Series: You Can Trust Your Bible: P3 Those Who Oppose Mosaic Authorship - Introducing Higher Criticism

Note: The above picture is from Johann Reuchlin's Hebrew and Latin Bible, depicting Isaiah 57. 

Introduction:

    In our last two posts we provided an outline and overview of the Biblical and traditional view of Moses having composed the first five books of the Bible. We noted the number of Old Testament authors, Jesus, and the Apostles affirming Moses as the author of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Further, we drew the conclusion that to deny Mosaic authorship would make the remainder of the Old Testament, Jesus, and the Apostles to be mistaken or liars. 
Summarizing the assumptions of the traditional view of Mosaic authorship of Pentateuch
The suppositions underlying Mosaic authorship are as follows:

1. Divine Inspiration of the Bible. 

    God divinely inspired the Pentateuch through a legitimate prophet, Moses.

2. Moses was a prophet who predicted future events.

    Moses wrote a number of prophecies in the Torah or Pentateuch, including the prediction of the cosmic battle between Christ and Satan (Genesis 3:15). The coming worldwide flood via Noah (Genesis 6:1-9). The prediction of Abraham's descendants enslaved in Egypt for four generations (Genesis 15). 

    The coming of a future redeemer, who would arise from the tribe of Judah and who would be Moses-like in His miracles, authority, and teaching (Genesis 49:10; Deuteronomy 18). And the prediction of the future dispersions of the Israelites as a consequence of their breaking of the Mosaic Covenant (Deuteronomy 28-29). All these prophecies came true in history, certifying the Divine inspiration of the Pentateuch.

3. Moses was a historical figure. 
    Moses was a historical figure whom God used to lead the Israelites out of Egypt in the Exodus in the mid-fifteenth century b.c. Moses' knowledge of Egyptian culture, coupled with certain features in the Pentateuch, makes placement of those books in the fifteenth century b.c. far more likely than the current critical view. 
    

The Higher Critical view (which I'll introduce in a moment) makes the Pentateuch a byproduct of several editors or "redactors" stretching from the days after King David (900's b.c.) through the reign of Josiah in Jerusalem (mid-7th century b.c.) to the time after the Jews return from the Babylonian exile (mid-6th century b.c.)

4. The Hebrew Bible, Jesus, and the Apostles affirmed Mosaic Authorship

    One final supposition for the historical view of Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch, and that is the combined witness of the remainder of the Hebrew Bible (Joshua through Malachi), Jesus, and the Apostles is why the church historically championed Mosaic authorship for the first 1700 years of its existence. 

    Additionally, the findings of archaeology have provided evidence that lends far greater weight to the traditional view than the Higher-Critical view that Genesis through Deuteronomy was produced by multiple editors (which we will look at in later postings).

    With the traditional, conservative view of the Pentateuch expressed, we will now turn to the viewpoint (or cluster of positions) that offer an alternative explanation in opposition to Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch. 

Those who would rise up to question Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch

    

    For the first 1700 years of Church history (Church history spans from the first century until present, roughly 2,000 years) and all of Jewish history prior agreed with Jesus and the Old Testament authors that Moses wrote the Pentateuch. 
    

    In 1670 a Philosopher, Baruch Spinoza, suggested in his book “Tractatus Theologico-Politicus” that Ezra the Scribe had composed the Pentateuch. Ezra (author of the Books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and perhaps 1 and 2 Chronicles) lived in the 500-400's b.c. As the proposal goes, Ezra compiled the Pentateuch a 1,000 years after the preported events recorded. One thing that critical views of Mosaic authorship and Divine inspiration of the Pentateuch share is the attempt to make the writing of those books far later than their alleged recorded events. 
     

    Then a French doctor by the name of Jean Astruc (1753) and a German textual critic Johann Eichhorn in 1780-1783 suggested that Genesis could be divided up into different documents, edited by anonymous authors who used different names for God.  When they looked at Genesis 1-2 for instance, they saw the general name for God (“Elohim”, in the Hebrew) in chapter 1, then the Personal name of God (“Jehovah” or “Yahweh” in the Hebrew) in Genesis 2, concluding two different authors had to have written them. 

The dawning of Higher Criticism in Europe

    Thus, as we move from the 17th century into the 18th century, the so-called Higher Critical view is emerging. The reason for it being called "Higher Criticism" is due to it attempting to recover the source or sources of authorship in a given document. The phrase "Higher Criticism" explains what came to be the discipline of discovering the author or authors behind the alleged documents. 

Briefly comparing Higher Criticism to Lower Criticism (a.k.a textual criticism) 

    A parallel and far more legitimate discipline, so-called "Lower-criticism", worked to establish the original wording of a document by comparing existing copies with one another. The church throughout its history has had numerous examples of Bible-believing scholars who studied the existing copies and translations of the Old and New Testaments to establish what were the original words. 

