THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD

Since creation, men have questioned the existence of God and whether the Bible is His written word. Even Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s authority! Then Adam’s son Cain and his descendant rejected the word of God! To reject the Bible as the word of God is not new! 

The Bible offers the only credible explanation of the true purpose of human existence; namely that through careful design by a creator, mankind was placed on the earth for the purpose of the makers choosing. We understand that not everyone can accept or believe this. We offer the following discourse to suggest that we are not here by random chance, but by special creation on the basis outlined in the Bible which we view as the recorded word of God. 

As the origin of all life, God does not need our endorsement or alternate confirmation of what He says! What we think about the Bible or how we interpret it does not change God’s intent! It naturally follows that He then is the mastermind of all created things… and as such, we are obligated to pay attention.  

Of all the recorded words and books in the world, only the Bible begins with these words: 
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth!” Genesis 1:1
Is there any human authority or entity that could declare such a thing? Only God himself could reveal this. Genesis goes on to say:
       “…God SAID: Let there be light, and there was light!” Genesis 1:3

This is not to be confused with us telling you what we think about what God said. These are the actual words of God! When we open the Bible at this passage, we are hearing God speak! These words are not just a declaration about him or what he had done. 

The Bible is consistent throughout because God does not change, nor does His purpose. This is evidenced further that it was God speaking at creation in Psalm 33: 6,9  “By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.”  … “For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.” 

God merely had to speak for things to be done! One more passage that confirms this is in the gospel of John 1:1 
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” 
These few verses suggest the ‘word’ and ‘God’ are one and the same. Everything we know of God is revealed by God. His word has power! (note also Isaiah 55:11)

Let’s be absolutely clear: the Creator does not need us to endorse His words to support or confirm what He says. He is the master who created all things including us and we should listen carefully to what He says! He declares what he wants in the Bible. Are we willing to pause and hear the words he speaks? He has given us have freedom of choice to accept or reject Him. So, how can we be satisfied that the Bible IS the Word of God? We will review three points in support of this topic:

     1) If God is real, how would He tell us?
     2) Why we should accept the Bible as the Word of God?
     3) What tangible proof confirms the Bible as the Word of God?

If God is real, how would He tell us?

Have you ever thought of how God would let us know anything. The creator, the almighty God, how would he get his message across to mere mortal men? A great miracle? A vision, A voice that could be heard? And seen? How about write it down so that we can read it? If you’ve ever read the Bible, God has tried all of these methods, and then some.

Let’s remember that the Bible was written over centuries. Also, note that the Books of the Bible were written by regular, ordinary men. But what is unique is how these men came to write in thi way! As an example, consider Moses: he received two stone tablets on which were ten commandments inscribed by God himself (Exodus 20). However, in response to the godless actions of the Israelites, Moses smashed the stones on the ground! Yes, the very stones upon which God had scribed his word in ten commandments. Thankfully, God then offered to rewrite the words as we see in:

Exodus 34:1 “And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.”

We tend to look at this as interesting, but not dynamic. However, if we read on in the chapter, something unique happens. When Moses returns to the top of the mountain and stands in the presence of God to receive these new writings, v28 “And (Moses) was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; … v29 And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony … that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.”

Moses had stood in the presence of the LORD to receive the written word of God, but after being in the presence of God, his face shone so unusually bright that it scared the people. This reflection of God’s glory is testimony to the people that Moses had stood in the presence of God himself to receive God’s words. The passage tells us that Moses spoke with God FACE TO FACE (Exodus 33:11)! The significance of this encounter should not be overlooked! God chose an ordinary man who initially felt inadequate to take on the responsibility of leading the nation, but ultimately is the one who has the most intimate encounter with God! Moses is attributed with writing the first five books of the Bible. In fact, it was to this ordinary man that God revealed his memorial name! (see Exodus 3:13-15) How else could the creator have presented his word in a way that man can receive it?

Other examples of how God chose people to write his words!

We need to understand how men were compelled to write what God told them. Moses was quite adamant that he wasn’t making this up. Numbers 16:28 “Moses said, Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works: for I have not done them of mine own mind”…. Moses received the words, but he “came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him. (Exodus 19:7) King David also said: 2 Samuel 23:2 “The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and His word was in my tongue.”

