The Bible – Is it Divinely Inspired?
Part 2 – Its Unity Indicates it is
Dr. John Hoole – June 10, 2018
Last week, we began investigating the Bible to see if it is inspired by God. We believe the Bible is unlike any other religious book. In that lesson we looked at the internal claims that the Bible says it is the Word of God. In its defense, the Bible consistently affirms that it is the Word of God. The phrase, “God said,” is found over 2,700 times in the Bible. The phrase, “Thus saith the Lord,” is found 1,904 times.
One of the most conclusive direct claims for inspiration comes from the pen of the apostle Paul.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Another Passage that attests to Biblical inspiration is found in the writings of the apostle Peter.
2 Peter 1:20-21 NIV
20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation.
21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
God has directed the inspiration so that all the words that were used were equally inspired by God. And I want to make a strong statement. The Bible doesn’t just contain the Word, or is only the word when it speaks to you. It is entirely the Word of God in all ways and at any time.
At the end of our lesson last week, I mentioned a number of compelling evidences that indicate the bible is truly inspired by God. We will be examining each of them and maybe more. Here are a few of those areas that I believe indicate the Bible is the Word of God..
1. The Bible’s unity
2. It contains predictive Prophecy
3. It contains knowledge beyond human origin
4. Its preservation through the ages
5. Its inerrancy
6. Its historical accuracy
7. Its influence
8. How it meets human need
9. Archeology
Let me now ask you a progressive series of questions to think about.
Is there a God?
If so, Is it logical to believe that God knows what is going on down here?
If so, Is it reasonable to believe that He cares about what’s going on down here?
If so, Is it reasonable to believe that He cares enough to communicate His concerns to us?
If so, How might He communicate truth to us? Can the Bible demonstrate that it is indeed God’s Word.
Our answer to this question will not only determine how we view the Bible and its importance in our lives, but also, it will ultimately have an eternal impact on us.
Over the next several weeks, I want to give you several reasons I believe the Bible is, indeed, the Word of God. None of the reasons I give is conclusive by itself. All should be taken as a whole. Additionally, this list is certainly not a complete one – and each could be expanded upon.
It contains knowledge beyond human origin
This book, though written by human hands, is, without a doubt, more than human. There are other great human books in the world, but none can compare with this book. That is because no other book is also divine.
There are thoughts in this book that the human mind could never have created, nor even embarked upon. Even the sin of man and man the sinner are not looked at from the human side, but from the divine. History itself is seen in these pages to be, not an agglomeration of fortuitous happenings, but, rather, it was the plan of God.
CAN YOU THINK OF SOME THINGS THAT ARE REVEALED IN THE BIBLE WHICH WE WOULD HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING IF IT WERE NOT GIVEN TO US BY GOD?0
• Creation of spirit beings.
Man could never have known about these and other things related to God’s plan for man except by direct revelation of them through the Holy Spirit.
In Colossians 1:25-26 (NKJV), we find Paul stating:
25 …I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,
26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.
Colossians 2:3 speaks of God in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
The Bible deals as freely with things unknown as it does with the known. It can speak with complete freedom and assurance about situations and events outside the realm of human experience. The Bible knows no limit to the infinite knowledge of God who guided its writers. It permits its readers to gaze on events in eternity past as well as in eternity future. The comprehension of divine revelation is utterly beyond the capacity of even the most brilliant men and women unaided by the Spirit of God. Yes, there are some things we would never know unless they were divinely revealed.
The Unity of the Bible
HOW DOES THE UNITY OF THE BIBLE WRITINGS PROVE TO BE EVIDENCE FOR ITS DIVINE AUTHORSHIP?
As a literary composition, the Bible is the most remarkable book ever compiled. It was written by some 40 authors over a period of 1,600 years. Moses wrote his five books about 1,450 years before Christ. The Apostle John wrote the last book in the Bible – The Revelation – at approximately A.D. 95 Some of you might wonder about the book of Job – wasn’t it earlier than Moses? We don’t know for sure, but it could have preceded Moses by a few hundred years. It composition took place in 13 different countries and on three continents. It is a divine library of 66 segments. Some of the segments are of considerable size – others no larger than a small pamphlet.
The major themes and stories, beginning from Genesis, the first book in the Bible, flow through the remaining books, and their meaning and implications are developed throughout the entire biblical library.
These writers themselves were a heterogeneous array of people, not only separated from each other by hundreds of years and hundreds of miles, but belonging to the most diverse walks of life.
In their ranks we have:
• kings
• herdsmen
• soldiers
• legislators
• fishermen
• statesmen
• priests
• prophets
• a tent-making rabbi
• and a gentile physician, not to speak of others of whom we know little apart from the writing they have left us.
The book of Amos was written by a herdsman from Tekoa (1:1) Many of the Psalms were written by David – a shepherd boy who became king. Ezra, we are told, was a “skilled scribe in the Law of Moses” who penned the book that bears his name (7:6). Nehemiah, the butler to King Artaxerxes, in Shushan, wrote the Old Testament book named for him. King Solomon, renowned in the ancient world for his immense wisdom, penned the majority of the Proverbs and the entire books of Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon. The apostle Paul was a highly educated man at the feet of the Jewish teacher Gamaliel, wrote half of the New Testament books. Other New Testament writers included John and Peter, who were fishermen with little formal education.
The writings themselves belong to a great variety of literary types. They include:
• history
• law (criminal, civil, ethical, ritual, sanitary laws)
• religious poetry
• lyric poetry
• parable and allegory
• biography
• personal correspondence
• diaries, as well as the distinctively biblical types of prophecy and apocalyptic literature.
And yet, for all that, there is an amazing unity that binds the whole together. Nowhere in the whole realm of literature is there such a book, showing such diversity, .and yet, there is still a central theme running from cover to cover. That is, Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, the Messiah, the Son of God.
