Why I Believe The Bible Is The Word Of God
I spoke at a conference last weekend in Orlando, Florida. One of the topics that I spoke on was the subject of why I believe the Bible is the Word of God. Here is some of the material that I covered. I trust that this encourages you and helps you in your defense of the gospel.
Five Ways To Prove That The Bible Is The Word Of God
Text: II Timothy 3:16,
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
Introduction:
A few years ago I went to Mississippi to watch the Southeastern Conference track championships. Mary and I had dinner after the meet with the team from Tennessee. Some of the female athletes were telling us about how several of their friends tried to sneak into a movie. They told us that as these students were attempting to sneak in, an attendant approached them and asked, “Excuse me, do you have tickets?” And one of the students replied, “No, we’re looking for the restrooms.” But the other student responded and said, “I can’t lie. We are trying to sneak into the movie.” I thought to myself, “Ah, an honest thief.” This is an oxymoron. An oxymoron is a figure of speech that contains two words or phrases that are seemingly contradictory. It is like saying a “tiny giant,” or a “good serial killer,” an “angelic devil,” or “an honest thief.” Here was a student that could not lie but had no scruples about stealing. The problem with all men is that we have these glaring inconsistencies about our ethics and morality.
The Law of God is like a net, a mirror, and an umpire!
The law of God is like a net, has a way of catching all of us in its meshes sooner or later. The law of God is like a mirror that sooner or later will show us our moral failures. The law of God is like an umpire in the soul that sooner or later will cry, “Your out!” Whether we understand the letter of the law or the spiritual nature of the law with its broader applications, sooner or later we are all crushed by its condemning power. The Bible teaches us that by the works of the law no flesh (person) shall be justified (that is made acceptable to a holy God). The Bible is relevant because it tells us of our sins. The Bible tells us we have offended a holy God who will hold us accountable for our sinful actions. The Bible, with its laws, convicts us of sin and shows us our need of a Savior. But when people reject the Bible, they we won’t listen to its message for their lives. This is why it is so important to believe in the Bible and to trust its contents.
The English word Bible comes from the Greek word biblia, biblia, and means books. The word Scripture comes from the Latin word scriptura and means writings of a sacred nature. Jesus Christ referred to the revelation of His Father by two different phrases:
1. The Scriptures
2. The Word of God
In this text, the word inspiration comes from the Greek word “theopneustos”, and means God-breathed. What the apostle is telling us here is that the Word of God was given to us by the Lord and is His Word that was breathed into the minds of those who were used to write it. This is a very special book that we have in our hands today. Let us never take the Bible for granted. It is a God-breathed book.
There are many different world religions and so-called sacred writings. But I believe that the Bible alone is the Word of God. If someone was to ask me why I believe the Bible, one answer is because the Bible claims to be the Word of God. Jesus Christ taught that the Old Testament was the infallible Word of the living God, and He promised and predicted the coming of the New Testament. John 14:25-26. 16:13. Some people might respond that to believe that the Bible is the Word of God because it claims to be is circular reasoning. They may say this is simply nonsense. Just because a man claims to be a pumpkin does not make him one. Just because I claim to be a basketball and was dribbling sown the street and came in here tonight does not mean that I am really a basketball. In philosophical terms, this is called an informal fallacy, (an informal fallacy is an argument whose stated premises fail to support the conclusion). But in the case of the Bible, the Bible not only claims to be the Word of God, it authenticates it’s own truth claims, i.e. it proves itself to be the Word of God. For example:
1. The Bible claims to be the Word of the eternal and living God
Text: II Timothy 3:16,
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
Introduction:
A few years ago I went to Mississippi to watch the Southeastern Conference track championships. Mary and I had dinner after the meet with the team from Tennessee. Some of the female athletes were telling us about how several of their friends tried to sneak into a movie. They told us that as these students were attempting to sneak in, an attendant approached them and asked, “Excuse me, do you have tickets?” And one of the students replied, “No, we’re looking for the restrooms.” But the other student responded and said, “I can’t lie. We are trying to sneak into the movie.” I thought to myself, “Ah, an honest thief.” This is an oxymoron. An oxymoron is a figure of speech that contains two words or phrases that are seemingly contradictory. It is like saying a “tiny giant,” or a “good serial killer,” an “angelic devil,” or “an honest thief.” Here was a student that could not lie but had no scruples about stealing. The problem with all men is that we have these glaring inconsistencies about our ethics and morality.
