What is the Bible?

I. Names for the Bible

The word “Bible” itself simply means “book.” Many religions have their collection of sacred writings, sometimes spoken of as their bibles. To the Christian, the Bible means the collection of the Scriptures of the Old Testament and New Testament recognized and used as the basis and authority of the Christian faith. The Bible uses other terms to identify itself.

A. 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 Thess. 2:13). Peter states that we are begotten through “the living and enduring word of God” (1 Pet. 1:23). This identifies the Bible as the message or word which has come from God.

B. Living Oracles or Oracles of God. Stephen speaks of the law given on Mt. Sinai as a “living oracle” (Acts 7:38, NASB). An oracle is a message handed down from a divine being or source. This name indicates that this message from Jehovah is a living message from a living God. Paul calls the Bible “The Oracles of God” (Rom. 3:2, KJV). Moses told the children of Israel to keep the commandments of God and to teach their children to observe them also. “They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess (Deut. 32:47, emphasis added; cf. Heb. 4:12).

C. The Holy Scriptures. Paul refers to the Old Testament writings as the “Holy Scriptures” (Rom. 1:2). This simply means “sacred writings” which is the expression used in 2 Timothy 3:15. The word “scripture” itself means “writing.” This is the common term used for the Old Testament books by our Lord and His apostles (Matt. 21:42; Mark 14:49; Luke 24:32; John 5:39; Acts 18:24; Rom. 15:4).

II. The Origin of the Bible

A. What the Bible Says about Its Origin

In a court of law, the most important evidence as to the author of a will is what the will actually say itself. If the will states that John Brown is its author it takes considerable evidence to prove it otherwise. This principle holds true also in determining who is the real author of the Bible. Let us examine what the Bible says as to its author.

1. Old Testament.—Several hundred times the Old Testament writers use such expressions as “Thus saith the Lord,” “Jehovah said,” etc. (Exod. 24:12, 25:1; Ezek. 5:5, 11, ASV). David speaks in 2 Samuel 23:2, “The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my tongue.” Jeremiah describes his call to prophesy like this: “And Jehovah said unto me, Behold I have put my words in thy mouth” (Jer. 1:9, ASV).

The apostle Paul speaking of the Old Testament Scriptures said regarding their inspiration: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:16, 17, KJV).

The apostle Peter informs us that the prophets in the Old Testament did not create their own message, “For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:21, ASV). It is a well-known fact that Jesus and the apostles always considered the Old Testament to be a revelation from God.

2. New Testament.—Not only did the Old Testament writers declare that their message came from God but the New Testament authors also claimed that their message was from God. Paul says in Galatians 1:11, 12, “I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.”

Peter speaks of Paul’s writing as “Scripture” when he says, “He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things which are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction” (2 Pet. 3:16, emphasis added). The word “Scripture” as used here indicates a special body of writings which was regarded as divinely inspired. The expression “other Scriptures” shows that Peter places Paul’s writing on a par with the Old Testament. Jesus had told His apostles that the Holy Spirit would enable them to recall all that He had ever taught them. The Holy Spirit would also teach them many other things (John 14:26, cf. Matt. 10:19, 20). Paul commended the brethren at Thessalonica because they had received his message “not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God” (1 Thess. 2:13, emphasis added).

The unanimous testimony of the Bible is that its author is God. It was written down by men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit.

B. Other Evidence for the Divine Origin of the Bible

1. Fulfilled prophecy.—One of the great proofs of the inspiration of the Bible is fulfilled prophecy. This is predicting accurately a future event that comes to pass hundreds of years later. When this is done, it is strong evidence that the prophet possesses supernatural power. Occasionally someone might make a lucky guess, but when scores of prophecies are accurately fulfilled, the possibility of chance is removed.

Prophecies concerning Jesus—Below is a partial list of prophecies concerning Jesus and their fulfilment in the New Testament.

These and many other prophecies in the Old Testament bear eloquent testimony to a divine author of the Bible.

2. Wonderful unity.—The Bible was written over a period of 1,500 years on three different continents by some 40 human writers. Its human writers by occupation were sheepherders and kings, farmers and doctors. The Bible was written in three different languages and covers in its 66 separate books, on every subject imaginable. Yet, it is essentially one book! How can this be possible?

This unity may be illustrated by a great orchestra. It may be composed of 100 musicians with a score of different types of instruments. Yet when they play, there is one grand harmony, the reason being that there is one mastermind, the conductor who directs and controls all the musicians as they play. God made His great oratorio to play for more than 1000 years, and when one musician became silent, another took up the strain. But it was all one grand symphony—the theme was never lost, and when the last strain dies away, it is seen that through all these glorious movements and melodies there has been one grand theme.

Did each musician compose his own music and play it as he chose? Or was there one composer and director behind it all? The real conclusion is that God is the true author of the Bible and that He directed each writer as He inspired him by the Holy Spirit. This is the answer to the unity of the Bible.

