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The world is filled with opinions about what the Bible actually is. Some say it’s just an ancient collection of writing that people take too seriously. Others insist it’s a complete fabrication, probably an attempt to control the masses. Maybe it gives us a way to live ethically. For Christians, however, the Bible is the beautiful revealing of our God and His plan to redeem a fallen world.
Given by God
The 39 books of the Old Testament were inspired by God, or “God breathed” (2 Tim 3:16), meaning God used human authors to write down His word and were inerrant in their original writing. The New Testament writings are likewise held in equal authority as the Old Testament:
speaking of these things in all his letters. Some things in these letters are hard to understand, things the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they also do to the rest of the scriptures. 2 Peter 3:16
Although God has moved through human writers in the past, His revelation is complete in the Scriptures given “once for all” to the saints (Jude 1:3). In other words, God gives no new revelation and raises up no new prophets. What He has given is all we need when we understand the purpose of what He gave.
All we need
Christ Himself put His words on an equal level to what God has inspired in the Old Testament (John 5:46-47). We are to not only believe those words, but obey them out of love for our savior (John 14:15). What He has given us is sufficient and relevant for our lives (Matthew 5:18).
All we need to understand who God is, who we are, and our purpose in this world is contained within this holy book. We need no other outside source or authority to supplement or clarify God’s words. We are even warned against merging human philosophy with God’s inspired truth (Colossians 2:8). God’s word is sufficient because it is timeless and utterly trustworthy (Psalm 119:160).
Not only does God give us what we need for life and godliness through His word, He gives us the ability to rejoice in it as well (Psalm 119:97-104). What’s amazing about that passage is that David didn’t have the practical instruction of James or 1 John, nor the written record of His savior in Matthew or John. He didn’t even have the simple wisdom from Proverbs that would be written by his son.
Instead, David wrote this Psalm of rejoicing when looking at Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers (if you can believe it!), and Deuteronomy. By meditating on them he was able to gain insight and wisdom far beyond what human intelligence offered. The books that many would see as restrictive were able to give David a feeling of joy and freedom.
The New Testament writers also spoke of the freedom offered through Christ and the Scriptures. Paul spoke about the freedom from sin given to us by Christ (Romans 6:22), and John pointedly stated that God’s words aren’t burdensome (1 John 5:3).
Why we care about the Bible
The word of God is so beautiful when we embrace what it is. It’s not a dusty old rulebook, nor is it a guide for being a good person. It is God’s method of showing Himself to us. We see His plan to redeem a fallen world. He shows His character in how He deals with Israel, and by extension us because we fall into the same sin and idolatry that they do time and again. We see the lives we are to live both by direct command and how God shows Himself.
Most wonderfully of all, we see that God came to earth with the express purpose of being slaughtered by the people He created. He took the punishment for our sins, replacing our wretchedness with His perfection. Not stopping there, He gave us the Holy Spirit so that we can live by faith and pursue righteousness.
We get all of this revealed in the Bible. We get to see our God working throughout history, all for a people who can do nothing to deserve such mercy and grace. We read the Bible because it allows us to live out God’s purpose for us on this earth (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