    Such a discipline, also known as "textual criticism", was practiced by earely church fathers like Justin Martyr and Origen (2nd century A.D.), Jerome (4th century), Roman Catholic Scholar such as Cardinal Ximenes and Desiderus Erasmus of the sixteenth century; the great Bible translators John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, and Joahann Reuchlin of the sixteenth century; the Reformers Martin Luther and John Calvin of the sixteenth century; Baptist Scholar/Pastors of the 17th century; the great Methodist commentary Adam Clarke of the nineteenth century; Bruce Metzger, Maurice Robinson, and Daniel Wallace of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. 

    It's not to say this discipline is not without its share of skeptics and cranks. However, the fruits of labor have been far more friendly and more supportive of Bible conservatives who hold to a high view of Scripture. As to how textual criticism or lower criticism serves the conservative view of the Pentateuch and other portions of Scripture in opposition to Higher Critical skepticism of the Bible, the later Christian theologian and apologist Norman Geisler writes in his "Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics":

"The brief time gap and the large number of manuscripts compared to other works of antiquity vouch for the fact that the content of the Biblical texts has been unchanged".

The Assumptions of Higher Criticism

    Higher criticism was fraught with far more philosophical assumptions than its lower-criticism counterpart. Such presuppositions included:

A. Skepticism about either God's existence or intervention in the world.

B. The denial of miracles or their inclusion in the study of history. 

C. The denial of drawing forth objective truths from a specific text. 

D. The denial of the Bible's inerrancy and Divine inspiration.  

E. And the denial of the underlying unity of Scripture. 

More in the next post.

The Doctrine Of Scripture Series: What We Have Explored In The Last Several Posts And Looking Ahead

Where we have journeyed thus far

    In our last post we looked carefully at how the New Testament canon was motivated by missions (in terms of the Spirit's inspiration of it, its writing, it recognition, and its distribution). Readers who want to review the last post may do so here http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2022/11/the-doctrine-of-scripture-series-how.html.

    The many attacks upon the Bible today warrant us knowing the history of how we got our Bibles. As for the New Testament, we explored the beginnings, receiving, recognition, and message of the New Testament canon here http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2022/11/the-doctrine-of-scripture-series-jesus.html. 

    Over the course of the last several posts, we have discussed the New Testament canon. We discovered that almost all the New Testament books were immediately recognized and used as inspired books by the end of the first century – or the days of the Apostles. In this blog series, I have had us explore issues surrounding the canonization of the Old and New Testament canons, as well as the doctrine of Divine inspiration and its correlary truths of inerrancy and infallibility. Readers are more than welcome to look back through the archives of this blog to see how this series began back in September of 2022. 

Making sure we are clear on what canonization is and is not.

    By the first two-thirds of the second century, every book of the New Testament was universally recognized as inspired, with the first canonical list (The Muratorian canon list) establishing that the 27 books we have today were well in use by the end of the 100’s A.D. (or second century). Contrary to popular skeptics, who claim the early church had hundreds of books to choose from, and only selected the 27 some 400 years into church history, we find history paints a different picture. Canonization was not about kicking out books that were not liked, but rather recognizing inspired books that were qualified to be in the canon.

The Triple Foundation Of Christianity

    Then finally, we noted how the message of the New Testament canon, namely in portraying, preaching, explaining, and prominently exalting Jesus Christ, shaped the New Testament church. It was Christ’s resurrection and the writing and then preaching of the New Testament books that came to define the first century church. Coupled with the already established Old Testament Canon which we’ve discussed in previous posts, we find an important point emerge. Christianity was built on a triple foundation of the Old Testament canon, Christ’s resurrection, and New Testament canon. It is this same foundation that the Holy Spirit is using today to call and regenerate sinners from every nation – until He comes.

Looking ahead

    As we aim to continue in this series, we will explore what criteria were used in the recognition and use of the New Testament books. Also, we will explore other sorts of literature that, though influential in the early church, yet were not regarded as canonical by Christians in every place, everywhere. Some interesting topics, such as the so-called "lost Gospels" or "lost books of the Bible" will be briefly explored. At least for such books as those, we will see that they were not really "lost", but instead were well-known, and immediately rejected books regarded as fraudulant by the early Christians. We will then want to consider contemporary attacks on the Bible. Amazingly, attacks on the Bible, especially in the last three centuries, do not differ in principle from attacks that went on in the first three centuries of the church. As God gives strength, I hope this series will prove useful to whomever reads these posts.
 

The Doctrine of Scripture Series: How Christ's Incarnation Is The Focus Of Divine Inspiration

Introduction:

    In our last post we began to discuss the doctrine of Divine inspiration here http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2022/09/the-doctrine-of-scripture-series-how.html. We noted how Divine inspiration is rooted in Divine revelation. Revelation, if you will recall, is when God makes known what was previously unknown. When we speak of "Divine inspiration", we refer to how revelation, when put into writing, equals inspiration. 

    We continue on looking at the second main thought associated with our exploration of the Divine inspiration of Scripture - namely that Christ's incarnation is its focus. Let us begin with some words from the Apostle Peter.

2 Peter 1:16-18 "For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”— 18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.”

    Peter undeniably centers on the Person of Christ in his discussion of the inspiration of the Scripture. By "incarnation", we mean that act, whereby the Divine person of the Son became united to true humanity, to become the God-man, Jesus Christ (See Matthew 1:21-23; John 1:14).