3. Logical proof.—John Wesley had a very brief but interesting way of proving the Bible to be from God. He said the Bible must be the invention of good men or angels; bad men or devils, or of God.

(a) It could not be the invention of good men or angels; for they neither would nor could make a book, and tell lies all the time they were writing it, saying ‘Thus saith the Lord,’ when it was their own invention.

(b) It could not be the invention of bad men or devils; for they would not make a book which commands all duty, forbids all sin, and condemns their souls to hell for all eternity.

(c) Therefore, he drew the conclusion, that the Bible must be given by divine inspiration.

III. The Value of the Bible

How important is the Bible to the Christian? What is its value to the lost? We who believe it, know that it is of the greatest importance to both.

A. Its Value to the Lost. The Scriptures state:

1. We are begotten by the Word. “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Pet. 1:23). James says, “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created” (James 1:18).

2. We are saved by the Word. “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you” (James 1:21).

3. Faith comes through the Word. “So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17, KJV).

We know that Christ is the one who saves us. The Bible, however, is the source of our knowledge of Christ and of His saving power. Without the Word, there would be no knowledge of His redeeming love and hence there would be no faith or obedience on man’s part. This is why the Bible says we are saved through the Word. It is the channel that God uses to bring us to Christ.

B. Its Value to the Saved. To the Christian, the Bible is indispensable. There are many ways in which the Scriptures are valuable to the life of a Christian.

1. The Bible is a means of spiritual growth. “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby” (1 Pet. 2:2, KJV). The Bible is to the spiritual man what food is to the physical body. It is food to his soul. Jesus said, “man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). A neglect of the study of the Word makes spiritual weaklings. Paul told the Ephesian elders, “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up, and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32, emphasis added).

2. By the Word of God, believers are cleansed from the defilement of sin. Jesus told His apostles, “You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you” (John 15:3). We know that it is the blood of Christ which cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7; Heb. 9:14). It is through the Word, however, (knowledge of and obedience to it) that we are brought to that blood. The Psalmist posed this question and gave this answer. “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word” (Psa. 119:9).

The Word is the means whereby we are kept clean and set apart or sanctified for God’s use. Jesus prayed to the Father, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17).

One man has said, “This Book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this Book.”

3. By the Word of God, Christians are able to meet the attacks of Satan. When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, our Lord repelled every thrust by the use of the Word of God (Matt. 4:1–11). Paul told the Ephesians, “Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.… Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:11, 17). The Bible is the Christian’s sword in this spiritual battle against sin. The Psalmist also recognized this truth when he said, “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psa. 119:11).

4. A thorough knowledge of the Word gives confidence and courage to the soul winner. A man who professed to be an unbeliever had embarrassed many local preachers with his infidel arguments. An evangelist came to town to lead a gospel meeting. This man went to the revival to “do up” the evangelist with every argument. The unbeliever advanced. The evangelist answered every question with a “Thus saith the Lord.” Frustrated and embarrassed, he left the meeting. The next day, a friend asked him how he fared in the debate.

He replied, “Not so well. But I did not go up there to argue with God Almighty.”

IV. How to Read and Understand the Bible

Jehovah is a God of Wisdom. His revelation is a Book of knowledge. God always invites man to come now and “let us reason together, says the LORD” (Isa. 1:18a). This being true, the Word of God should be approached with the same intelligence and thoughtfulness with which one would approach any book of knowledge.

Here are a few principles of correct study that will make the Bible more intelligible and meaningful.

A. Determine who is speaking. It may be God or Satan or Balaam’s mule or the fool. It is very important to have a correct understanding to know who is speaking the particular statement.

B. To whom is the Word speaking? Is the Word speaking to the Christian or the alien sinner? The meaning may be entirely different depending on which it is.

C. Of what does it speak? What is the context—What goes before and what follows this particular passage? This simple bit of knowledge will clear up many otherwise difficult Scriptures.

D. When does it speak? Ask, Is this passage written for those living in the Patriarchal age, the Mosaic age, or the Christian age? God has dealt with His people in different ways during each of these periods. It is important to the Christian that he follows God’s instructions for him today. This last rule is most important.

V. The Sacredness of the Word

Since the Bible is a revelation from God, having been written by Holy Spirit-inspired men, it should be handled with the utmost reverence. Moses told Israel, “Hear now, O Israel, the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving to you. Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you” (Deut. 4:1–2).

A similar idea is in the last admonition in the Bible. “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book” (Rev. 22:18, 19).

Since the Bible is God’s Word, man to his own peril adds to it or takes away from it or neglects it. When all people shall stand before the great white throne, this Word will be one of the Books that will judge them at that time. If we obey God’s Word, it will save us. If we disobey, it will condemn us (Col. 3:16). May we heed the word of Paul and let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly (Col. 3:16a).

Sizemore, D. (1987). 13 Lessons on Christian Doctrine (pp. 38–47). College Press Publishing Company.