Now that we have accepted that God wants us to understand the Bible, we have to understand what it is. The Bible is a document that is inspired by God, inerrant, authoritative, and relevant. Any attempt to study the Bible will be futile if we do not accept these statements about the Bible.
First, the Bible is inspired by God. Paul declared that “All scripture is inspired by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). Peter pointed out that the Old Testament prophecies originated from God when stating that “no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:20-21). Men may have put the words of the Bible on paper, but it was God who inspired them to write those words down. The Bible’s ultimate author is God; therefore, it is the Word of God.
Second, the Bible is inerrant. This means that it is without error. The Bible is called “perfect” (Psalm 19:7). It is also called the “word of truth” (James 1:18). The Bible is true and without error. Some have tried to claim that only part of the Bible is true. If this concept were true, then who or what would determine which parts were true and which parts were not? It would ultimately be left up to our reason or logic. Either you will choose to accept the whole Bible as true or you will reject it all. Therefore, You cannot understand the Bible until you accept it as the truth, without error.
Third, the Bible is authoritative. It may be written ultimately by God and has no error, but some may ask, “what does that have to do with me?” It says in James 1:22, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” Jesus implied that obedience to the word or the commandments proves you love God and are a believer in saying, “If you love me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). The Bible is not a book of suggestions; it is a command. Obeying the Bible is not optional.
Lastly, the Bible is relevant. We may question whether or not the Bible was written only for the people of that day. Are God’s inerrant words no longer relevant now that we have advanced in technology, medical practices, lifestyles, modes of transportation, legal systems, and the like? The Bible doesn’t tell us how to drive a car, what to do as a mailman, or if we should own a T.V. Yet the Bible says, “Forever…Your word is settled.” Jesus said that “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). Peter also quotes Isaiah 40:8 saying, “the word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Peter 1:25). God’s Word is eternal and is binding on all of us in the past, today, and for the rest of time.
Once we accept the Bible as the word of God then we are closer to being prepared to correctly interpret the Bible. We must be prepared to have our lives changed. Reading the Bible is not just reading a mere book, but it is reading a book that is life changing. Accept the Bible as inspired by God, inerrant, authoritative, and relevant and the Bible will begin to come to life for you.
