The word of God
No book in the world has attracted, on the one hand, so much love and respect, and on the other - so much hatred and curses, like the Bible. Some people died for the Bible, others killed for it. She inspired man to the greatest and noblest deeds and was vilified by him for his most vile and low deeds.
The ideas set forth in the pages of the Bible were often used as an excuse for wars, revolutions and the overthrow of kingdoms. People of different meanings and directions: from the supporters of the "liberation theology" to the capitalists, from dictators to liberators, from pacifists to militarists, everyone is looking for words on her pages that they can justify their deeds.
The Bible is unique not its incomparable political, cultural and social influence, but its origin and content. It is God's revelation of the unique God-man: the Son of God, Jesus Christ the Savior of the world.
Divine Revelation
Throughout human history, some people have doubted the existence of God, and many others have stated with conviction that He is and manifests Himself. How did God give a revelation of Himself and what is the role of the Bible?
General Revelation
The intuitive understanding of God's character, obtained through the study of history, human relationships, the voice of conscience and nature, is often called a "general revelation", because it is accessible to all and drawn to the mind of man.
Heaven is promising the glory of God, and his broadcasting hardness
Psalm 18: 2
Millions of people hear this voice. Sunlight, rain, mountains, rivers - all evidence of a loving Creator.
For the invisible his, the eternal power of Him and divine, from the creation of the world through the consideration of creativity is visible, so what they are unacceptable
The Epistle of the Apostle Paul to Romans 1:20
Others see a caring God in happy human relationships, in a strong love between friends, husband and wife, parents and children.
As the Father pities the sons, so does the Lord have mercy on those who fear Him "(Psalm 102: 13).
However, the same sunlight that speaks of a loving Creator can turn the earth into a scorched desert, condemning everyone to starvation. The same rain can turn into streams with a violent, swift current, sweeping away everything in its path. The same majestic mountain can crack, crumble and bring destruction. And in human relationships, jealousy, jealousy, anger and even hatred that can lead to murder are often manifested.
How His mother helpes his mother, so i have released you
The Book of Isaiah 66:13
The world around us poses many questions. He opens the struggle between good and evil, but does not explain how this struggle began, who and why is participating in it and for whom the ultimate victory.
Special revelation
Sin makes it difficult to understand the revelation of God about Himself, revealed through creations, because sin has dulled our ability to understand the testimony of God. In His love, God gives a special revelation about Himself, to help us resolve the issues that arise in us. Throughout the Bible, both in the Old and the New Testament, He revealed Himself in a special way to us, leaving no doubt about His character, the essence of which is love. In the beginning God revealed Himself through the prophets, then in His Person Jesus Christ was given His supreme revelation (see Hebrews 1: 1,2).
The Bible not only contains statements that convey the truth about God, but reveals Him as a Person. Both spheres of revelation are necessary: we need to know God through Jesus Christ (see John 17: 3), and we need to know "the truth that is in Jesus" (Eph. 4:21). Through the Holy Scriptures, God overcomes the barrier of our mental, moral and spiritual limitations, letting us know about His unchanging desire to save us.
The Central Personality of Scripture
In revealing God, the Bible also speaks of man. It shows the desperate situation in which people are, and the way out, which God does. From it we learn that we have all retired from God, lost ourselves and that Jesus is He who finds us and returns to Him.
Jesus Christ is the center of the Holy Scripture. The Old Testament speaks of the Son of God as the Messiah, the Redeemer of the world; The New Testament reveals Him as Jesus Christ the Savior.
Each page of the Bible, capturing both symbols and realities, opens one of the sides of His ministry and character. The death of Jesus Christ revealed in fullness the character of God.
The cross gives this full revelation, because it unites two opposites: the immeasurable evil of man and the inexhaustible love of God. What more powerful means could you show us our human sinfulness? What else could have been better to expose sin? The cross reveals God, who agreed to the death of His only-begotten Son. An incomprehensible victim! Was it possible to reveal His love more fully? Truly the center of the Bible is Jesus Christ! Around the whole universe drama is developing. Soon, His victory on Calvary will reach its apogee in the final destruction of evil. Humanity will be reunited with God.
