Why the Bible?

Psalm 19:7-11 The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever.
The decrees of the LORD are firm, and all of them are righteous.

 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

The Bible is comprised of 66 books, written by nearly 40 authors over 1500 years, and it has been translated into over 2000 languages. It contains history, philosophy, theology, systematic thinking, poetry, letters, visions, wisdom literature, rule codes, prophecy, apocalyptical literature, parables, prayers, and sermons, among others.

There is no other book quite like the Bible. It is the best-selling book (and, according to a friend of mine who works at Lifeway, the most stolen as well), and it is available to some 98% of the world’s literate population.

Just in English alone there are numerous translations and paraphrases; I looked on my shelf and found ten different translations, and that’s not even close to being all of them. I am always telling you to read your Bible, to study it, to memorize it (hey, if our children can do it, there’s no reason we adults can’t), to meditate on it. Last year for Lent some of us read through the entire Bible in 40 days, and many of us have done read-though-the-Bible-in-a-year programs.

Though I sometimes preach topical sermon series (like I am doing right now), other times I preach through various books of the Bible or from certain passages. We meet together for Bible studies and tough our cell groups aren’t strictly Bible studies, they are encouraged to include the Bible in their meetings, basing their decisions and shaping their lives based on scripture. I will continue to tell you to check everything with the Bible; if someone makes a truth claim (including one from a pulpit or stage), it’s our duty as Christians to check it with scripture.

But we are making some huge assumptions when we encourage all this Bible reading, assumptions which bear some scrutiny. Why the Bible, anyway?  Why do we read the Bible? Why do we put so much stock in a book, especially a book that is 2000 years old?

Dr. D.A. Carson (Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) identifies the big issue this way (http://ehrmanproject.com/): has God disclosed Himself in words, or only in mystical experiences? In other words, we recognize that there are various ways that a deity might express itself; we as Christians affirm that God speaks different ways. We affirm that prayer is a two-way street; not only do we speak to God, but God, through His Holy Spirit, speaks to us. Right now, in Muslim countries, closed to the Gospel, Jesus is showing up in devout Muslims’ dreams, and they are being converted. God speaks in lots of ways. So why do we even need the Bible?

What it comes down to is this: If God hasn’t talked, there isn’t an issue. But if God talks, then the question is: are his words reliable? How can we know what those reliable words are? Does God speak the truth?  There have frequently been attacks on the Bible: it’s a 2000 year game of telephone. There are inconsistencies and translation issues. I can’t completely cover all of the attacks on the Bible in one sermon – Lee Strobel does a good job in The Case for Christ (and if you want some reading about the authenticity and veracity of the Bible, I’ll give you a copy), but the telephone game critique assumes a 1980s mentality rather than a 500 B.C. one; they were an oral culture who memorized scripture. They repeated it over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over. As for copying errors, yes, that happened. Humans copied the Bible. A couple of years ago, Rudy and I went to a National Pastor’s Conference, and while we were there, we got to be a part of a project called “The Bible Across America” where Zondervan was having people handwrite the Bible. We each got a verse to write. Rudy got 1 Chronicles 12:1 and I wrote John 8:40. We worked really hard to get every letter exactly right. As the scribes copied the scriptures, it’s inevitable that some copying errors occurred. If they found their mistake, they would destroy the entire page and start again. But some got through. Which is why when a Bible translation is made, scholars do not rely on one copy. If you look through your Bible, there are footnotes that will tell you that some manuscripts say certain things, but most agree in a certain way.

So the big issue comes down to this: Does the Bible make false historical, philosophical, theological, or systematic assertions? If so, we would have reason to believe we cannot trust this document. But if we look at the scriptures, we do not find those false assertions.

We live in a culture that affirms relative truth; if it’s true for you, that’s fine. But truth is truth. There are things that are true, whether you believe them or not. You can consistently affirm that 1+1=5, but just try to pay a $5 charge with two $1 bills. Wherever we find a truth claim in the Bible, the Bible is true. Not 99.9% true. 100%. Ravi Zacharias says, “Truth as a category exists and it is possible to verify the truth.”

