How the Bible Actually Works: In Which I Explain How An Ancient, Ambiguous, and Diverse Book Leads Us to Wisdom Rather Than Answers—and Why That's Great News

by Peter Enns

Rulebook answers deliver certitude and finality, but wisdom embraces mystery. Rulebook answers are distant and passive, but wisdom is intimate and learned through experience. Rulebook answers are immediate, but wisdom takes trial and error over time. Rulebook answers provide comfort and stability, but wisdom asks us to risk letting go of what is familiar for God’s surprises. Rulebook answers are designed to end the journey, but wisdom shapes us so we journey with courage and peace. Rulebook answers are limited to specific moments, but wisdom works in all times and places. Rulebook answers keep us small, but wisdom gives us the space we need to grow.