About the Bible

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Although I have written hundreds of articles, I have written only one book, Transformed by Truth. I wanted to chronicle, from our denominational perspective, the transformation God led us through.

Writing that book was hard work. I made an overall outline, and then dictated my thoughts and ideas. Using a transcription of my dictation, I then reorganized the material, eliminating repetition while maintaining the story flow. It took me months of hard work. Even so, I didn’t do a perfect job. I tried to be fair and accurate, explaining why and how our church went through what some have called an unprecedented change in doctrine. With the wisdom of hindsight, I look back over what I wrote and see places where I could have explained things more clearly.

That is the problem with the written word. It is a conversation where one party is absent. The writer and the reader are separated by distance, time, language or culture—sometimes all four. I wish I could sit with each person reading my book and explain what I was trying to communicate. I can’t do that, but the Bible’s ultimate author does, as I’ll explain.

The Bible has rightly been called the greatest story ever told. It is about the greatest person who ever lived, who had the greatest message possible and made the greatest offer ever made. As you know, the Bible was written over a 1,500 year span of time by over 40 authors from every walk of life, including kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, shepherds, soldiers, poets, statesmen, scholars and more. From beginning to end, these authors wrote on many topics, from many different perspectives. The challenge was to present these testimonies in a way that was coherent and consistent, building up a written record that conveyed the unfolding story of God’s love for all humanity in all times—not just those who lived in “Bible times.”

The Bible has been read by more people than any other book—it has out-sold every book that has ever been written and still sells more copies every year than any other book. The Bible has been translated and published in more languages than any other book in existence. The story had to be told in a way that would be accessible to all these people, whenever they lived and whatever their cultural background.

Some authors offer revised editions of their work, updating their writing as times change or more facts become available. Some have wanted to do that with the Bible, altering the text to make it more “relevant” to their particular culture. We can do that to some extent, but we had better be careful, for we have no authority to alter the meaning of the inspired words of God.

However, the Bible has a significant advantage that no other ancient book can claim: its ultimate author and editor is still alive! Not only that, but he promises to come and be with each reader, guiding his or her understanding. As Gary Deddo explained in the first of his articles on Interpreting the Scriptures, God stands behind his word, helping us, no matter who we are or where we are in time and space, to grasp more deeply what those uniquely inspired words hold for us.

While Jesus was with his disciples, he could teach them personally, at times giving one-on-one instruction. It was like having the Word of God living among them. Actually, it was not like that—it was that. However, at the Last Supper, Jesus told his disciples, who had relied so much on his presence:

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you” (John 16:12-15).

Today, we can trust that same Spirit to be at work among us, helping us hear just what he spoke to those authorized first apostles.

A recent survey from the Barna Group, commissioned by the American Bible Society, revealed that most Americans esteem the Bible and have access to it. There is a healthy cultural respect for and fascination with Scripture, which helps explain why millions tuned into the recently broadcast television series, The Bible. People seem to be open to experiencing ancient scriptures in new ways. However, many are not sure how to apply the lessons of the Bible to their own lives and to society at large. I believe that Gary’s ongoing series of articles will help us not only maintain a proper respect for the Holy Scriptures but also apply their timeless wisdom to our lives. The third installment in his series will be posted in the next issue of GCI Weekly Update; for the first installment, click here; for the second installment, click here.

With love, in Christ’s service,

Joseph Tkach