--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Such debates [about the nature of…" description: "\"Such debates [about the nature of Scripture], in my view, distract attention from the real point of what the Bible is there for. Squabbling over partic..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/n-t-wright-2-2245_attention_such-debates-about-the-nature-of-scriptu_1846692.jpg" --- # Such debates \[about the nature of Scripture\], in my view… ![“Such debates [about the nature of Scripture], in my view, distract attention from the real point of what the Bible is there for. Squabbling over particular definitions of the qualities of the Bible is like a married couple squabbling over which of them loves the children more, when they should be…” quote by N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/n-t-wright-2-2245_attention_such-debates-about-the-nature-of-scriptu_1846692.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/n-t-wright-2-2245_attention_such-debates-about-the-nature-of-scriptu_1846692.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c2e/n-t-wright-2-2245_attention_such-debates-about-the-nature-of-scriptu_1846692.jpg) > “Such debates \[about the nature of Scripture\], in my view, distract attention from the real point of what the Bible is there for. Squabbling over particular definitions of the qualities of the Bible is like a married couple squabbling over which of them loves the children more, when they should be getting on with bringing them up and setting them a good example. The Bible is there to enable God's people to be equipped to do God's work in God's world, not to give them an excuse to sit back smugly, knowing they possess all God's truth.” [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The Bible’s purpose is to equip believers for active service, not to fuel intellectual pride. **In simple terms:** Bible equips for action, not just debate. Key Takeaway Focus on living out its teachings. Themes faith service purpose Mood reflective encouraging Type theological practical When to use this quote - church leadership - mission work - personal discipleship Key Concepts theology practical Christianity Questions to Reflect On - How can you apply biblical principles today? - What debates distract you from service? A Different Perspective Excessive debate can stall practical ministry. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [Bible Squabbling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible-squabbling-2394753/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Couple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/couple/) [Debate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/debate/) [Definitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/definitions/) [Example](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/example/) [Excuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/excuse/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Good examples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-examples/) [Knowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowing/) [Married](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/married/) [Married Couple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/married-couple/) [Married couples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/married-couples/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Nature Scripture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature-scripture-2394755/) [Particular](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/particular/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Qualities Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/qualities-bible-1556143/) [Quality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quality/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Scripture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scripture/) [Scripture View](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scripture-view-2394754/) [Setting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setting/) [Settings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/settings/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Views](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/views/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“Phenomena of nature is scripture, always open to read and learn with illiteracy being no hindrance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akshmala-sharma/phenomena-of-nature-is-scripture-always-open-to-read-and-learn-with/) [Akshmala Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akshmala-sharma/) > [One of the many divine qualities of the Bible is that it does not yield its secrets to the irreverent and the censorious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-i-packer/one-of-the-many-divine-qualities-of-the-bible-is-that-it-does-not/) [J. I. Packer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-i-packer/) > [“England, to instruct me in lessons about nature, and also about scripture. She would take”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/england-to-instruct-me-in-lessons-about-nature-and-also-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Happiness is part of being whole. It means having an understanding of your identity and purpose, an established feeling of acceptance and value, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-mckinney-hammond/happiness-is-part-of-being-whole-it-means-having-an-understanding-of/) [Michelle McKinney Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-mckinney-hammond/) > [“That may be great for a married couple, but I think it is a stupid idea for two people trying to get to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-g-scott/that-may-be-great-for-a-married-couple-but-i-think-it-is-a-stupid/) [Richard G. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-g-scott/) > [“Subdue. Fruitfulness, increase, and filling lead naturally to the end result of subduing. To subdue means “to dominate or control,” not in the negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myles-munroe/subdue-fruitfulness-increase-and-filling-lead-naturally-to-the-end/) [Myles Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myles-munroe/) > [When you see a married couple coming down the street, the one who is two or three steps ahead is the one that's mad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/when-you-see-a-married-couple-coming-down-the-street-the-one-who-is/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [We fight like a married couple, talk like best friends, flirt like 1st loves, & protect each other like siblings. Face it, we meant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/we-fight-like-a-married-couple-talk-like-best-friends-flirt-like-1st/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) > [“Then as now much time was spent arguing about the rights of women, husband-and-wife relationships and freedom and rights within marriage, but Natasha had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/then-as-now-much-time-was-spent-arguing-about-the-rights-of-women/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [When you fight like a married couple, that's when you know you care.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author-name/when-you-fight-like-a-married-couple-that-s-when-you-know-you-care/) [Author Name](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/author-name/) > [In the first place, Cranford is in possession of the Amazons; all the holders of houses above a certain rent are women. If a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gaskell/in-the-first-place-cranford-is-in-possession-of-the-amazons-all-the/) [Elizabeth Gaskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gaskell/) > [If you're an average married couple, you're going to lie to your spouse in one out of every 10 interactions. Now, you may think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-meyer/if-you-re-an-average-married-couple-you-re-going-to-lie-to-your/) [Pamela Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-meyer/) > [“What kind of married couple uses a pole on their wedding night?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-m-ward/what-kind-of-married-couple-uses-a-pole-on-their-wedding-night/) [H.M. