Following the Bible or Following Jesus

My friend Wade has some thoughts:

Link

I’ve been thinking a lot about what Jesus means in Matthew 5:17-20. He calls his disciples to a righteousness that surpasses that of the Pharisees.

How is this possible?

I think it’s possible by following Jesus and his interpretation of Scripture as articulated through is words and embodied by his deeds.

What is the difference between a disciple of Christ and a Pharisee? A disciple follows Jesus as He embodies the ultimate intent of scripture. A Pharisee follows scripture without following Jesus. The difference between the two is massive.

We can take scripture so seriously that we miss Jesus. That’s what the Pharisees did. But if we take Jesus seriously, we will also take scripture seriously in the way that God intends for it to be taken seriously.

I was talking to a church leader recently about what kind of church he leads, how they operate, their philosophy of ministry, etc. He said, “We keep it simple, we follow the Bible.”

I understand what he means by that, but I wonder if it ultimately points us in the wrong direction?

Are we called to follow the Bible or are we called to follow Jesus? If we follow Jesus, he will teach us how to read the Bible the way God wants the Bible to be read. If we take the bible more seriously than Jesus, our desire to follow the Bible will land us in the same pit with the Pharisees.