Myths or Truth?

Thomas Bulfinch was born on this day in 1796. His family had been well connected in the Boston area, but in the year Bulfinch was born, his father lost his fortune as the result of questionable investments.

After trying several career paths, Thomas became a bank clerk and writer. He also had an interest in spiritual things. A lifelong member of King’s Chapel in Boston, he tried to make the Psalms more accessible to ordinary readers by arranging them in chronological order and providing appropriate backgrounds for each.

He applied the same approach to myths and legends of the past, with which he had become fascinated. In 1855, he published a book called The Age of Fable. This became an instant classic and is still read today. In his introduction, he acknowledged that “the religions of ancient Greece and Rome are extinct,” but he felt, “they still hold their
place” in our society.

Many people adapted the same attitude toward the Bible, assuming that it simply is a book of myths or a series of stories. These were possibilities even in the first century. Paul warned Timothy not to focus on “worldly fables,” but to focus instead on God’s Word.

Studying myths and legends may be interesting. But be careful about what you make the foundation of your life. Focus on God’s unchanging Word. Study it. Read it. Live it. The Word really is true.