P2 Why the Bible is Unique in its authority - Proofs of its revelation

2 Timothy 3:14-15 "You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 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."

Introduction and review

Yesterday we began a new series we are entitling: "Why the Bible?" Each post in this series will have this phrase inserted in each title, either answering a particular question about the character of scripture or why the Bible is a certain way. Yesterday we dealt with the issue of "Why the Bible? Dark times need the Word of God". We labored to show how this particular time, and even generation had been predicted throughout the Bible. We made statements about scripture itself and demonstrated what the Bible has to say about its ability to be light in darkness. 1 Thessalonians 5:5 refers to followers of Jesus Christ - "for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness." So how is it that the follower of Jesus is to shine forth His light? Notice later on in 1 Thessalonians 5:12 "But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction." So to answer the question: "Why the Bible?" we can say that the reason why the Bible is needed in today's world is because times are dark. 

Today we are going to continue on with this series: "Why the Bible" by noting the uniqueness of its authority.

Why it is proper to say the Bible is unique in its authority

2 Timothy 3:15a states in the NASB -  "and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings....". The KJV and NIV render the underlined word as "holy" whilst the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) and English Standard Version (ESV translate the word as "sacred". In doing a quick word study on the word translated "holy" or "sacred", the Greek word underlying these renderings can mean: "set apart, dedicated to be used by God, divine, wonderful, sacred" and of course "holy". Oftentimes this word will be used with reference to the temple of the Jews in Jerusalem. Any site, object or things set aside by God or given by God utilizes this term.  The idea of "holy" or "sacred" identifies a given object as having been touched by God, Who is called in the Bible "Holy". (Isaiah 6:3; Psalm 99) Anything that is sacred has the quality of being unique, in a class of its own and pure. 

All that has been discussed thus far about the word translated "holy" or "sacred" can be applied to what Paul is saying to Timothy about "the sacred scriptures". We know "what" the word "holy" or "sacred" means when applied to the Bible. However why is this the case? Three words coming out of the above discussion on the definition of "holy" or "sacred" will be used to show why the Bible is unique in its authority: a). The Bible's character as revelation b). The Bible's purity c). The Bible's unity  

Why the Bible's character as revelation makes it uniquely authoritative 

Now on this first thought we will be delving more deeply in later posts, however we need to comment in brief on what marks the Bible as revelation from God. When we use the term "reveal" or "revelation", we are referring to making known what was previously unknown or unveiling that which was previously hidden. On 3800 occassions the Bible contains statements such as "thus says the Lord" or "The Lord says" or "it is written", pertaining to the Divine authority of Divine revelation.  Various tests for Divine revelation can be administered to determine whether or not a given document is Divinely inspired, with verified fulfilled prophecy being chief among them. Consider this logical statement:

Premise #1 If God does not exist, then fulfilled prophetic prediction (defined as 100% accurate, historically verfied, scientifically testable, and of religious significance) cannot exist,

Premise #2 If God does not exist, then written fulfilled prophetic prediction (defined in #1) cannot exist.

Premise #3 If only naturalistic laws can explain our universe, or if our universe is a closed system that emerged by chance or self-creation, then we should not see any evidence of fulfilled prophetic prediction.

Premise #4 If the phenomena of fulfilled prophetic prediction exists, then an explanation is demanded other than what naturalism and the model of a closed, self-created universe can explain. Hence that explanation can only be an intelligent Mind that is both outside and inside our universe (i.e Theism).

Premise #5 If any written document could adequately meet the criteria of premises #1-#4, then on a reasonable basis, the reality of Divine revelation as demonstrated by fulfilled prophetic prediction would be confirmed. Moreover, if such a document exists, then the reality of the deity claimed on its pages would also be confirmed by default.

Premise #6 When we survey every religious volume in the world, none contain one example of fulfilled prophetic prediction (defined in Premise #1), and none fulfill the criteria of premises #2-5, save the Bible.

Therefore: The Bible is the unique, revealed Word of God.

Now let's back up the claims of this logical argument by first testing out what is expressly stated in premise #6, since the entire weight of the argument rises or falls with it. Over the years of having surveyed different books from non-Christian religions, here is what I found: 

1. Mormonism's books: When we survey the Book of Mormon and its two companion volumes of Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price, not one example of fulfilled predictive prophecy as confirmed in the manner above is found. 

2. Islam's book, the Quran. In reading through that volume (which is slightly bigger than the New Testament), not one example of fulfilled predictive prophecy is found. 

3. Hinduism's major books, the Upanishads, Veda and the Bhagavad-Gita contain not one example of predicted fulfilled prophecy. 

4. The writings of Confusius, the ancient religious writings of Persian Zoroastianism and Babylonian Creation epics do not contain one example of predicted fulfilled prophecy.

