Dear GCI Family and Friends,
I recently had a discussion on Facebook with an old high school friend who expressed that all he needed from the Bible was Christ’s sermon on the Mount. He projected doubt on Paul’s conversion and voiced an impression that the original disciples never fully accepted Paul’s apostleship.
It concerns me that we live in a reductionist environment, especially as it relates to how we view God’s written word. Obviously, we rely on the Living Word, Jesus himself, but he has blessed us with his stories of how he has been faithful to his created children and provided us with words of revelation to live by. We are blessed to have the God-breathed, inspired written word of God as we are guided through the Spirit with the abiding presence of the living Word.
During a conversation with recently retired Equipper editor, Rick Shallenberger, about this topic, he expressed a desire to write about why he believes the Bible is among God’s greatest gifts.
I’m happy to share what he wrote.
“The Chosen” is one of my favorite television shows; I love how they have created believable background stories for many of the stories we see in the Gospels. But what intrigues me in almost every show is when the disciples are talking among themselves and sharing passages of Scripture. Bibles were not available to them; scrolls were kept in the synagogues. Yet, as depicted on the show, these men were able to quote long passages of Scripture.
This was because Jewish males were encouraged to memorize the Torah, beginning at age five. Classes were held in the synagogue. Many went past the Torah to also study the writings and the prophets. As a result, some had much of the Old Testament memorized. They valued and loved the written word. This love for Scripture inspired many to write; we have several examples in the New Testament.
Read More How important is the Bible? While I can argue that the Bible is not needed for salvation, which is obvious because thousands became Christ followers without the Bible, I believe the Bible is an important gift from God.
Some have questioned Paul’s statement to his young protégé, Timothy, when he said:
All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NRSVA
All Scripture? Does this mean that every word of the Bible is infallible? That every story is exact in its details? Can the answer to every question be found in the Bible? No, that would be silly. People reproduced and translated the scriptures, and people make mistakes. Further, there are topics the Bible doesn’t cover; it wasn’t meant to provide the answer to every question. However, the Bible is fully authoritative for all matters of faith and salvation.
The Bible was meant to point to Jesus and to the kingdom of God. The Old Testament is story after story of God’s faithfulness, albeit written by humans in particular cultures and with their personal perspective of what they were experiencing or how they were being inspired. So, while all Scripture is breathed by God, it doesn’t mean every word, jot, tittle and punctuation mark were written with God’s hand.
Here are a few reasons I believe the Bible is one of the greatest gifts:
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- It reveals an eternal, triune God who is perfect and through the Spirit will convict the world that rejection of Jesus is the basic sin, that righteousness is imputed from Jesus alone, and Jesus has the final word on judgment.
- It reveals a God who is faithful, who operates out of his love for us, who had a plan for us from the very beginning, and who guaranteed his plan would be fulfilled by sacrificing himself.
- It reveals a God who is our Abba/Father, our Savior/elder brother/friend, and our Comforter/Teacher who lives in us.
- It shows us how to live — “love others as I have loved you.”
- It gives us direction — Great Commandment/Great Commission.
- It teaches us how to have right relationships, esteeming others better than ourselves.
- It shows real people going through real struggles, encouraging us that God loves us through all we go through.
- It shows God fulfills his promises — he can be trusted, counted on, believed.
- It reminds us of our true identity — saints, beloved, redeemed children of God.
As Paul told Timothy, the Bible is profitable for teaching on a myriad of topics, but primarily about who Jesus is, who we are in him, and where our future lies. It is profitable for reproving and correcting. God doesn’t leave us in a blame game; he corrects us so we can learn the next step, that the Bible is profitable for training in righteousness, to help us grow in grace and knowledge.
There is much more to this topic. I encourage you to read “Scripture: God’s Gift” (2013), a 6-part series by Gary Deddo.
By Rick Shallenberger
P.S. Thank you, Rick, for the helpful reminder that we are people who seek to be well-grounded in the scriptures. And I would add that more than articles about the Bible, find a good, reliable translation and let the stories of the Bible wash over you. As a Christmas gift to myself I purchased The C.S. Lewis Bible in the New Revised Standard Version. And in a digital age where we reflexively ask Google for answers and have a deepening confidence in AI, let’s be on guard to not devalue the place of Scripture. Greg
Dear GCI Family and Friends,
Thanks – this is an excellent article Rick wrote. When one grows in a personal relationship with God, one comes to see ever more clearly how valuable the scripture is in revealing the tribune God to us, and nurturing our relationship with him. The Bible is an incredible gift to us!
Rick, as usual, well written. Always look forward to your articles. Thank you.
I share this concern. The person who was instrumental in bringing me to the realisation that the Scriptures are’ God breathed’, around fifty years ago ,is himself leading many to doubt that Christ is the Son of God. He has published many books on the subject and has quite a following. Very sad.