The Word of God?
Also see: Applying the Bible to our lives
Loved a lot of your responses on my question. This question of what makes the Bible the Word of God is a complex one. Many books have been written on the subject, so I certainly won’t be exhaustive in my answer.
Jumping on my soapbox…
I dare say that this idea that the Bible is the perfect Word of God is the one area of disagreement that leads to almost all other disagreements within Christianity.
I do think not people’s views are changing because the Bible changed…no, culture has changed, and therefore people begin to question how the Bible can somehow support their view.
The Bible can say anything you want it to say.
The problem with these views isn’t that the views are wrong, it is that they are denying that the Bible is the perfect Word of God.
Off my soapbox…
For me there is one reason that stands above the rest as to what validates the Bible’s claim as the Word of God.
Prophesy: predicted and confirmed within the Bible and also confirmed by modern archaeology.
I think of Genesis 12:2-3, when God prophesies how he we make Abram’s lineage into a great nation…something that plays out through the rest of the Old Testament.
In the end we cannot PROVE that the Bible is the Word of God. There is no free lunch. If Christianity were easy there would be no reason for faith.
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Tyler Braun.
one pivotal question is whether the bible needs to be inerrant for christ to be true. does an oral tradition of a unique people have to written down to factual accuracy to prove the truth of Love? does god have to manipulate the bible’s writers minds and/or pens to prove he is glorious?
I say no. A story gives us as much proof of God’s love as the proving of historical miracles.
actually i think the basis of christianity IS easy….”confess w/ your mouth and believe in your heart….and you will be saved”- again, faith that jesus is the way the truth and life is the MOST important. the rest is details…..wink.
tyler! the comment from “projecthomeless” is from ME. it’s a website not yet finished….so no peeking! i should have been signed into my blog and was not…sorry!!!
Tyler, your last line made it sound like Christianity was dependent upon faith in the Bible being the Word of God and that Christianity isn’t easy because you can’t PROVE the reliability of Bible and because it involves an element of faith. Perhaps I have misunderstood. But shouldn’t it be that Christianity is dependent upon faith in Jesus being the Word of God, and shouldn’t we say that Christianity is hard because following Jesus is costly? This is not to say that the Bible has no place in Christian faith, I think it just puts things in the correct order.
I think my point was that it takes faith at some level to believe that the Bible is the Word of God, and that is one aspect of our faith. Obviously I’m not trying to value the Bible over Jesus. Sorry I guessed I worded that a little weird.
Amos- I probably sound very fundamental in my answer to your questions, but I answer yes. Here is why. Saying no is a very slippery slope I think. Once you question one part, that leads to questioning another and pretty soon you can throw out the Bible. This is why I don’t think it is ever the issue of (choose your doctrinal issue popular to argue about today)…it is how high do you value Scripture as being God’s Word?
How the Word of God touched my heart, corrected and rebuked my mistakes, trained me into righteousness are enough proof to validate that Bible is indeed Words of God. I don’t need to care what others think and debate on. What’s important is whether the Bible helps me draw near to God. Besides the Word of God is not just written, sometimes they’re revealed to our Hearts through the Holy Spirit.
Your question, “What makes the bible the Word of God”? I’d say it would depend on what bible you are talking about because there are many perverted bible translations in our midst today but that won’t stop the sincere individual from finding God in the midst of this crooked and perverse generation(Philippians 2:15). Also the Word of God states in 2nd Peter 1:20, 21
“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.”
“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
The Holy Ghost is integral in the foundation and makeup of the Word of God…The Word of God is Inspired by His Spirit…And God moves men by His Holy Spirit to proclaim His Word with Power evidenced by the signs and wonders that follow…
Mark 16:19, 20
“So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.”
“And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.”
The reality of God’s Word is founded based on His Spirit confirming His Word when it is properly ministered under the unction, or leading of His Spirits as stated in 1st John 2:20:
“But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.”
Also Hebrews 4:12 states:
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
The Power of God is associated with His Word, that is why satan wants to keep the Word of God as a closed book in our lives…or should I say keep us as mankind in a state ignorance of the True Word of God!
Read: 2nd Corinthians 4:3-6 on this matter…
Jesus said in John 15:26 that the Holy Ghost who is the comforter would reveal all things to us as believers concerning Himself.
“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:”
All the testimony of the Word of God points to Jesus as the Savior of the world to those willing to accept Him as Lord of their lives…You know the Story no matter how men try to distort, reject, and explain away God’s Word which is the Bible!
Sincerely, Virgil Roberts
PS. The bible is assuredly the Word of God without a doubt…
PSS. all scripture references are from the King James Version…
Bless You!
Rather than asking the whole world about whether Bible is Word of God or NOT. Or asking whether its relevant in today’s circumstancial context, one needs to look inside and ask. Hole Spirit will reveal the TRUTH from within.
God Bless All with that faith. Jesus said blessed are those who have not seen me but believe in me. When Prophet John asked about Jesus, He replied, what you are seeing and whats happening,… Then He said, John is Greatest, but least in the Kingdom of heaven is …
I can only one thing its beyond possible for a creation to understand creator and His ways, unless Creator Himself doesn’t choose to reveal. And He reveals only to faithful. Its like a cyclometric complexity.
No theology or philosophy vast enough to explain God or His Word.
Nancy
Rather than asking the whole world about whether Bible is Word of God or NOT. Or asking whether its relevant in today’s circumstancial context, one needs to look inside and ask. Holy Spirit will reveal the TRUTH from within.
God Bless All with that faith. Jesus said blessed are those who have not seen me but believe in me. When Prophet John asked about Jesus, He replied, what you are seeing and whats happening,… Then He said, John is Greatest, but least in the Kingdom of heaven is …
I can say only one thing its beyond possible for a creation to understand creator and His ways, unless Creator Himself doesn’t choose to reveal. And He reveals only to faithful. Its like a cyclometric complexity.
No theology or philosophy vast enough to explain God or His Word.
This packrat has learned that what the next generation will value most is not what we owned, but the evidence of who we were and the tales of how we loved. In the end, it’s the family stories that are worth the storage.