One of the most important issues a person searching for truth faces is the question of the Bible’s inspiration. Is it a book from God? Is the Bible really believable? Are the teachings of the Bible reliable? Does the Bible apply to us today? If the answer to these questions is "no," then nothing matters in religion and you and I are wasting our time. On the other hand, if the answer to these questions is "yes," then everything matters, and we are ought to consider very carefully what the Bible teaches.
The "intelligent" people of today see the Bible as a great myth that should be scorned and rejected. They say that to believe the Bible is a sign of weakness. They say the Bible is a work of man who needed a God, and therefore he created one in his mind, and began to write about Him. They explain the Biblical account of our creation by saying that because people did not understand their beginnings, they made up a theory of a great God who created all things.
Others, though they do not disdain the Bible, look at it as a wonderful work of men. They claim it is a book to be admired and studied; a book of great value to society in molding character and shaping lives. But they, too, deny that it is a book from heaven.
Even in the religious world, there is a sharp disagreement concerning the inspiration of the Scriptures. Some religious groups now teach that the Bible is inspired, but in the same way that Shakespeare, Beethoven, and Poe were inspired when they wrote their works. They say, "God blessed these men with the ability to write profound works. Similarly, God blessed the men who wrote the Bible with the ability to pen their beliefs in profound ways." This theory is called "Universal Inspiration."
Other religious groups teach that the Bible is inspired in its general principles and ideals of righteousness, but not in its historic facts, specific statement of doctrine or commands. They say, "God guided the general teachings, but not the specific writings." This theory is called "Partial Inspiration." Many religious groups are now holding to this theory.
Despite the views of many in our society, we maintain that the Bible contains God’s Word. It is inspired in all that it says. The men who wrote the Bible, wrote exactly what God wanted them to write, without error or contradiction, while still retaining their own character and style.
Common Sense Reasoning
Let us consider for moment that the Bible is not inspired, but is only a book by some haughty, over-zealous men (as many believe). Just looking at the general content and story of the Bible, there are some things for which we cannot account.
First, if the men who wrote the Bible were liars, and knew they were liars, why would they write a book that condemned liars to a devil’s hell (1 Timothy 1:9-10; Revelation 21:7)? If hypocritical men invented a Savior, why would they invent a Savior who condemned hypocrisy (Matthew 23)? Why would false witnesses write a book condemning false witnesses? Why would proud, boastful men write a book that praised humility and self-sacrifice? Surely we need not go further to see the fallacy. When individuals organize a religion or "club," they naturally make rules that will fit their lifestyle and ease their conscience. If ordinary men lied and created a Bible, they would not make it self-condemning.
Second, if ordinary men wrote the Bible, why do they depict themselves in a "bad light" from time to time? Why would they have their Savior born in a barn? Or grow up in Nazareth? Or die on a Roman Cross with thieves? Why would the disciples admit their constant lack of faith in Jesus as their Savior? Why would Peter’s denial be highlighted as it is in the Gospels? Why would Paul’s past life be presented? Etc. A Human nature would have caused the writers to depict Jesus as a "hero" and their own role in history as faultless.
Third, if ordinary men wrote the Bible, what motive could they have had? What did they have to gain? They did not gain money. They did not gain comfort. If they were living a lie, they did not gain happiness. And if they were living a lie, they did not gain a home in heaven. These individuals, because of their faith, were considered the scum of the earth in the eyes of many, and most died horrible deaths as their reward. People do not go to such lengths (sacrifice of time, money, suffering) without motives. The disciples, by lying, had nothing to gain and everything to lose.
The Bible was written by many different men, most of whom were of very ordinary background. They were shepherds, farmers, a tax collector, fisherman, and a tentmaker --- unlearned and ignorant men in comparison to the "Scholars" that existed in the first century. Yet, these simple, ordinary men wrote with exaltation, and confidently claimed that their writings were from God. They gave God the credit for everything they did. These very ordinary men produced a book that has lasted for thousands of years, and is still the single best-selling book in the world. Is this not incredible? It is very incredible, unless we understand that the Bible is not merely a work of man, but of God. Common sense leads us to this conclusion.
The Bible Claims Divine Authorship
The word "inspiration" is from the Greek word, theo-pneustos. Theo, means "God" and pseustos, means "breathed into." Therefore, "inspiration" means "God-breathed." Paul affirms that the teachings of the Bible are inspired, coming from the very mouth of God:
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work," (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
In this passage, Paul makes four important claims about the Bible:
1) It’s teachings are inspired --- they come from God;
2) Because the Bible represents God’s Word, it’s teachings are authoritative --- they are useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness;and
3) It is complete, giving us all that we need to know in order to serve God properly.
