The last lesson answered the question, “Is the Bible really the word of God in ink?” The answer was, “Yes.” That was simple enough, but now consider the consequences of this answer. Does that mean that every single chapter, paragraph, sentence, down to the individual words are God breathed? Answering this question correctly is absolutely foundational to how you will interpret the Bible.
In 2014, the Pew Research Center polled 391 Oklahoman adults about their view of the Holy Bible. 48% of adults said they read the Bible at least once a week (Ibid.). 36% of adults believed the Bible was the word of God and should be taken literally (Ibid.). 29% of those polled believed the Bible was the word of God but should not be taken literally (Ibid.). While this polling was not exhaustive, the results provide context for the question asked in this study.
While 65% of adults believed the Bible to be the word of God, far fewer knew how to interpret the Bible (Ibid.).
I believe every word of the Holy Bible was breathed out by God and is authoritative today, as far as it is properly translated. This answer is based on 2 Timothy 3:16-17, and is the measuring rod for today’s study.
Most people have little reservation agreeing with my confession about the Bible; that is, until they come across a Bible verse that violates their preferred lifestyle or worship style. For example, difficult passages such as Matthew 5:38-48, 1 Cor. 5:9-13, 1 Cor. 6:9-11, 1 Cor. 11:2-16, 1 Cor. 14:34-35, 1 Timothy 2:8-15, etc. change people’s view of scripture very quickly. Suddenly, people make claims that not all the Bible is inspired. Some people are very bold, act as their own god, and hand pick which verses are invalid or culturally irrelevant. Others throw out any teaching by Paul altogether. Still others downplay any words besides those of Jesus. There are drastic consequences to such manipulation. Because of the heavy interdependency of the Bible writers, to throw out part of the Bible as uninspired is to throw out all the Bible. Either the whole Bible is inspired and authoritative, or none of it is.
Consider what the Bible teaches about the chain of authority. In 1 Cor. 11:3, Paul lays out this chain, and states that the head (authority) of Christ is God the Father. Jesus says as much in John 12:49. Secondarily, Christ claimed to have more authority than the Holy Spirit when He told His 12 disciples that the Holy Spirit would eventually come and lead them into all truth (John 16:13-14). In John 20:21-23, Jesus then breathed the Holy Spirit into His disciples prior to proclaiming to them the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20. That breathing the Holy Spirit into them equated to giving them inspiration, so it would seem from John 20:23. In the Great Commission of Matthew 28, Jesus clearly gave all authority to His disciples. This number would shortly thereafter include Paul the apostle, added to the twelve other apostles according to Luke in Acts 9:26-30. Paul would then go on to teach that he had no less authority than any of the other apostles (2 Cor. 11:5). According to this series of Bible verses, there is strong corroboration between Matthew, John, Luke, and Paul, testifying to the fact that Jesus gave authority/inspiration to all the apostles including Paul.
What about those who were not apostles? Luke was not an apostle. However, Paul cites Luke’s gospel as authoritative in 1 Timothy 5:18. Milton Fisher in The Origin of the Bible cites evidence from 1st & 2nd century disciples— Clement, Ignatius, and Polycarp— who reference or quote much of the New Testament’s authorship, either referencing or quoting it as scripture (Comfort 70-74). While some in that early period, just like people today, questioned the authority of some of the later New Testament epistles during the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th centuries, the highly respected historian Eusebius (A.D. 270-340) gave much validity to the 27 books of the New Testament in his book Church History (Ibid. 74). Eusebius attested to the canonicity of all the New Testament books and gave the majority census of his day (Ibid. 74).
If you believe that God is the only answer for the universe coming from nothing, then surely you must be able to conceive that such a God could preserve His divine word for hundreds of years, unstained, even while in the care of imperfect men. Add to this equation numerous historical testimonies from persons such as Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp, and Eusebius, to mention a few. Finally, factor in the harmonious testimony within the Bible itself. Now do you believe Paul when he said, “If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord,” (1 Cor. 14:37)? The whole Bible is the word of God. You either accept it all as inspired, or you inevitably deny every single word by saying that even one verse is uninspired. There is no middle ground. There is no room for moderation.
Homework Questions
1. True or False:
There are some books of the Bible that are inspired and others that aren’t. The only words that are authoritative are the words in red: the words of Jesus.
2. What is the biblical chain of command according to 1 Corinthians 11:3?
The head of Christ is ____________________.
The head of Man is _____________________.
The head of Woman is ___________________.
3. Answer with one word what Jesus gave to the apostles in the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20.
4. In your own words, explain why proper Bible interpretation is important and necessary?
Helpful Resources
The Origins of the Bible by Philip Comfort
apologeticspress.org
