James Comey indicted by a grand jury on two counts

Former FBI Director James Comey has been indicted by a grand jury on two counts: making false statements within the jurisdiction of the legislative branch and obstruction of congressional proceedings. He will reportedly turn himself in this morning. His arraignment is set for 10 a.m. on October 9.

The indictments stem from an exchange between Comey and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) during a September 30, 2020, Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Sen. Cruz asked Comey if he had ever authorized a leak about the FBI’s investigations into Hillary Clinton’s emails and connections between the Trump campaign and Russia. Comey’s former deputy, Andrew McCabe, indicated that Comey knew about and authorized the leak. Comey maintains that he was unaware of it.

The false statements charge requires prosecutors to prove that Comey “knowingly and willfully” made a “false, fictitious, or fraudulent” statement to Cruz that was material. The obstruction charge requires prosecutors to show that Comey, in making a false statement, corruptly attempted to “influence, obstruct, or impede the due and proper administration of the law.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi stated, “No one is above the law. Today’s indictment reflects this Department of Justice’s commitment to holding those who abuse positions of power accountable for misleading the American people. We will follow the facts in this case.”

Comey, by contrast, stated, “My heart is broken for the Department of Justice, but I have great confidence in the federal judiciary system. And I’m innocent. So, let’s have a trial. And keep the faith.”

Reading Kalama Harris’s memoir

I have neither the expertise nor the missional calling to comment on the legalities of this story. However, as a cultural apologist, I am interested in a more fundamental issue, one that speaks to basic human nature.

I just finished reading Kamala Harris’s memoir of her 2024 presidential campaign, 107 Days. It is a full-throated defense of her efforts and those of her team, blaming her loss squarely on the truncated time frame available for her to campaign and win the election.

Critics are noting the one-sided nature of the narrative, but we should not be surprised. After reading numerous political memoirs and autobiographies over the years, I can say that all of them are understandably written with a bias toward the writer. Their purpose is to provide their version of history as history is recorded and remembered.

In reading the autobiographical works of Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher over the years, I have learned that such a bias is not confined to American culture. Nor should we expect it to be.

We find the same bias across the political spectrum today. Depending on whether you’re reading about James Comey’s indictment in a conservative or a progressive outlet, you’ll get very different versions of the same events. As I have discussed in the past, this is because today’s media outlets know their audience’s partisan biases and appeal to them as a means of generating audience engagement and financial benefit.

This bias inherent in our political memoirs and reporting contrasts sharply with the honesty with which the Bible treats its figures. It’s hard to find a biblical hero whose faults are not on full display. Unlike the hagiography common to ancient literature, the biblical narrative illustrates at every turn the fact that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Such honesty points to two practical facts.

One: We can trust God’s word to tell the truth about everything it addresses.

Luke wrote his Gospel after doing extensive research with “those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word” in order to produce an “orderly account” (Luke 1:2–3). Accordingly, historians have applauded the specificity, authenticity, and accuracy of his records in his Gospel and in Acts.

What is true of his Gospel is true of the entirety of Scripture. As I have written, the evidence for biblical trustworthiness is overwhelming. From ancient manuscripts to fulfilled prophecy and archaeological records, the Bible is the best-attested ancient book in history.

It is not intended to be a book of science or history, but when it speaks to these subjects, it does so as the inspired word of God: “men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). Accordingly, because “all Scripture is breathed out by God,” it is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17).

Two: We should read the Bible in alignment with its transforming purpose.

While the Bible has no bias regarding its characters and the history it records, it does have a clear and transforming purpose: “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).

Scholars speak of this as the “Christocentric principle” in biblical interpretation. As one faith statement puts it, “The criterion by which the Bible is to be interpreted is Jesus Christ.” When I taught biblical interpretation to seminary students, I reminded them that the Bible, while the inspired and authoritative word of God, is a means to an end. Its purpose is not just that we gain more knowledge, but that we know Christ more personally.

The Holy Spirit uses the word of God to convict us of our sins, draw us to repentance, and lead us to intimacy with Jesus. Every word of the Bible is inspired for this purpose.

Political news and autobiographies are written to record history through the lens of those who write them. The Bible was inspired to change history, one soul at a time.

When was the last time reading God’s word changed your life?

Why not today?