    As Peter harkens back to Matthew 17 and Mark 9, he still is gripped by that glorious revelation of Christ’s deity through the veil of His humanity. As I noted earlier, God the Father made known Himself in theophany to speak about the Son. But notice how the voice of the Father works in concert with this pinnacle revelation of God the Son in the flesh. Hebrews 1:1-2 attests, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world.”

    Remember, revelation, put into writing, equals inspiration. Jesus Himself stated in Luke 24:44-47 “Now He said to them, ‘These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ 45 Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.”

    Let me say here that the Divine act of the inspiration of the Scriptures is due to what theologians call "the super-intendance of the Holy Spirit". His main job is to shine the spotlight on Jesus Christ. Jesus says of the Holy Spirit’s work in John 16:14 “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.”

    Think of how Christ-focused the Divinely inspired Scriptures are in the realm of predictive prophecy. J. Barton Payne’s reference work “The Encyclopedia of Bible Prophecy” lists over 700 Biblical prophecies. To grasp how much material this covers, we are talking about between 20-25% of the Biblical text devoted to this unique literary type. Of those nearly 800 prophecies, over a third - some 330 prophecies - center upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever the remainder of those prophecies talk about, they are indirectly related to supporting those prophecies which pertain to our Lord. Over 100 were fulfilled in His first coming.  Over 200 awaiting fulfillment at His soon return.

    Why these statistics? To prove just how “Son-centered” Scripture is. All Peter is doing is following the lead of the Holy Spirit in centering his writing of Scripture upon the Person of the Son. 

Closing thoughts for today

    Let's review what we have covered today and in our last post. First, we’ve seen that God’s act of revelation is the source of inspiration. Today, we discovered that Jesus Christ the Son is the focus of inspiration. In our next post we will focus on our third main point about Divine inspiration - that its by-product is Scripture itself.

The Doctrine of Scripture, An Overview Part Two: The Necessity, Sufficiency, and Inspiration of Scripture

Introduction:

    In the last post, I began doing an overview of the doctrine of Scripture. Readers may review the last post by clicking here, http://www.growingchristianresources.com/2022/09/the-doctrine-of-scripture-overview.html.  In my last post, I mentioned three ideas that summarize the first three headings of the doctrine of Scripture.

1. Clarity of God’s words – their communication.

2. Authority of God’s words – that’s revelation.

3. Inerrancy and infallibility of God’s words – their information.

    In today's post, we shall consider the last three remaining headings that comprise the doctrine of Scripture.

1. Necessity of God’s words – the foundation.

2. Sufficiency of God’s words – life application.

3. The writing down of God’s words – that’s inspiration.

Let us first look at what is known as "The necessity of Scripture".

1. Necessity of God’s words for a foundation. Genesis 3:2-5

    What is meant by “the necessity of God’s words?” Simply put, it is necessary for there to be the articulation of Scripture and someone hearing it for the Spirit of God to bring forth salvation and continual Christian growth. In the general revelation of creation and the conscience, I can know about God and my responsibility to Him. However, I need the Bible to know this God and His plan of salvation, revealed in Jesus Christ, and His coming Kingdom. That is necessity. I will make two remarks that bear on this scene in Genesis 3:1 and in our own day. 

    First, if we did not have God’s inerrant and infallible word revealed, and then written down under Divine inspiration in the Bible, we would have no foundation for our faith. In the landmark book by Harold Lindsell entitled “The Battle for the Bible”, he opens with this quote: “Of all the doctrines connected with the Christian faith, none is more important than the one that has to do with the basis of our religious knowledge.” Lindsell then goes on to point out that the basis for accurate understanding of God, humanity, life, and eternity “for the Christian at least always comes full circle to the Bible.”

    Secondly, the need for God’s revelation is written form is demonstrated by how Adam and his wife responded to the serpent. Genesis 3:2-5

“The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” 4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

    Notice how Satan twisted the information content of God’s words spoken to Adam, and through Adam to his wife. Satan does what I call “twisted math”. He subtracts God from the origination of these words – thus denying their authority. Then, the woman in response adds to what God had said, claiming God said not to eat “nor touch” the fruit. This undermines the clarity of God’s words, since what she said does not match what He said in comparison to the original words spoken to Adam in Genesis 2:16-17. Then lastly, the Serpent divides the meaning of God’s words from their truth by expressing the exact opposite message – which ultimately denies Biblical necessity!

    The record of Adam, the creation, and fall were passed along to Moses in a written format, as expressed ten times in Genesis by the phrase “these are the records of”. The words of God, the Bible, are authoritative because of their revelation. The words of God are inerrant and infallible touching their information. They are necessary for our foundation. So, we’ve considered the clarity, authority, inerrancy/infallibility and necessity of God’s Words. Let us move onto the next key quality.

2. The Sufficiency of God’s Words – their application. Genesis 3:15

    So, we’ve witnessed how the clarity of God’s Word deals with its communication. The authority of God’s words relate to its revelation. The inerrancy and infallibility of God’s Words handles it information. The necessity of God’s words speaks to its foundation. But what is meant by the sufficiency of God’s words? The sufficiency of God’s words simply means that they are enough for faith, for life, for practice, and for getting us to the Savior in Heaven. Genesis 3:15 occurs after the pronouncement of curse upon the Serpent. 

