The Bible
The foundation of Christianity is the Bible. It is the only dependable source for humankind to know God's voice. It has the answers to all eternal questions. The focus of all Scripture is ultimately on Jesus. It is the blueprint of Heaven and the only reliable source of truth for all moral and spiritual information by which humans can successfully live each day and build a foundation for any endeavor. In its original text, the Bible is the all-inclusive, inerrant, divinely inspired word of God (2 Timothy 3:16).
The Bible was written with a consistent theme by about 40 authors over an approximately 1,500-year period in three languages on three continents with no evident contradictions. Its writers were scholars, ranchers, shepherds, and fishermen.
The Old Testament Timeline
The Book of Job is considered the oldest book in the Bible. BC 2000-1500
The stone tablets of the Ten Commandments given to Moses. BC 1500-1400
The original 39 books were completed. BC 1400–400
The original 39 books were canonized BC 300
The Greek Septuagint was produced. BC 250–200
New Testament Timeline
The historic church has had the complete written “logos/rhema/graphe” Word including all 27 books of the New Testament (NT) since approximately 90 AD. Here is the timeline for each NT book:
Matthew 35-60 AD
James 40-46 AD
1 Thessalonians 50-52 AD
2 Thessalonians 51-53 AD
Galatians 53-56 AD
1 + 2 Corinthians 56-57 AD
Romans and 1 Peter 57-58 AD
2 Peter, 2 Timothy, Luke, Jude, Acts 58-67 AD
Philippians 59 AD
Titus, Philemon, Mark - no later than 61 AD
Ephesians, Colossians, 1 Timothy, Hebrews 61-63 AD
John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John 63-80 AD
Revelation 89-95 AD
The entire New Testament could be reconstructed from the writings of the early Church Fathers, such as Clement of Rome who wrote a letter to the church at Corinth in 95 AD that contained numerous OT Scriptures as well as the writings of the Apostles Jesus had hand-picked, that were considered as sacred Scripture. Another early church father was Irenaeus, who lived from 130 AD to 202 AD. In his writings, He quoted from 24 books of the New Testament over 1,800 times.
Justin Martyr wrote a letter known as his first Apology to the Roman Emperor around 150 AD in which he described what happened during a typical Sunday church service. He wrote that the Scriptures of the OT (the writings of the Prophets) and the writings of the NT were read out loud and then a message (discourse) was preached, songs were sung, people prayed together and took communion. Then, an offering was taken, part of which was used to help those who were sick, as well as widows and orphans, and all those that were in need (First Apology, 67).
There was also Origen Adamantius who lived from 185 AD - 254 AD in Alexandria, Egypt. He was a theologian and scholar who made over 18,000 references to the books in the NT in his writings. There are many more.
The Bible Is Reliable
The Bible has been translated many times in a one-step process from the original languages into multiple languages throughout history. However, it has never been rewritten. There are approximately 5,700 copies of the Greek manuscripts that were made very close to the time of the originals, and they all agree with each other with 99.5% accuracy. The .5% variation would include textual misspellings or minor word alternations. There are also over 19,000 copies in the Syriac, Latin, Coptic, and Aramaic languages, bringing the total supporting New Testament manuscript purity to over 24,000 copies.
God the Father, just as He spoke in the past in the Old Testament, continues to speak to His people today through the New Testament by using His own Words spoken to Jesus, who then spoke to His Apostles, who wrote them down, which made up the New Testament (Luke 10:16; John 13:20, 17:17-20). The writers of the New Testament constantly appealed to the Scriptures alone as their base of authority in declaring what was and was not actual Biblical teaching (Matthew 21:42; John 2:22; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 Peter 1:10-12, 2:2; 2 Peter 1:17-19; Acts 17:11).
The Foundation of the Church
The church was built on the teaching (Scriptures) of the Prophets and Apostles found in the Old and New Testaments (Ephesians 2:19-20). The Bible is the authoritative source for the proclamation of the church and the norm by which that proclamation is tested. It cannot be changed by any additions, subtractions, or modifications offered by anyone, no matter what position or authority they claim to hold. Once a person attempts to conflate various verses, supplement, supersede, distort, or subtract from the Bible, they enter into heresy.
The writers of the New Testament lived in poverty. They suffered tremendous persecution by the two most powerful cultures of the day. They willingly endured political disgrace, beatings, stonings, imprisonment, and execution about the claims of Jesus and what He did while boldly insisting to their last dying breath that they had physically seen Jesus bodily raised from the dead.
The vast majority of New Testament books were written by numerous eyewitnesses, and there is no record of anyone alive at the time questioning their accuracy. There were indeed many deeds and sayings of Jesus not recorded in Scripture. However, the letters and writings chosen to be included in the New Testament were required to meet three primary criteria points.
