What is the Bible? | Eastside church of Christ

The Bible is Unique The Bible is different from every other book ever written. It was written over a period of 1,500 years by forty different authors in three languages. Yet it is not a disjointed collection of unrelated writings. It has one continuous theme that runs throughout. Not only that, but despite the diversity in authors and gaps in time of writing, there are no contradictions. How is that possible? Even with many making efforts to try to find errors and contradictions in the Bible, there are none. The supposed contradictions can all be explained when we consider the context. Compare this with another supposedly divinely revealed religious text – the Qur’an. It seems that the ones who recorded the Qur’an knew that there were or would be contradictions in their work and had to find a way to explain them away. So they provided a loophole to explain any possible contradiction – the law of abrogation. “Whatever communications We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring one better than it or like it. Do you know that Allah has power over all things?” (Qur’an 2:106). As if the writers expected those who would read the Qur’an would find contradictions, this passage tells them what to do when they find them. They were to simply accept whatever was written later. If it was different than something earlier, it must be because Allah had changed his mind and the newer message was better. The Bible needs no such loophole. Instead of trying to provide an explanation to any possible contradiction, Jesus said, “The Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). How can the Bible make such a bold claim? For the same reason it contains no contradictions even though it was written by forty men over the span of 1,500 years. It is the only book that has been inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16). Because God is perfect, His word is perfect.

The Bible is the Truth

This claim is made in both the Old and New Testaments. The psalmist wrote, “The sum of Your word is truth” (Psalm 119:160). He did not say some of God’s word is truth. It is all truth. Jesus prayed to the Father, “Sanctify them in Your truth; Your word is truth” (John 17:17). One thing that is implied by Jesus’ prayer is that there is only one truth. He prayed, “Your word is truth.” He did not say God’s word was a truth. It is truth. Therefore, anything that is contrary to it is false. Jesus told Pilate He came “to testify to the truth” (John 18:37) – the truth, not a truth. Because it is the truth, the Bible is the perfect standard by which we will be judged. Jesus said, “The word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day” (John 12:48). Another consequence of the word of God being the truth is that we are authorized to speak only those things revealed in God’s word. “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11, KJV). We have no right to preach anything but God’s word.

The Bible is Timeless

Peter wrote, “The word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Peter 1:25). After writing, “The sum of Your word is truth,” the psalmist added, “And every one of your righteous ordinances is everlasting” (Psalm 119:160). As long as the earth stands, the word of God is going to endure. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). In spite of various attempts that have been made, God’s word has not been and will not be destroyed. We can be assured that the Bible will remain until the world is burned up (2 Peter 3:10). Not only is the Bible going to endure, but the message contained in it is timeless. Many claim the Bible is irrelevant to us today, but the Bible is just as applicable today as it was when it was written. Why? It is because man has the same problems today that he did when the Bible was written. Man still needs to be saved from his sin and know how to get back into a right relationship with God. The needs are the same and God’s plans to meet those needs have not changed. Some believe the Bible was relevant or true at one time, but no longer. Muslims somewhat believe the Bible. They see Jesus as a prophet, but not the Son of God. But the Qur’an is the book they believe they should follow because it allegedly contains the words of the chief prophet, Muhammad. Mormons believe that the Bible contained the word of God, but has been corrupted over time. So they have a latter-day revelation, the book of Mormon. But the Bible says there will never be a new revelation. Jude instructed those to whom he wrote to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3). “The faith” is the body of teaching that had been revealed – the word of God. Jude said this was delivered “once for all,” or “once for all time” (New Living Translation). The Bible contained the word of God when it was written and it contains the word of God today.

The Bible is Authoritative

Before giving what we commonly call the Great Commission, Jesus told His apostles, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). Jesus’ authority was the basis for all the preaching and teaching that was to be done by the apostles. These apostles and other inspired men were revealing the very “mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). Paul described the apostles as “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20). He went on to say it was “as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” Jesus said we will be judged by His words (John 12:48). Paul said judgment would be “according to my gospel” (Romans 2:16). How can this be? The words written by Paul and the other New Testament writers were from Christ. This is why Paul told the Corinthians, “The things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment” (1 Corinthians 14:37). Because Christ has been given all authority and the Bible contains His words, the Scriptures are authoritative. The Bible is not just something that should be followed, but must be followed.