The theme of God's love, especially shown in the sacrificial death of Christ on Calvary, - this greatest truth of the universe - is the focus of the Bible. Therefore, in its light, all the basic biblical truths must be considered.
Author of the Holy Scriptures
The authority of the Bible in questions of faith and experience is due to its origin. For people who wrote the Bible, it was not an ordinary book. They referred to it as "holy scriptures" (Romans 1: 2), "the scriptures (2 Timothy 3:15), and" the word of God "(Romans 3: 2, Hebrews 5:12).
The Holy Scripture is unique in its origin and source. Biblical writers claimed that their messages did not belong to them, but they were received from God. It was nothing but the divine revelation that enabled them to "see" the truths that they transmitted (see Isaiah 1: 1, Am 1: 1, Micah 1: 1, Av 1: 1, Jer. 38:21 ). These writers testified that through them the Holy Spirit addressed the people (Neh 9:30, cf. Zechariah 7:12). David said, "The Spirit of the Lord speaks in me, and His word is in my tongue" (2 Samuel 23: 2). Ezekiel wrote: "The Spirit has entered into me," "the Spirit of the Lord came upon me," "the spirit took me up" (Ezekiel 2: 2, 11: 5, 24). Micaiah also testified: "I am full of the power of the Spirit of the Lord" (Micah 3: 8).
The New Testament recognizes the role of the Holy Spirit in writing the Old Testament. Jesus said that the Holy Spirit inspired David (see Mark 12:36). The apostle Paul believed that the Holy Spirit spoke "through the prophet Isaiah" (Acts 28:25). The apostle Peter claimed that the Holy Spirit directed all the biblical prophets, and not just some of them (see 1 Peter 1:10, 11, 2 Peter 1:21). Sometimes a biblical writer remained in the shadows, and the only true author, the Holy Spirit, admitted: "The Holy Ghost speaks," "The Holy Spirit shows ..." (Hebrews 3: 7, 9: 8).
The writers of the New Testament also considered the Holy Spirit a source of their testimonies. The apostle Paul explained: "The Spirit clearly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith" (1 Timothy 4: 1). John says that he was "in the Spirit in the day of the Lord" (Revelation 1:10, English translation). And Jesus gave instructions to His apostles through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1: 2, compare Ephesians 3: 3-5).
So God in the Personality of the Holy Spirit revealed Himself through the Holy Scripture. For more than 1500 years, He wrote it with the hands of the people he chose. There were about 40 of them, but since God the Holy Spirit inspired writers, the real author of the Bible is God.
Inspiration of the Holy Scriptures
"All Scripture is God-breathed," says Paul (2 Timothy 3:16). The Greek word "theopneustos translated by the word" inspired by God "means literally" breathed by God. " God "breathed" the truth into the minds of people. They, in turn, expressed it in words that we find in the Holy Scripture. Therefore, God's inspiration is the process by which God transmits to man his eternal truth.
Is it possible to say that the prophets were passive, like a tape recorder that accurately reproduces a record on a magnetic tape? Sometimes the writers of Holy Scripture received the command to write exactly the words that God said, but in most cases they described what they saw and heard, using the language tools available to them. The apostle Paul remarked that "the spirits of the prophets are obedient to the prophets" (1 Corinthians 14:32). True inspiration does not erase the individuality of the prophet, the uniqueness of his thinking and personality.
To some extent, the relationship between Moses and Aaron serves as an illustration of the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the biblical writer. God told Moses, "I have made you a God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother will be your prophet" (Exodus 7: 1, compare Exodus 4:15, 16). Moses informed Aaron of God's messages, and he, in turn, passed them on to Pharaoh in his own words. Similarly, biblical writers conveyed divine commands, thoughts and ideas to those
language means that they owned. As a result, the language of different books of the Bible is not the same and reflects the features of education and culture of different writers.
