“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” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
The Bible is a familiar book to many. It is actually a library of 66 different books, 39 of them in what has been designated the Old Testament, 27 of them in the New Testament. There are books of history, law, poetry and prophecy, as well as gospels (volumes of “good news”) about Jesus Christ, and letters, both private, and public in nature. The Old Testament is a foundational text of the religion of Judaism. The entirety of the Bible is respected by those who call themselves Christians.
One note: Not all who call themselves Christians consider the Bible either inspired or authoritative. The word Christian, as it is commonly used, covers a very broad spectrum of beliefs. One must argue whether all are equally legitimate. We contend they are not.
As noted above, the apostle Paul declared that the Bible contains God’s inspired word. The word “inspiration” in Paul’s letter is translated from the Greek word theopneustos. The Greek language is the original language of the New Testament. This word theopneustos is a compound word. The first component theo means God—the second pneustos means to breathe. Thus, God breathed. With this word Paul argues that the Bible is ultimately the product of God, not men.
This raises several serious questions. Can Paul’s argument that the Bible is from God be sustained as we examine the text? Do we have in our hands the actual documents (autographs) that were written in antiquity? If not, can we be sure that in the thousands of years that have passed we have an accurate copy of those original texts? What is the standard that has led to the inclusion of these 66 documents, and the exclusion of others? Can we depend upon the translations into our common languages to present the original sentiments accurately?
Such questions are appropriate. They are questions that should be applied to any text that claims to come from God. We should examine, for example, the Book of Mormon in the same way. The Quran as well.
But, why is this so important? Because if the Bible is truly the inspired word of God, it is authoritative! It means that God exists. That He created by the force of His word the entirety of the universe in six days. That He created man to serve Him. That He expressed through writing a series of commandments and responsibilities for man to heed. That there are consequences to disobedience. That there is an afterlife, and the afterlife consists either of eternal torment or eternal bliss. If it is truly inspired, the Bible is a book that must be read and heeded.
But, if it is not, then men have no obligation toward it whatsoever. Further, if it is not what it claims to be, it should be exposed as fraudulent.
Many have attacked the Bible as fraudulent. This we would expect from those who are antagonistic toward the Christian faith. There is a bias there, though it is often denied. A materialistic mindset rejects a supernatural explanation of the Bible’s origin. It claims that the books were written by men, and that they reflect the ignorance and superstition of the age. Further, the claim is made that the books included in the Bible were decided upon arbitrarily by men, and other equally deserving documents were excluded. The charge is made that motivations for such exclusions range from sexism to efforts at domination and control.
The counter view is that the Bible is in every way God’s will for man. The inspiration of the scriptures is both plenary (complete, absolute) and verbal (every word). The documents that are included are there because they are inspired of God, and God determined their inclusion. The documents that are excluded are because they are not inspired, and their exclusion is motivated solely by that reality. This is the view we hold.
Is this view sustainable? We believe it is. When one examines the origin of the Bible, the textual witness, the means by which the contents of the original autographs were transmitted to the present, and the careful scholarship that produces the various translations, there is overwhelming evidence that our Bibles contain the accurate and understandable words of God.
If we presuppose that God exists, and that He desired to reveal Himself to mankind, it stands to reason that He is capable of making that happen. If His will was intended for us today, it makes sense that we have it — entirely and perfectly.
“…no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:2-21).