First, the author had to be an eyewitness to the events they wrote of or directly taught about them by the Apostles.
Second, the writings had to be consistent with church practice and tradition.
Third, each writing had to already be in use by the church for teaching and accepted as the divine Word of God.
"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:14-17 NIV)
In the Apostle Paul's letter to Timothy, he reminds him that he was taught from the "Holy Scriptures" (the Old Testament). In the next verse, he says that ALL "Scripture is God-breathed," indicating he was differentiating between the Old Testament and the writings which now make up the New Testament which are also inspired.
Paul is ultimately making a logical statement pointing out that all Scripture in the Bible as it is known originates from God and can teach and equip Christians for good works. Ultimately this must be accepted by faith that the Old and New Testaments are inspired by God.
Paul also quoted Luke 10:7 as Scripture to Timothy, placing Luke's Gospel on the same level as Moses' writings (1 Timothy 5:18). In prior writings, Paul stated that he wrote "by the word of the Lord" (1 Thessalonians 4:15; also 1 Timothy 5:18; Galatians 1:12). Paul emphatically believed that he was preaching the very Word of God.
"And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe." (1 Thessalonians 2:13 NIV)
The Apostle Peter affirmed that Paul's writings were Scripture given by God:
"Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction." (2 Peter 3:15-16 NIV - See also 3:1-2)
Paul told the Church at Corinth, Galatia and Thessalonica that he wrote with authority given to him directly by God to instruct them, and they should not distort or ignore them (1 Corinthians 14:37-38; 2 Corinthians 13:3, 10; Galatians 1:11-17; 1 Thessalonians 4:2,8; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15, 3:6, 13-18). The Apostle John in the Book of Revelation wrote that those who read and keep what was written in it would be blessed because it was given to him directly by God and gave a warning that if anyone adds or subtracts to what he wrote, there would be dire consequences for them (Revelation 1:1-3, 9-19, 14:13, 19:9-10, 21:5-7, 22:18-19).
The Sufficiency and Authority of Scripture
The Bible is the absolute perfect revelation of Jesus Christ, the only infallible, inerrant, inspired source of knowledge about Him, and the only reliable source to hear His voice. Everything in the Cosmos is sustained by His Word.
"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word." (Hebrews 1:1-3 NIV)
Clearly, the New Testament writers fully believed that they were recording the very inspired Words (Scriptures). Because the Bible is already inspired, it doesn't need any fresh revelation to be relevant (John 14:26, 16:12-13). Dreams, visitations, or prophetic words, are not reliable. Only the written Word of God is. Jesus is God. The Holy Spirit is God. The Father is God. All three are ONE. Their Word can be trusted and doesn't need extra-biblical help to interpret. The Bible only needs the Bible to do that.
The Bible says that "no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of any personal or private or special interpretation" (2 Peter 1:20 NIV). It must not be used as only a source of inspiration for anecdotal stories in feel-good messages or consulted and used merely to support an idea or pet belief. It is the ultimate authority for the Christian and must point directly to the character and work of the Triune God. The Bible warns that ignorant, uneducated, and unstable people will try to distort the Scriptures by bringing in a meaning that forces it to conform to their own opinions, thoughts, ideas, and agendas.
There are modern translations and paraphrases of the Scriptures that change God's Word in such a way as to water down the message. Some translations have led people to believe that Jesus is merely a "son" of God, inferring that He is God's offspring and God, the Holy Spirit, is merely a 'ghost" of God.
Only through diligent study and knowledge of the Bible can one discern the differences, and understand the subtle changes so brilliantly orchestrated by the enemy of humanity. The three most important rules of interpretation are context, context, and context. Words can only mean what the original author meant them to mean in their grammatical and historical context. The Bible is the best source to interpret itself. This is why the Bible declares, "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:20-21 NIV).
There is no need to seek God in any other place. It must be the foundation and center of all teaching and preaching in the church's life and worship and within every Christian's daily life through reading, study, and sincere contemplation. Christians need to be continually taught how to become a true Berean* and learn how to clearly understand what is written and be encouraged each week from the pulpit to daily read, search, and study the Bible rather than to rely on extra-biblical sources or expect fresh direct revelation, dreams, and supernatural words of knowledge or personal prophecies. It has been said that if a person wants to hear the audible voice of God, they should read the Bible out loud!
(*NOTE: Acts 17:11 - the Bereans were open-minded Jews living in Thessalonica who were willing and eager to examine the Scriptures to see if what the preacher (Apostle Paul) was saying was true and aligned with Scripture).
Traditions of Man
The New Testament speaks of the Apostles' teaching traditions that will be passed down and taught to later generations.
