GOD AUTHORED THE BIBLE

We are commonly told that the Bible is simply a man-made collection of documents. No contention can undermine the faith of the Church as this can! Therefore, I will soon be teaching a free course via Zoom to address this. This paper will just address one reason that we should believe that the Bible is the Word of God—the Bible’s entirely consistent testimony that it is the Word of God:

•    Jesus answered [the Devil], "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:4)

Jesus NEVER set Himself above Scripture as its judge:

•    "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17-18)

•    He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself… He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. (Luke 24: 25-27, 44-45)

•    Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. (Matthew 22:29)

•    Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

•    MOSES AUTHORED: "But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?" (John 5:45-47)
PAUL:
•    TRANSFORMS: And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers. (1 Thessalonians 2:13)

•    And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. (Acts 20:32)

PETER:
•    1 Peter 1:10–12 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

•    2 Peter 1:20–21 (NLT) Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.
 

JOHN:
•    Revelation 22:18–19 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

THE BIBLE IS ACTUALLY THE WORDS OF GOD

Surrounded by many doubts, religions, and antagonistic worldviews, we need to be reassured that the Bible is the Word of God. And there are many reasons to believe this – the miracles, fulfilled prophecies, its wisdom, changed lives and societies, and internal and external correspondence with the evidences. There is another set of reasons that is less well-known but no less weighty – the nature of the Bible itself.

Let me give you one small example of this – the negative things that the Bible says about its people. Think of it like this – If you want to start a new religion, you have to promise your target audience successful outcomes or benefits. If your religion is not appealing, no one will come. However, the Word of God often promises failure. For example, God informed Israel through Moses:

·       “…this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them. Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them…And I will surely hide my face in that day because of all the evil that they have done, because they have turned to other gods…For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my covenant. (Deuteronomy 31:16-18, 20 ESV)

Moses then reaffirmed this dismal verdict to God’s chosen people:

·       “For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Behold, even today while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the LORD. How much more after my death…For I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly and turn aside from the way that I have commanded you. And in the days to come evil will befall you, because you will do what is evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking him to anger through the work of your hands.” (Deuteronomy 31:27-29)

God then gave Moses a prophetic song to teach to Israel, which detailed their future rebellions and the resulting suffering. However, these dismal prophecies should raise many questions:

·       Wouldn’t a man-made religion prophesy blessings rather than failures and the resulting curses? Why are these Scriptures so different from those of other religions?

·       Why are they so antagonistic to what we ordinarily want to hear?

·       Why would Israel continue to follow such a religion?

·       Why would they recognize such writings as God-given and canonize them?

It must have been undeniable to them that these came from God and had been validated by His many miracles, like the ten miraculous plagues against Egypt, Mount Sinai, and forty years of free meals in the form of manna from heaven. Moses had repeatedly reminded Israel of these miracles as proof that God was with them:

·       Or has any god ever attempted to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, and by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great deeds of terror, all of which the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD is God; there is no other besides him. Out of heaven he let you hear his voice, that he might discipline you. And on earth he let you see his great fire, and you heard his words out of the midst of the fire. (Deuteronomy 4:34-36)

There are other aspects of God’s Word that we normally find highly offensive. However, it is these very things that demonstrate that the Bible is not the Word of man but of God.

THE REJECTION OF SCRIPTURE

Scripture describes itself as the source of all spiritual blessings:

·       May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence. (2 Peter 1:2-3; ESV)

God is so pleased when we meditate on His Word that He blesses us in innumerable ways, as the Psalms proclaim:

·       Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. (Psalm 1:1-3)

In light of the many blessings that our Lord gives us when we honor Him by mediating on Him through His Word, it is so disturbing to see His people turning away from Him into the dark alley ways of alternative spiritualities, ways that bring destruction. The prophetic Elihu instructed Job:

·       He opens their ears to instruction and commands that they return from iniquity. If they listen and serve him, they complete their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasantness. But if they do not listen, they perish by the sword and die without knowledge. (Job 36:10-12)

Rejecting the revelation of God, His Word, would bring natural consequences as would driving a car while blind-folded. God explained:

·       There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land…Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish, and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, and even the fish of the sea are taken away…My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. (Hosea 4:1, 4, 6)

When we turn our back to God’s Word, we also turn our back on God, and He turns His back on us. Scripture is His love-language. When we reject Scripture, we also reject the way of pleasing Him.