We can read from Genesis to Revelation and find no disjointed scenario, put together by happenstance. We can pass from one style of literature to another as easily as though we were reading a story written by one hand and produced by one life. And, INDEED, we do have a story produces by one MIND, though not written by one hand.
From the beginning to the end the theme is Redemption; And from beginning to end the subject is Christ. Think about it. Can such a mixture be anything but in a disarray or clutter? Ordinarily that could be the only result, but here all is in perfect harmony. All these books dovetail into one another in such a way as to be inseparable. These many parts to the whole of truth are essential to one another.
As mentioned earlier, the composition of the Bible occurred over many centuries, and from east to west, more than a thousand miles in distance. Most of the writers did not know the other writers. And yet, they move together without contradiction.
There are millions of books of recent date which are already out of date. But this old Book is the most modern of all.
The Bible reflects a very long history of sin, but nowhere sanctions or excuses it. To save the reputation of the saints is not an object in its pages. Noah got drunk, Abram lied, David committed adultery and murder and Peter swore. These are facts, and the Bible records them to save us from repeating them. On the other hand, Jesus says to the adulteress, “Neither do I condemn you,” and to the penitent thief, “This day shalt thou be with me in paradise.” The pull of the Bible is always UPWARD. The moral standards of the two Testaments are not different in any regard.
Here, then, is a wonderful thing. Between the two Testaments there is no contradiction of historical facts. There is no confusion of spiritual types, no contortion of prophetic outline, no collision of doctrinal statement, and no collapse of divine perspective. All of it is such a unity which can be accounted for by the fact that these writings are the Word of God.
Several hundred times does the New Testament quote the Old Testament. When it does, is it approving or discrediting the Old? On no occasion does it deny the authenticity of the Old, but, rather, stating it as the Word of God.
Look at what the apostle Paul said to Timothy, his son in the faith.
2 Timothy 3:14-15 NKJV
14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
The Holy Scripture mentioned here, that was known by Timothy from his childhood, was the Old Testament. They led him to Jesus Christ.
The book of Genesis and the book of Revelation are like two bookends that hold the entire Bible together. The parallels between these two books are many. So, it might be of help to compare the people and events in Revelation with those in Genesis.
These worlds are not quite the same, of course. In the beginning we find mankind sinless, but yet untested. In the final world, man has experienced sin and failure but he has also experienced redemption and renewal.
In Genesis, we have the dividing of light and darkness (Gen. 1:4)
In Revelation, in the eternal world, there is no night there (Rev. 21:25).
In Genesis we find the division of the land and sea (1:10)
In Revelation, there is no more sea (21:1).
In Genesis, we find the rule of the sun and moon (1:16).
In Revelation, there is no need of the sun or moon (21:23)
In Genesis, man is placed in a prepared garden – a paradise (2:8-9).
In Revelation, man is placed in a prepared city – the wonderful paradise to come (21:2).
In Genesis, the river is seen flowing from Eden (2:10).
In Revelation, the river is flowing from God’s throne (22:1).
In Genesis, there is gold in the land (2:12).
In Revelation, there is gold in the city (21:21)
In Genesis, the Tree of Life is in the midst of the garden (2:9).
In Revelation, the Tree of Life is throughout the city (22:2).
In Genesis, we find God walking in the garden (3:8).
In Revelation, we find God dwelling with His people (21:3).
In Genesis, we find the curse being meted out (3:17).
In Revelation, there is no more curse (22:3)
In Genesis, we see the origin of daily sorrow (3:17).
In Revelation, there is no more sorrow (21:4).
In Genesis, there is sweat on the face of the worker (3:19).
In Revelation, all tears are wiped away (21:4).
In Genesis, man is seen eating the herbs of the field (3:18).
In Revelation, there is twelve manner of fruits (22:2).
In Genesis, mankind is seen returning to the dust at death (3:19).
In Revelation, there is no more death (21:4).
In Genesis, man is seen as being evil continually (6:5).
In Revelation, nothing that defiles will enter the city (21:27).
In Genesis, man is dressed by God in coats of skins (3:21).
In Revelation, God dresses us in fine linen, clean and white (19:14).
In Genesis, Satan is found opposing God and his creation (3:15).
In Revelation, Satan is banished (20:10).
In Genesis, we find the first murderer, drunkard, and rebel.
In Revelation, nothing impure will ever enter the city of our eternal residence (21:27).
In Genesis, man is kept from the Tree of life (3:24).
In Revelation, we are given access to the tree of life (22:14) and eat of that tree (22:2).
In Genesis, man is banished from the garden (3:23).
In Revelation, we have free entry to the city (22:14).
In Genesis, Satan utters the first lie ever heard: “ye shall not surely die.” (3:4)
In Revelation, we inhabit a city where liars will never enter (21:8).
In Genesis, the redeemer is promised (3:15).
In Revelation, redemption is accomplished (5:9-10).
In Genesis, a bride, Eve is presented to her husband, Adam.
In Revelation, the church is presented as a bride to her husband, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Many other similar contrasts could be noted. It is amazing how directly connected are the Books of Genesis and Revelation. Many of the people mentioned in Genesis also reappear in Revelation.
We have looked at two topics to show the Bible is the Word of God.
1. It contains knowledge beyond human origin.
2. It's unity points to a single author.
No series of books in human history has maintained the supernatural internal consistency that is present with the pages of the Bible. From the first book of Genesis to the last book of Revelation, combine to form the best-selling, most widely distributed, perfectly unified, flawlessly written book ever produced. Mere human genius could never have accomplished such an extraordinary feat. As the psalmist aptly spoke of God’s Word 3,000 years ago:
Psalms 119:160 NKJV
160 The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.