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-m-ward/) > [One fool at least in every married couple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/one-fool-at-least-in-every-married-couple/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [Nothing to me is more distasteful than that entire complacency and satisfaction which beam in the countenances of a new married couple; in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/nothing-to-me-is-more-distasteful-than-that-entire-complacency-and/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) ## More by N. T. Wright > [Wherever St. Paul went, there was a riot. Wherever I go, they serve tea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/wherever-st-paul-went-there-was-a-riot-wherever-i-go-they-serve-tea/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [Rest you well, beloved Jesus, Caesar’s Lord and Israel’s King, In the brooding of the Spirit, in the darkness of the spring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/rest-you-well-beloved-jesus-caesar-s-lord-and-israel-s-king-in-the/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [Art is love creating the new world and justice is love rolling up its sleeves to heal the old one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/art-is-love-creating-the-new-world-and-justice-is-love-rolling-up-its/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [It is faith that looks up at the creator God and knows him to be the God of love. And it is faith that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/it-is-faith-that-looks-up-at-the-creator-god-and-knows-him-to-be-the/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [Scripture is, at its heart, the great story that we sing in order not just to learn it with our heads but to become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/scripture-is-at-its-heart-the-great-story-that-we-sing-in-order-not/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [Most of the things that really matter require faith. 'How do I know that my wife loves me?' 'How do I know that Mozart's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/most-of-the-things-that-really-matter-require-faith-how-do-i-know/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [Justice never means "treating everybody the same way", but "treating people appropriately".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/justice-never-means-treating-everybody-the-same-way-but-treating/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [People often get upset when you teach them what is in the Bible rather than what they presume is in the Bible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/people-often-get-upset-when-you-teach-them-what-is-in-the-bible/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [The word "salvation" denotes rescue. Rescue? What from? Well, of course, ultimately death. And since it is sin that colludes with the forces of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/the-word-salvation-denotes-rescue-rescue-what-from-well-of-course/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [We cannot worship the suffering God today and ignore him tomorrow. We cannot eat and drink the body and blood of the passionate and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/we-cannot-worship-the-suffering-god-today-and-ignore-him-tomorrow-we/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [Part of Christian belief is to find out what's true about Jesus and let that challenge our culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/part-of-christian-belief-is-to-find-out-what-s-true-about-jesus-and/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [If you ask people in England where does Tom Wright sit on the theological spectrum, they say, "Well he's an evangelical of course," as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/if-you-ask-people-in-england-where-does-tom-wright-sit-on-the/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [True worship is open to God, adoring God, waiting for God, trusting God even in the dark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/true-worship-is-open-to-god-adoring-god-waiting-for-god-trusting-god/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [Jesus of Nazareth ushers in not simply a new religious possibility, not simply a new ethic or a new way of salvation, but a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/jesus-of-nazareth-ushers-in-not-simply-a-new-religious-possibility/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [All our language about the future ... is like a set of signposts pointing into a bright mist ... the New Testament image of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/all-our-language-about-the-future-is-like-a-set-of-signposts-pointing/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) [Explore all 176 N. T. Wright quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) ## More Attention quotes > [It appears to me that one great cause of our difference in opinion on subjects which we often discuss is that you have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ricardo/it-appears-to-me-that-one-great-cause-of-our-difference-in-opinion-on/) [David Ricardo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ricardo/) > [People pay far too much attention to the television and they're quite literal in some ways. At the beginning, when I was playing very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ardal-o-hanlon/people-pay-far-too-much-attention-to-the-television-and-they-re-quite/) [Ardal O'Hanlon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ardal-o-hanlon/) > [Television, radio, social media. The 24/7 news cycle plows forward mercilessly on our desks, in our cars and in our pockets. Thousands and thousands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-prince/television-radio-social-media-the-24-7-news-cycle-plows-forward/) [Joseph Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-prince/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. They are but improved means to an unimproved end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/our-inventions-are-wont-to-be-pretty-toys-which-distract-our/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [What people don't normally know about us is the hustle is very real, and it's sorely driven a lot by how we consider ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lzzy-hale/what-people-don-t-normally-know-about-us-is-the-hustle-is-very-real/) [Lzzy Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lzzy-hale/) > [For me, the term "psychotherapy" is limiting. It implies that we work with mind and emotions, but excludes the body and pays scant attention…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jed-diamond/for-me-the-term-psychotherapy-is-limiting-it-implies-that-we-work/) [Jed Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jed-diamond/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [I'm writing about real things. Real people. Real characters. You have to believe what I write about is true or you wouldn't pay any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-m-writing-about-real-things-real-people-real-characters-you-have-to/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [ I went to a mosque in Philadelphia with \[my wife\] in December 24, 1999. And we we went to this mosque in Philly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahershala-ali/i-went-to-a-mosque-in-philadelphia-with-my-wife-in-december-24-1999/) [Mahershala Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahershala-ali/) > [The Harvard Business Review recently had an article called 'The Human Moment,' about how to make real contact with a person at work: ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/the-harvard-business-review-recently-had-an-article-called-the-human/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [Let us thank God heartily as often as we pray that we have His Spirit in us to teach us to pray. Thanksgiving will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/let-us-thank-god-heartily-as-often-as-we-pray-that-we-have-his-spirit/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) > [Enlightened people live in very charged states of attention, with a tremendous power circuiting through them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/enlightened-people-live-in-very-charged-states-of-attention-with-a/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [We must have a welfare system that we can afford, which will mean giving greater attention to directing the welfare program toward its primary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-portillo/we-must-have-a-welfare-system-that-we-can-afford-which-will-mean/) [Michael Portillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-portillo/) > [The director's job should give you a sense of music without drawing attention to itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hackford/the-director-s-job-should-give-you-a-sense-of-music-without-drawing/) [Taylor Hackford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hackford/) [Browse all 10,153 Attention quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Such debates [about the nature of Scripture], in my view, distract attention from the real point of what the Bible is there for. 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