The Bible "is not a model of God's thought and His style. One often hears that some expression is not peculiar to God. But God does not offer to judge Himself by words, logic or stylistics of the Bible. Biblical writers were God's scribes, not His pen. " Inspiration does not affect the words of a person or the turns of his speech, but on himself, and then, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, he becomes imbued with the Divine message. Words have an imprint of individual thinking. Thus, God inspires His thoughts, Divine intelligence and will combine with the mind and will of man, after which the statements of man become the word of God. "
Only in one case did God speak out personally and write down His own words - the Ten Commandments. They are made up of God, not of man (see Exodus 20: 1 - 17: 31:18, Deuteronomy 10: 4, 5), but even then the Author had to resort to a limited human language.
Therefore, the Bible is Divine truth, expressed in human language. Imagine an attempt to teach a child quantum physics. The same approximate problem is faced by God, trying to convey the Divine truths to the sinful, limited in its understanding of humanity. Because of our limitations, He can not give us in full all that he could.
Between the incarnate Jesus and the Bible there is an analogy: Jesus was God and man at the same time, in Him was combined the Divine and human nature. So the Bible is both a Divine and a human book. What has been said about Christ can be said about the Bible: "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14).
This combination of two principles - the Divine and the human - and makes the Bible a unique book.
Inspiration and writers
The Holy Spirit prepared certain people for the transmission of Divine truth. The Bible does not provide a detailed explanation of how these individuals were endowed with the necessary abilities, but in one way or another the Spirit of God unified the Divine with the human.
People who participated in writing the Bible were not chosen by their natural talents. The divine revelation did not in itself imply the conversion of such people and did not guarantee them eternal life. Valaam, by inspiration, proclaimed the Divine message, but acted contrary to God's advice (see Numbers 22-24). David, who was used by the Holy Spirit, committed grave crimes (see Psalm 50). All the biblical writers were by nature similar to us, sinful people, and were constantly in need of God's grace (see Romans 3:12).
Biblical writers experienced inspiration, which was something more than illumination or Divine guidance, accompanying all who seek the truth. In fact, it happened that Bible writers did not always fully understand the Divine message that was passed on to people (see 1 Peter 1: 10-12).
The writers treated the news in different ways, the heralds of which they were. Daniel and John confessed that they were puzzled by the revelation they received (see Daniel 8:27, Revelation 5: 4), and 1 Peter. 1:10 shows that some writers have tried to understand the meaning of the news that was discovered by them or transmitted through others. Sometimes these people were afraid to proclaim inspirational evidence, and some even argued with God (see 1 John 1: 1-3, 4: 1-11).
The method of transmission and the content of the revelation
Often the Holy Spirit transmitted Divine knowledge to people through visions and dreams (see Numbers 12: 6). Sometimes He spoke in a distinct voice or influenced their consciousness. God spoke to Samuel "in the ear" (1 Samuel 9:15, Eng.). Zechariah was shown a symbolic picture and given her explanation (see Zechariah 4) The heavenly visions that the apostles Paul and John received were accompanied by oral explanations (see 2 Corinthians 12: 1-4, Revelation 4: 5). Ezekiel observed events that took place at that very moment in a completely different place (see Ezekiel 8). Some writers were directly involved in their visions, playing a certain role in them (see Rev. 10).
As for content, some Spirit revealed the future (see Dan 2: 7, 8, 12). Others described historical events either on the basis of personal experience, or using the material of existing historical records (see 1 Kings, 2 Gospels, Acts).
Inspiration and history. The Bible states that "all Scripture is inspired by God" (or "breathed by God") is useful and trustworthy in matters of the moral and spiritual life (see 2 Timothy 3:15, 16).
This statement leaves no doubt that God directed the selection of biblical material. Whether knowledge came from personal observations, verbal or written sources, or through direct revelation - in either case the writer received this knowledge under the direction of the Holy Spirit. This ensures the authenticity of the Bible.
