Is the Bible trustworthy?

The Bible claims to answer the most profound questions coming from the deepest recesses of our heart. Why am I here? Where am I going? Who is God? It tells us: how to conduct our life on earth, how to be happy, how to deal with heartache, how to get to heaven, and how to avoid hell.

If we are to believe the tenets of Scripture, then we must understand something of its trustworthiness. Is the Bible truly God’s Word, or merely a collection of nice sayings, stories, and myths? Is it accurate and reliable, or does it have contradictions and mistakes? Will the Bible continue to exercise significant influence, or will if fade into oblivion like all other writings eventually do? Is the Bible still for today, or does its purpose belong to a bygone era?

Amazingly, the Bible answers each of these questions about itself. The claims of the Bible can briefly be summarized by using four words: Inspiration, Inerrant, Indestructible, Intent.

INSPIRATION:

Inspiration deals with the process of how the Bible was written. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. The phrase given by inspiration of God [2 Timothy 3:16] is the translation of a single Greek word - theopneustos, literally meaning God-breathed. Thus, the Bible claims to be God’s word - supernatural in origin. God inspired, or supernaturally imparted, His word to man. Over 3000 times the Bible claims it is the Word of God. But how did God communicate His word to us? The Bible says, holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy spirit. [2 Peter 1:21] The guidance of God’s Holy Spirit communicated to certain individuals what God wanted them to write. This is inspiration - the process of how the Bible was written.

INERRANT:

The word inerrant (inerrancy) speaks of the product that results from the inspired Bible. Since God is its author, the Bible must be inerrant. Inerrant means perfect, pure, truth without error or mistake. Concerning the Bible, Jesus said, Thy word is truth. [John 17:17] Throughout Scripture we see such statements as the following used to describe the Bible: the word of truth, all Thy commandments are true thy word is true from the beginning, the words of the Lord are pure, every word of God is pure, and the law of the Lord is perfect. [Psalm 12:6, 19:7, 119:151, 160; Proverbs 30:5; Ephesians 1:17; 2 Timothy 2:15] When Jesus said, the scriptures cannot be broken [John 10:35], He meant that there are no contradictions or mistakes - it speaks with utmost authority and unity. The Bible is an infallible book. It contains nothing incorrect. This is inerrancy - the Bible is the perfect product of its perfect author.

INDESTRUCTIBLE:

The word indestructible refers to the permanence of the Bible. How permanent is the Word of God? The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. [Isaiah 40:8] Jesus declared, Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. [Matthew 24:35] Of all the books in the world, none has been attacked like the Bible. Throughout history, men have attempted to suppress, destroy, and keep it out of the hands of others. It has been confiscated, banned, and burned by the millions. Those who have sought to put it in the hands of people have often been persecuted and murdered. Yet the Bible remains, miraculously preserved forever by God. [Psalm 12:6-7] Unlike other writings, the Bible will never ride off quietly into the sunset. Its influence will not fade or pass away. It is indestructible - this is the permanence of the word of God.

INTENT:

The term intent addresses the purpose of the Bible. The Bible records thousands of events, and each book has a unique message. Yet the one great purpose of the Bible as a whole is to reveal God’s plan to redeem mankind through Jesus Christ. This purpose is best described in the following words: These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. [John 20:31; see also 1 John 5:13] The Old Testament spoke of Christ in prophecies and types in order to set the stage for His coming. The New Testament presents His coming. Both are meant to convert us to Christ. Revealing the purpose of the Old Testament Jesus made such statements as: they testify of Me and today this scripture is fulfilled, and in the volume of the book it is written of Me. [John 5:34; Luke 4:21; Hebrews 10:7] After the Lord’s death and resurrection, beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. [Luke 24:27] The New Testament describes the birth, sinless life, death and resurrection of Christ, as well as the purpose that comes from those events. He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin for this purpose the Son of God was manifested. [1 John 3:5-8] Thus, the entire Bible is built around Christ and His work to provide eternal life for us. This is the intent of the Bible.

CONCLUSION

In closing, let me encourage each of you to cherish your Bible. It is God’s revelation to you, and your guide book for following Him. It is inspired, inerrant, indestructible, and has intent. Therefore, our trust in the word of God is as firm as our trust in its author. Read it, study it, obey it, and share it.