Is the Bible really word-for-word from You, God?
Here’s a pretty simple picture of what God has done with all of Scripture: He has inspired and compelled ordinary men to write down what happened and what was said so that all who would come after would have a true account to read and think about.
The Bible claims to be inspired by God. Accepting that means I have the very Words of God Himself in my hands when I open my Bible. I can’t ignore any of it, or mimimalize any of it.
And not accepting what the Bible says about itself means I can’t trust anything in the Bible to be true. After all, if the Bible lies about itself in one place, who am I to decide what else might be a lie?
I believe God has spoken. And I believe the Bible is what He has spoken. Here’s what I mean:
- Dual Authorship – God spoke through men. He used their personalities and experiences and used their very hands to write out His words, but those words are, word-for-word, His very words.
- Inspired – God inspired men to write the words He wanted them to write. They were not their own thoughts. They are totally trustworthy to be directly from God. Therefore, they apply directly to our lives today, even though they may have been written 6,000 years ago. And not only were the words inspired, but also the men who decided which books would make up the Bible were inspired, too. They were led by God to determine, in a logical and normal way, which letters and writings to include in the canon of the Bible, and which to exclude.
- Sola Scriptura – There is no other book like this one. There is no other authority which competes with this one. The Book of Mormon does not. The Koran does not. There is no other word from God which would negate anything in the Bible. If you ask a Catholic educated in their own belief system, if they believe in Sola Scriptura, they will tell you no. They believe that the Bible is the Words of God, yes. But they also believe that the writings and proclamations of the Church Fathers of the past carry more weight than the Bible. They believe church fathers decided what books should be in the Bible, therefore church fathers have more authority than the Bible. The Bible itself claims otherwise.
My favorite Bible passages on which I stake this faith:
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. ” Hebrews 4:12
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” II Timothy 3:16&17
“No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” 2nd Peter 1:20
“The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward.” Psalm 19:7-11
Therefore, this is what I do because of what I believe about the Bible:
- Learn about it .
- Go to a church where it is preached every Sunday, verse-by-verse.
- Teach it myself.
- Read it, every day.
- Live it…I try.
- Memorize it.
- Speak it.
Bible Studies by Kathleen Dalton 