lord’s church in Collinsville, Oklahoma for publicly withdrawing from her for persisting in open sin. A Gospel preacher had been invited on the show to give a defense for what the church had done. In the limited opportunities he was given, the preacher quoted Bible and proved that the church had simply followed what the Bible teaches. Mr. Donahue, obviously siding against the church, had no way to refute these Biblical arguments, which clearly agitated his loyal audience members. It was in this setting that Donahue held the microphone for an audience member who angrily addressed the Gospel preacher and a small group of Christians present, blurting, “From being here today, I just feel that you people are blinded by the Bible. They don’t see anything else but the Bible!”
However, does the Bible truly blind anyone? The psalmist noted, “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple” (Psa. 119:130). The Bible gives light, not darkness. It reveals what is truly important. It shows things that are unimportant, hurtful, and destructive for what they really are. As such, Christians’ focus moves from what is unimportant to what is crucial. They are no longer fooled into thinking other sources can provide an accurate measure of truth.
In one sense, this woman’s intended insult actually served as a wonderful compliment to the churches of Christ. When Christians have a comprehensive understanding of the Bible and are able to see everything through the lens of the Bible, they are doing very wisely (Psa. 119:105; 2 Cor. 4:18; 5:7). Such Christians are the ones who see clearly. If it is to be said that we are blinded by anything, let it be said that we are blinded to the inconsequential by the dazzling light of God’s precious word.
