Is the bible all god word

Many people question who the author of the Bible is and wonder if the Bible is really the Word of God. I want to give you five reasons to affirm that the Bible is God’s Word.

The Word of God: Evidence that Scripture is Divine

First, I believe the Bible is the Word of God because of its scientific accuracy. The Truth of the Word of God tells us that God “hangeth the earth upon nothing” (Job 26:7). How did Job know that the earth hung in space before the age of modern astronomy and space travel? The Holy Spirit told him. The scientists of Isaiah’s day didn’t know the topography of the earth, but Isaiah said, “It is [God] that sitteth upon the circle of the earth” (Isaiah 40:22). The word for “circle” here means a globe or sphere. How did Isaiah know that God says upon the circle of the earth? By divine inspiration.

Secondly, the Bible is affirmed through historical accuracy. Do you remember the story about the handwriting on the wall that is found in the fifth chapter of Daniel? Belshazzar hosted a feast with a thousand of his lords and ladies. Suddenly, a gruesome hand appeared out of nowhere and began to write on a wall. The king was disturbed and asked for someone to interpret the writing. Daniel was found and gave the interpretation. After the interpretation, “Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.” (Daniel 5:29). Basing their opinion on Babylonian records, the historians claim this never happened. According to the records, the last king of Babylon was not Belshazzar, but a man named Nabonidas. And so, they said, the Bible is in error. There wasn’t a record of a king named Belshazzar. Well, the spades of archeologists continued to do their work. In 1853, an inscription was found on a cornerstone of a temple built by Nabonidas, to the god Ur, which read: “May I, Nabonidas, king of Babylon, not sin against thee. And may reverence for thee dwell in the heart of Belshazzar, my first-born favorite son.” From other inscriptions, it was learned that Belshazzar and Nabonidas were co-regents. Nabonidas traveled while Belshazzar stayed home to run the kingdom. Now that we know that Belshazzar and Nabonidas were co-regents, it makes sense that Belshazzar would say that Daniel would be the third ruler. What a marvelous nugget of truth tucked away in the Word of God!

Third, from Genesis to Revelation, the Bible reads as one book. And there is incredible unity to the Bible. The Bible is one book, and yet it is made up of 66 books, was written by at least 40 different authors over a period of about 1600 years, in 13 different countries and on three different continents. It was written in at least three different languages by people in all professions. The Bible forms one beautiful temple of truth that does not contradict itself theologically, morally, ethically, doctrinally, scientifically, historically, or in any other way.

Fourth, did you know the Bible is the only book in the world that has accurate prophecy? When you read the prophecies of the Bible, you simply have to stand back in awe. There are over 300 precise prophecies that deal with the Lord Jesus Christ in the Old Testament that are fulfilled in the New Testament. To say that these are fulfilled by chance is an astronomical impossibility.

Finally, the Bible is not a book for the times, but the Book of the ages. First Peter 1:25 says: “But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the Word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” No book has ever had as much opposition as the Bible. Men have laughed at it, scorned it, burned it, ridiculed it, and made laws against it. But the Word of God has survived. And it is applicable today as much as it was yesterday and will be tomorrow.

It’s so majestically deep that scholars could swim and never touch the bottom. Yet so wonderfully shallow that a little child could come and get a drink of water without fear of drowning. That is God’s precious, holy Word. The Word of God. Know it. Believe it. It is True.

By Adrian Rogers. © 2006 Love Worth Finding Ministries. Website. www.lwf.org. 

Dr. Adrian Rogers, preacher/teacher of Love Worth Finding Ministries, and one of America’s most respected Bible teachers. Under his 32 years of pastoral leadership, Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, TN, grew from 9,000 members in 1972 to more than 29,000. 

Most important to Dr. Rogers have been the tens and thousands of believers who have had their faith strengthened and thousands of others who have for the first time entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Dr. Rogers passed away on November 15, 2005.

How do I know whether my dad loves me, or not? The only way to answer this is to hear what my dad says and see what he does. Now, not all of us have fathers here on earth, but all of us who are Christians do have a Father in heaven. He is bigger, closer, older and more important than any father on earth could ever be. This is why it is vital that we know our heavenly Father loves us, and that we hear him say it. And it’s also why in answer to the question, “Does the Bible contain God’s Word, or it is God’s Word itself?” the answer is not either/or… but both/and.

