What Is The Bible?

Key Terms:

evangelical: holding the beliefs that the human words of the Bible are also God’s very words to us and that eternal salvation comes only through personal faith in Jesus Christ

general revelation: knowledge of God’s existence, character, and moral law that is given to all people

special revelation: God’s word revealed or spoken to specific people, especially in and through the Bible

Key Verses:

2 Timothy 3:16–17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.”

Content:

The Bible tells us what God thinks about his very words. All the words in the Bible are God’s words. Therefore, to disbelieve or disobey them is to disbelieve or disobey God himself.

Four essential characteristics of the Word of God:

AUTHORITY

Old Testament Proof:

“Thus Sayeth The Lord” - understood to be like the command of a king, indicated that what followed was to be obeyed without challenge or question. (Ex. 4:22; Josh. 24:2; 1 Sam. 10:18; Isa. 10:24; also Deut. 18:18–20; Jer. 1:9).

Paul claims old testament scriptures are all Word’s of God even if not direct quotes in 2 Tim 3:16 “All Scripture are God breathed.”

New Testament Proof:

Clear view of the early churches view on Paul and the other apostles writings

2 Peter 3:16 “He speaks about these things in all his letters. There are some things hard to understand in them. The untaught and unstable will twist them to their own destruction, as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures.”

Paul quotes from both Old and New Testament

1 Timothy 5:18 “For the Scripture says: Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain, and, The worker is worthy of his wages.”

He calls both scripture:The Ox comes from Deut 25:4 & The Laborer comes from Luke 10:7

Paul Claims His writings are commands

1 Corinthians 14:37 “If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, he should recognize that what I write to you is the Lord’s command.”

Jesus claim:

John 14:26 “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.”

How God’s Word Was Spoken:

Hebrews 1:1 “Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways.”

God spoke directly to the author

Author based much of his writings on interviews and research

Holy Spirit brought to mind things that Jesus taught

“The words came to the authors, the words they put down were an extension of them—their personalities, skills, backgrounds, and training. But they were also exactly the words God wanted them to write. Though every word in the Bible was written by a human person, the words are more than merely human writings. They are also the very words of God himself, the very words God claims as his own.”

Evangelical Vs Liberal Theology:

Liberal:

People who hold to liberal Protestant theology would say that the words of the Bible are merely human words that bear witness to some ancient writers’ understandings of their experience of God, and therefore they might be inconsistent or contradictory or untrustworthy in various places.

Evangelical:

God claims that the words of Scripture are his own, there is ultimately no higher authority one can appeal to for proof of this claim than Scripture itself. Scripture ultimately gains its authority from itself. [Scripture is Truth]

Other kinds of arguments help back up the claim (such as historical reliability, internal consistency, fulfilled prophecies, influence on others, and the majestic beauty and wisdom of the content)

But the claims of Scripture only become our personal convictions through the work of the Holy Spirit in our individual hearts. He doesn’t supernaturally make them become the words of God (for they always have been). He does, however, change the reader of Scripture.

CLARITY

How To Understand Scripture:

Right understanding requires time, effort, the help of the Holy Spirit, and obedience.

God’s Word is so understandable and clear that even the simple (people who lack sound judgment) can be made wise by it.

Psalm 19:7 “The instruction of the Lord is perfect, renewing one’s life; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise.”

Psalm 119:130 “The revelation of your words brings light and gives understanding to the inexperienced.”

Method: Understand, Internalize, Obey Deut 6:1-9

Understanding Scripture takes Time and Effort & The Holy Spirit

Psalm 1:2 “Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night.”

Ezra 7:10 “Now Ezra had determined in his heart to study the law of the Lord, obey it, and teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.”

Luke 24:45 “Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.”

1 Corinthians 2:12 “Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God.”

Delighting & Obeying Scripture is the Goal of Understanding

Discussion Question: In what ways has the Holy Spirit convicted you, guided you, or helped you understand the character of God through the words of Scripture?

Discussion Question: How do you approach passages in Scripture that are difficult for you to understand? What steps can you take to begin to understand a particular passage of Scripture?

NECESSITY

Scripture helps reveal How to become a Christian, live as a Christian, and grow as a Christian. Scripture allows us to Know God, Know About Sin/Forgiveness, Know God’s Will for us personally.

Beginning of Faith:

Romans 10:14–17 “How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. But not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message? So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.”

Daily Nourishment:

Matthew 4:4 “He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.””

General Vs. Special Revelation

general revelation: knowledge of God’s existence, character, and moral law that is given to all people

Psalm 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands.”

Romans 1:19 “since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them.”

Romans 1:32 “Although they know God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die—they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them.”

Romans 2:14–15 “So, when Gentiles, who do not by nature have the law, do what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts. Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts either accuse or even excuse them”

special revelation: God’s word revealed or spoken to specific people, especially in and through the Bible

SUFFICENCY

Meaning of Sufficiency:

“in the Bible God has given us instructions that equip us for “every good work” he wants us to do (2 Tim. 3:16–17).

Everything God wants to tell all his people for all time about that kind of issue or situation will be found on the pages of the Bible.

It is certainly possible that God will give us specific guidance in particular day-to-day situations, but we do not have license to place on par with Scripture any modern revelations, leadings, or other forms of guidance that we believe to be from God.

Discussion Question: What is the correct time a church should meet for Sunday morning worship?

There are some issues and situations for which God has not provided the precise direction or rules that we may desire. But because Scripture is sufficient, we do not have the right to add to its commands or teachings.

Nothing is sin that is not forbidden by Scripture either explicitly or by implication. Therefore, we are not to add prohibitions where we don’t believe Scripture is precise enough.

One should, therefore, exhibit a humble hesitancy in placing more emphasis on these issues than the Bible does.

Discussion Question: What is one issue that the Bible speaks clearly on? What is one issue that the Bible does not speak clearly on? How does this affect the emphasis you should place on these issues?”