So in scouring major religious texts, plus reading reports from scholars who have done the same in religious texts not mentioned above, not one example of predictive fulfilled prophecy has been found. But now what about the Jewish Old Testament and Christian New Testament (together comprising the books of the Bible)? We find not just one, but dozens and hundreds of examples of fulfilled, predictive Bible prophecy. Two examples will be given from both the Old and New Testament: Daniel 9:23-27 and Matthew 24:1-20. 

Daniel 9:23-27 gives the reader a time table set by God for the nation of Israel in His prophetic dealings with her. A total time of what is called "70 weeks" is stated in Daniel 9:24. We know from other passages such as Genesis 29:20 and 29:27 that the Jews used the term "week" to refer to a period of seven years. Moreover, the Jewish Calendar was a lunar calendar and thus one year of time would had equalled 360 days. As we apply this to Daniel's prophecy, we discover that the "70 weeks" are also equal to "490 years" and thus in terms of days equal 176,400 days. 

The first part of the prophecy states that God will begin the official time from the decree to rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah is cut-off corresponds to two sub-divisions of "7 weeks or 49 years" and "62 weeks or 434 years", with both equalling out to "69 weeks or 483 years". The second part of the prophecy could be dealt with, but for sake of brevity we will just focus upon the first part. 

The identity of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem is recorded in history and the scriptures (Nehemiah 2) as being issued forth by the Persian King Artaxerxes Longitmanus on March 14, 445 b.c. If one were to count the 483 years or 69 weeks expressed in the first part of Daniel 9:24-26a, with each year containing 360 days as discussed above, the total number of days would equal 173,880 days. If you count 173,880 days from March 14, 445b.c, you arrive at April 6, 32 A.D, the very day Jesus came riding into Jerusalem to present Himself as Israel's Messiah (i.e "Palm Sunday")!

The second amazing prophecy is found in Jesus' final sermon in Matthew 24:1-20. When Jesus' statements concerning the destruction of the temple are compared to the Jewish Historian Flavius Josephus writing of that very event 40 years post-Jesus' prediction, remarkable, detail by detail accuracy is found. This very event of the destruction of Jerusalem and it's temple by Titus Vespasian in 66-70 A.D is well documented in history. Matthew's Gospel, composed after Jesus' ascension into Heaven, can be reliably dated between 50-65 A.D, easily before the turn of events leading to Israel's destruction. The point is that with just these two examples of historically verified Bible prophecy, the Bible's character as genuine revelation from God is demonstrated.

More tomorrow.....

P1 Why the Bible? Perilous times need the Word of God

2 Timothy 3:1, 10-13 "Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, andsufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! 12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.13 But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived."

Introduction:

One of the most difficult and perilous things I have ever done is tackle the ropes course at fallscreek. Imagine being 20-30 feet off the ground and being tethered to a single rope. As you navigate the course, you have to walk on wires, jump on teetering platforms and if need be, hang upside down with all that air between you and reinforced concrete. I will say this, if it had not been for two operators of the course guiding me every step of the way, I would have gotten hurt and given up. 
Today begins a new series that will tackle questions that revolve about the issue as to why the Bible alone is to be considered the Word of God. Without a doubt I will aim to communicate as clearly as I know how what I preach, teach and attempt to live out by God's grace daily when it comes to the scriptures. Knowing what one believes about the scripture informs ultimately how one lives for the Lord. However, in the midst of unprecedented attacks on Christianity in this country in general and the trustworthiness of scripture in particular, this blogger felt it necessary to equip readers with the tools needed to answer the question: why the Bible, and no other book? 

In the KJV we read the beginning verse of this section in 2 Timothy 3:1 "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." The New American Standard renders that same word as "difficult". Whether we use the term "difficult" or "perilous", the point is that such times needs the Word of God. The remainder of 2 Timothy 3:2-9 details the nature of the dangers that will be faced by Timothy and subsequent generations of Christians. 2 Timothy 3:10-17 is in Paul's second letter to a young pastor by the name of Timothy. This particular letter or epistle would had been Paul's final words prior to his martyrdom, which means that what we read is not only a matter of truth, and certainly without a doubt inspired by the Holy Spirit, but also a matter of conviction. Paul warned Timothy of coming days that would grow darker. At the end of this post we will deal specifically with how Paul prescribes the scriptures for perilous times. 

Why the Bible? Persistent need for the lamp of truth

I thought it would benefit the reader to see what God says in the Bible concerning its ability to shine light in the darkness. Psalm 19:8b notes: ".....The commandment of the Lord is pure,enlightening the eyes." Psalm 119:105 states: "Your word is a lamp to my feetAnd a light to my path." Proverbs 6:23 "For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light;And reproofs for discipline are the way of life." 1 Corinthians 2:12-13 "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." Then finally, Hebrews 4:12-13 "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. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." 