The Bible reveals God's plan, which consists in the active participation of God in human life, without resorting to the help of abstract ideas. God reveals Himself in real events that took place at a certain time in a certain place. The reliability of historical narrative is extremely important, because it forms the basis of our conception of God's character and His goals for us. Correct representation leads to eternal life, and distorted leads to error and death.
God commanded certain people to write the story of His relationship with Israel. This historical narrative is written differently from what secular history would be written, and it constitutes an important part of the Bible (cf. Numbers 33: 1-2, Isaiah 24:25, 26, Ezekiel 24: 2). It gives us accurate, objective information in the light of the Divine vision. The Holy Spirit gave writers special spiritual vision so that they could describe events in the context of the struggle between good and evil, reveal the character of God and help people in search of salvation.
These historical events are "images" or "examples", which are described "for instruction to us who have attained to the last centuries" (1 Corinthians 10:11). The apostle Paul says: "All that was written before was written to us for instruction, that by patience and consolation from the Scriptures we might have hope" (Romans 15: 4), The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is an "example" or a warning (2 Peter. 2: 6; Jude 7). The experience of justification experienced by Abraham is also an example for every believer (see Romans 4: 1-25, James 2: 14-22). Even the Old Testament civil laws, full of deep spiritual meaning, are written for our good today (1 Corinthians 9: 8, 9).
Luke mentions that he wrote his Gospel in order to tell us about the life of Jesus, "that you may know the firm foundation of the teaching in which you were instructed" (Luke 1: 4). When John decided which events from the life of Christ included in his gospel, he was guided by one desire:
That ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye have life in his name
The Gospel of John 20:31
Under the guidance of God, the writers of the Bible gave a story in such a way that could guide us to salvation.
Biographies of biblical personalities serve as yet another proof of the inspiration of the Bible. These reports contain carefully described information about both the weak and the strong points of their characters, frankly depict their sins and victories.
The lack of self-control from Noah or the deception of Abraham did not remain hidden from us. We learn about the quick temper of Moses, Paul, James, John. The biblical story highlights the shortcomings of the wisest of the Israeli kings, the weakness of the twelve patriarchs and the twelve apostles. The Holy Scripture does not justify them and does not attempt to belittle their guilt. It depicts them exactly as they were and how they became through God's
grace or could not become, opposing it. Such a subtle spiritual analysis of the personality that the Bible gives, without the Divine inspiration, could not have been made by any biographer.
Biblical writers considered all the historical narratives of the Bible as genuine historical evidence, but not as myths or allegories. Many modern skeptics dispute the authenticity of the narrative of Adam, Eve, Jonah, and the Flood. However, Jesus accepted them as historically true and spiritually vital (see Matthew 12: 39-41, 19: 4-6, 24: 37-39).
The Bible does not say about partial inspiration or inspiration of different degrees. Such theories are just unreasonable inferences that deprive the Bible of its divine authority.
Precision of the scripture
Just as Jesus "became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14), so the Bible, in order to make the truth understandable for us, is given in the human language. The inspiration of Scripture serves as a guarantee of its authenticity.
How much did God care about the very preservation of the biblical text, apart from the fact that He provided the faithfulness and authenticity of the message contained in it? Although ancient biblical manuscripts have some discrepancies, essential truths have been preserved. It is possible that the Bible's copyists and translators made minor mistakes, but the discoveries in biblical archeology proved that many apparent inaccuracies were in fact the result of a lack of understanding on the part of researchers. Some problems are caused by the fact that the biblical story with the customs depicted in it is read by people brought up by Western culture. It must be recognized that human knowledge is limited. People comprehend Divine actions only in part. Therefore, all that we perceive as inaccuracies should not undermine our trust in the Holy Scriptures. Often we see mistakes not because they are in reality, but because we do not accurately understand the biblical text. Is it possible to doubt God only because we do not fully understand any text or sentence in the Bible? We can never comprehend all the texts of Scripture to the end, and before us there is no such task. The fulfilled prophecies confirm the authenticity of Scripture.
