By Jereme VanderWoude

Why is there a Bible?

Right conception of the Bible

  1. Man’s conception (rule book, wisdom book, religiously compiled for religious authority over members, ancient mythology, etc) vs. God’s purpose (Author’s intent and purpose)
  2. God is light (Father-Gen. 1:2-3 Son-John 1:1-5 Holy Spirit-2 Cor. 3:16-18, Eph. 1:17)
    God is light and has so chosen to reveal himself to his creation. Like a “lamp shining in a dark place” that we “will do well to pay attention to” as it says in 2 Peter 1:19

Where did the words come from?

  1. 2 Peter 1:21  “men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
  2. 2 Tim. 3:16 “…breathed out by God”
  3. John 14:25-26 “…he will teach you all things…” (Our trust is in the “memory” of the Holy Spirit, not just the memory of man alone)
  4. John 16:12-15 – “I still have many things to say to you…”

The word makes clear that the Bible’s words are divinely inspired and given by God’s moving, prompting and guiding. He is not distant in his authorship but intently near and present. “Breath” connotes something deeply personal, near, intimate, and inseparable from the man himself. So too the Bible is God’s Word that is personal and inseparable from God himself. 

“Write this down”

Exodus 17:14, Deuteronomy 31:24-26, Revelation 1:11 
(Many other references: Deuteronomy 17:18; Habakkuk 2:2; Deuteronomy 27:2-3; Exodus 32:15-16; 2 Chronicles 35:25; 1 Chronicles 29:29; Luke 1:3; Jeremiah 30:2; Job 19:23; Psalm 102:18)

It is clear in the Bible that God purposed the events and words to be written and kept for generations. It was not an idea from a later period to memorialize the events of the Bible.

Fully God and Fully Man

  • Divine-1 Thess. 4:8
  • Human– 2 Tim. 4:13
  • Similar mystery as to Christ, the God-man. 

Therefore a right conception of the Bible would be: That the Bible we have has not originated from man, but from the eternal God of light who has chosen to reveal himself to creation. We have received this revelation (The Bible) from God through the writings of men that God has ordained and this; not randomly but purposefully. He has purposed that the words he has spoken and the acts he has done would be recorded so that he might be known and known rightly and distinctly in all generations. 

Why the Bible among other texts (according to the Bible)?

Eyewitness Account

  • Heb. 2:1-4-”proved to be reliable” since “every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution.” It was declared by the Lord and “it was attested to us by those who heard” meaning we didn’t hear these words as they were expressed to man before they were written but we have the Words the writers received. It was attested to by them. We have a firsthand account in other words. Signs and wonders and miracles bore witness to it as well. 
  • 2 Peter 2:18 “eyewitnesses of his majesty” Both Hebrews 2 and 2 Peter 2 help us to see and know that the testimony recorded in the Bible is not a myth they came up with or heard in secret and now are proclaiming in the open. But Peter emphatically declares “we were eyewitnesses of his majesty”! 
  • False claims of Gnosticism
    • Secret knowledge claimed to be passed down from the apostles gave rise to the idea of apostolic succession from Peter.
    • In contrast, apostles claim this revelation of Christ is “revealed” (Eph. 3:5), “manifest” (1 John 1:2), “proclaimed” (1 Tim. 3:16), “declared” and “attested to” (Heb. 2:3). We have the true words that the apostles heard from Jesus and because of that we share in the same fellowship they have with the Father, Son and Spirit. 
    • Same fellowship because of same revelation 

1 John 1:1-4 

God—–>authors of the Bible—–>readers/listeners (rest of the world) 

Because the Bible is evidently and directly God’s Word, we don’t simply see it as the various author’s accounts of the God’s Word given to the rest of the world but we can say that this is God’s Word spoken to mankind with the apostles as a conduit of that Word to men. 

God—->man. 

They had a different earthly relation to Christ but we all share in the same spiritual relation to God and his word.

  • This is the mystery of faith (united to Christ in death and resurrection, seated in heavenly places with Christ, we too are eyewitnesses of his majesty and hear his words as if they were being spoken to us)

“Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ…”  

2 Peter 1:1
  • Same truth found in John 17:8 and John 17:20-23

The same fellowship with the Father, Son and Spirit is being had and passed on through the words given to the apostles to give to the people unto belief in Christ.

Jesus says that it was through His word that the disciples have come to believe in Him in John 17:8 and then later Jesus prays for those who will come to believe in himself through “their word” which is talking about his disciples. Jesus’ word leads to faith in Christ and the apostles’ word leads to faith in Christ. Apostles were going to write Christ’s words to the people that would lead to believe in Christ. Like John says in John 20:31 “But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ..”