    In Genesis 3:15 we read, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; he shall crush thy head, and thou shalt crush his heel.” This text is called by theologians “the protoevangelium” or “the first mention of the Gospel”. This one verse functions as sufficient for promising all that is needed for the salvation for Adam, Eve, and anyone that trusts in the promise of salvation contained within it. This point of the sufficiency of God’s Words is perhaps no better stated than by Jesus Himself in Matthew 4:4, quoting Deuteronomy 8:3 “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

    When the Reformation of the 16th century recaptured the nearly forgotten Gospel, a term was coined to define the sufficiency of the Bible in all matters of faith and practice – sola scriptura. This statement, translated “Scripture alone”, affirms the sufficiency of the Bible to provide what is needed for faith and practice. Adam and Eve had no other human being upon whom they could appeal. Government, the Church, Educational institutions did not exist. They had to rely upon God’s words. So, let us remind ourselves of the first five qualities of God’s words. 

1. Clarity of God’s words – their communication.
2. Authority of God’s words – that’s revelation.
3. Inerrancy and infallibility of God’s words – their information.
4. Necessity of God’s words – the foundation.
5. Sufficiency of God’s words – life application.

Our final quality or heading when considering the doctrine of Scripture deals with....  

3. The writing down of God’s words – that’s inspiration.

    One may wonder where do we see reference to the writing down of God’s words in Genesis 1-3? As mentioned already, a seemingly unimportant phrase, starting in Genesis 2:4, occurs ten times throughout the book of Genesis – “these are the generations of”. That phrase is just as easily translated “these are the records of”. In ancient documents of the locale in which the Book of Genesis was composed (called “The Ancient near East”, stretching from Mesopotamia down to Egypt), they would sometimes be divided into segments called “colophons”. A “colophon” functioned as a subject heading to indicate the source of the information it covered. Ancient records were often copied on tablets of clay or stone.

    We have already defined revelation as God making known what was previously unknown. As we consider all the other qualities covered in this message about God’s words, we can apply those to the written Scripture. Whenever we take God’s revelation, and put it into writing, we have inspiration.

So why would God have His revelation to be written down? 

    What advantage does this form of Divine revelation have over the other methods we’ve discussed? Wayne Grudem in the 2nd edition of his Systematic Theology, page 34, notes three benefits of having inspired Scripture.

    First, there is a much more accurate preservation of God’s words for subsequent generations – what we could call the “preservation principle”. I’m reminded of what Jesus said of Mary of Bethany that anointed him in preparation for what would be his burial in Matthew 26:12 “Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of in memory of her.” We can read of her act today, even though it occurred over 2,000 years ago.

    Grudem then observes a second reason, “the opportunity for repeated inspection of words that are written down permits careful study and discussion, which leads to better understand and more complete obedience.” We could call this the “faithfulness principle”. I have found this to be always true. If I can “chapter and verse” any truth of the Christian life, it tends to stick with me more than even if I heard it from a secondhand source. As one hymn entitled “Wonderful Words of Life” says in its lyrics “words of life and beauty, teach me faith and duty”.

    So, in addition to a preservation principle and faithfulness principle, there is a third benefit for God preserving His revelation in inspired Scripture. Grudem notes once more, “God’s words in writing are accessible to many more people than they are when preserved merely through memory and oral repetition.” We can call this third reason the “passing-down principle”. Imagine what would have happened if God had not inspired His Word beginning with Moses? We would not have the account of Genesis, let alone Exodus through Deuteronomy. Paul illustrates this “passing down principle” in 1 Corinthians 15:1 “Now I make known unto you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you have received, and wherein you stand.” Furthermore, the remaining books of the Bible that would follow would not have come about through the remaining Biblical authors. We would have no ability to know who Jesus was. The certainty of salvation would have been an impossibility.

Conclusion:

    As I close, it is important to realize the fact “that God hath said”. We have observed the following in these last two posts.

1. Clarity of God’s words – their communication.
2. Authority of God’s words – that’s revelation.
3. Inerrancy and infallibility of God’s words – their information.
4. Necessity of God’s words – the foundation.
5. Sufficiency of God’s words – life application.
6. The writing down of God’s words – that’s inspiration.

Five spiritual resources to get you through any crisis or situation

Introduction:

      The other morning I was meditating on spiritual resources which enable the Christian to get through any difficult time. As all of us are experiencing the ripple effects of COVID-19, I'm sure we wonder how we will fare? Furthermore, as we emerge out from underneath this time, and face a whole new way of living life amidst what are bound to be sweeping changes, how can the Christian effectively navigate through such choppy waters? Below I offer five truths that God provides for spiritual and emotional strength through this time and, really any situation we may face in the future.

