What would you think if you asked an astronomer what she thought about the true nature of the universe and she replied by telling you all about her really cool telescope? “First,” she might say, “I want you to understand that the Mark VI Statroscope is the best and truest of all telescopes. Without this telescope, you cannot possibly understand anything about the universe. Yes, it is old, but if it was good enough of Johannes Kepler, it is good enough for us.”
The question occurs to me after stumbling on a statement of faith for a group. The statement began not by refering to God or Jesus Christ, but by making some affirmations about the Bible.
Now, being a preacher and all, I think the Bible is about as useful a tool for understanding God as anything out there. But it is not the point of our faith. It makes no more sense to make cognitive commitment to a set of statements about the Bible the first point of our faith than it does to make allegiance to a particular telescope the mark of a true astronomer.
The Bible is a fantastic gift from God. As long as we are looking through it to see God and not at it in search of an idol, we will be just fine.
I am a part-time local pastor serving 
The doctrine of original sin is surely more humbling to man than the opposite: And I know not what honour we can pay to God, if we think man came out of His hands in the condition wherein he is now.
John,
Firstly, kudos on the Joel Osteen allusion.
Secondly, your observation on the Bible as a tool has been a very fruitful one for me, especially as I encounter “Bible-believing” Christians. As Christians, we believe in Christ, the subject of the Biblical story. Moreover, many in my churches have found such an observation liberating and invigorating to their faith (some, notably, are frightened by it). Ultimately, people want to know the Bible because people want to know God.
Thank you for the kudos. Amen.