God’s Word is the only foundation of our faith – no other text has the same authority, and certainly not the words of the Pope. Through the ages, Christians have often been martyred because they treasured God’s Holy Word, and it is this same Word that churches should teach in its entirety.
(this tract is typed by Timothy, because the Holy Spirit overcame his writer's block)
What is the Bible to us? It is more than just another religious document, isn’t it? Yes! The Bible is aptly named so, a Book of Books, written by more than thirty faithful authors moved by the Holy Spirit [a]. The fact that men from different time periods, cultures, languages, and social status could put together such a consistent collection of works is almost unbelievable. Unless, of course, they were working under the direction of God.
In His wisdom, God chose to present the Bible to us with all its historicity. Through it He reveals Himself to us. The passages in scripture tell of His mighty deeds, they tell of His ways, and above all, they tell of His love. The Bible is a love letter from God to His people! In it we discover ourselves – the wretched sinner that we are; in it we learn about Jesus’ love, and how believing in His death and resurrection allows us to come to God. To the unbeliever the Bible offers good news, and then to the unrepentant judgement is promised. No other book in the world describes the reality of life and death as the Bible does.
God’s Word is sufficient, nothing more, nothing less
Throughout history, the devil had attempted to alter scripture. As the father of lies, he sows doubt against the authority of God’s Word. His very question to Eve, in the garden of Eden, began with the phrase “Did God say .. ?” The Bible strictly warns us to reject any attempt to change God’s Word. Moses, the author of the first five books, wrote[b], “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it.” John the Apostle echoed this in the last chapter of Revelations[c].
In the days before the Reformation, the authority of the scriptures had been reduced. God’s holy word was augmented by Papal decrees and the decisions of Councils. The Apocrypha – uninspired works of man – were the foundation of unbiblical doctrines such as Purgatory and Prayers for the Dead.
In our age, there have also been attempts to add to the Bible. Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormons, claimed to be a prophet and wrote a few books – he tried to supersede the canonized scriptures. In certain churches, the Bible is treated as an outdated book, where presumptuous prophecies and dreams are supposed to supplement it.
More common are attempts to take out, or ignore, parts of scripture which do not agree with man’s philosophy. People have produced Bible versions by taking out what they do not like: the Jehovah Witnesses have pulled out verses describing the trinity, and other groups have made ‘gender-neutral’ versions. No! The Bible is above man’s ideas. Similarly we cannot throw out Genesis chapter 1 to 11 because secular science denies it. We must not flip over passages which tell of severe punishment upon the wicked, even if we are uncomfortably reminded of God’s justice – otherwise what would we need saving from?
The Apostle Paul was bold to declare the whole counsel of God [d]. Therefore we must treasure every part of the Bible. Do we ourselves commit the sin of undermining scripture? Let us examine ourselves, do we ignore verses which go against our own ‘personal preferences’? We commit sin twice over if by reading a verse we are pricked in our hearts and still refuse to repent. May God grant us the courage so that we are not only hearers of His Word, but doers too.
Every Christian a student of the Bible
Be very grateful for the English Bible which you have. It was difficult for learned men in the 16th century to translate the scriptures. The Roman Catholic church at that time insisted that the general public was not to read the Bible, because they would misunderstand it. Monasteries and churches only kept Latin Bibles, and thus the common folk were unable to read it. Now a man by the name of William Tyndale had a desire to translate the Bible so that any farmboy in England could read it. By God’s grace, he finished this work, and soon after he was executed (strangled while he burned at the stake). His execution was followed by many others – the authorities searched for anyone who possessed a copy of his translated Bible. Yet God caused the light of His Word to keep shining, so that now more copies of the Bible has been printed than any other book in history.
The concept that anyone has a right to read the Bible was not new, of course. Luke wrote[e] of the Bereans, who tested and proved the gospel, having “searched the scriptures daily”. The Bible is meant to make sinners wise unto salvation[f]: Recall the story of the rich man and Lazarus, where Abraham told[g] the rich man that his surviving brothers could avoid hell by hearing ‘Moses and the prophets’ (i.e. the old testament).
If God meant for any literate man to read the Bible for himself, then surely scripture must be clear enough so that the layman can understand it and thus accept Christ. This is true! Where it comes to salvation, the Bible could not be clearer, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). We do not need to be a priest to understand that.
Now I am going to assume here that my readers learnt to read in school, and therefore you know what it means to be a student. Since God has revealed Himself in Christ, the Word [h], do you cherish the truth of the Bible by placing it above all other readings? If you believe in Christ, then the Holy Spirit dwells in you and He gives you the ability to understand it [i]. Do you thus prioritise your study of the Bible? Will you be a student of the Bible?
References
- A. 2Peter 1:21 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.
- B. Deuteronomy 4:2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
- C. Revelations 22:18,19 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
- D. Acts 20:27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
- E. Acts 17:10,11 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
- F. 2Timothy 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
- G. Luke 16:29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
- H. John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
- I. 1Corinthians 2:11,12 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