God’s Word according to Karl Barth

The idea that the Bible is not God’s Word but only contains God’s Word is very popular today because of a theologian called Karl Barth. He thought that God’s Word has three parts: The revelation of God, scripture, and preaching. God’s revelation is in scripture, but isn’t the same as scripture. While his ideas are very popular, and there are some helpful things, this idea has a big problem.

We don’t need to search for God’s Word in the Bible

Imagine if my dad lived far away, and had written me some letters. But I don’t receive these letters directly. Instead, I’m told they’re hidden somewhere in a massive pile of similar looking letters! Without knowing which letters were really his, then how could I really know what my dad was saying to me? If the Bible only ‘contains’ God’s Word, then I’m left not knowing how much of the Bible is God speaking to me, and where in the Bible I can find it. I would have to pick and choose which parts of the Bible to listen to, and I couldn’t really know whether I was hearing God or not.

All verses of the Bible are the Word of God

That is why, thankfully, in reality we don’t need to worry about this problem because Karl Barth wasn’t quite right. The apostle Peter said “no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). And he agrees with the apostle Paul who says “All Scripture is breathed out by God…” (2 Timothy 3:16). These verses can’t mean anything less than all words of the Bible itself (as originally written, in the original languages) are the Word of God.

It’s not about the Bible itself

However, if we only believe that the Bible itself is the Word of God, then we will be in danger of worshiping the Bible. Many Muslims believe they are not reading the Qu’ran unless they read it in the original Arabic, and some treat the words as lucky charms. It is a mistake for Christians to treat the Bible in this way. For us, the words themselves are not magic, but are important because of what they mean.

Jesus’ words are in the Bible

While the Bible itself is the Word of God, it also contains the Word of God: the eternal Word of God, Jesus Christ. We can’t see or touch Jesus, but the apostles did, and the apostle John writes “that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you…” (1 John 1:3). We know Jesus through the words of the Bible.

Through the Bible we get to know God

I read my dad’s letters because I want to hear him tell me he loves me. I want to get to know his letters better, because I want to get to know my dad better. Since the Bible is God’s Word we need to get to know it better, but this is not our ultimate goal. Our ultimate goal is to get to know Jesus better, the Word of God whom the Bible contains.

So, does the Bible contain the Word of God, or is it the Word of God itself? Yes! Both/and.

Hello Brother Xiangming:

Lately I’ve been confused about something, and I’d like to seek your help. I’ve believed in the Lord for decades, and I’ve always thought that the Bible was inspired by God. But lately, as I was reading through the scriptures, I was surprised to discover that the records in the Bible aren’t consistent. For example: In the Bible’s records regarding Peter’s three denials of the Lord, Matthew 26:34 says, “Jesus said to him, Truly I say to you, That this night, before the cock crow, you shall deny me thrice.” But Mark 14:30 says, “And Jesus said to him, Truly I say to you, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, you shall deny me thrice.” Although both these passages regard the Denial of Peter, one says Peter will deny the Lord three times before the cock crows, and the other says before the cock crows twice, so there is an obvious inconsistency in the time. Also, the Old Testament records David numbering Israel. Samuel 24:1 states, “And again the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah.” But, 1 Chronicles 21:1 states, “And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.” Both passages relate to David numbering Israel, but one says that Jehovah moved David to number them, and the other says Satan moved David to number them. They are completely opposite in meaning. I was shocked when I discovered it. Why would the Bible contain contradictory records of the same event, even to the degree of being directly opposing claims? If all the words in the Bible were inspired by God, there shouldn’t be even the slightest error! I’m curious to know your views on this question? I hope you can help me resolve my confusion!

