The Bible, What is It?

The Bible teaches us some amazing things. A lot of people doubt that what it has to say is true. Many people say it amounts to fables which present philosophical object lessons from which mankind can learn. It is more than that. Much more. There are those who will concede that the Bible was written "about" God, but that it contains obvious mistakes and contradictions. I haven't seen an apparent "contradiction" or "error" that can't be explained through fairly simple explanation.

Still, there are those who say that the Bible is God's inspired word, but that it should not be taken literally, and that it is full of allegory. Samson kills a thousand Philistine men with the jawbone of a donkey. Peter walks on water. The Red Sea is parted and the Israelites walk through the gap to safety. God causes the sun to remain in the same position on the earth's horizon for an entire day. These are not allegories. As far as that goes, there may be parables, and there may be poetic language in the Bible, but there are no allegories in it. That's right. I believe that Jonah and the great fish is a true account.

As a believer, I know it's not that simple. How does someone like me "know" that the Bible is the inspired, infallible Word of God? It's enough for me to know it in my heart, because like others, I have a relationship with Jesus, but that is not enough for many.

We can look at the messianic prophecies that foretold Jesus coming hundreds of years before He arrived. We can read of the prophecy of His virgin birth, and of how He would be rejected by the very people who should have bowed at His feet in admiration, love and gratitude. Psalm 22 prophecies the death of Jesus on the Cross. This psalm was written about 1,000 years before Jesus was even born, and then it happened for the whole world to know about. These prophecies and many others from the Old Testament reveal a divine purpose. They reveal a creator God who is intimately connected with what happens to His creation.

Time and again, even archaeology supports what is written in the Bible. Doubts are built up and then dig after dig, the evidence unearthed dispels them again and again, confirming cities and the ruins of ancient civilizations mentioned in the pages of the Bible.

How can we know that the Bible was written by men who were all inspired by God to write what they did? The Bible says so: "16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

I was chatting online with a couple of atheist acquaintances a couple of months ago. We were having quite a discussion about whether Evolution was true or not. I mentioned something that the Bible said, and one of them said, "But the Bible was written by men." I answered, "So was the theory of Evolution. What of it?" They both went quiet and subsequently ended the discussion. That is the hump that has to be gotten over for unbelievers, isn't it? No one disputes that the Bible was penned by men. The dispute is about whether or not God had any hand in what it is that they wrote.

In the Book of Job, we are told; "He stretches out the north over empty space And hangs the earth on nothing." (Job 26:7) The Scriptures give details about the order of creation, and that God formed everything that is, out of nothing. We learn how God made man, that He brought a flood, gave men His commandments, and sent His Son, Jesus. We are not taught that we are here by chance, or that man is a free agent, morally speaking. Yes, we are taught that man has the right to choose where his allegiance will go, either to God or to sin, but for sin there is great consequence.

God's Word is very consistent to teach us that we should not compromise our relationship with Him, and that it is immoral for each to go his or her own way, regardless of what God has spoken about it. "Every man's way is right in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the hearts. " (Proverbs 21:2)

The Bible does not defend itself. It doesn't really have to. It claims that its authority is from God, and that it is sufficient to meet each and every one of our spiritual needs. It simply gives us the truth, beckoning us to make a close, honest examination of ourselves as we read its message. An honest examination of ourselves can be a hard thing to do. After all, we are our favorite person.What could be wrong with us? We're not so bad. But when done honestly, when compared to the goodness of God, self-examination is very revealing.

Have I ever lied? Have I ever stolen anything? Have I ever coveted anything? Have I ever taken God's name in vain? Have I ever.........

"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:12

God's Word has power. It was written to herald and prepare the way for the Messiah who would come to earth and die in our place for our sins. The Bible is an open invitation for sinful mankind to repent, and to ask for a gracious God to accept them, and to bow before Him and find love, purpose and redemption in a relationship with Jesus Christ.