Do You Really Believe the Bible Is the Word of God?
By Mark Larson
www.cvillechurch.com
“And for this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received from us the word of God's message, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe” (1 Thess 2:13, NASB). Paul commended the Christians at Thessalonica for accepting the message that was preached to them “for what it really is, the word of God” instead of mere words of men. Could you be given such a complement?
Many people today claim to believe that the Bible is God’s word, but their response to the Bible says otherwise. By the beliefs they hold and the lifestyle they live, they do not really believe that the Bible is God’s word. For if they did, they would take it much more seriously and perform the good works that God commands in Scripture.
More and more “scholars” and theologians today are denying that the Bible is an inspired book. Although they may teach that Bible writers were influenced by God, they do not respect every word in Scripture as the actual words of God. Their perspective of the Bible has had a negative effect on the people, so much so, that many people do not revere the Bible as God’s book to follow today.
To believe that the Bible is truly God’s word is to understand the meaning of inspiration.
2 Timothy 3:16 declares: “All Scripture is inspired by God” (NASB). “Inspired” (theopeustes) means God (theo) breated (pneo). Therefore, all Scripture is God inspired or God breathed! God Himself “breathed through” the Bible writers that spoke for Him! The breath of God is parallel to the word of the Lord (Ps. 33:6). Commonly, “scholars” will speak of what Moses, Isaiah, John, Paul, Peter, etc. wrote (or said) as if they themselves came up with the words we read in Scripture! The assertion is, God gave them an idea or a concept and then they themselves chose the words to say. Such an understanding of Scripture demonstrates an ignorance of how inspiration works.
Consider how the prophets and apostles (writers of the Bible) got the words for the writing of Scripture. A genuine prophet was a “mouth” of the Lord. The actual words of God were placed in his mouth, not merely an idea placed in his mind: “I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him” (Deut 18:18, NASB). Notice that God Himself choose the words to say, not the prophet. (See also Amos 3:7; 7:14-17; Micah 3:8). The same was true for the apostles. The Holy Spirit guided the apostles into all the truth, giving them words which came from God (John 14:26; 16:13-14; 1 Pet. 1:10-12). The apostles spoke the words the Holy Spirit directed them to speak (e.g., Acts 2:1-4). The apostles never preached a man-made wisdom or words which they themselves chose, but only the exact words taught by the Spirit (1 Cor. 2:6-13). “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words” (1 Cor. 2:12-13, NASB).
The inspiration of Scripture is a wonderful blessing for us, for not only is the Bible God’s word, but when we read it we can understand it! “That by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit” (Eph. 3:3-5, NASB). The purpose of the inspiration of Scripture was not to confuse us with words too high and complex for our comprehension, but to supply us with words that even the common man can understand. As a result, we can know God’s will for our lives (Eph. 5:17).
Thankfully, man’s opinions or personal interpretations (i.e., explanations as to the meaning) are not involved in prophecy or in the writing of Scripture: “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Pet. 1:20-21, NASB). This means that we can have the assurance that the Bible is purely and solely from the mind of God. We can be confident that the Bible is God’s will for us today (1 Pet. 1:23-25).
We can plainly recognize that the inspiration of Scripture is not a mere emotion that moves a person to write a story or paint a painting. The inspiration of Scripture is so much more! The Bible contains the words of God! If we really believe that the Bible is God’s word, we will not shun it or try to change it, but we will respect it, learn it, and follow it carefully in life (2 Pet. 3:15-18).
www.cvillechurch.com
“And for this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received from us the word of God's message, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe” (1 Thess 2:13, NASB). Paul commended the Christians at Thessalonica for accepting the message that was preached to them “for what it really is, the word of God” instead of mere words of men. Could you be given such a complement?
Many people today claim to believe that the Bible is God’s word, but their response to the Bible says otherwise. By the beliefs they hold and the lifestyle they live, they do not really believe that the Bible is God’s word. For if they did, they would take it much more seriously and perform the good works that God commands in Scripture.
More and more “scholars” and theologians today are denying that the Bible is an inspired book. Although they may teach that Bible writers were influenced by God, they do not respect every word in Scripture as the actual words of God. Their perspective of the Bible has had a negative effect on the people, so much so, that many people do not revere the Bible as God’s book to follow today.
To believe that the Bible is truly God’s word is to understand the meaning of inspiration.
2 Timothy 3:16 declares: “All Scripture is inspired by God” (NASB). “Inspired” (theopeustes) means God (theo) breated (pneo). Therefore, all Scripture is God inspired or God breathed! God Himself “breathed through” the Bible writers that spoke for Him! The breath of God is parallel to the word of the Lord (Ps. 33:6). Commonly, “scholars” will speak of what Moses, Isaiah, John, Paul, Peter, etc. wrote (or said) as if they themselves came up with the words we read in Scripture! The assertion is, God gave them an idea or a concept and then they themselves chose the words to say. Such an understanding of Scripture demonstrates an ignorance of how inspiration works.
Consider how the prophets and apostles (writers of the Bible) got the words for the writing of Scripture. A genuine prophet was a “mouth” of the Lord. The actual words of God were placed in his mouth, not merely an idea placed in his mind: “I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him” (Deut 18:18, NASB). Notice that God Himself choose the words to say, not the prophet. (See also Amos 3:7; 7:14-17; Micah 3:8). The same was true for the apostles. The Holy Spirit guided the apostles into all the truth, giving them words which came from God (John 14:26; 16:13-14; 1 Pet. 1:10-12). The apostles spoke the words the Holy Spirit directed them to speak (e.g., Acts 2:1-4). The apostles never preached a man-made wisdom or words which they themselves chose, but only the exact words taught by the Spirit (1 Cor. 2:6-13). “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words” (1 Cor. 2:12-13, NASB).
The inspiration of Scripture is a wonderful blessing for us, for not only is the Bible God’s word, but when we read it we can understand it! “That by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit” (Eph. 3:3-5, NASB). The purpose of the inspiration of Scripture was not to confuse us with words too high and complex for our comprehension, but to supply us with words that even the common man can understand. As a result, we can know God’s will for our lives (Eph. 5:17).
Thankfully, man’s opinions or personal interpretations (i.e., explanations as to the meaning) are not involved in prophecy or in the writing of Scripture: “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Pet. 1:20-21, NASB). This means that we can have the assurance that the Bible is purely and solely from the mind of God. We can be confident that the Bible is God’s will for us today (1 Pet. 1:23-25).
We can plainly recognize that the inspiration of Scripture is not a mere emotion that moves a person to write a story or paint a painting. The inspiration of Scripture is so much more! The Bible contains the words of God! If we really believe that the Bible is God’s word, we will not shun it or try to change it, but we will respect it, learn it, and follow it carefully in life (2 Pet. 3:15-18).
posted by Mark E Larson | 11:37 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home