1. Sovereignty of God.

      What is God's sovereignty? Divine Sovereignty is that perfection in which God has the unlimited right to be God over all He has created. The sovereignty of God is crisply expressed by Dutch theologian Abraham Kuyper, where he said in effect that there is not one square inch of all creation where Jesus does not say: "mine". King David wrote in Psalm 103:19 perhaps the clearest words about God's sovereignty anywhere in God's Word, the Bible -

"The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all. 20 Bless the Lord, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying the voice of His word! 21 Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, you who serve Him, doing His will. 22 Bless the Lord, all you works of His, in all places of His dominion;
Bless the Lord, O my soul!"

Some additional passages which affirm God's ultimate right of dominion over the events of our world are Genesis 50:20; Acts 2:23-24; 14:17; Romans 8:28 and Romans 11:36. 

       Why is Sovereignty such a strengthening truth? To know that God is on the throne and that there is nothing random or meaningless means there is a purpose to everything - even when we cannot see it in the short-term. I heard author Charles Swindoll once note in a sermon something to this effect:

"Although I may not be able to comprehend all that is in God's Sovereignty, yet because of His Sovereignty I find great comfort and peace".

       God's exercise of His Sovereignty in our world is called His "Providence", meaning, He directs the course of all things, and uses both good and evil to accomplish His greatest good. Providence, simply put, is where God's "right-to-reign" becomes "the exercise of His reign in the maintaining of our world". Although God is not the author of evil and suffering, His plan included it. He works His will through the secondary agency of human choices and the secondary instrumentality of the laws of nature, history and events. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 expresses this point of God's providence:

"God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise."

      God chose to create a world that included, in His plans, the Fall of man and the Crucifixion. The inclusion of the crucifixion of Jesus and permission of the Fall of man points us to God's morally sufficient grounds for using both to achieve His most-wise ends. The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith in Modern English notes about Divine Providence in matters such as COVID-19 (notice the underlined words) - 

"All things come to pass unchangeably and certainly in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, who is the first cause. Thus, nothing happens to anyone by chance or outside of God’s providence. Yet by the same providence God arranges all things to occur according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or in response to other causes."

2. The Savior - Jesus Christ

       When Jesus came into our world to live, suffer, die and raise from the dead, He came as the Savior of the world and His church (Acts 20:28; 1 Timothy 2:2; 4:10; 2 Peter 3:9). We read in Acts 4:27-28 a prayer the early Christians expressed that had a strong view of God's Sovereignty and focus on the Savior - Jesus Christ:

"For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur. 29 And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence."

       As the early church was undergoing increased pressure, they found spiritual and emotional resources in the mission and majesty of Jesus Christ. The writer in Hebrews 13:8 reminds us of about Jesus as unchanging, with respect to His Divine nature, whenever we consider our rapidly changing world: 

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever".

One other quote from the inspired Book of Hebrews about the Savior, Jesus Christ, captures His empathy which He experienced as truly man for us in Hebrews 4:15-16 - 

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. - ESV

I love that particular text of scripture, since there is an invitation to come to the Lord Jesus Christ in prayer whenever we're in need of help. The last line of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 article on "God the Son" reminds us:

"He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord."

Other New Testament passages such as Hebrews 12:1-3 direct the Christian to focus on Jesus when facing hardship (also consider 1 Peter 2:21-22; 1 John 2:6). 

3. The Scriptures.

     In addition to God's Sovereignty and the Savior, the third life-sustaining truth for Christians to remember when facing situations such as COVID-19 or other times is the Word of God - i.e. "the Scriptures". The term "scripture" derives from the Latin "scriptura" and means "that which is written". The Bible is God's Divinely written, inspired, inerrant words as originally given to the prophets and apostles. Psalm 119:105 reminds us in these dark times:

"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."

Romans 15:4 gives us this life-practical reminder of why we need the Bible in times such as these: 

"For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

Readers can also turn to the following Biblical passages about the necessity and sufficiency of scripture in difficult times (Psalm 19:7-14; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21).

4. The Spirit of God.

       For the Christian, having God's presence directly active in their life ought to give great comfort in a time such as this, which is why Jesus promised the sending of the Holy Spirit upon His ascension into Heaven (see John 14:16-17; 14:26; 15:26-27; 16:7-11). 

       The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity, meaning, He brings to us the direct presence and power of God as God. Put another way, I sometimes refer to the Holy Spirit as the "Ambassador of the Trinity", since it is He Who makes available to the Christian access to the Lord Jesus Christ and the Heavenly Father (see Romans 8:14-16; Galatians 4:6; Colossians 1:27; Hebrews 4:15-16). The presence of the Holy Spirit in the Christian means that God is literally with every believer, and that there is no chance of having to face any crisis alone apart from God (see 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19-20).

5. Certainty of God's promises.

      I've read over the years that various authors estimate some 8,000 promises from God to the Christian.      What promises can we turn to when facing difficult times? Let me mention a few examples. Whenever you are trying to discern God's will for future employment, your family or your current situation, Proverbs 3:5-6 gives this counsel:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.