Remember that the Bible was written during a certain time and don’t judge the Bible using unfair standards – don’t make it say what it doesn’t. For example, Psalm 98:8 says “Let the rivers clap their hands.” How silly is the psalmist? Rivers don’t have hands. And even if they did, they wouldn’t clap. Just joking. Remember that the Bible is full of different literary genres; don’t try to make them say what they don’t say.

Not only is the Bible true, but it has something to say. It’s a unique document in that it’s not just a book. Hebrews 4:12 tell us that the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

It is said that the longest journey is the path between the head and the heart. You can know the Bible stories in and out, but if you rely on head knowledge, you are missing the point of the scriptures. God’s word is no mere book; it is living and active. It is no easy read; it cuts. If you are just reading the Bible to plow through it, you’re missing out on its purpose; to speak God’s Word directly to us.

Why the Bible? Because God spoke and still speaks. I am baffled by people who wonder, “What is God’s will for my life?” Yet they refuse to read the Bible. But it’s the same kind of person who goes to the doctor and is told, “You’re going to have to (fill in the blank)” yet the person “knows better” and does something else. I had a roommate in college who went to the doctor with bronchitis. The doc told him he needed to stop smoking. He was outraged and, through deep coughs, called the doctor a quack.

It’s not enough just to go to the doctor when we’re sick; we have to actually follow the doctor’s orders. Likewise with the scriptures. Psalm 119:105 says Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path, but a lamp doesn’t do any good if it’s not turned on.

The Bible is full of wisdom. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies for they are ever with me. Psalm 119:98. God discloses his character through the Bible. We read the accounts of Jesus, and we find salvation in his sacrifice. We see Jesus founding His Church and find rules for life together. The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple says Psalm 119:130.

Have you ever heard really good advice? What did you do with that advice? I know I’ve had people come to me with their problems and I’ve given advice that isn’t followed. God doesn’t just give us good advice; he gives us good commands. One such command comes in 2 Timothy 3:14-17. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  All Scripture is God-breathed  and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Paul tells Timothy to continue in what he has learned. Timothy’s grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice, taught him the scriptures from infancy. This is a great reminder to you who are parents to raise your children knowing the scriptures. If you want to give them a solid basis for life, that’s where you have to start. If you want your children to be wise, and even more important, if you want your children to be saved, teach them the scriptures.

The Scriptures are able to make us wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. The entire Bible contains God’s plan for his people. If you’ve taken the Progress of Redemption class here, you have seen that these 66 books flow together wonderfully; there is no randomness about them. There is a progress from Genesis 3 and the loss of perfection in the Garden of Eden all the way to salvation in the Holy City, the new Jerusalem in Revelation 21. Through scripture we come to understand salvation, that we can only approach God through Jesus Christ (John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”)

All Scripture is God-breathed. We affirm as a church that God has inspired the Bible – the word “inspire” comes from the Latin inspiratio, which means to breathe. Paul writes to Timothy, reminding him that God breathed the scripture, so it is thus useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. As we go about the “one anothers” of church life, encourage one another, bear with one another, teach one another, care for one another, forgive one another, serve one another, rebuke one another, it is all to be done within the framework of the scriptures. Don’t rebuke someone over a matter of personal preference, all the while claiming it’s a word from God. When I was in college, a friend who was supposed to be discipling me gave me a “word” about the music I was listening to. He didn’t tell me, “The content of the music does not honor God, and here’s why.” As it turned out, he just didn’t care for that style of music.

Just a reminder, if someone in the church has sinned against you, the Bible tells us how to respond. Rebuking and correcting do not happen other ways here. Matthew 18 tells us if your brother or sister sins against you, go and point their fault, just between the two of you. If they don’t listen, take one or two others with you. If they refuse to listen, tell it to the church, and if they refuse to even listen to the church, treat them as a pagan or tax collector.

The scripture even tells us how to rebuke and correct one another, and it tells us why we need to do so: so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. The Bible helps us understand the purpose for our existence: For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10).

Why the Bible? To equip us for good works, which bring glory to God.