The Misuse of the Bible

The following dialogue was from Season 7, Episode 10 of the television series, Psych.

Shawn: It's the same motive as the Biblical tale of the very first murder. Brother kills brother over multi-use retail and residential space.

Gus: "What version of the Bible are you reading?"

Shawn: "The New Rick James Version."

Of course, Shawn was known for his zaniness—and the ability to make something up on the fly. Furthermore, he would say it whether anyone believed him or not. Of course, the idea that Cain and Abel could fight over something that could not exist for centuries does not bother Shawn. He knows the idea is preposterous. He grasps at straws, however, when trying to support his hunches. The reader will likely think the New Rick James Bible was a line made up because of its similarity to The New King James Bible.

But, according to Google, Rick James does have a version of the Bible. Christians cannot recommend it because it is full of severe profanity and irreverence. James had one major hit on the Top Forty, called "Super Freak," which reached number 16 in 1981. The words of that song begin, "She's a very kinky girl, the kind you don't take home to mother." No, it doesn't get any better after that. Apparently, he did parody some Bible texts and make his own version of the Bible. Many people would like to have their own version of the Scriptures; James was foolhardy enough to do it.

If individuals or even religious groups wrote their own Scriptures, what would they say? They would say what men desire them to say. Concerning morality, they would endorse fornication and homosexuality. So-called Christians already argue in favor of both of those. What would they say about salvation? They would teach that "faith only" is sufficient in order to be saved. References to baptism would be either minimized or deleted altogether. And, of course, once a person received salvation, he would not be able to lose it. Probably, Hebrews 10:25 and Acts 20:7 would be amended to allow for more "freedom." Most people have enough sense, however, to leave the Bible unaltered, which is good, but it doesn't go far enough. The Scriptures need to be understood—and obeyed.