       What about knowing how to pray whenever you feel overwhelmed? How can you cope with overwhelming burdens such as bills and health? The Apostle Paul gives us this prescriptive promise in Philippians 4:6-7 - 

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

     Then of course the impulse we all feel to get out of our homes and go "do something". For others, the current "holding-pattern" is nerve-racking, especially whenever one feels the urgency to get back to work or somehow try to transcend a situation in which they have no control. The promise we find in Isaiah 40:30-31 is timely - 

"Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

Closing thoughts:

      We've considered five truths to get us through any situation: God's Sovereignty; the Savior - Jesus Christ; The Scriptures; The Spirit of God and the certainty of God's promises. I've found in over thirty years of Christian living that these five spiritual resources enable endurance through any and every situation. May the Lord strengthen you dear reader as you look to Him. 

What is the Bible all about?

2 Timothy 3:15-17 "and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 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."

Introduction: 

    In nearly thirty years of preaching ministry, I've had a burden to draw people's attention to the Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ. What follows is an attempt to get people re-engaged with the greatest book ever written - and I may add, the only one which has demonstrated its claims as God's Divine revelation - the Bible. In April 2019, Barna Research Group released a poll entitled: "State of the Bible 2019 - trends in engagement". Readers can access this eye-opening poll by clicking here: https://www.barna.com/research/state-of-the-bible-2019/

     The poll suggests that although there is a slight increase in surface-level engagement with the Bible, the overall trend is drifting toward further disuse. The Bible, God's Word, is the chief instrument through which sinners are brought to saving faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 10:17). Furthermore, the Bible is the chief instrument for Christian growth and the church empowerment (see Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). 
     
What is the Bible about?

     What is the Bible? This question is important to answer so that we can understand what the Bible is about. We can give four answers to this all-important question.

First, the Bible is the foundation of faith and life. 

     The Bible is not just a book, it is the "Book of books". Why? The Bible, by its very title, means: "The Book". The 19th century Baptist preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon produced a systematic question and answer book to take his congregants through major doctrines of scripture and systematic theology entitled: "A Puritan Catechism", which readers can access here: https://www.biblestudytools.com/history/creeds-confessions/catechisms/a-puritan-catechism.html. Spurgeon had observed in his day the rapid decline of Biblical Christianity.  He wanted to ensure that the tremendous Christian heritage he had inherited would not go extinct. The opening questions Spurgeon raises demonstrate this first point of why the Bible is fundamental to faith and life. Spurgeon notes:

Q1: What is the chief end of man?

A1: Man's chief end is to glorify God, ( 1 Corinthians 10:31 ) and to enjoy him for ever. ( Psalms 73:25 Psalms 73:26 )

Q2: What rule has God given to direct us how we may glorify him?

A2: The Word of God which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments ( Ephesians 2:20 ; 2 Timothy 3:16 ) is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify God and enjoy him. ( 1 John 1:3 )

Q3: What do the Scriptures principally teach?

A3: The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man. ( 2 Timothy 1:13 ; Ecclesiastes 12:13 )

Secondly, the Bible is God’s final revelation of Himself to mankind. 

     Whenever you open birthday presents, you are ripping off wrapping paper to uncover the hidden gift inside the box. Revelation is when God takes away the “wrapping paper” of His hidden purposes to uncover to us His plan for our lives (see 2 Peter 1:20-21). The only book in the world that can rightly claim itself as God’s written revelation is the Bible. In as much as we've noted the fundamental place of the Bible as occupying final authority for faith and practice of daily living, we must point out that it only has this function due to God's revelation of Himself through its words. So what else is the Bible about? 

The third thing about the Bible is that it has full authority. 

      In addition to the Bible occupying a fundamental role in faith and life, as well as uniquely functioning as God's final revelation, we can understand why these first two thoughts lead us to see the full authority of the Bible. God revealed each book of the Bible by words through a process called: “inspiration” – which means “God’s out-breathing” (see 2 Timothy 3:16). The authority it carries as God's inspired collection of totally accurate, true and faithful words (and thus books) makes it unique. 

      The Bible contains 66 individual books, written by 40 authors, over 1500 years, on three continents, in three original languages. The Bible is God’s truth, no matter what place, time or language. Let's note one more important answer to our overall question: "what is the Bible about?". 
As a final thought on what the Bible is about, we can note....

The Bible’s focus – God revealed in Jesus Christ, to make know salvation and to point to God's glory.  

      We could say that the Bible is: “the book of books, revealing the King of Kings”.  As the Bible focuses our attention on the Lord Jesus Christ, a focused message and goal emerges from its pages. The central message of the Bible is the Gospel. The Gospel is "good news" due to its life-changing contents. First, there is the Savior and Lord who is God and man - the Lord Jesus Christ, who lived, died, was buried and raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-6). Secondly, salvation is rooted in God's grace (that is, salvation unearned by good behavior, granted as a result of God's willing bestowal to redeem the sinner that He calls through the Gospel). Thirdly, salvation is received by a responsive trust in Jesus Christ as prompted by grace (otherwise known as, "faith, see Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation is the Bible's central message, however, the overall goal of the the Bible is to make known God’s glory (God’s glory is when we can see all His goodness by what He reveals about Himself). These ideas tell us what the Bible “is all about”. 