4) A proper relationship with God depends on a proper understanding of these truths.
Peter said,"Above all, you must understand that no prophesy of Scripture came about by the prophets own interpretation. For prophesy never had it’s origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit," (2 Peter 1:20-21).
So, according to the Bible, when we read from its pages, we are not reading the words and thoughts of some frail mortal such as you and I. We have before us the mind of the Eternal God, the All-Powerful and Omnipotent Creator.
Is the Bible what it claim’s to be?
Is it really the Word of God?Fortunately, this subject does not come down to mere subjective speculation, or "our word against your word." There is ample evidence, internal and external, verifying the validity of the Bible: many books have been written on the subject. Obviously, in the limited format, the best we can do is to survey a few of the evidences that point to the Bible’s inspiration.
Fulfilled Prophecies
One of the greatest pieces of evidence which shows that the Bible is inspired is the fulfilled prophecies that we find in the Scriptures. True prophesy, that is always accurate and true, in unique to the Bible, although we have much from the religious world claiming to be prophecies from God. No other book has dared to reach out and predict the future as the Bible does, and yet it does not fail in any point.
Consider the following prophecies found in the Bible:
1) In the 26th chapter of Ezekiel (592-570 BC) seven things are predicted to happen to the city of Tyre. They occurred exactly as stated in the Bible. Check your history books.
2) In Micah 4:10, 150 years before the event, Micah prophesied that the kingdom of Judah would be taken captive by Babylon. In Jerimiah 25:11-12 it was further prophesied that the captivity would last for exactly 70 years. Check your history books, both came true exactly as prophesied.
3) The prophet Isaiah foretold that a conqueror named Cyrus would destroy seemingly impregnable Babylon and subdue Egypt along with most of the rest of the known world. This same man, said Isaiah, would decide to let the Jewish exiles in his territory go free without any payment of ransom (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1; and 45:13). Isaiah made this prophecy 150 years before Cyrus was born, 180 years before Cyrus performed any of these feats (and he did, eventually, perform them all), and 80 years before the Jews were taken into exile.
4) The exact location and construction sequence of Jerusalem's nine suburbs was predicted by Jeremiah’s "last days", that is, the time period of Israel's second rebirth as a nation in the land of Palestine (Jeremiah 31:38-40). This rebirth became history in 1948, and the construction of the nine suburbs has gone forward precisely in the locations and in the sequence predicted.
Unity of Scriptures
Another evidence that the Scriptures are inspired by God is the amazing unity of the book. One of the best ways to learn about something is simply to look at it: to examine. When we look at the Bible, we cannot help but be impressed with the amazing unity that we find within its pages.
Allow me to illustrate. Suppose someone in England wrote two lines of music, someone in Greece wrote three lines of music; someone in Germany wrote five lines of music; I wrote a couple of lines of music, and so on. Also suppose that like myself, all of the other writers were generally unskilled musicians. Yet, we each wrote the same melody, in the same key, with the same timing and rhythm, etc., so that when the music was brought together, it made a beautiful, complete symphony. What would you think? If you are like me, you would say, "Impossible! Unless each of these amateur musicians were being guided by some master musicians."
Consider the Bible.
This collection of 66 books was penned by probably at least 40 writers, from four continents, over a period of 1600 years, yet contains no contradictions! Some wrote in Palestine, some in Egypt, others in Asia, Rome, Babylon, and Persia. They were from prisons, palaces, and islands. They were from different backgrounds. Because they were separated by time, distance, circumstances, and backgrounds, many of the authors never saw, spoke to, or even heard of any of the other men that helped pen the pages of the Scriptures. Yet, when all of these books were brought together, they were all in perfect harmony, without contradiction or discrepancy, telling of the spiritual history of humanity and God’s provincial care. They all wrote of the same God, the same events, the same Savior, the same fears and the same hopes.
What do you think? Possible? Sure it is ... IF they were guided by the same Master Mind. That mind was the Eternal God.
Scientific Foreknowledge
Again, we know the Bible s inspired because of the scientific foreknowledge that is displayed within it’s pages. In a book that was written when the Bible was written, one would expect to find many superstitions and inaccuracies, especially in regards to any scientific statements that were made. However, just the opposite is true. Even though the Bible is not a science book, we find accurate scientific facts presented to the reader. These facts are in direct contradiction to the superstitions and scientific fallacies that ruled the understanding of ancient times.