Despite all attempts to destroy the Bible, it has come down to our time, and with the amazing accuracy of its text. Comparison of the Dead Sea manuscripts with the later manuscripts of the Old Testament shows how scrupulously it was copied4. Ancient manuscripts confirm the authenticity of Scripture as the unmistakable revelation of God's will.
Siegfried H. Horn, The Spade Confirms the Book, rev. ed., (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald, 1980).
Authority of the Holy Scripture
The Holy Scripture is endowed with divine authority, for through it God speaks by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the Bible is the written Word of God. How to prove this and what does this have to do with our life and our search for truth?
Scriptural statements. Biblical writers claim that they received their messages directly from God. It was the "Word of the Lord" that was addressed to Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, and other prophets (see Jeremiah 1: 1, 2, 9, Ezekiel 1: 3, 1: 1, Joel 1: 1, Jonah 1: 1). God gave instructions to the prophets as His messengers (see Arg. 1:13, 2 Chronicles 36:16) to speak in His name and begin their message with the words: "Thus says the Lord" (Ezekiel 2: 4, compare Isaiah 7 : 7). His words are heavenly credentials, they empower the messengers with special powers and authority.
Sometimes a person used by God remains in the shadows. Matthew cites the words of the Old Testament prophet, but at the same time he refers to the authority behind him:
All this happened, that it might be fulfilled that was spoken by the Lord through the prophet
The Gospel of Matthew 1:22
He sees the Lord as directly acting force and authority, and the prophet as mediator.
Peter calls the epistles of Paul the Scriptures (see 2 Peter 3:15, 16). And Paul says this about what he wrote: "I received him the gospel and learned not from man, but through the revelation of Jesus Christ" (Galatians 1:12). The writers of the New Testament perceived the words of Christ as Scriptures and believed that they had authority as well as the books of the Old Testament (see 1 Timothy 5:18, Luke 10: 7).
Christ and writing authority
Jesus Christ emphasized the authority of Scripture throughout the entire earthly ministry. Whether He was tempted by Satan or fought with His adversaries, the principle of "written" was His weapon and means of protection (Matthew 4: 4, 7, 10, Luke 20:17).
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God
The Gospel of Matthew 4: 4
Asked how to enter into eternal life, He answered the question: "What is written in the law? How do you read? "(Luke 10:26).
Jesus placed the Bible above human traditions and opinions. He denounced the Jews because they neglected the authority of the Scriptures (Mark 7: 7-9), and urged them to study the Scriptures more carefully: "Have you never read in the Scriptures?" (Matthew 21:42; 12:10, 26). He firmly believed in the authority of the prophetic word and explained that this word pointed to Him. The Scriptures, He said, "testify of Me" (John 5:39).
For if you believed in Moses, you would believe me, too, because he wrote about me
The Gospel of John 5:46
The most convincing proof of the Divine mission of Christ is the fact that Old Testament prophesies fulfilled in His life and death (see Luke 24: 25-27).
Christ unconditionally accepted the Holy Scripture as an authoritative revelation of God's will for all mankind. He saw in Scripture the treasury of truth, an impartial revelation given to people to lead them out of the darkness of false traditions and myths to the true light of knowledge of salvation.
Spirit of the holy and the authority of the scripture
During the life of Jesus, neither the religious leaders nor the carefree crowd saw Him in Him Who He truly was. Some took Him as a prophet, like John the Baptist, Elijah or Jeremiah, that is, just a man. When Peter recognized Jesus as "Christ, the Son of the living God," Jesus said that such confession is possible only through divine enlightenment (Matthew 16: 13-17). Paul stressed the same truth:
No one can call Jesus Lord, as soon as the Holy Spirit
The First Epistle of the Apostle Paul to Corinthians 12: 3
The same is true of the written Word of God. If the Holy Spirit did not enlighten our minds, we would never be able to correctly understand the Bible or even recognize it as an authoritative account of His will. Since "no one knows God except the Spirit of God" (1 Corinthians 2:11), "a spiritual person does not accept what is from the Spirit of God, because he considers it insane, and can not understand, because it is about being judiciously judged spiritually "(1 Corinthians 2:14). Therefore, "there is a word about the cross for perishing fools" (1 Corinthians 1:18).
