Pastor's corner - Is the Bible Really the Word of God?

The Sacred Book – the Bible – is held by many to be the very Word of God. But is it? There are three Bible passages that proclaim the origin, intent and extent of Scripture:

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God (“God-breathed”), 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, explanation added

Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation (origin), for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” ~ II Peter 1:20-21, explanation added.

I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints ~ Jude 3, emphasis added

Space does not allow for an exhaustive handling of this question. But in a very basic sense, there are two key terms that must be understood when one considers the origin, completeness and/or authority of the Bible.

The first is revelation.

When I refer to revelation, I am not talking about the book of Revelation, the last book in the Bible, but rather the doctrine of revelation which refers to the supernatural work of God in which he communicated divine truth to human beings that they otherwise would not or could not know.

To put it another way, “revelation means that God has chosen to reveal His nature and His will to us through the Bible. The Bible was written so that God could show us what He is like and what He wants us to be like.” (from Foundations, Teacher’s Guide, Tom Holladay and Kay Warren, Zondervan, p. 41). Sometimes God spoke His revelation (Num. 1:1a); sometimes He illustrated it (Rev. 1:19); sometimes He himself wrote it (Deut. 4:13; 5:22). But in simplest terms, revelation has to do with God revealing His truth to man.

Has revelation ended? Even though some self-appointed, modern-day prophets claim otherwise, the Bible says revelation has ended. Jude 3 (above) says that “the faith” – the body of truth known as God’s revelation – has been delivered “once for all” into the hands of His people. As Chuck Swindoll has said, “The transaction is finished. We no longer need nor should we look for divine messages revealing new information. All that’s needed for faith and practice has already been given - see II Tim. 3:16-17” – (from A Look at the Book, Charles R. Swindoll, Insight for Living, pp. 4-5).

The second key term is Inspiration.

Inspiration refers to the work of the Holy Spirit in and through man to record His truth accurately, without error or contradiction in the original manuscripts.

In other words, inspiration is the production of God’s revealed truth in human words.

The miracle of inspiration is this: that God used sinful, fallible individuals to record His infallible Word! And, like revelation, inspiration has ceased.

God is no longer “moving” men to record accurately any new truth.

As C.H. Spurgeon said, “The only thing new in theology is false theology!” All false religious systems and pseudo-Christian cults that have ever been spawned were started by someone claiming to have received some new revelation from God! The only way for God to protect His truth, therefore, was to Author a “once for all delivered” body of truth (comprised of both Old & New Testaments), even using many human writers, but encompassing one grand theme – the Person and work of Jesus Christ, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29; see also Ex.

12:1-7, 12-13).

Do you know Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? He died for you on that cross and rose again. You can – by prayer - receive Him right now and have forgiveness for all your sin (John 1:12; 3:16). Christ alone is “the Scarlet Thread that holds all of the Scriptures together” (see Luke 24:25-27, 44; John 5:39, 46; Acts 28:23), proving the Bible to be the Word of God!

Dean Ellis,

Pastor of Evangelism & Outreach

First Baptist Church of Colfax