Job wrote of God, "He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing," (Job 26:7). At the time Job wrote this, there was virtually no scientific knowledge concerning the universe. The last thought of the average man was that the earth sat upon nothing! Some thought that it rested upon the back of a great turtle, while others held equally ridiculous theories. How was Job able to know that the earth was suspended in space, thousands of years before such could be proven? He must have had help from Someone greater than himself.
This verse also revealed, centuries before human exploration confirmed the fact, that the north polar region of the earth is a barren "empty space" --- a barren, frozen wasteland, a permanent ice cap with no land underneath. Submarines are able to navigate under the ice cap because there is nothing underneath it to prevent them.
Isaiah wrote, "It is He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth.," (Isaiah 40:22). It was believed for more than twenty centuries after Isaiah wrote that the earth was flat. At the close of the 15th century, when Columbus made the famous voyage, there were still many who held to this erroneous belief. Yet, Isaiah confidently declared that the earth was round. How could he learn such information on his own?
There are numerous other passages that could be noted. For example, the Bible declared that there were channels or rivers that flowed through the Seas (2 Samuel 22:16). The gives good and accurate teachings concerning the control of disease prevention (Leviticus 13:45; 14:1-47); geographical information; astronomy, biology, and oceanography. The Bible writers were centuries ahead of their time! They must have been guided by a higher power!
The Bible Has Endured the Test of Time
The fact that the Bible has endured the test of time is evidence of its inspiration. This great book has survived three great threats any one of which would have destroyed a normal book.
First, it has survived the threats and warfare of those who have hated it. Throughout the ages, people have tried to destroy and discredit the Bible. Roman emperors of the first three centuries tried to destroy it. They were unsuccessful. In the centuries to follow, the Roman Catholic Church tried to keep the Bible out of the hands of the people. They made it a crime to translate the Bible into a language other than Latin. They later made it a crime to own a Bible without receiving authorization from the Roman Catholic Church. In 1229, the Catholic Church forbade reading or studying the Bible, except by church officials. Despite these awesome attempts by the Catholic Church to keep people from reading the Bible, it is now printed in nearly every known language, and is available throughout the world.
Robert Ingersol, the famous infidel of the Nineteenth Century, once held p a copy of the Bible and boasted, "In fifteen years, I’ll have this book in the morgue." In less time than this, Ingersoll was in the morgue. Voltaire, the Philosopher, boasted that within 100 years, the Bible would be found only in museums. Nearly 200 years later, the Bible is still available in most societies. Ironically, after Voltair’s death, his house was purchased by the Geneva Bible Society. From the same presses that once printed Voltaire’s atheistic literature, thousands of Bibles were printed.
Second, the Bible has survived the false religions that have been built upon it. The teachings of the Bible have been misrepresented by many through every age since its writing, yet, it’s truths live on.
Years have come and gone, and the Word of God continues to be published and read by people everywhere, Surely this must suggest that there is something special about the great book. As one writer once wrote, "The Bible is an anvil that has worn out many hammers." Jesus said, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away," Mark 24:35. "For all men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord stands forever," (1 Peter 1:24-25). No other book has had to endure what the Bible has endured, The fact that the Bible is still available is evidence of its inspiration.
Conclusion
When we open the Bible, we have before us a book unlike any other book that has been written. It claims to have been written by a Supreme Being, and given to humans in order to teach and guide us in the ways of righteousness. And the evidence shows that this is true. Therefore, everything that it has to say is worthy of our attention, consideration and respect.
This book, God’s book, teaches us what to believe, how to live, how to worship, etc. We should make it our goal to live by the teachings of the Bible, for the Bible also reveals that a vast eternity awaits each of us. And, where we spend eternity will be based on whether or now we live in accordance to the teachings of the Bible.
Author - Jim Crouch, Christian Expositor, Volume 7, Number 1, March 1993, pgs. 19-26, P.O. Box 725, Buffalo, MO 65622.
Please ask your-self this: Since all the historical, scientific, and prophetic statements made in the Bible are true and accurate; then what about the things the bible says about the choices that you make now (or don't make) --- that can affect your eternal future (life or death)? It is in your best interest to study it to find out what God requires of those who would be His children(Romans 8:14-16).
A friendly welcome awaits you. We do not wish to embarrass you in any way. You will not be asked for contributions. We assemble for Bible study and worship each Sunday morning and we welcome you to meet with us. We would be happy to talk to you about your questions and we want to be of encouragement.
Please contact me, Dennis Crawford, at BibleTruthsToU@gmail.com, or 253-396-0290 (cell) for comments, questions, further Bible information, or for the location of a congregation belonging to Jesus Christ near you.
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