The Inerrant Word of God

Jeremiah 36:20-26

            The author of Hebrews tells us that God has always revealed Himself and His will to humankind (Heb. 1).  In the earlier times, that is before Jesus came, God spoke through prophets and patriarchs.  He spoke or appeared to Israel in many different forms:  A pillar of fire or of cloud, a burning bush, and the Angel of the Lord.  God’s revelation of Himself and His purpose is progressive.  It is not limited to one time, one people, one place, or one method. 

            There are two distinct ways that God reveals Himself.  Theologians refer to these revelations as being general and special.  General Revelation has to do with the invisible attributes of God that may be intuited from reason and nature.  We look at the universe and see pattern and regularity that could not possibly have evolved by accident.  No culture has ever existed that did not have some concept for a supreme being.  Like the Law, Natural Revelation has no power to save.  All it can do is open our eyes to the reality of God and to the inability of man to meet His expectations.

            Special Revelation is God deliberately showing Himself and making His plans known.  He has elected to do this through the prophets, the Scriptures, and by His Son.  All of these special means are given in what we have named the Bible.  The Bible is the inspired and inerrant word of God!  Some believe the Bible is true in its concepts and ideals but not in its historicity or understanding of science.  Ultimately, we must either conclude that the Bible is what it claims to be or that it is the greatest lie ever told! 

            Jehoiakim made the mistake of believing that the Scriptures were simply the ramblings of men with an agenda different than his own.  He believed he could silence those voices by destroying the words and imprisoning/killing the men that wrote them.  Unfortunately, this is also the prevailing theory today. 

*I.                   Arguments Against Inspiration

A.    Human beings recorded the Bible

1.      Even the most intelligent are not perfect

2.      There is no way a book written over a period of 1,600 years (8,000 yrs old) could address the concerns of humanity today

B.     Its longevity is a good recommendation for its authenticity

1.      How many books continue to be read after just 100 years?

2.      The Hebrew kings attempted to suppress the Word

3.      The Romans understood that the Scriptures were the bedrock of the Christian faith and ordered it destroyed (Diocletian, 303 A. D.)

4.      During the Middle Ages the Catholic Church forbade laymen to read the Bible

5.      The enemies of inerrancy are within the Church at present

*II.                What Is the Truth?

A.    The Bible begs to be tested!

1.      After all, only an infinite God could know the future

2.      Prophecy lends credibility

3.      Jesus is the fulfillment of too many promises to be an accident

B.     The Word accomplishes its purpose when it is believed

1.      Becomes a devouring flame (Jer. 5:14)

2.      It is a crushing hammer (Jer. 23:29)

3.      It is a saving power (Rom. 1:16)

4.      It is a weapon of defense (Eph. 6:17)

The Word is perfect because God intended it to be so.  And not just perfect, it has an ageless perspective.  It is eternal and unchanging!  Still, it needs to find a place within the Christian mind for God’s purpose to be accomplished.