It wasn’t that Israel didn’t know better or and they lacked the education. Instead, it was simply a matter of their rejecting His Word, the very thing that we now see all around us. The consequences might be slow in coming, but they are catastrophic:

·       They shall eat, but not be satisfied; they shall play the whore, but not multiply, because they have forsaken the LORD…My people inquire of a piece of wood, and their walking staff gives them oracles. For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray, and they have left their God to play the whore…I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore, nor your brides when they commit adultery; for the men themselves go aside with prostitutes and sacrifice with cult prostitutes, and a people without understanding shall come to ruin. (Hosea 4:10, 12, 14)

God need not proactively punish. Our rejection of the light of the Word in favor of the darkness of alternative ways and myths will kill us. Lacking the light of God, they will be destroyed by their own choices:

·       Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the LORD, would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.” (Proverbs 1:29-33)

Rebellion carries its own consequences. In light of all this, it is tragic to see large segments of the Church turn aside to eat junk food, food that will not satisfy in the long run. It is only Scripture that truly nourishes. Therefore, the Apostle Paul argued:

·       All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Scripture is our armor against all of our challenges. Therefore, Paul continued:

·       I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (2 Timothy 4:1-4)

Today, silly myths are heralded, even given the place of honor in our culture. We are being told that we are all God because everything is God. But if everything is God, so too is rape and murder. We also are told that the self is not real, but that the unreal self is reincarnated into another unreal body. It is tragic that we are more enamored by these silly and misleading myths than we are in the true God of Scripture.

Scripture is not just a matter of Words. It is life and a vital understanding of God, life, and how to live it. I would not have survived decades of depression and panic attacks had I not known the truths about God – that He has taken away my sins (1 John 1:9) and had convinced me that the feelings of condemnation that I had been experiencing were not from Him (Romans 8:1). Through His Word (and the Spirit applying it to my mind and heart), He convinced me that I was beloved eternally. Let me try to demonstrate. I had long felt that God could not love me. This sense seemed to emanate from the deepest parts of my being. However, Scripture repeatedly contradicted this pervasive sense:

·       …but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Romans 5:8-10)

The logic is simple and unifies the entirety of Scripture together into one harmonious chorus. If God loved me when I hated Jesus and mocked anyone who professed such a faith, now that I have been drawn near to Him through the blood of Jesus, I have all the reasons in the world to believe that He will never stop loving me. I am His beloved investment, which He will protect at all costs.

I need this knowledge even more than food. Without the Word, I could not have certainty of this, despite the many psychologists who had encouraged me to love, accept, and to believe in myself.

This is why I am so grieved to see many stray from His Word into destructive myths. I, therefore, thank God for clothing me with His Word as a mighty tool of the Light to confront the darkness. As David had, I even thank Him for the hardships that have equipped this highly unworthy servant:

·       It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces. (Psalm 119:71-72)

HOW BAD THEOLOGY CAN UNDERMINE THE FAITH

Paul had warned that bad theology undermines faith:

·       See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. (Colossians 2:8; ESV)

Bad theology can take us captive. Sometimes, it can even look benign:

·       Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared, who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer. (1 Timothy 4:1-5)

Paul argued that even the smallest morsel of bad doctrine can undermine the entirety of our faith:

·       You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. (Galatians 5:7-9)

A little bit of bad teaching can contaminate everything. I know that this sounds unbelievable, but just think about a computer virus. It’s just a small bit of information, but it can destroy your computer. The same seems to pertain to our faith.

Let’s take a couple of examples. Universalism is the belief that everyone will be saved in the end. They argue that, since God is love, He would never condemn His creations to an endless hell. However, this one simple belief contradicts the entire Bible.

Why should any bother to read the Bible if they are going to be saved anyway. The Christian life is not easy. We are called to suffer (2 Cor. 4:10-11). Why then live for Christ? Why be obedient if all will be saved?

The same goes for prayer, confession, repentance, and certainly evangelism. I would be ashamed to tell anyone that they need to come to Christ if they are going to heaven regardless. In fact, if all are to be saved, nothing in the Bible is of any real consequence. Better to eat, drink, and be merry!

Many other heresies will also undermine the entirety of the faith. Mysticism is becoming fantastically popular. Mysticism is the belief that we can enjoy the love and blessings of God without certain beliefs and doctrines. All that is necessary is the practice of certain mindless techniques/exercises like meditation to clear the mind, visualizations, repetitions of a single word, or imaginations.

If we can experience the love of God through the various mystical exercises, who needs the Bible, confession, repentance, faith, and obedience. Mysticism makes them all irrelevant. However, their various techniques are entering the Church like a tsunami.