It is only with the help of the Holy Spirit, who penetrates into the "depths of God" (1 Corinthians 2:10), that a person can be convinced of the authority of the Bible as a revelation of God and His will. Then the cross becomes "the power of God" (1 Corinthians 1:18), and a person can say with Paul:
We did not receive the spirit of this world, but the Spirit from God, in order to know what was given to us from God
The First Epistle of the Apostle Paul to Corinthians 2:12
The Holy Scripture and the Holy Spirit can not ever be separated from each other. As the author of biblical truth, the Holy Spirit also reveals its significance.
The authority of Holy Scripture in our lives depends on how much we recognize its inspiration. If the Bible for us is just a collection of human testimonies and if we recognize its authority in so far as it affects our feelings, then we diminish its significance. But if we distinguish the voice of God speaking in the mouths of biblical authors, no matter how feeble they may be, Holy Scripture becomes for us an absolute authority in matters of learning, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (see 2 Timothy 3:16).
Writing authority and spheres of its impact
The contradictions between Scripture and science are often only a figment of speculative reasoning. If we can not combine science and Scripture, it happens because of "lack of knowledge in the field of science or the Word of God ... But with the right understanding it becomes clear that there is perfect harmony between them."
Human wisdom must be subordinated to the authority of Scripture. Biblical truths are the yardstick of all other ideas. Assessing the Word of God with limited human criteria is like measuring stars with a conventional ruler. The Bible can not be adjusted to human standards. It rises above all human wisdom and literature. It is not for us to judge the Bible, but we will all be judged by it, because it is the yardstick of the human character, of all experience and thought.
Finally, the authority of the Scriptures is even higher than the gifts given by the Holy Spirit, including the gift of prophecy and the ability to speak in tongues (see 1 Corinthians 12: 14: 1, Ephesians 4: 7-16). The gifts of the Spirit do not rise above the Bible. In fact, they must be checked by it, and if not in agreement with it, they should not be recognized as true.
Turn to law and revelation. If they do not speak like this word, then there is no light in them
The Book of Isaiah 8:20
The Unity of Scripture
Surface reading of the Holy Scriptures leads to its superficial understanding. With this reading, the Bible may seem like a messy collection of stories, sermons and historical chronicles. However, people open to enlightenment by the Spirit of God and wishing patiently, with many prayers to explore the hidden truths, will see that the Bible has inherent unity in the presentation of the principles of salvation. The Bible is not a boring monotonous book. On the contrary, it presents a rich colorful palette of harmonious evidence of rare and surprising beauty. Thanks to its amazing versatility, it is able to most fully satisfy human needs at all times.
God revealed Himself to humanity not in a continuous chain of continuous utterances, but gradually, over a number of generations. In the books of the Bible, whether they are written by Moses in the land of Midian or Paul in a Roman prison, the same truth, inspired by the Holy Spirit, is visible. Comprehension of this "progressive revelation" contributes to the understanding of the Bible and its unity.
Although the Old and New Testaments were written at different times, the truths presented in them are inseparable and do not contradict each other. Both covenants are one, just as God is one. The Old Testament through prophecy and symbols announces the gospel message of the coming Savior, and the New Testament through the description of the life of Christ ushers in the Savior who came, becoming the Gospel in reality. Both open the same God. The Old Testament serves as the basis for the New. He gives the key to his understanding, and the New Testament explains the secrets of the Old.
God graciously invites us to become acquainted with Him through the study of His Word. In it, we can find the blessed assurance of salvation. We can see for ourselves that Scripture is "useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." Through him we can become "perfect," ready for "every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16, 17).
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