How is it that the scriptures are able to perform this function? They can only do so because of the fact they are the revealed Word of God. Proof of these assertions will be brought forth in later posts. It is important to remember that the scriptures claim themselves to be God's authoritative Word in places such as Proverbs 30:4-5; Psalm 112:6; 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and 2 Peter 1:20-21. Jesus reminds us in John 10:35 that the scriptures cannot be broken and in Matthew 5:18 the the Word of God is preserved by ordinance of God. 1 Peter 1:25 states that the Word of the Lord will endure forever and Isaiah 55:6-10 explains the Word of God not returning void but achieving the purposes for which God reveals it. To say that the Bible is God's revealed word is only repeating what the Bible claims for itself.  

It can be stated without apology that to deny the inerrancy, infallibility and Divine authority of scripture is to depart from the view that the Prophets, Jesus and the Apostles held while the scriptures were being produced in their days.  

Why the Bible? Past times needed God's Word
We see examples of this time and time again throughout history - from the decadence of Greece and Rome to the rise and fall of cultures and kingdoms from those days until now. In general terms, we also see throughout Old and New Testament history cases where in the darkest hours of humanity, God gave His Word.  Think about the following few examples:

1. Adam and Eve were given Gen 3:15

2. Noah was revealed the ark Gen 6-9

3. Abram was told to leave and go to the promised land. Genesis 12

4. Moses was given the revelation of Genesis - Deuteronomy to lead 2 million unruly people

5. David was given a covenant of promise assuring that coming of an ultimate king. 2 Samuel 7:8-16

6. Israel throughout her history was given the prophets to speak God's Word
Amos 3:7

7. Jesus came as the living Word made flesh. The Gospels, John 1:14-18

8. The early church received the Holy Spirit and was formed and grown by prophetic preaching, despite persecution. Book of Acts

9. The Apostles were given revelation in the form of letters to guide the church through her trials and to better understand what Jesus achieved and how they were to live. The Epistles

10. The Apostle John penned his book of Revelation on an isolated island in exile.

Why the Bible? The present time was predicted by it

One of the first places we can turn to in discovering how long our day and age had been predicted by God is Proverbs 30:11-14 "There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. 12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. 13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. 14 There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men." The KJV handles this particular text better than the NASB in that it refers to "a generation". Certainly this gives a picture of what happens when an entire society, and even generation of people are given over to their own base desires and sinful pleasures. 

However there is a particular sense in which the sinfulness of man will reach untold, unprecedented proportions in the days preceeding the coming of Christ. Jesus Himself predicted in Matthew 24:37-39 "For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking,marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did notunderstand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

The author of this Proverb, Agur, states that the above mentioned generation will have no regard for parents, pour out words of death, no longer value life itself and devour the poor. The fact that God is not even mentioned in this description suggests that the generation here will have totally forsaken God all together, a step by step process outlined most clearly in places such as Romans 1:18-31.

As further exploration of the Bible is made, more mention is found of the particular day and age in which we are living, lending further proof to the need for God's Word in dark times. This age is known as the "information age" and the prophet Daniel predicted it in Daniel 12:4 "But as for you, Daniel,conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.”  It has been observed that roughly speaking, if we were to take all of the human knowledge we acquired from 3000 b.c to 1950 as representing our knowledge of the world around us, we discover that from 1950 - the 1970's we acquired the same amount of information. Through the 1970's to today we have seen the same amount of time decreasing as we double our knowledge of the world, to the point where today, we are doubling our knowledge every twelve months or less. 

As fascinating as these days are in which we are living, they also present conditions whereby the evil and sinful choices of human beings can be carried out at rapid speed. Without a doubt, dark times have existed on our globe, which led to God's Spirit injecting His church with the twin desires to be on it's knees in intercession and thrusting itself back into the scriptures. Texts such as these set the stage for what Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:10-17 to young Pastor Timothy, and ultimately us in the 21st century. 

Why the Bible? Perilous times need the Word of God

A brief scan of 2 Timothy 3:10-14 will yield details that complete the picture explored in the verses above. Why the Bible? Why the need for God's Word? What kind of darkness are we talking about that would prompt us to turn to the Word of God to get a Word from God?  Notice.....

1. Perilous times require increased ability to see God's faithfulness. 2 Tim 3:10-12

Paul reminds Timothy of how his own ministry began some 20 years prior with persecution in 2 Timothy 3:10-12 Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience,love, perseverance,11 persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me atAntioch, at Iconium and atLystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me!" 