Closing thoughts:

      Today's post aimed to introduce readers to answers to the big question: "what is the Bible all about?". We gave four responses:

1. The Bible is the foundation of faith 
    and life.

2. The Bible is God's final revelation of      Himself to mankind.

3. The Bible, as God's revelation, has 
    final authority.

4. The Bible’s focus – God revealed in        Jesus Christ, to make known          
    salvation and to point to His glory.  

How The Word of God Works In Regeneration And Sanctification

Romans 10:17 "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ."

Introduction:

The beginning of the Christian life starts with regeneration or the new birth (John 3:1-5; Titus 3:4-6; 1 Peter 1:23; James 1:18). The continuation of the Christian life following regeneration in saving faith is what the Bible terms "sanctification" (1 Corinthians 1:30; 6:19-20; 1 Thessalonians 4:3). Both graces require the same ingredients for each to begin and carry forth: the Holy Spirit, an open heart of faith and the Word of God. 

One could say that the Holy Spirit is the Agent responsible in initiating the miracle of regeneration and regulating (with a cooperating believer) the ongoing work of sanctification. Certainly without a heart open to truth in light of the Spirit's working, there can be no salvation to be worked forth by Him. In like manner, unless a believer has a heart open to growing further in the things of God, sanctification by the Spirit in cooperation with that saint won't be forthcoming. 

So what about the words of the Bible? What does scripture have to say about itself with respect to its role in regeneration and sanctification? 

The Word of God In Regeneration

First, let's consider the work of regeneration wrought forth by the Holy Spirit in the human heart. We find the following scriptures testifying to the role of God's word in salvation:

Luke 16:31 "But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”

1 Corinthians 1:18 "For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

1 Thessalonians 2:13 "For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe."

2 Thessalonians 2:14 "It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."

James 1:18 "In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures."

1 Peter 1:23-25  "for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. 24   For, “ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS, AND ALL ITS GLORY LIKE THE   FLOWER OF GRASS. THE GRASS WITHERS, AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF, 25 BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER.” And this is the word which was preached to you."

It is a remarkable thing to think about when we talk about the preaching or teaching of a book resulting somehow in a change of heart. It surely cannot be attributed to the skill or personality of the preacher whenever a soul makes a decision for Jesus Christ. What is there about the Bible that makes it different from any other book in the world? 

I recall once talking at length with a Muslim man about the Quran. My question to that man was whether or not the reading aloud of the Quranic text could make a convert to Islam. He looked at me rather puzzled and said: "no, not really". The Muslim's religion knows nothing of converting power coursing through the words of its religious tome.

The Bible is different. All of the verses I mentioned above reveal that the reading aloud, preaching, teaching or explanation of the words of the Bible bring about the conversion of the soul. Even seeing the precious text of the Bible and reading it to oneself can result in a heart open to truth in general to saying yes to Jesus in a specific act of faith. The miracle of regeneration in the soul is wrought by God's miracle book: the Bible.  

The Word of God in Sanctification

1 Corinthians 2:10-13 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words."

Colossians 1:4-6  "since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints;           5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6     which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth."

2 Thessalonians 2:13 "But we must always thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning  God has chosen  you for salvation through sanctification  by the Spirit and through belief in the truth."

Hebrews 4:12 "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."

1 Peter 2:2 "Like newborn infants, desire the pure spiritual milk, so that you may grow by it for your salvation."

In the five verses I just listed, we discover that the same Bible that the Spirit uses in bringing about regeneration in saving faith is the chief instrument through which the Christian exercises himself or herself in sanctification. It wasn't too long ago that I was listening to a lecture by a prominent atheist professor of religion at a well-known university. If I were to mention this professor's name, some may recognize him by his many books in which he criticizes the Bible and Christianity. 

This professor explained in his lecture how he begins each semester of his university course on religion. He does an informal poll of the class (many from the so-called Bible belt of the United States). He will ask them: "how many believe the Bible to be the Word of God?" The forest of hands in the room testify to the majority view of the class. The next question he will asks pertains to a currently popular movie or book and he asks the students again how many have seen the movie or read the book. Again, many hands shoot up in the room. The third question raised by the professor concerns how many in the class have read the Bible through from beginning to end, at least once. By that point, only two or three raise their hands. 

The professor at this point then tells the class that for a book they believe to be authored by God Himself, one would think that everyone in the class would had read that book. Think about it, an atheist professor, no friend to the Bible nor Christianity, sees the folly of neglecting the Book of God. Yet, so few Christians ignore the Bible to their peril. The Bible is the primary means used by the Spirit in shaping and molding the willing Christian in becoming more Christ-like in their sanctification. Truly God's Word which can change the heart and keep the saint must be kept as priority in its reading by any Christian desiring to change from one level to the next in their sanctification. 

Closing thoughts

Today we explored how the Word of God works in regeneration and sanctification. Unless God's Word is part of the Gospel equation, no one will believe and be saved. Unless God's Word is intertwined in Christian sanctification, the Christian commitment of the child of God will stagnate and grow sterile. The Bible is God's living Word. It breathes life into the heart dead to God and breathes life into the heart wanting and needing to grow in God. Would we all cherish and take more seriously that precious book called "The Bible", "The Word of God". 

God The Creator Revealed By General, Special And The Fullness Of Revelation

Psalm 19:1 “The Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows forth His handiwork.