The Bible is Understandable

Paul indicated that the word of God could be understood. He told the Ephesians, “By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ” (Ephesians 3:4). The “mystery” to which he referred was the will of God that had been delivered through revelation (Ephesians 3:3). He told these brethren that they could have the same understanding that he had through reading the things he had written. Later in the epistle, he gave this instruction: “So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17). God revealed His will in such a way that we can understand it. Many claim that we cannot understand the Bible. But remember Paul’s instruction, which was also the Lord’s instruction (cf. 1 Corinthians 14:37): “Understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17). Has God ever given an instruction to man that he was unable to carry out? Those who claim that we cannot understand the Bible do one of two things through this claim. Either they indict God of being unfair, giving us a command we cannot obey; or they charge God as being incapable of expressing His will to the ones He created. I wonder which would be worse. The problem is not that we cannot understand the Bible, but that many will not understand. Jesus said we must first have a willing heart before we will allow ourselves to understand the truth (John 7:17). But many are uninterested in doing God’s will. Others may say we can understand the Bible, but they claim that we cannot understand the Bible alike. The idea is that we will each have our own understanding of various passages and topics. But if we do not understand the Bible alike, then we do not understand the Bible. “God is not the author of confusion” (1 Corinthians 14:33, KJV). The blame for all the disagreements and divisions in the religious world does not belong with God, but with man. Instead of each one having their own understanding and everyone teaching different things, God’s desire is that we “all agree and that there be no divisions.” We are to have the “same mind” and “same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10). God made the Bible so that it could be understood, and we can understand the Bible alike.

The Bible Reveals God’s Will

The Bible is “inspired by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). The men who penned the words of the Bible did not decide on their own what to write. Instead, “men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:21). Jesus told the apostles that the Holy Spirit would come and “guide [them] into all the truth” (John 16:13). Paul said they had received “the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12). The Bible is where we need to go to find God’s will today. Yet many look to other sources to find His will. Some believe in the direct communication of the Holy Spirit. They speak of the Spirit revealing something to them through a dream, vision, or other means. They may use language that describes God laying something on their heart. But when Jesus said He would send the Holy Spirit to “guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13), He was not speaking to all Christians; He was speaking to His apostles. They would be directly guided by the Holy Spirit into “all the truth.” We must “believe in [Christ] through their word” (John 17:20). Others look to modern-day prophets. This is similar to the idea that we are directly guided by the Holy Spirit. This belief is that there are some who receive direct communication from the Holy Spirit, but not all Christians. These would be special prophets that would speak on behalf of God. There were certainly prophets in the first century (Ephesians 4:11), but the gift of prophecy would cease. Paul said, “If there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away” (1 Corinthians 13:8). This would happen “when the perfect comes” (1 Corinthians 13:10). In context, “the perfect” has reference to the completely revealed word of God. Since we have the word of God that has been “once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3), there is no longer a need for prophecy. This gift has ceased. Many look to their own emotions and feelings to tell them what is pleasing to God. The problem with this is that our emotions can be deceptive. We may feel good about ourselves and still be wrong. The proverb writer said, “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12). Jeremiah said, “I know, O Lord, that a man’s way is not in himself, nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). Paul told the Jewish Council, “I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day” (Acts 23:1). Paul felt good about what he was doing. Yet he had formerly acted as “a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor” (1 Timothy 1:13). We must not allow our emotions to guide us. We must be led by the word of God.

Conclusion

As we have noticed certain characteristics of the Bible, let us not lose sight of the big picture. The theme of the Bible is the scheme of redemption. God’s desire is for man to be saved from his sins. The gospel is “the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16). It is not enough to simply understand the truth about the Bible. We must obey the truth contained in the Bible (Hebrews 5:9). —Andy Sochor