IS THE BIBLE THE WORD OF GOD?

There’s so much that goes around in Christendom that have generated questions, yet in truth, a consensus answer agreed upon by all denominations springing up from the root of Christianity haven’t been found. They only thing that seem to unite our faith in all denomination is the NEW BIRTH experience, without which salvation is impossible. Even at that there’re contradictions in what the new birth really is. It is at this very point, down the long walk in our Christian ‘journey’ that we’ve had varying ideologies, interpretations, doctrines and what have you.

It baffles me that of these varying interpretations and doctrines, we all draw strength from the BIBLE. Denominations now glory in their new found revelations and have unknowingly swallowed the intoxicating pill of SUPERIORITY COMPLEX. The Bible is our authority, yet we know that God is not an author of confusion.

Majority of believers are kept in the dark as to what to believe even though they profess to have a ‘BIBLICAL BACK UP’ for some of their beliefs, but in the real sense, what they believe is what they’ve been taught with results to show for it... but don’t forget, other denominations still have results to show for their beliefs!

Before I proceed, a few questions to you would be necessary for an evaluation and an honest reply:

1.       What is God’s stand on females worshiping with their heads uncovered?

2.       Is ORAL SEX permitted for Christians?

3.       Once saved... forever saved... how true?

4.       MASTURBATION! Who told you its wrong?

5.       Watching of PORN by MARRIED COUPLES... Is that permitted?

Some of the answers to these questions could be gotten by deducing, but some keeps one at a loss. There are many issues in like form that we ask; we know that the answers should either be a GOOD or BAD, YES or NO, RIGHT or WRONG on them, yet the Bible is silent on these issues. I’ve met believers who feel ORAL SEX is wrong, and there are those who think otherwise... but God has a perfect stand point on such issues. But what does the BIBLE say?

Most who say such is wrong infer from natural processes of nature or on culture and tradition, but we know God’s word isn’t culture based or people opinionated.

There are certain truths every believer MUST know;

1.       The Bible isn’t just a book. It is a ‘LIBRARY’ containing 66 books.

2.       The books of the Bible were written over a period of 600 years

3.       The authors of these books didn’t set out to write a RELIGIOUS book. They recorded the events of their time and their dealings with God... some were letters of encouragement.

4.       The writings of these men were not restricted to only 66 books. Others included: 1&2 Edras, 1&2 Maccabees, Tobit, Judith,  The Wisdom of Solomon, Barauch, Addition to Esther, Addition to Daniel, The prayer of Mannaseh, Bel and the Dragon etc

5.       What the people of the time of Jesus knew as the scriptures were mainly the laws of Moses and some of the writings of the Prophets.

6.       Years after the ascension of Jesus, Jewish rabbis in a bid to bring up a standard book and authority for the Judeo-Christian religion, subjected all these writings to thorough debate... the 66 books were eventually agreed upon to be the Scriptures for Believers. (This was simply a matter of God convincing his human followers which book was accepted). This is the canonization of the Bible.

7.       The Bible is our recognized authority, and we know its writings are inspired of God.

There are so many questions the average believer, spiritual leaders inclusive, have not been able to stand up to authoritatively when challenged using the scriptures by the non-believer. When asked, where is so and so written in the Bible about this issue you are condemning, we know we can’t point any place therein. It becomes worse when the non believer points out an error of a ‘godly character’ in the Bible as an excuse to their error but the Believer really Cant prove or disprove that ideology. Is God in error? Certainly NO!

We can find a rat hole out of that situation by telling them they aren’t spiritual enough or they are tend to misunderstand the content... true though, But how do you explain discrepancies is records given by MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE and JOHN as it has to do with the description tagged on Jesus’ cross saying ‘THIS IS JESUS, KING OF THE JEWS’? This isn’t about being spiritual, or lacking in understanding. It’s something deeper that our ignorance of God’s word can’t stand up to.

We’ve been taught to be content with what we’ve heard, and not to probe further. Why question the authority of God? We may enter into error... error ahead might be in view, but it isn’t a CERTAINTY except probing is done with an ulterior motive. Adam was CONTENT with the commandment God gave him, he dared not ask the Almighty a question... but then the Devil came along doing the EXPLANATION. We know the rest.

Believers are trained like soldiers to take instructions, but are nurtured as sons. For this reason, we like His DISCIPLES, after we’ve heard from him go back and ask, WHY LORD? Would the father refuse us an answer?

WHAT BROUGHT ME TO THIS POINT...

To be controversial? Just to do something Different? None of the earlier stated. I won’t tow this line, not for the pride of being logical(for in working with God, your reasoning/intelligence on most occasions would be embarrassed, still IGNORANCE won’t help). This is something deeply spiritual and deals with sacredness, hence one must tow carefully.