Psalm 19:7 “The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul”

John 1:18 “….He has explained Him”.

Colossians 1:16-17 "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."

Introduction:

One of my favorite designations for the Bible is “God’s Book”. The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 begins its first article with these words: 

“The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God’s revelation of Himself to man.” 

The remainder of the article emphasizes how God is the central character and focal point of sacred scripture. The BFM 2000 describes God as the Bible’s “Author”. 

Further reading yields that by the principles of the Bible, God “judges” men’s hearts. Finally, all scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of Divine revelation. In as much as the Bible is “God’s Book”, we need to also know the “God of the Book”. The above three verses tell us three main truths about this God: 

1. His existence is revealed in the external world and the moral realm

2. He expresses Himself in scripture 

3. He is explained through Jesus Christ. 

All three of these points are expounded below as we consider how God as Creator is revealed by the general revelation of creation and the conscience; special revelation in the Bible and the fullness of revelation in Jesus Christ.

God as Creator is revealed in what we call general revelation

What kind of God is this God? Undoubtedly we have the special revelation of scripture and the fullness of revelation in Jesus Christ to tell us the specifics about God. However, we also understand that God has expressed Himself in a general, non-redemptive form of revelation that Bible teachers call "general revelation". Why is this term "general revelation" used? The specific knowledge about God (His power, nature and goodness) is accessible to anyone, everywhere who has a heart open to truth. Such revelation about God is discerned through the external physical world and the internal moral intuitions of the human conscience.  

With the increasing tides of secularism and spiritualism, the God of the Bible needs to be explained for what and Who He truly is, the One All-Good, All powerful God. The exercise of discerning God's nature and characteristics from His general revelation in the external world and the moral realm is called "natural theology". 

Prophets of the Old Testament like David in Psalm 8 and 19 and the New Testament Apostles like Paul in Acts 14 and 17 argued for the existence and nature of the true God from observations gleaned from general revelation. Their strategy was to engage their audiences with information they already had about God. None of the Apostle's listeners had formally heard the special revelation of God in the Bible - specifically the Old Testament revelation of Yahweh, Israel's Redeemer. Romans 1:18-20 and 2:14 state that all men born into this world have an inherent knowledge of God's  power and moral character. Thus, the pattern of beginning with God's general revelation and the insights of natural theology is one that is advocated by the Bible. 

The God of creation is revealed by the special revelation of the Bible

As mentioned, the task of drawing conclusions from God's general revelation in both the external world and the human heart what we call “natural theology”. There is an amazing amount of truth we can glean about God, from creation and the moral make-up of man independent from and yet which complements the authoritative Divine revelation of the scriptures. With that said, God's specific identity as the Creator and Redeemer is revealed specifically in the Bible. 

Unlike general revelation, which gets me to "knowledge about God" and is "generally" found everywhere, God's special revelation can get me to "knowing God", since it specifically delivers to me the truth about salvation.
2 Timothy 3:15-17 reminds us: 

"and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 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."

The 66 books of the Bible bear the marks of inscripturated divine revelation. We find for instance hundreds of examples of historically fulfilled prophecy, unprecedented in any other major holy-book of any other religion. The unity of the Bible as a literary work spanning 1500 years, written in three languages by 40 authors on three continents bears witness to the Bible as the only international, cross-cultural book that reveals God, His purposes and and Person. The greatest proof of the special revelation of scripture is the historical resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus' constant endorsement of the Bible in his earthly ministry, His fulfillment of 109 of its prophecies in His first coming and His resurrection from the dead confirm all He taught and claimed. In short, the God of creation, revealed generally and specifically is revealed fully in the Person of Jesus Christ.

The God of creation is revealed fully in Jesus Christ

Whatever properties we ascribe to deity (omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, all-goodness, the power to create, etc) is equally and eternally expressed and shared by what the Bible tells us about the Persons of the Godhead - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 8:6-7; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Revelation 4-5). The Son in particular, being truly God (John 1:1-3) came to take unto His person a second way of expressing His personhood (i.e a second nature), a human nature, and thus became the man Jesus Christ. While ever remaining truly God, Jesus Christ permanently came to be also truly man. 

Several texts describe how Jesus Christ is the fullness of the divine revelation of God as Creator. First, John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God and the Word was with God". Secondly, we find the Lord Jesus Christ being the heir of and agent through which the creation was made in Colossians 1:16-17 - "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together." Thirdly, we find the Son's equality with the Father being fully expressed in Hebrews 1:1-2 - "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world." The remainder of Hebrews 1 explicitly ascribes the unique creative powers associated with Jehovah God in the Old Testament to those of the Son, leading to the inescapable conclusion that this Jesus is no less than God in the flesh (see John 1:14). 

Closing thoughts

Today we sketched out three types of revelation that unfold to us the truth of God being the creator. First, by way of general revelation, we arrive at knowledge about this God. Then, in the special revelation, we arrive at a redemptive plan of salvation by which we can know this God as Creator and redeemer in saving faith. Then lastly, the Bible's central character, Jesus Christ, is the fullness of revelation who amazingly is God coming down and making Himself known to us.