Claim to Authority

  • Picture of the Sun (Connection between Psalm 19:1-6 and Hebrews 4:12-13 “…no creature is hidden from his sight.” No one can escape the heat of the sun just like no one can escape accountability and therefore judgment according to the Word of God)
  • See connection between John 12:47-50 and Revelation 19:13-15 and Isaiah 11:3-4
    • It is the Word that will strike down the nations in judgment for their refusal to acknowledge God’s light, God’s revelation to men which is summed up in Christ coming to earth (see John 1:9-11)
    • The Word judges because it is God’s revelation given to men so that they may be saved. Men are grouping and crawling around in the dark, and light has come manifestly and generously and man has rejected and spurned this light. It is a serious sin against God to reject this. Blasphemy and treason of the highest kind.

Jesus’ and Apostles Confirmation of Inspiration:

  • Whole OT: Luke 11:49-51 (refers to the first and last book in Jewish format of OT Genesis to 2 Chronicles. Abel martyred Gen. 4 and Zachariah martyred in 2 Chron. 24)
    • The Law- Luke 24:44-46
    • Psalms- Luke 24:44-46, Hebrews 3:7 (“Holy Spirit says..”), John 10:34-35
    • Prophets- Luke 24:44-46, Matt. 5:17, John 12:37-38
  • Gospels- Matt. 24:35, John 12:49-50 (Jesus claims that his word will be the final word, that he received it from his father and that its the same as what the Father is saying)
  • Beyond (Acts, Epistles, Rev.)- John 16:12-15, Acts 1:1-2, 1 Thess. 2:13, 4:8,1 Tim. 5:18 (one reference to the Law and one reference to what Jesus said in Luke 10:7. Both are equally affirmed as Scripture), 2 Peter 3:2, 15 and 16, 1 Corinthians 7:10-11,25 (Paul indicates when he is speaking from his own authority)

Bible not just for one generation

Matthew 22:29-33 “…have you not read what was written to you by God…” Jesus is quoting Moses which was written 1,500 years prior. He is proclaiming it to be God’s word for them today.

John 17:20 “but also for those who will believe in me through their word…” (Shows that Jesus did not see his Word just for the original hearers)

Rom. 4:20-25 “…were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also.”

Rom. 15:4- not just for the writers but for us

1 Peter 1:12 “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.”

We see that though the audience was of an original time and a place. The Bible does not speak of itself as being bound to its original time and place.

The Bible is eternal

  • Isaiah 40:6-8- “but the word of our God will stand forever.” 
  • Matt. 24:35 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” 
  • Psalm 138:2 “…you have exalted above all things your name and your word.” 
  • Hebrews 8:10 law will be written on our hearts and minds forever. 
  • Psalm 119:89 “Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.”
  • Psalm 119:96 “I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad.”

Instead of being bound to a time and place, we see clearly that God’s Word is eternal!) What other area of study could we ever say is firmly fixed and will stand forever?

The Sufficiency of the Word 

Psalm 119:151-152 “Long have I known from your testimonies that you have founded them forever.”

We can know from his word that his word is true! We don’t need external sources even though they might be useful. The word sufficiently bears witness about the word.

“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 Tim. 3:16-17

Here are just some of the ways the Word of God proves itself to be “sufficient for every good work.”

Instruction

Rom. 15:4

1 Cor. 10:11

Encouragement through reminder

Rom. 15:4,2 Peter 3:1-2,1 John 5:13, Many OT references

Faith/Salvation

Luke 1:4, John 20:31, 2 Tim. 3:14-15, James 1:21

Unity and Prosperity

2 Chron. 17:1-19 -fear of the Lord, unity and prosperity

1 Corinthians 4:6- “…that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.”

Fear of the Lord/Humility

Deut. 17:18-20- To give us the fear of the Lord, to keep him humble/accountable, to keep him and his family steadfast and sustained (especially leaders*) relates to 1 Tim. 6:3-4

Obedience

Deut. 29:29- the words of God are given and revealed so that we may do them

James 1:22-25

A standard for judgment

John 12:47-50, Revelation 19:11-15, Isaiah 11:3-5

Equipment for Leadership

Titus 1:9, Hebrews 13:7 (No other “words” or source of knowledge is given as a prerequisite for worthy oversight.)

Cleanses/Sanctifies

His word sanctifies and cleanses us from sin: John 15:3 “already you are clean because of the word spoken to you.” John 17:17 “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” It keeps us set apart from this sinful world: Philippians 2:15 “holding fast to the word of life..” and Psalm 119:9 “How can a young man keep his way pure?…” and Psalm 119:11 “…that I might not sin against you.”

Spiritual Warfare/Resisting the Enemy

Matt. 4:4, Eph. 6:17 

Avoiding False Teaching

1 Timothy 4:6-7,16, 2 Timothy 4:2-4 “people will not endure sound teaching”

Correction

2 Timothy 3:16, Titus 1:9

Knowledge of Creation/World

Word is sufficient to teach us about the world/creation/mankind

Psalm 119:96, 98-104, Genesis 1-3 We learn of creation, Satan and the Fall

Heart of man is revealed all through the scripture as being corrupt and in need of redemption