"We called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter." (2 Thessalonians 2:14-15 NIV)
"I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed them on to you." (1 Corinthians 11:2 NIV)
The word "teachings" (Gk: paradosis) means a handing down of instructions (doctrine) for everyday conduct, like the ordinances of the traditions passed down by the Rabbi's, which were made null and void by the divine teaching of the Apostles (2 Thessalonians 3:6; see also Matthew 15:2-3,6; Mark 7:3,5-9,13; Galatians 1:14; Colossians 2:8).
The Bible says that the Scriptures alone, and not the traditions of men, are divinely inspired. The Bible must be used to verify and test the traditions and teaching of the church and not the other way around. Jesus continually rebuked the Pharisees and called them hypocrites because they made their traditions equal to the written Word of God (Mark 7:6-13). Traditions should support the Apostles' teachings and not those that contradict or transgress "the commands of God" or exceed what they say (Matthew 15:3; 1 Corinthians 4:6; 2 Thessalonians 2:15).
"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Experiential Revelation
A normal Christian life is filled with miraculous and supernatural experiences. God speaks today personally and directly just as He spoke to His people in the past, using His own words of the Scriptures. That is quickly affirmed by anyone who has answered His call to church ministry. However, He will NEVER contradict, or add to, what He has already said in the Bible. The authority and sufficiency of Scripture cannot be separated.
Some believe that the 66 books of the Bible are insufficient, so they constantly look for private prophetic words, dreams, or visions for a more meaningful personal experiential revelation from God. If a private "revelation" given to, or by, someone doesn't agree or align with Scripture, it is false, and if it does, then it is not needed.
The voice of God is the Bible. God's written Word must be used as the primary source to confirm a person has heard the voice of Jesus. God speaks with absolute authority from the Bible alone. He is the absolute truth, and Christians must learn to hear His voice. Jesus said in an allegory, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27 NIV).
The Bible is the only special revelation from God that humans possess today. Experience cannot be trusted as it is a type of hearsay. Christians are commanded to believe what is written in the Bible because it is the only pure word from God and is absolutely sufficient in itself (Psalm 119:160).
In the great high priestly prayer of Jesus for every Christian, He said, "Sanctify them by the truth: your word is truth" (John 17:17 NIV). The daily sanctification work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of every Christian is to bring them closer to Jesus by pointing out both strengths and weaknesses and reminding them that the blood of Jesus has washed away all past, present, and future sin. His job is to illuminate what has already been written in the Bible. He does not provide through Angels or by direct "fresh" revelation anything that would add to it in any way, manner, shape, or form.
Just as food, air, and water are essential and adequate to keep a human being alive, the inspired Scriptures are essential and sufficient to give the "wisdom that leads to salvation" and is more than adequate to fully equip the Christian for profitable service and "every good work" because it is the very counsel of God.
I once heard it said that the Bible is completely true about everything to which it speaks, but it doesn't speak about everything there is to know. The Bible reveals that human beings can acquire knowledge of God by general revelation and draw conclusions about right conduct through observation, rational, reflective reasoning, and astute observations of the Cosmos (Proverbs 24:30-34, 30:24-28; Psalm 19:1-4; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 11:14).
However, those are just tools to direct a person to the perfect revelation of Jesus Christ. The Bible is the only special revelation and has the absolute authority to provide ALL sufficient knowledge needed to know Jesus and receive the gift of salvation and what God's commands are for every Christian. Because the "heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked," sensory experiences are unreliable (Jeremiah 17:9 KJV).
The Bible is the only dependable source for humankind to know God's voice. It has the answers to all eternal questions. Jesus and the New Testament writers considered the Scriptures the final rule of authority. When the enemy arrogantly attempted to test Jesus in the wilderness, He used only the authority of Scripture to come against him (Matthew 4:1-11).
The Bible is the blueprint of Heaven and the only reliable source of authoritative truth. It is sufficient for teaching because it contains all moral and spiritual information by which humans can successfully live each day and build a foundation for any endeavor needed for "life and godliness" (2 Peter 1:3).
Every Christian must rely entirely upon the Holy Spirit to direct and guide them in understanding and effectively applying God's Word in every situation they encounter. He is responsible for illuminating the Scriptures so that God's will can be understood. Christians have the responsibility to cooperate with the Holy Spirit and respond to Him.
The Bible is the primary source to interpret the Bible. Without reliance upon the Bible as the infallible and supreme source for knowing God's voice - and as the authoritative rule of faith and conduct - a vast door is opened for the possibility of error and heresy to creep into a person's beliefs. It must be God's written Word, the cognitive concrete foundation, to base all decisions and beliefs. The Bible must be studied from God's perspective. Only the Bible is God's Word and declares that Jesus Christ is its author, the "Word of God" and is its author (Revelation 19:13).
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1 NIV)