Liu Xun

May 3, 2018

Hello Brother Liu Xun,

Greetings! The question you’ve asked is one that confuses many brothers and sisters. Why are there inconsistent records in the Bible? To understand this question, we first have to know how the Bible was created and just what type of book it is. Actually, many of our brothers and sisters who believe in the Lord know that the entire Bible is composed of the prophets’ books of prophecy, historical records, David’s psalms, the Book of Wisdom, the four gospels of the New Testament, the letters of the apostles, and Revelation. Of these, only the prophets’ books of prophecy and Revelation were inspired directly by God. The other portions, such as the five books of Moses and the books of Joshua to Esther in the Old Testament and the four gospels and letters of the apostles in the New Testament, are records written by people after experiencing God’s work. For example: From the historical records of God’s work in the Age of Law in the Old Testament, we can see how God chose the Israelites, how He led the Israelites out of Egypt, how they crossed the Jordan river, and how they entered Canaan; we can also learn of Saul’s, David’s, and Solomon’s reigns as kings. These historical records were all written from the memories of contemporary witnesses or later compilers, and they present a record of historical facts that actually happened. They were not inspired by God. In the New Testament, the four gospels written by men, such as Matthew and Mark, as well as the letters of people such as Peter and Paul also fall into this category. The gospels are records written down by men of things they saw and heard after becoming followers of God, and some are written for their brothers and sisters based on the circumstances of the church. Therefore, the four gospels and all the letters were not inspired by God either. Since only the books of the prophets and Revelation were directly inspired by God, and the other portions of the Bible are all based on the knowledge and experience of man, is it surprising that they contain inconsistencies? Is it possible that human notions wouldn’t contaminate them? It’s just as when people write about things that happened years ago. Who could write what happened without any errors or additions and subtractions? That’s impossible! This is why there are inconsistencies when Matthew and Mark recorded the Denial of Peter in the New Testament, and when Samuel and 1 Chronicles recorded David numbering Israel in the Old Testament. This is difficult to avoid. Human records will always contain errors, so this is easy to understand.

But, if we say that only the books of the prophets and Revelation in the Bible were directly inspired by God, and the other portions of the Bible are all based on the knowledge and experience of man, then why is it written in 2 Timothy 3:16 that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God”? First, we must understand that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” was Paul’s own viewpoint. Did the Lord Jesus Christ ever say these words? Did the Holy Spirit ever testify to this fact in the Bible? If we investigate the Bible, we see that the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit never testified this fact. That Paul said this only represents that it was his own opinion, but this is not in accord with the truth.

Also, if we look at Paul’s statement, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God,” what portion of “scripture” is he referring to? We all know that Paul wrote 2 Timothy more than 60 years after the Lord came, and that the New Testament of the Bible had not been written into a book at that time. Only the Old Testament existed. It was only over 300 years after the Lord came, at the First Council of Nicaea, where religious leaders from every country selected the four gospels and the letters of men such as Paul, Peter, and John from among the many available, and then compiled these with Revelation as written by John to create the New Testament Scriptures. Afterward, they bound the Old Testament and New Testament to form today’s Bible, which is made up of both. This tells us that Paul wrote Timothy more than 200 years earlier than the New Testament Scriptures were decided, which in turn confirms that when Paul wrote that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” in his letter to Timothy, the “scripture” he referred to did not include the New Testament. From this, we can see that the belief that the entire Bible, though written by man, was inspired by God, is an absurd human understanding, one that does not fit with the facts.

I also read something related to this matter in another book, “Not everything in the Bible is a record of the words personally spoken by God. The Bible simply documents the previous two stages of God’s work, of which one part is a record of the foretelling of the prophets, and one part is the experiences and knowledge written by people used by God throughout the ages. Human experiences are tainted with human opinions and knowledge, and this is something which is unavoidable. In many of the books of the Bible are human notions, human biases, and humans’ absurd comprehension. Of course, most of the words are the result of the enlightenment and illumination of the Holy Spirit, and they are correct understandings—yet it still cannot be said that they are entirely accurate expressions of the truth.” “In fact, apart from the books of prophecy, most of the Old Testament is a historical record. Some of the epistles of the New Testament come from people’s experiences, and some come from the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit; the Pauline epistles, for example, arose from the work of a man, they were all the result of the Holy Spirit’s enlightenment, and they were written for the churches, and were words of exhortation and encouragement for the brothers and sisters of the churches. They were not words spoken by the Holy Spirit—Paul could not speak on behalf of the Holy Spirit, and neither was he a prophet, much less did he see the visions that John beheld. His epistles were written for the churches of Ephesus, Philadelphia, Galatia, and other churches. And thus, the Pauline epistles of the New Testament are epistles that Paul wrote for the churches, and not inspirations from the Holy Spirit, nor are they the direct utterances of the Holy Spirit. … If people see the epistles or words like Paul’s as the utterances of the Holy Spirit, and worship them as God, then it can only be said that they are too indiscriminating. To speak more harshly, is this not simply blasphemy? How could a man talk on behalf of God? And how could people bow down before the records of his epistles and of the words he spoke as if they were a holy book, or a heavenly book? Could the words of God be casually uttered by a man? How could a man talk on behalf of God?” (“Concerning the Bible (3)”).

