TRUTH ON TRIAL

Most Christians recognize the Bible as a book that is full of “good advice,” but the question remains as to whether or not Scripture has the inherent authority that it should have if we are to be truly obedient to God. If we believe that Scripture is more than simply “good advice”—that it is, in fact, the inspired Word of God—then “all the words in Scripture are God’s Words in such a way that to disbelieve any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God.”

Some uninformed or sincere doubters question the authority of the Bible, believing that it is just a collection of myths and inaccuracies.

Three things characterize almost everyone who has difficulty accepting the authority of the Scripture:

• They seldom, if ever, bother to read the Bible.
• They approach the Bible with prejudiced ideas learned from Bible critics and their writings.
• They are not acquainted with the Bible’s “Author.”

Can we trust the Bible? Yes!

Divine revelation is essential if we are to know something about God’s character and moral laws. And even though He has placed in every person’s heart an awareness of His existence and attributes (Romans 1:18-20), the Scriptures are essential if we are to know and understand the Gospel, maintain a dynamic spiritual life, understand His intentions for the church, and know God’s will.

Understandable & Trustworthy

If the Scriptures are to be profitable for us, then they must be understandable and trustworthy. And since God Himself is the author of Scripture, the Bible must necessarily be sufficient and comprehensible so as to communicate His purposes. God did not reveal His Word to the writers of Scripture for us not to understand it! In fact, Deuteronomy 6:6-7 states, “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” The clarity and trustworthiness of the Scriptures should lead us to:

• Recognize our individual responsibility to search out and know for ourselves w hat God desires and requires
• Apply His Word in every circumstance, even though our knowledge and understanding of the same may never be complete
• Continue to study His Word to improve our knowledge and understanding