How can we have the ability to see God's faithfulness to us in times of persecution? By the Word of God. Paul Timothy to God's faithfulness to him, and the faith he himself had in God as an example to follow. Despite the persecutions and sufferings that he experienced in Acts 14 at the hands of the Jews in Iconium and Lystra, wherein they had left Paul for dead, God miraculously raised him (Acts 14:20). Then get this: Paul went back into the city to preach some more! To then further demonstrate how much he saw God's goodness, Paul is recorded saying in Acts 14:22 "strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, andsaying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” 

What Paul expressed some twenty years prior in Acts 14 was communicated to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:11b-12 "what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me!12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesuswill be persecuted." Paul appealed to his experience, which in turn was nested inside the Divinely revealed record of Acts 14. God's Word enables the saint to see God's faithfulness in darktimes, which is why we need God's Word. Now notice the second reason why God's Word is needed in darktimes.....

2. Perilous times require the ability to hear God. 2 Timothy 3:13-14

Notice what Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:13-14 "But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 You, however,continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them." The kingdom of darkness and the sinful designs of human beings are described here as literally "continuing to cut an advancing path." The word translated "imposters" in verse 13 speaks of someone who seduces, does sleight of hand, a juggler or a worker of the magic arts. The idea here is that for such people, the line between illusion and reality is blurred and eventually erased. The lies of men and the words of such imposters will be carried far and wide to every ear who is willing to listen. 

What then is the solution? How can a child of God, a pastor or a church ever hope to not only survive but thrive in such a hostile environment? Paul gives the answer in 2 Timothy 3:14-15a "You, however,continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings.....". In verse 15 Paul is alluding to the Old Testament, which Timothy would had learned from his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5) and in verse 14 he is alluding to the Apostles, like Peter and himself, as well as some of the New Testament books which would had been in circulation. When we say the Bible is God's Word, we are equating it with God's voice. In an age where we hear an overabundance of men's voices, we need to get back to the Bible. It alone communicates God's voice in its words and pages. 

Closing thoughts

Today we considered why perilous times need the Word of God:
1. Persistent need for the lamp of truth

2. Past times needed God's Word

3. Present time predicted by it

4. Perilous times need the Word of God to both see God's faithfulness and hear His voice. 

Poem - My Daddy's Bible

Psalm 118:8 "It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man."

It is hard to believe that it has been almost a month since my dad's passing. In writing these posts on the subject of Biblical authority, I got to thinking about my dad's Bible. When I was at his funeral, I got the chance to hold his Bible and look through the numerous verse references he jotted down in the front flyleaf. The presiding pastor used those verses as the basis for his funeral message and as a result I was comforted. The above opening text of today's post features one of my dad's favorite scriptures. He would quote Psalm 118:8 all the time and I would come to discover that this verses is the middle verse in our English Bibles. Today's poem is dedicated to my dad and tells a little bit of the comfort I found listening to the message spoken from those verse references written by my dad in his Bible. May the reader find encouragement, hope or perhaps use the poem to comfort someone else. To God be the glory!

My Daddy's Bible

On my lap the Bible laid

Final respects to my daddy paid

I opened the book, to behold the sight

Like gems in the sun glistening bright

Verses wrote, tucked in every space

Each one written and having a place

The day a family member left the home

Four years to college and world to roam

He wrote down a verse, to watch and pray

To see his child finish their way

There was another, celebrating love

Memories to cherish, gifts from above

The preacher unfolded the truth of those words

Like a string of pearls his message was heard

God gained a tenor; a son is now home

No longer on this globe to ever roam

Yet here is his Bible, proof of a man

Who by faith on God's Word surely did stand

Dad is in glory, faith made sight

In that land of never night

My daddy's Bible, my mind's eye behold

A precious book, more valuable than gold

Since God is perfect, the Bible is inerrant

Titus 1:2 "in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie,promised long ages ago."

Introduction:

When we consider the character of the books of the Bible and when we claim that all together the sixty-six books are the Word of God, we necessarily are basing such claims off of their being of Divine origin. At the heart of the Christian faith is the idea that God is a talking God that has revealed His power in creation, His Presence in the incarnation of Jesus Christ and His purposes in a book - the Bible. God by nature is Holy, Perfect and without flaw. (Isaiah 6; Habakkuk 1:13) Through the scriptures themselves we discover explicit statements that verify the fact that God cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18-19) but always tells the truth and reigns over His world by the basis of truth (Psalm 89:14). 

The character of God is the basis for any belief in the doctrine of the Bible's character as a 100% truthful document without error (hence inerrancy). Today's post will consider scriptures that assert the character of God as perfect, flawless and always telling the truth as being the basis for the doctrine of inerrancy, and by claiming the Bible as God's revealed book, what it is only fitting to deem it the inerrant and infallible Word of God. 