The Apostle Peter clarifies how God revealed His message: 2 Peter 1:20 “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” In other words, men did not just make this up. The next verse also is very powerful: 21 “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” Vine’s Expository dictionary portrays the idea that these men were “impelled” to write. Not of their own initiative, but driven, or compelled by God through the power of the Holy Spirit.

This is certainly true for the prophet Jeremiah (20:9) when he thought to stop proclaiming the word of God because it resulted only in angering the people to whom he spoke: “Then I (Jeremiah) said, I will not make mention of Him (GOD), nor speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay. Jeremiah couldn’t hold it back… It was like a fire burning!

Again to show how God moved men to write: Isaiah 8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. 2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”: …. the reason for doing this… 17 “That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

Again, in reference to the power of the word of God: 2 Corinthians 4:6 “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Why should we accept the Bible as the Word of God?

God has conveyed his intention to mankind in many ways. By speaking, by writing, miracles, angels, and inspired men. It bears repeating that no other authority anywhere claims to be THE words from God! There are lots of books about God, but none that are declared to be God’s actual words. This is important, because only God himself can tell us how and why he does all things. There is no possibility that the men who scribed these words of God were able to make them up themselves. There are too many proofs. However, even though the existence and activity of God is often questioned and placed in doubt, with the majority of people denying his existence, God himself answers those critics with powerful sign as evidence: Israel.

How does the nation of Israel provide proof that the Bible is the Word of God?

Israel as a nation was told by God in Deuteronomy 28:1-14 they would receive great blessings for obedience, but also the consequences of disobedience (v15-68) such as v66 “Your life shall hang in doubt before you. Night and day you shall be in dread and have no assurance of your life”. In the time of Isaiah’s prophecy, God reminds them of this role placed upon them. The nation of Israel is presented as evidence that God exists. This was in keeping the promise of his love for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (CP Genesis 26:3 …. “I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father: and I will make thy seed to multiply”…)
Isa 43:12 (This is God himself speaking) “I have declared, and have saved, and I have shewed, when there was no strange god among you: therefore ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, that I am God.”

This was not due to the nation itself taking on this role. This wa the design of God. To reinforce what is being said here: Read v10,11 “Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. 11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no savior.”

This is not just God, but this is the LORD, Yahweh. This is the name he revealed to Moses! God actually has a name! Incidentally, when we see GOD or LORD all in caps, it is typically this name Yahweh. (sometimes pronounced Jehovah)

How then do we link the concept of God as the Creator, with the Authorship of the Bible?

When God asks challenges the people of the nation of Israel about their knowledge of their past history and outlook for the future, God reminds them that their ‘gods’ are but useless idols! Their knowledge about the past is bound to how the LORD himself is intertwined with them. Their outlook for the future is also determined by what the LORD predicted!
Isaiah 45:18 “For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.

If we compare Yahweh (the LORD) against the false gods of the Nations, the difference is clear: Isaiah 45:20 “Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye  that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. 21 Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Savior; there is none beside me. 22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. 23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.”

These passages are examples of words direct from the LORD. There is no interpretation needed to confirm what he is saying! We could bring out several more similar passages where God Himself declares His sole Authority.

Remember: God is not looking for endorsement of his word, but He is looking for those who will believe and respond to his word with faith. This is NOT a blind faith, but faith based upon the things He has revealed about Himself. Faith accepts God as the Almighty Creator even though we cannot see Him. It is up to all who are called to hear and do what he says.

Our final point is that unless we believe in the Word that God has spoken, there can be no acceptance by God: Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

In review: The Bible is the self-proclaimed Word of God! It stands alone in declaring His message to mankind. God doesn’t need endorsement to verify His words. What He says is the Truth. It is not contingent on what we think. He has spoken. Do we want to hear? Or will we reject his word? We have freedom to make this choice. But remember, He created mankind for a purpose!

God does stand alone as the Creator. He provides not only His purpose in the Bible but reveals His name “Yahweh” to Moses. From what we have read in these declarations from God it is evident that we can’t begin to compare the Creator, GOD, Yahweh with anything or anyone else. No man-made image or replica that is supposed to represent GOD can be a substitute for His actual words. We are invited to listen to the word he has spoken and believe it.

There is one final question that we want to leave you with: If God stands alone as the Creator… How does His son Jesus Christ fit into the context of this fundamental truth? We believe and pray that God’s message of salvation will be received by all who want to hear, and accomplish the purpose to which he has revealed.