The Law of God is like a net, a mirror, and an umpire!
The law of God is like a net, has a way of catching all of us in its meshes sooner or later. The law of God is like a mirror that sooner or later will show us our moral failures. The law of God is like an umpire in the soul that sooner or later will cry, “Your out!” Whether we understand the letter of the law or the spiritual nature of the law with its broader applications, sooner or later we are all crushed by its condemning power. The Bible teaches us that by the works of the law no flesh (person) shall be justified (that is made acceptable to a holy God). The Bible is relevant because it tells us of our sins. The Bible tells us we have offended a holy God who will hold us accountable for our sinful actions. The Bible, with its laws, convicts us of sin and shows us our need of a Savior. But when people reject the Bible, they we won’t listen to its message for their lives. This is why it is so important to believe in the Bible and to trust its contents.
The English word Bible comes from the Greek word biblia, biblia, and means books. The word Scripture comes from the Latin word scriptura and means writings of a sacred nature. Jesus Christ referred to the revelation of His Father by two different phrases:
1. The Scriptures
2. The Word of God
In this text, the word inspiration comes from the Greek word “theopneustos”, and means God-breathed. What the apostle is telling us here is that the Word of God was given to us by the Lord and is His Word that was breathed into the minds of those who were used to write it. This is a very special book that we have in our hands today. Let us never take the Bible for granted. It is a God-breathed book.
There are many different world religions and so-called sacred writings. But I believe that the Bible alone is the Word of God. If someone was to ask me why I believe the Bible, one answer is because the Bible claims to be the Word of God. Jesus Christ taught that the Old Testament was the infallible Word of the living God, and He promised and predicted the coming of the New Testament. John 14:25-26. 16:13. Some people might respond that to believe that the Bible is the Word of God because it claims to be is circular reasoning. They may say this is simply nonsense. Just because a man claims to be a pumpkin does not make him one. Just because I claim to be a basketball and was dribbling sown the street and came in here tonight does not mean that I am really a basketball. In philosophical terms, this is called an informal fallacy, (an informal fallacy is an argument whose stated premises fail to support the conclusion). But in the case of the Bible, the Bible not only claims to be the Word of God, it authenticates it’s own truth claims, i.e. it proves itself to be the Word of God. For example:
1. The Bible claims to be the Word of the eternal and living God
more than 3000 times. (it contains the phrase, “Thus saith the
Lord”)
2. The Bible is self authenticating, i.e. it has its own intrinsic
authority.
a. The Bible has one theme from beginning to end.
b. The Bible has no contradictions within its pages even though it was
written over a period of 1500 years by 40 different authors.
c. The Bible contains both internal and external evidence
to authenticate and prove its divine message and truth claims.
d. There is no evidence that the text of the Bible has been corrupted
after 2000 years of being copied and passed on to each new
generation. The ancient Jews kept tabs on every letter, syllable,
word, and paragraph. The science of Textual Criticism demonstrates
the accuracy and the reliability of the Bible.
3. When the Bible was written, it was the only book at that time
that claimed to be the written revelation of the eternal God. Since then
there are two other books that also claim to be the Word of God, The
Koran and the Book of Mormon. But do these books have any
supporting evidence to verify their truth claims?
There is a wonderful old poem entitled--
“The Bible”
Though the cover is worn, and the pages are torn,
And places bear traces of tears,
Yet more precious than gold is this book worn and old,
That can shatter and scatter my fears.
When I prayerfully look in this precious old book
As my eyes scan the pages I see,
Many tokens of love from the Father above,
Who is nearest and dearest to me.