Bible Scholars weigh in on connecting God's character supply the character of scripture as the basis for asserting Biblical inerrancy

Henry Theissen in his "Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology, page 109, gives this clear statement: "Will not God, Who has provided so abundantly for man's lower needs, provide also for his higher? It seems that the answer must be an abundant yes. God being such a God as that (person, almighty, holy and loving) may be expected to make His standards and plan of salvation known." Theissen then quotes another theologian, W.G.T Shedd, who states: "Hence it is more natural to suppose that a prophet or an apostle who has received directly from God a profound and mysterious truth inaccesible to the human intellect, will not be left to his own unassisted powers in imparting what He has received. Especially is it improbable that communications from the deity would be veiled in extravagant and legendary costume." Dr. Norman Geisler and William E. Nix in their book: A General Introduction to the Bible, page 49, note: "In order to demonstrate the divine authority of the Scriptures, it must be shown that the Bible has a divine claim corroborated by a divine character and supported by divine credentials."  All of these scholars are in essence saying that because God is truthful and reveals Himself, the Book which He has revealed in written form came through His prophets and apostles as completely truthful (or inerrant).

God in the Person of the Father cannot lie, thus the Bible is inerrant

Numbers 23:19 states - “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent;
Has He said, and will He not do it?
Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" God is One God Who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each person of the Trinity is equally a sharer in the fullness and oneness of Deity. Hence, whenever we say that the Father (alluded to here in Numbers 23:19 and in Titus 1:2) cannot lie, we are necessarily saying that whatever He says will be without error. The statements we find with reference to God's perfection lead to the main point of His revealed words being without error. If we were to track this out logically, we could note the following:

Premise #1 God is a God that cannot lie and thus is without error

Premise #2 Anything spoken or recorded in written form from the One, true, Perfect God is without error, being that God cannot lie

Premise #3 The Bible is the only book, that contains fulfilled prophecy, unparalleled unity, correct explanations of history and the power to convert sinners, which are marks of Divine revelation

Premise #4 Divine revelation can only come from One source, God

Therefore: The Bible is without error and cannot lie, thus always truthful (i.e inerrant)

The Person of the Son cannot lie, hence the Bible is without error

Jesus Christ is the only perfect human being who ever lived. Furthermore, He being also God at the same time means He cannot lie. Jesus as God in human flesh asserts that the scriptures are about Him (Luke 24:44); cannot be broken (John 10:35) and retain their authority as Divine scripture throughout all the ages (Matthew 5:18). Jesus' Divine character and perfect human character is tied to the character of scripture itself. Scholar Dr. Daniel Wallace observes in a blogpost he wrote in his blogsite, danielwallace.com - "At bottom, the reason I hold to a high bibliology is because I hold to a high Christology (the branch of theology dealing with the Person and work of Jesus Christ). Jesus often spoke of the Bible in terms that went beyond the reverence that the Pharisees and Sadducees had for the text. They added traditions to the Bible, or truncated the canon, or otherwise failed to handle scripture appropriately. Jesus had a high view of the text, and it strikes me that I would be unwise to have a view different from his. Indeed, I believe I would be on dangerous ground if I were to take a different view of the text than Jesus did. Thus, my starting point for a high bibliology is Christ himself." This is highly important to recognize, since whatever is said about Jesus is said about the scriptures, since both are recognized by the title "The Word". (John 1:1,14; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 4:12)

The Person of the Holy Spirit cannot lie, hence the scriptures are inerrant

1 Samuel 15:29 states - "Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind.”  Jesus states in John 16:13ff that the Spirit of truth will come to guide His people into all truth. According to 2 Timothy 3:16 and 2 Peter 1:21, the Holy Spirit is identified as the chief Agent behind the production of scripture through the Prophets and Apostles. When the original documents were penned by these men, the Holy Spirit Himself insured that they were without error. 

Closing thoughts

Today's post aimed to show the reader why belief in Biblical inerrancy must begin with the fundamental assumption of God being a truth-telling, never lying God. The affirmation of Biblical inerrancy in the original manuscripts of the Old and New Testaments, along with such authority that flows down through their copies and translations, is a by-product of the belief that God indeed revealed and inspired them. I close today with this exerpt from the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message which connects biblical inerrancy to God's character: "The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter."

Five vital terms for explaining the authority of scripture

Genesis 3:1 "Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” 


The first question in the Bible has to do with God's Word
Everything up until Genesis 3 had been commanded and declared by God. Satan took God's commands and declarations and put question marks on the end.  Sin entered into the world as a result of man losing and refusing to fight the battle for God's Words.  As Christians, we need to know that the Bible we carry in our hands is the Word of God.  In today's post I want to introduce the reader to five terms that have been used by theologians to describe how the scriptures journeyed from God's mouth to man's hand.  Those five terms of which I speak are the following:

1. Revelation
2. Inspiration
3. Canonicity
4. Preservation
5. Illumination

Each of these terms could be given their own post, however for today I just want you the reader to be equipped with brief definitions so as to get in your mind the reliability and sufficiency of your Bible as God's very words.

