Foundation Study
The Bible
What do these verses say about the Bible?
1. 2 Timothy 3:15-17
The Bible provides the information necessary for salvation. Creation tells us God is immeasurably glorious, infinitely powerful, eternally existent, and inherently good. (Psalm 19:1-6, Romans 1:18-20, Acts 14:17) It is informative about God but not instructive about salvation. Only Scripture contains the knowledge a person must know to be in a right relationship with God. What is known about God through creation is called general revelation. What is known about God through Scripture is called special revelation. Only special revelation informs us of our need for salvation and how to be saved.
The Bible is authored by God. The term inspired means “originating from” and indicates that the content of the Scripture originated from God. It was God-breathed. A.D. Litfin states, “God’s words were given through men, by the Holy Spirit, so that their writings are without error.”1 Author Mark Taylor corroborates, “Scripture is true, reliable, authoritative, permanent and powerful because it comes from God himself.”2 God authored the content of the Scripture, and man recorded it. (2 Peter 1:20-21)
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The most immediate application of the term Scripture in 2 Timothy 3:16 is the Old Testament. However, the broader application applies to the entire Bible. The inspiration of the New Testament is confirmed by Peter in 2 Peter 3:16, where he refers to Paul's writings as Scripture (which means divine in origin). And by Paul in 1 Timothy 5:18, where he uses an Old Testament quotation as New Testament writings. Author Paul Enns says, "The New Testament Scriptures are equally inspired with the Old Testament Scriptures.3
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The Bible was written to reveal who God is, who we are, and how we can be redeemed by God's grace through God's Son for God's glory. — David Platt |
The Bible is...
The Bible is reliable, trustworthy, and authoritative in all matters it addresses.
- Inspired. Meaning it originated from God. (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21)
- Inerrant. Meaning it is without error. (Psalm 18:30, 19:7, 119:160)
- Infallible. Meaning it is incapable of error. (Hebrews 6:18, Numbers 23:19, Matthew 5:48, Titus 1:2)
- Verbal plenary. Meaning the above applies to every word. (Proverbs 30:5).
The Bible is reliable, trustworthy, and authoritative in all matters it addresses.
The Bible is incredibly practical. The Holy Spirit uses the words of Scripture to accomplish the following:
- Inform us about what is right; righteousness. (Psalm 19:7, 119:104-105)
- Expose our disobedience; rebellion. (Hebrews 4:12-13; 1 Corinthians 10:11)
- Change our wrongdoing; repentance. (Proverbs 15:31)
- Show us how to live for God; restoration. (Psalm 119:9, 11)
2. 1 Thessalonians 2:13
The Bible is the actual Word of God. It is not the musings of men about a divine being. It's the actual words of God, about himself, given to a few men, for to all people, for all time. Thomas Constable says, “The gospel is not the kind of message man would invent if he could, nor is it a message he could invent if he would.”4 (2 Peter 1:16)
The Bible is empowering. The Holy Spirit uses the words of the Scripture to enable a person to grow spiritually. The term work in the original Greek is where we derive the word energy. The Bible gives believers the energy (power) to live a God-honoring life. (Hebrews 4:12; Jeremiah 23:29; 1 Corinthians 1:18)
The Bible is empowering. The Holy Spirit uses the words of the Scripture to enable a person to grow spiritually. The term work in the original Greek is where we derive the word energy. The Bible gives believers the energy (power) to live a God-honoring life. (Hebrews 4:12; Jeremiah 23:29; 1 Corinthians 1:18)
3. Revelation 22:18-19
The Bible is complete. The content of Scripture was progressive (unfolding) until its competition. Today, the content of Scripture is finished; the canon is closed. There is no additional revelation or new prophecy for this age. Divine punishment and eternal judgment await anyone who tampers with God's revelation (Deuteronomy 4:2, 12:32; Proverbs 30:6). This includes those who falsely claim to speak on behalf God (Jeremiah 14:14, 23:16, 28:15, 29:31). Ryrie states, "The New Testament has greater priority as the source of doctrine. Old Testament revelation was preparatory and partial, but New Testament revelation is climactic and complete."5
Resource: View The Canon of Scripture.
Resource: View The Canon of Scripture.
4. John 17:17
The Bible enables spiritual maturity. The term sanctify means to “set apart.” It communicates the ideas of holiness and maturity. The Scriptures are an essential part of the spiritual growth process. The more a believer allows the Holy Spirit to use the Scriptures to fill the heart, the more that person grows. The more a person grows, the more he or she becomes involved in the plans and purposes of God (Psalm 19:7).