This old book is my guide, tis a friend by my side,
It will lighten and brighten my way.
And each promise I find, soothes and gladdens my mind,
As I read it and heed it today.
How do we know that this precious book is the Word of God? By this question we are trying to discover if the Bible is reliable, God-breathed, trustworthy, inspired, and indeed the living Word of God.
There are many skeptics who tell us that this precious old book cannot and should not be trusted. Skeptics such as:
1. Voltaire- a pseudonym of Francois-Marie Arouet a French skeptic.
2. David Hume- a Scottish empiricist philosopher and agnostic.
3. Karl Marx- a Jewish atheist who was a communist.
4. Sigmund Freud- an Austrian psychologist and atheist.
5. Friedrich Nietzsche- a German philosopher and atheist.
6. George Santayana- an American philosopher and poet and atheist
who held to the notion that to believe in anything, including self is irrational.
Lord”)
2. The Bible is self authenticating, i.e. it has its own intrinsic
authority.
a. The Bible has one theme from beginning to end.
b. The Bible has no contradictions within its pages even though it was
written over a period of 1500 years by 40 different authors.
c. The Bible contains both internal and external evidence
to authenticate and prove its divine message and truth claims.
d. There is no evidence that the text of the Bible has been corrupted
after 2000 years of being copied and passed on to each new
generation. The ancient Jews kept tabs on every letter, syllable,
word, and paragraph. The science of Textual Criticism demonstrates
the accuracy and the reliability of the Bible.
3. When the Bible was written, it was the only book at that time
that claimed to be the written revelation of the eternal God. Since then
there are two other books that also claim to be the Word of God, The
Koran and the Book of Mormon. But do these books have any
supporting evidence to verify their truth claims?
There is a wonderful old poem entitled--
“The Bible”
Though the cover is worn, and the pages are torn,
And places bear traces of tears,
Yet more precious than gold is this book worn and old,
That can shatter and scatter my fears.
When I prayerfully look in this precious old book
As my eyes scan the pages I see,
Many tokens of love from the Father above,
Who is nearest and dearest to me.
This old book is my guide, tis a friend by my side,
It will lighten and brighten my way.
And each promise I find, soothes and gladdens my mind,
As I read it and heed it today.
How do we know that this precious book is the Word of God? By this question we are trying to discover if the Bible is reliable, God-breathed, trustworthy, inspired, and indeed the living Word of God.
There are many skeptics who tell us that this precious old book cannot and should not be trusted. Skeptics such as:
1. Voltaire- a pseudonym of Francois-Marie Arouet a French skeptic.
2. David Hume- a Scottish empiricist philosopher and agnostic.
3. Karl Marx- a Jewish atheist who was a communist.
4. Sigmund Freud- an Austrian psychologist and atheist.
5. Friedrich Nietzsche- a German philosopher and atheist.
6. George Santayana- an American philosopher and poet and atheist
who held to the notion that to believe in anything, including self is irrational.
7. Richard Dawkins- British atheist and author who is making an all out attack on the
Bible and Christianity.
If I was asked to defend the Bible, or to explain why I believe that it is the Word of God, I would use five basic arguments. If, after considering these five arguments, you are convinced that the Bible is the Word of God, then you must also accept that the message of the Bible is to be trusted and believed.
Our Theme: Five Ways To Demonstrate That The Bible Is The
Word Of God
Our Outline:
If I was asked to defend the Bible, or to explain why I believe that it is the Word of God, I would use five basic arguments. If, after considering these five arguments, you are convinced that the Bible is the Word of God, then you must also accept that the message of the Bible is to be trusted and believed.
Our Theme: Five Ways To Demonstrate That The Bible Is The
Word Of God
Our Outline:
I. Prophetically
II. Historically
III. Scientifically
V. Morally
V. Dynamically
II. Historically
III. Scientifically
V. Morally
V. Dynamically
If you would like to hear the full message on this text I plan to preach on this point this Sunday at our second service. You can listen to the message by clicking on our online sermons at Allgrace.com