1. Revelation - Making known that which was previously unknown  
In Bible doctrine we usually distinguish three types of revelation:

a. General Revelation - This is God revealing or making known His glory and power in creation and the conscience  (Psalm 19:7-11; Romans 1:18-31, 2:15)

b. Full Revelation - This is God's revelation of His Person and Majesty through the incarnation of God the Son, Jesus Christ. (Hebrews 1:1-3)

c. Special Revelation - This is God's Revelation of His purposes and will through the writing of the Old and New Testament scriptures, of which we are focusing upon in this particular blog today. (Deuteronomy 29:29; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21)

God revealed His words to His prophets, by whom spoke and then wrote down the revelation. In the New Testament the terms employed to refer to God's revelation refer to "unveiling that which was previously hidden".  (Exodus 24:4; Amos 3:7; Ephesians 1:10; 1 Peter 1:10-11)

2.  Inspiration - Human authors were given a unique measure of grace through their own writing styles to produce documents free from error and sufficient for faith and practice

Revelation (not the Book but the act of God making the unknown known) leads next to inspiration.  It is in the act of inspiration that God takes His revealed will and superintends over the writing styles of the biblical authors to produce the Bible books. In 2 Timothy 3:16 we read that "all scripture is inspired", meaning literally that: "God breathed out the scriptures."  Just as He breathed out His breath into the nostrils of Adam and Adam became a living soul, so did the writings of the Apostles and Prophets become living scripture as they wrote.  With the more than 40 authors, writing on three continents and in three languages, over 1500 years period of time, God used their writing styles and situations to produce a unified library of 66 documents free from error.  Once the last period of the Book of Revelation was completed, the Grace of inspiration would never operate again.  So with God's words written as errorless words, how would God's people know which books were God's books as opposed to forgeries?

3. Canonicity - The identification, reception and arranging of the individually inspired Bible books into the official collection of God's words
Virtually all the Bible books were immediately identified, received and collected by God's people for public reading, preaching and application.  The term "canon" literally means "measuring rod", hence the Bible is the final authority or "measuring rod" on all matters.  Not just any book could be considered part of God's Divine Library of the Bible.  Church history tells us that God's people used a variety of tests for recognizing God's words.1

God perfectly inspired the individual Bible books, not the manner of their order or arrangement.  God in His Providence led the people of God to take up the task of receiving and arranging the books of scripture.  Without a doubt the Holy Spirit guided the process, and it must be remembered that the Bible produced the church, not the other way around.  By recognizing the nature of canonicity, we can see why its not a big deal for certain Bibles to have differing order or arrangement of the Bible books.2  We could spend more time in detail, but we must move onto the next term....

4. Preservation- God's Providential preservation of the words of the Bible in the hand-copied texts of the Old and New Testament.

We possess more certainty over the words of the Bibles in our possession today as being those originally penned by the Biblical authors than we do of any other ancient document.  Once that original manuscript left the hand of that prophet or apostle, how was its contents preserved as it was copied over and over again? Certainly as the scriptures were copied by hand, minor variations would had entered into the textual stream. However we can be assured that we have the words of God in our manuscripts. Insofar as a manuscript copy and translation represents those words, that copy or translation carries the authority of being God's Word. A whole field of study aims to answer this question.3

Perhaps in illustration I heard one time will aid in this point. Take any dollar bill or paper currency that you have in your possession and ask yourself whether that bill can be used to make a purchase? Of course the answer is yes. That bill is a copy of the original plates on a printing press to produce the bill. Perhaps when you got the paper currency, it was torn, tatered or worn. Despite its condition, that dollar bill is a valuable and carries the authority of a Federal Reserve Note just as much as those original plates. The plates are flawless, and the dollar bill bearing their image carries the authority of such and is for all practical intents and purposes flawless in as much as it represents its original. So it is the same with the copies and translations of the Old and New Testaments. We should have no worries concerning the Bibles we have today - they are the Word of God!  

If God had not guaranteed the preservation of His words down to our day, we would have no idea what He commmunicated. (Matthew 5:18)  More could be said but we must hasten to the final key term...

5. Illumination - How God the Holy Spirit helps Christians understand the meaning of the Revealed, Inspired, Canonical and Preserved Text

When a Christian is converted by grace through faith, the Holy Spirit enables them to understand the meaning of the words of the Bible.  Passages such as 1 Corinthians 2:10-13 and 1 John 2:20,27 give us this promise of the Spirit's ministry in the life of the Christian.  Without the Holy Spirit's work of illumination, I could not preach the Bible with clarity nor could those to whom I preach apply what is preached.  Furthermore, without the proverbial "light-bulb" of understanding given by the Holy Spirit, no Christian could have fruitful study of God's word.4 

Conclusion
As you consider the five terms: Revelation, Inspiration, Canonicity, Preservation & Illumination, you will discover the truth of the matter: the Bible that you and I carry to church and read every week is the Word of God.  I would like to end today's blog with this quote from the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 Article 1 on the Holy Scriptures,  of which I affirm, and hope you do as well: "The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy."    