Why? Progressives are coming to believe that experience, rather than our opposing beliefs, will bring world unity. Sociologist Tony Campolo wrote:

·       A theology of mysticism provides some hope for common ground between Christianity and Islam. Both religions have within their histories examples of ecstatic union with God…I do not know what to make of the Muslim mystics, especially those who have come to be known as the Sufis. What do they experience in their mystical experiences? Could they have encountered the same God we do in our Christian mysticism. (Roger Oakland, Faith Undone, 108)

According to Campolo, we can plug into God through mystical techniques and experiences, and this common experience can become the basis of “common ground” among the various religions. He claims that he has been able to achieve “intimacy with Christ” through “centering prayer” (113). For him, this involves the repetition of the name of Jesus. However, he suggests that Muslims – and probably others – may also be able to achieve this same “intimacy with Christ” through the use of similar mystical techniques. If this is so, then theology and doctrine are no longer important. Instead, they build walls and present obstacles.

However, Campolo’s hope that people of different religions are experiencing our God lovingly and savingly is biblically absurd. Without having been reconciled to God through His Son, we cannot enter into His presence; nor would we want to. Israel had been so terrified by the manifestations of God on Mt. Sinai that they thought they would die (Deut. 5:25).

The Temple stood as a constant reminder that anyone not authorized to approach God would be struck dead. Even the authorized could only approach after lengthy preparations.

Jesus reiterated that fact that, naturally speaking, we hate the light of the presence of God:

·       And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. (John 3:19-20)

Jesus, therefore, is the last One the unredeemed would want to encounter. What then are they encountering when they claim to have an encounter with God through exercising their techniques? Paul had warned:

·       For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)

Where then can we find safety from demonic deception and demonic encounters? Only through Christ and through His Word!

THE BIBLE, THE UNIVERSITIES, AND THE TRUTH

The Bible is about apologetics, giving reasons to believe. It never instructs us to turn our minds off and to "Just believe." Instead, it supples us with many rational reasons on which our faith can rest, like John's testimonial evidence:

• “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.” (1 John 1:1-4)

God gave us a powerful mind in order to love Him in truth. This is why the great universities were created - to study the Christian Faith. Instead, of running from the light and forbidding the questioning of our faith, these institutions give testimony to the fact that the Bible is ready and able to withstand questioning and criticism.

A GOOD WAY OF KNOWING THAT WE ARE INTERPRETING SCRIPTURE CORRECTLY

How do we know when we have the right interpretation of Scripture? There are many ways. I will just talk at one of these ways.

A correct interpretation of God's Word bears good fruit, according to the Book of James:

·       “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” (James 3:17-18; ESV)

Our good fruit also shows off the wisdom of God to the world. When our interpretation of Scripture guides us to live wisely and morally in the eyes of the world, this is a good indication that we are properly understanding God's Word.

Israel's godly influence upon their neighbors was a demonstration of the wisdom of God in their lives. Moses taught Israel that they would show off God's wisdom as they'd live according to His laws:

·       “See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?” (Deuteronomy 4:5-8)

By living out God's truths as He had intended them to be understood, Israel would be a light to the nations.

This same principle also pertains to us today. When we accurately interpret and apply His Words, our conduct will show forth His wisdom and put our oppressors to shame:

·       “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation...For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.” (1 Peter 2:12, 15; Titus 2:5-10)

These teachings reflect the fact that non-Christians also have the moral laws of God written on their hearts (Romans 2:14-15). They also know the good. Even if they walk in the darkness of evil, they still know what is morally right. Therefore, even if they hate the light of God's wisdom, they can only deny it with great difficulty.

However, if our understanding of Scripture allows them to readily dismiss our faith, it might be that we have failed to show forth God's wisdom in the way we conduct our lives.

Here's one example of this. Many Christians have misinterpreted Jesus' teaching to "turn the other cheek" by not reporting a burglary or even a rape.

How do we know that this interpretation is wrong? Because it would bring disrepute upon the faith. Here's how. If my sister is raped and I know the identity of the rapist but don't bring charges against him because I think that "turning the other cheek" requires that I don't, I will bring disrepute on the faith.

How? When my neighbor's wife is raped by the same man and my neighbor learns that I had refused to bring charges, he will have a justifiable contempt for my faith.

This should teach us an essential lesson. If our interpretation of Scripture fails to reveal the wisdom of God, it is likely that we have the wrong interpretation.

However, if we speak and act according to God's wise teachings, we have the opportunity of being a blessing:

·       “Whoever despises the word brings destruction on himself, but he who reveres the commandment will be rewarded. The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death. Good sense wins favor.” (Proverbs 13:13-15)

When this happens, it is likely that we are correctly interpreting and walking in the truth of His Word.