Slideshow image

The Bible does not specifically mention marijuana. A search with a Bible commentary can quickly confirm this. But this shouldn’t surprise or unsettle us. The Bible is not an encyclopedia, it’s a story. We cannot (and should not!) use the Bible like Wikipedia, as a quick resource to find what we’re supposed to think about any topic under the sun. First and foremost, the Bible is a story. In her best-selling book The Jesus Storybook Bible, Sally Lloyd-Jones puts it this way:

Now, some people think the Bible is a book of rules, telling you what you should and shouldn’t do. The Bible certainly does have some rules in it. They show you how life works best. But the Bible isn’t mainly about you and what you should be doing. It’s about God and what he has done.

Other people think the Bible is a book of heroes, showing you people you should copy. The Bible does have some heroes in it, but (as you’ll soon find out) most of the people in the Bible aren’t heroes at all. They make some big mistakes (sometimes on purpose). They get afraid and run away. At times they are downright mean.

No, the Bible isn’t a book of rules, or a book of heroes. The Bible is most of all a Story. It’s an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne—everything—to rescue the one he loves. It’s like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life!

You see, the best thing about this Story is—it’s true.[1]

Does this mean that Christians should simply throw up their hands and ignore issues like marijuana usage? Does it mean we are free to indulge as long as it’s legal and culturally acceptable?

When Scripture is Silent 

Just because the Bible doesn’t explicitly mention something doesn’t mean it offers us no guidance. Scripture still speaks through principle, even when it is silent on the particulars.[2] Here’s a simple formula to think through issues like these:

  • The Bible explicitly prohibits A because of X
  • The Bible is silent on B, but B is a form of X
  • By implicit principle, the Bible prohibits B

For example, the Bible does not explicitly mention internet pornography (B). Should we conclude that since the Bible doesn’t mention it, we are free to indulge as long as it’s legal and culturally acceptable? God forbid! The Bible is filled with warnings against lust (A) because it violates the marriage covenant and is a form of adultery (X). Since internet pornography is designed to entice lust, it is by implicit principle prohibited by Scripture as another form of adultery (X). The formula would like this:

  • The Bible explicitly prohibits lust because it is a form of adultery.
  • The Bible is silent on internet pornography, but internet pornography is a form of adultery.
  • Therefore, by implicit principle, the Bible prohibits internet pornography.  

 

Come back tomorrow and we’ll see if this formula can help us think biblically about marijuana.

 

[1] Sally Lloyd-Jones, The Jesus Storybook Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007), 14–17.

[2] Adapted from Joe Carter, “Is Recreational Marijuana Use a Sin?,” The Gospel Coalition, January 6, 2014, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/is-recreational-marijuana-use-a-sin/.