End Notes:______________________

1. So what were the tests?  Some examples are as follows:
a. Was the author a prophet, apostle or associate of an apostle?
b. Does the book correspond with previous revelation?
c. Does the Book bring about conversion?
d. Does the book point to Jesus Christ, the fullness of God's revelation?
e. Is the book recognized by virtually all Christians as God's word?

Tests such as these were used, and once individually recognized, the church came to arrange the books for use and preaching purposes.

2. For example we know by Jesus' day that the Old Testament was arranged in a three-fold way (Law, Prophets, Writings). (Luke 24:44) However in our English Bibles our Old Testaments are arranged as: Law, Historical Books, Poetic Books and Prophetic Books (Major and Minor Prophets). These differing arrangements have nothing to do with the words of scripture (inspiration), rather they represent the ways God's people came to organize the 66 Bible books.  Thus we see for instance Catholic Bibles, Eastern Orthodox Bibles and Protestant Bibles (the last which would be to most readers perhaps the most familiar) having their Bible Books in differing order.  The Catholic and Eastern Orthodox have additional books, of which I will not address right now (these issues have been addressed in other past blogs).  Suffice it to say, all three orderings have in common the universally recognized 66 Books which appear by themselves in such English translation and versions such as KJV, NKJV, NASB, NIV, ESV, NLT. 

3. The scholarly field to which I'm referring is called textual criticism. 
 Without going into too much detail, the thousands upon thousands of copies of manuscripts, both Old and New Testament, can reconstruct the original text in over 99% of cases, with no variation in the copies affecting any doctrine or teaching.  

4. Often people will confuse the terms "revelation" and "illumination". It is important to keep those two terms distinct, since God is not giving no new revelations today. Any insights people have into the spiritual realm or in guidance for every day life is a result of the Spirit's illuminating work through the scriptures. Even when we hear God's voice and know what He wants us to do, its because at some point we heard a Biblical based sermon or read a Bible verse that spoke on that subject. 

What is necessary to have a greater illumination of God and His work

Genesis 35:10-12 God said to him,“Your name is Jacob; You shall no longer be called Jacob, But Israel shall be your name.” Thus He called him Israel. 11God also said to him,“I am God Almighty; Be fruitful and multiply; A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, And kings shall come forth from you. 12“The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac, I will give it to you. And I will give the land to your descendants after you.”

Introduction:
These last several days have focused upon a theme in scripture that is so central to the beginning and ongoing reality of the Christian life that without it, there can be no true Christianity. The twin concepts of "death to self" and "taking up one's cross" were studied in the Gospels and in yesterday's post we journeyed back to Jacob's wrestling match with God in Genesis 32. Today we pick up once more on Jacob's life, seeing his experience as the seed form of what would be the full-grown truth of the New Testament teaching on "self-denial". Unless the cross is included, all attempts to deny oneself will fail. The flesh (the expression of the self-life) cannot be reformed nor made religious. It must be put to death on the cross, everyday. Such radical truth begins at salvation and comes to be more pressing in sanctification. Below we will notice how these thoughts pertain to the Christian's increasing understanding and illumination into God and His work in their lives. 

Dying to self heightens your awareness of Christ's Ownership over your life
As we already noted, we saw in the life of Israel (formerly Jacob) that in dying to or denying his selfish, sinful drives, he was able to operate through tragedy after tragedy on the power of God.  When the self-life of the Christian is regarded as unimportant, and put back mentally and spiritually on the cross, the Lordship (the authority) of Christ goes from being a fact to an experience. 

Jesus does not become your Lord when you die to self.  When you are converted by grace through faith, Jesus Christ begins to exercise immediate authority as your Savior, Lord and Treasure. (compare Romans 10:8-10).  The truth of the fact is established by God's Word.  Yet in your daily experience as a believer, your awareness of Christ's control over your life can only come about when you die to self.  In other words, you come to appreciate, delight in and see Christ more clearly.

Jacob's life illustrates the positive benefit of dying to self - seeing God more clearly
In the passage quoted at the beginning of today's blog, The Lord is speaking to Jacob and re-affirming the promises he gave to his grand-father Abraham and father Isaac.  God also reminds Jacob as to why he changed his name to Israel, and that His calling and destiny could be now fully lived out as a result of him dying to self. 

