Before we start dissecting the History Channel's docudrama, The Bible, I want to take a little extra time and review the importance of historical accuracy--especially when it comes to the development of Bible history and the story that is the foundation of our faith. There is a modern trend to dismiss the details of the Biblical story in favor of accepting only the practical implications of the story. That may sound confusing, but this is like saying we should accept the Bible's teaching of a new life in spite of whether Jesus really resurrected from the dead. So a person can deny the resurrection of the Lord but believe in a new life in Christ. This would also be akin to saying that Jesus is the Son of God but was not really born of a virgin. In both instances, we say that one cannot be reached without the other. The incarnation of the Christ establishes His sonship to the Father and the resurrection from the dead is the foundation of the new life. Without the first the consequence is not possible. Yet this is exactly the new approach being adopted by many toward the story of the Bible. The details do not matter, they say, only so long as we believe in the spiritual import of the story.

     As stated, this is where we insert serious disagreement. We are not at liberty to disregard the details of the Bible in favor of the spiritual application--as if we can prefer one or the other. Observe that Paul, in his letter to the church in Corinth, draws from the actual history of Israel to remind us to be alert spiritual "lest we fall" (1 Cor. 10:1-12). The application of pious attention is made through the illustration of Israel's apostasy. These were real events. Concrete events. The record is etched in stone, so to speak. If the details of the story are changed then the application must change necessarily. We could offer a thousand illustrations of the same. For example, could we understand the spiritual importance of the Passover without acknowledging what happened on that first one in Egypt (Exo. 10-13)? Could we ever hope to understand the scheme of redemption if we denied that Satan really appeared as a serpent in the Garden of Eden? How can we be raised to walk in newness of life if Jesus was not (Rom. 6:3-4)?

     So as we review this television series, which was widely viewed, the details matter. No man is at liberty to change the story. Changing the story comes at great cost, because it changes the meaning of the story. There are many details in stories of the Bible that are not provided (Jn. 21:25), but those that are provided are there for a reason (Jn. 20:30-31). So is The Bible TV series faithful in the details? We will start with the first episode next week. ~ David B. Smith