The Bible is the truth. Owing to its exclusive claim about being the truth, anything that disagrees with the Bible is false. All writings about God that do not agree with the Scripture are, by deduction, not true. The truth claim of the Bible answers the age-old question asked by Pilate in John 18:38: "What is truth?" Richard Wurmbrand puts it this way, “God is the truth... And the Bible is the truth about the truth.”6 (2 Samuel 7:28; Psalm 119:43, 151, 160; Revelation 19:9, 21:5, 22:6)
The Bible is the truth. Owing to its exclusive claim about being the truth, anything that disagrees with the Bible is false. All writings about God that do not agree with the Scripture are, by deduction, not true. The truth claim of the Bible answers the age-old question asked by Pilate in John 18:38: "What is truth?" Richard Wurmbrand puts it this way, “God is the truth... And the Bible is the truth about the truth.”6 (2 Samuel 7:28; Psalm 119:43, 151, 160; Revelation 19:9, 21:5, 22:6)
5. Matthew 4:4
The Bible is essential. Consuming the content of the Scripture is as essential to one's spiritual health as consuming food is to one's physical well being. Healthy living requires both. We are both spiritual and physical beings. Just as going without physical food makes one physically weak, going without spiritual food makes one spiritually weak. The Word of God nourishes us as we read it, meditate upon it, and apply it (Deuteronomy 8:3, 32:47; Joshua 1:8; Matthew 22:29).
6. Hebrews 4:12
The Bible is alive. Even though it's thousands of years old, the Scriptures are living. The voice of the God resounds through the words of the Bible to convict convert, counsel, encourage, and enlighten. They speak to our innermost thoughts, reveal our real attitudes, surface our deepest feelings, and address our most significant needs. Hodges says, "The inner life of a Christian is often a strange mixture of motivation, both genuinely spiritual and completely human. It takes a supernaturally discerning agent such as the Word of God to sort these out and expose what is of the flesh." 7 (1 Corinthians 2:11-13; Luke 24:32; Romans 1:16).
7. Psalm 19:7-8
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The Bible is a blessing. The Bible refreshes the soul, promotes joy, provides guidance, supplies understanding, and gives confidence to faith. The Bible brightens life. A.P. Ross says, “Joy and guidance fill the soul of the one who meditates on and follows God’s commands.”8 cf. Romans 15:4; Psalm 119:14, 119:98–100, 105
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We love the Bible as a bride loves her husband’s letters, not for the paper they are, but for the person who speaks through them. — Lausanne, #6 |
8. Romans 1:16
The Bible is powerful. Our word dynamite derives from the Greek term for power. The Bible provides the power to move a person from unbelief to belief. The Holy Spirit uses the Scripture to radically transform a person's character, and redirect the destiny of their soul (1 Corinthians 1:18, 1:24; Jeremiah 23:29). Memorizing Scripture helps give victory over sin (Psalm 119:11).
9. 1 Corinthians 10:11
The Bible is a warning. The accounts of God’s judgment serve as notice to those who follow in the footsteps of the disobedient. God is both severe and kind (Romans 11:22). Author David Lowery says, “The same God who disciplined... with death would do it again.”9 (Hebrews 10:31; 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11:27-29; Acts 5:1–11; Psalm 119:67, 71).
10. James 1:22
The Bible is to be applied. The Bible is not just for reading, but obeying. What matters most is responding to the truth, not just learning about it. God desires that Bible readers are both knowledgeable and responsive. (Matthew 7:24–27, 12:50, 28:20; Luke 6:46; James 2:17, 4:17).
Which Scripture was the most meaningful to you? Explain.
Footnotes
- A. Duane Litfin, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament, John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck (Ed.), (Olive Tree Bible Software, Version 6.5.3 © 1998-2019.) Notes on 2 Timothy 3:15-17.
- Mark Taylor, The NLT Study Bible, (Olive Tree Bible Software, Version 6.5.3 © 1998-2019.) Notes on 2 Timothy 3:15-17.
- Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology (Chicago: Moody, 1989), 128.
- Thomas Constable, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament (Walvoord and Zuck (Ed.), (Olive Tree Bible Software, Version 6.5.3 © 1998-2019.) Notes on 1 Thessalonians 2:13.
- Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular, Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth, (Chicago: Moody, 1999), 16, Kindle.
- Richard Wurmbrandt, Tortured for Christ (Bartlesville, OK: Living Sacrifice, 1998) Location 1285, Kindle.
- Zane Hodges, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament (Walvoord and Zuck (Ed.), (Olive Tree Bible Software, Version 6.5.3 © 1998-2019.) Notes on Hebrews 4:12.
- Allen P. Ross, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament (Walvoord and Zuck (Ed.), (Olive Tree Bible Software, Version 6.5.3 © 1998-2019.) Notes on Psalm 19:7-8.
- David L. Lowery, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament (Walvoord and Zuck (Ed.), (Olive Tree Bible Software, Version 6.5.3 © 1998-2019.) Notes on 1 Corinthians 10:11.