This is why "dying to self" must be a daily reality in the life of the Christian.  Anytime the attitude of "when I want, how I want" rears its ugly head, unless I deal with that through regarding what God had said and rendering my former identity to be dead, in God I will never be able to move ahead.  The power to deal with tragedy comes as we die to self.  In the darkness of suffering, God's grace matches and exceeds with Him revealing Himself to us in a clearer way. 

What you truly gain in dying to self
Read the context of Genesis 32-35 and you will note two trends: Jacob's (newly named by God as Israel) trials increased and his understanding of God increased.  If God had not broken Jacob of his selfish pattern of running away from his problems in Genesis 32, then he would not had been ready for the clearer illumination of who the Lord is in Genesis 35.  Let us close today's blog with this thought from Philippians 3:8 - "than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ."

The only way you can live effectively for God

Genesis 32:24-28 Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25When he saw that he had not prevailed against him, he touched the socket of his thigh; so the socket of Jacob’s thigh was dislocated while he wrestled with him. 26Then he said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.” But he said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27So he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” 28He said, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.”

Introduction:

We have labored the past couple of days to understand what Jesus meant when He spoke about "denying to self" or "dying to self" and "taking up one's cross". We ended yesterday's post with the following four life-applications as to the centrality of cross bearing and self denial to the Christian:

1. Central to saving faith

2. Central to sanctification

3. Central to supernatural ministry

4. Centers on the Son

Today's post delves back into the Old Testament to see how these truths were developed in seed form. Certainly Jesus' statements relied upon events contemporary to His day, however the thought behind the statements runs its course through God's revelation in the Old Testament. Our post today will center chiefly on the Patriarch Jacob.

What is necessary to live for God?
Jacob was the grandson of the well-known patriarch Abraham and father of twelve sons who would be the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel. In Genesis 32 he is getting ready to face a fear that he has been running from for over twenty years - his brother. After receving word that his brother, Esau, was coming his direction with 400 men, Jacob responded and by the time we come to our text above, the Bible says: "Then Jacob was all alone". As we will see, Jacob would learn that in order to live for God, something about himself had to die.

Self must die if we are to live effectively for God
Jacob was getting ready to experience a work of God that is daily necessary in the life of every Christian if they expect to move forward in their Christian walk - dying to self. Self is that principle at work in our soul that fuels our sin nature to want what it wants, when it wants and how it wants. Dying to self, or self denial, is fundamental to what it means in being a follower of the Lord. Jesus states it plainly in Luke 9:23-24 - "And He was saying to them all, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24'For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it." '

In order to over come his enemies, Jacob had to be overcome by God
This episode in Jacob's life is intriguing, for he wrestles with an individual that is identified simply as "a man". Now scripture bears out that this was no ordinary man that met Jacob in the desert. Hosea 12:3-4, written over a 1,000 years after our account here in Genesis 32, gives an inspired commentary on just who Jacob was wrestling: "Yes, he wrestled with the angel and prevailed; He wept and sought His favor. He found Him at Bethel And there He spoke with us,
5Even the LORD, the God of hosts,
The LORD is His name."

It was none other than God Himself that wrestled with Jacob in the form of this "unamed man". Other scriptures clarifiy that this mysterious "man" who is really "God" as an Old Testament appearance of Jesus Christ. Undoubtedly the Bible's dual identification of this figure in the Old Testament was foreshadowing what would be the complete revelation of Jesus Christ as fully God and fully man in the New Testament. As they wrestle, the Lord asks Jacob for His name. Quite simply, he was asking for Jacob's surrender, since the giving over of one's name was tantamount to acknowledging the superiority of your opponent. Jacob did that, and as a result he received a new name - "Israel". Why? Quite literally, the Lord states that he had prevailed against men, and strove with God, and by grace accomplished both. Jacob would never be the same again.

When you die to self, expect your walk with God to be different
When this epic battle was finished, it was clear that Jacob, formerly headstrong and strongwilled was now a broken man. However that did not mean he was weaker. If anything, Jacob had entered into a whole new realm of relationship with God. The Bible tells us at the end of this fight, Jacob walked with a limp. Jacob (Israel) was now more useful to God because he had to die to who he was as Jacob in order for the power of God to manifest itself. The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12:9 - "And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me."

How do you die to self?
Let me give you three principles from this text in Genesis 32 that shows how Jacob died to his old identity:

1. Get in order with what God said. Genesis 32:24-29

2. Reckon your old identity to be dead. Genesis 32:30-32

3. Only then in God can you move ahead.

The benefits of dying to self
By dying to self, Jacob was positioned to receive further illumination from God on the nature of his calling. (Genesis 35). Additionally, by dying to self, the power of God could flow more freely through Jacob's life. Such power was going to be needed by Jacob to face tough tragedies such as the loss of his wife in Genesis 35:17 and his father in Genesis 35:29. May you and I understand and apply this essential truth for living for God.