This book states very clearly that the Bible contains God’s words, but it also contains beneficial letters from the apostles to their brothers and sisters in the church to address their burdens in life. This is a fact, so we should have discernment and view the Bible correctly. In the Bible, aside from the prophets conveying God’s word and Revelation, God never directed anyone to convey His words, and even though the apostles’ letters are included in the Bible, they never claimed to have the inspiration of God in their writing. Before any of God’s words in the Bible, it is directly written that “Jehovah appeared to such and such a prophet,” “such and such a prophet was inspired by Jehovah,” “Jehovah said,” “Jehovah stated” or “the Lord Jesus said.” Anything fallout outside this category are the words of man, not the words of God. If, because we are superstitious about the Bible or worship it, we say that all the words in the Bible are directly inspired by God or are the words of God, this is an absurd misunderstanding that blasphemes God! Man’s words are man’s words, even if they are included in the Bible. This is an undeniable fact.

I hope our fellowship can help you see the issue more clearly. If you have any further questions, you are welcome to post again.

Xiangming

May 18, 2018

» You might be interested in: What Kind of Book Is the Bible?

The Word of God Cannot Be Changed

When Christians use the word Bible, they are not merely referring to the New Testament, but to the Old Testament as well. This includes the Torah.

As the Quran (as well as the Bible) affirms, God’s Word cannot be changed.

Perfect are the words of thy Lord in truthfulness and justice; no man
can change His words; He is the All-hearing, the All-knowing. S. 6:115
Arberry

for them is good tidings in the present life and in the world to come.
There is no changing the words of God; that is the mighty triumph. S.
10:64 Arberry

Recite what has been revealed to thee of the Book of thy Lord; no man
can change His words. Apart from Him, thou wilt find no refuge. S.
18:27 Arberry

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Isaiah 40:8 ESV

For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Matthew 5:18 ESV

So, because we know God’s Word cannot be changed, we know that we can have confidence in the accuracy and reliability of the Old and New Testaments.

Warnings from God’s Word

Using, then, the Old and New Testament as a foundation, there are a few key points with regard to any new work that proclaims itself the Word of God.

• God’s Word warns that there are many deceivers who will attempt to distort the truth about God.

  For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 2 John 1:7 ESV

• God’s Word warns against the preaching of any other gospel other than the gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, it goes so far to say that even if an angel of God should preach a different gospel, we are to reject it.

  I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:6-9 ESV

The Quran’s Affirmation of the Bible

The Quran itself affirms the Old and New Testaments:

Dispute not with the People of the Book save in the fairer manner,
except for those of them that do wrong; and say, ‘We believe in what
has been sent down to us, and what has been sent down to you; our God
and your God is One, and to Him we have surrendered.’ S. 29:46 Arberry

Then We gave Moses the Book, complete for him who does good, and
distinguishing every thing, and as a guidance and a mercy; haply they
would believe in the encounter with their Lord. This is a Book We have
sent down, blessed; so follow it, and be godfearing; haply so you will
find mercy; lest you should say, ‘The Book was sent down only upon two
parties before us, and we have indeed been heedless of their study’;
or lest you say, ‘If the Book had been sent down upon us, we had
surely been more rightly guided than they.’ Yet indeed a clear sign
has come to you from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy; and who
does greater evil than he who cries lies to God’s signs, and turns
away from them? We shall surely recompense those who turn away from
Our signs with an evil chastisement for their turning away. S.
6:154-157 Arberry

Conclusion

So, whenever any other book is offered as another Word from God, we need to be very careful and «test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.» (1 John 4:1 ESV) Also, if any other book contradicts the Bible, then it is another gospel and must be rejected.

In the case of the Quran, it was actually claimed to be delivered to Muhammad by an angel of God. God’s Word gives us a very specific warning about such a claim. The Quran contradicts the Bible and presents another gospel.

The Bible is God’s Word—and God’s Word cannot be changed. Therefore, we must conclude that the Quran is not the Word of God, and that is why Christians do not accept it as such.