And again, what led me to this point?

Denominational Doctrines... Unanswered questions the Church and world ask but have no bible backup... an inactive gospel contrary to what was practiced in the days of the prophets and Apostles who had NO BIBLE... Now there’s something wrong with the gospel we to preach!

It might interest you to know that the realities of TODAY differ greatly from that of YESTERDAY. The dimension of evil isn’t only alarming, but there seem to be a thin line between evil and good. We can LIE and call it WISDOM. We can harbour UNFORGIVENESS and claim we are being COURTEOUS. We can GOSSIP and think we are DISCUSSING generally. We can use the an edge of the SWORD OF THE SPIRIT to cut our neighbours who fall into sin and claim we are telling him the blunt TRUTH... Besides, the nature of what we call sin has greatly changed... if we drank alcohol and it is termed sin, how about those to which it is given as a cure for an ailment? Is that sin too? I’ve decided not to have sex until I get married, so resorting to masturbating should do... Have I wronged God?

Interestingly, there is no clear cut answer on some and totally NO ANSWER on others in the BIBLE WHICH IS GOD’S WORD... since there isn’t, many have resorted to error SINCERELY.

As It were, UNDERSTANDING what the Bible really is, its content and it’s purposes we would realise that it is not an end to itself, but THE means to a glorious end.

(It would do you well to note that I wrote ‘THE’ means, and not ‘A’ means... there’s great difference in both. A means, gives options of other means, but THE means shows certainty, and no other means exist).

Certain answers can be gotten authoritatively, not drawn from the Bible directly, but from GOD with the guidance of the Bible. In the Begining was THE WORD... and not THE BIBLE. The word TRANCENDS the Bible, the BIBLE is the authentic carrier to the STANDARDS of the WORD. The word was GOD... not a BOOK. It says again, FAITH comes by HEARING... not just reading. Hence, God’s word is continuous, it’s everywhere... his words created the world, since those words are alive, God speakes to us through everything in the world, but to know if it’s from God, we measure it against His APPROVED standard. The Bible.

While writing this script, I came across a book by a foremost Spiritual leader who worked with the renowned DL MOODY... RA. TORREY(1856-1928). In his book, POWER-FILLED LIVING, he exposed some ‘Errors’ of the Bible and how a GOOD UNDERSTANDING makes these ‘errors’ altogether ‘non-errors’. Hear Him:

“Many think that when you say the Bible is the Word of God, of divine origin and authority you mean that God is the speaker in every utterance it contains (The statement ‘Bible is the word of God’ is FIGURATIVE). But this is not at all what it means... the Bible records what GOD said, what GOOD MEN said, what INSPIRED MEN said, what BAD men said, what ANGELS said and what the DEVIL said... the record of what God said is ABSOLUTELY TRUE, but what others said may or may not be true... many careless readers of the Bible do not notice who is talking- be it God, Good Men, Angels, Bad Men etc they’ll tear a verse right out of context, regardless of the speaker and say... God said that... but in truth, God said nothing(and probably has nothing to do with such statements... it was only recorded).

Studying the three friends of Job, and their advices to Job you would attest to the fact that most of what they told Job was ‘TRUE’. But this is what God has to say about it in Job42:7 “...you have not spoken of me what is right”. Job also lamented, the lord giveth and the Lord has taken away... we console our loved ones with that word as ‘THE WORD OF GOD’ yet, it was Job who made that statement. Yes he was a righteous man, but thank God for moses who received the insight behind the heavenly parliament organized to discuss the issue of Job. As it were, God didn’t take away, the DEVIL did, for the blessings of the Lord makes RICH and added NO SORROW.

The DEEP believer would see the Bible as a book of Records compiled by men, authenticated by God, containing the events, wars, trade, sermons of God and the Devil, advises from good men, bad men, uninspired and inspired men. A book of the cry of vengeance by good men(which is not always justified), stories of love, prophecies, good prophecies by prophets, but not inspired of God eg Isaiah. It’s indeed a LIBRARY of RECORDS with a spiritual seal.

Hence when God speaks, either through his ministers or unbelievers or circumstances or dreams, He refers you to THE BOOK that carries his seal which is his standard to authenticate the validity of such message. When the devil, as an angel of light speaks, you reference THE BOOK of spiritual standards for it’s validity.

When studying, if God was the speaker... BELIEVE IT. If inspired men... BELIEVE IT. If Good Men... JUDGE it... If it was the Devil... we know he was a liar from the Begining.

AKPOVETA, Philip A.