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DAY 3: The Bible is an Inspired Book
Why should we trust the Bible?
Because they contain the very words of God.
Inspire means "to breathe into." When we use this word about the Bible, we mean that God "breathed" his words to us.
We can trust this book without hesitation. And we should study it with deep and humble reverence.
How did God inspire the Scriptures?
There are two sides to the story.
The divine side
The Bible clearly and consistently claims God for its Author.
Paul said of his words, "The gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ" (Galatians 1:11–12). And he claimed that all Scripture is "inspired" by God (2 Timothy 3:16).
The Bible clearly claims divine authorship for itself.
The human side
God "breathed" his word to us, but he did this through people. He did not shout the Bible in an audible voice from the sky or write it on heavenly paper and drop it to earth. He spoke both to us and through us in creating his word.
God employed several methods in using humans to write his word, e.g., writing (Exodus 31:18), speaking (Exodus 3:4), and dreams (Matthew 1:20).
Most often, however, the Lord used the minds and personalities of the biblical authors as his way of giving his word to us. They were historians, theologians, and authors. God used their personalities and guided their words to give us his word.
Relating the divine and human
How can the Bible be both divine and human?
In the same way that Jesus was fully divine and fully human.
If Jesus could be completely God without losing his humanity, the Bible can be fully God's word and still be the work of humans.
If Jesus could be fully human and yet Lord, the Bible can be the work of humans and yet God's authoritative word.
Holding two truths together is essential with nearly every Christian doctrine, including the inspiration of the Bible. We know that God is three Persons and yet One. The Lord directs his world, but he also gives us the freedom to make our own decisions.
In the same way, God used humans to author his divine word.
So we can trust that every word of the Bible is God's word for us today.
Does your life show that to be true?
About this Plan
Nearly all the problems people have in understanding the Bible start with misunderstandings of what the book is. You can understand the message of the Bible only when you know what it is and why it was written. So, what is the Bible, and why is it so important that you study it?
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