“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”
2 Timothy 3:16
Sacred texts are common to religions all over the world. Muslims, for instance, revere the Koran as a miraculous revelation from God. For the Hindus, the Vedas or the Bhagavad Gita fill that role. The list could go on. At first blush, the Bible looks to be one of many allegedly inspired texts. Unlike its competitors, however, there is impressive evidence attending the Bible’s claims. Consider first of all, its continuity. The Bible was written by 40 men over a 1500 year time span. Despite the great diversity in the writers’ personal histories and circumstances, they display remarkable continuity in their teachings, even with respect to controversial subjects. Secondly, the Bible contains predictive prophecy. That is, the writers recorded history before it happened. This is the sure mark of divine inspiration (Isaiah 48:3-5; John 14:29). Daniel’s detailed prophecies, for instance, absolutely defy naturalistic explanation. Thirdly, there is the amazing scientific accuracy of the Bible, statements of scientific truth made long before their modern discovery. For instance, God asked Job if he could “bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?” (Job 38:31). Remarkably, astronomers today agree that the Pleiades star cluster is gravitationally stable, while the stars in the constellation Orion are drifting away from one another; one cluster is indeed “bound” while the other appears to have been “loosened.” Similarly, the Bible mentions the existence of mountains (2 Samuel 22:16; Jonah 2:6) and springs at the bottom of the ocean (Job 38:16), thousands of years before their modern discovery. Fourthly, there is the Bible’s seemingly supernatural preservation. Despite numerous attempts by God’s enemies to destroy the Bible and erase it from human memory, the Bible remains faithfully intact just as the Lord promised. “Heaven and earth shall pass away” said Jesus, “but my words shall not pass away” (Luke 21:33). Perhaps the greatest evidence of all is the Bible’s ability to change and save lives. Paul declared that “whatsoever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4). The Bible was not given to frighten or confuse us. It was given that we might know who God is, and that we might come into a loving relationship with Him. It was given that we might have hope and newness of life. The Bible contains the greatest message the world will ever hear. May we rejoice in its promises and live by its precepts today, to the glory of its Holy and Good Author.
God bless,
Pastor John
English