A common debate that challenges countless folk is the question of Scripture: Is it the Word of God? Are there errors in our Scriptures? Is Scripture still relevant today? There is also a vital question that the majority of people, especially those in the Charistmatic and New Apostolic Reformation movements do not ask: IS SCRIPTURE SUFFICIENT?
Almost every ministry or church website today contains a page that sets out the ministry or church Statement of Faith – what they say they believe. Sadly, the Statement of Faith page on their website can often be misleading. Many Statement of Faith declarations showcase an orthodox Christian standpoint, but, on closer inspection, we often find that the daily practical ministry and experience in that ministry or church tells a totally different story.
We need to be extremely careful and exercise great wisdom and discernment as we come across and engage with ministries and churches, especially those in the New Apostolic Reformation fold. Oftentimes unsuspecting Christians are tricked into believing that ‘God is doing a new thing here’, and are unwittingly sucked into believing false and dangerous doctrines and practises!
For today, we need to consider 4 major points about Scripture. (When you see the word Scripture in this article, understand that we mean the Bible, consisting of the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament). If we can understand and agree on these 4 points, and live our lives with these 4 points about Scripture as part of our Bedrock understanding, then we will not be swayed by any new and false doctrines.
There has, for many centuries, been a lot of debate about all of these points, but a simple understanding of each of them is sufficient to keep us on a path of truth and life.
- Scripture is Inspired (God – Breathed: the Word of God)
We have to begin this journey by understanding and agreeing that the Bible is Inspired. Literally that it is the Word of God. Many long debates still rage over just HOW this inspiration came about. Did God dictate the words to the writer? Did God cause the writers to ‘automatically’ write the words down, and many other possibilities.
It is enough for us to understand that, in some instances, God did in fact speak directly to the writer, and even said: “Write this down” (see Exodus 17:14, Ezekiel 24:2, and Revelation 1:11, Revelation 14:13 for examples of this). However, most often God’s direction and inspiration came through the influence and guidance of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the writers. If you read Scriptures over and over and study the Scriptures, you will see a lot of the personal character of the writer evident in his writing.
Probably the greatest passage that speaks to this point is found in 2 Timothy 3:10 – 17. In this passage, Paul commends and challenges Timothy. Paul points to the fact that Timothy has learned and understood and followed Paul’s teaching in his own life, and makes the point that everything that he (Paul) has taught and lived in Timothy’s presence has the Word of God (Scripture) as its foundation. Paul ends this passage by saying:
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16 – 17
He then challenges Timothy in the first few verses of the next chapter:
“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:
preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”
2 Timothy 4:1 – 4
(See also Matthew 5:17 – 18, 1 Corinthians 2:12 – 13, 2 Peter 1:21, )
Unfortunately, many people today do not take these few verses seriously, and are caught up in the continued cult of personality and false teachings of the New Apostolic Reformation movement.
- Scripture is Inerrant
The debate over the inerrancy of Scripture can get very silly very quickly. This point is just an extension of point 1 above. An excellent article on the inspiration of Scripture can be found here: What is Verbal Plenary Inspiration? On the GotQuestions website.
Suffice it to say that, because the Word of God is God-breathed, it is inerrant, because God cannot lie!
- Scripture is Infallible
Just what does it mean when we say that the Bible is infallible? A very good answer to this is found in the Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms:
It is the “belief that the Bible is completely trustworthy as a guide to salvation and the life of faith and will not fail to accomplish its purpose.” (McKim, DK, Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms, John Knox Press, 1996.).
Another quote explains this concept further. In an article about Biblical Infallibility, author Tom Lamprecht ends his article by saying:
“The Bible is not God, and those who believe in its infallibility do not worship the Bible. But the Bible is God’s most objective and detailed way of communicating with us, God’s people. Its infallibility means we can trust the Bible to truly communicate to us what God wants us to believe and how God wants us to live. To ignore or disobey the teachings of Scripture is to contradict its infallibility, which puts us on a completely different theological path altogether.”
Lambrecht, Tom (27 May 2014). “What Is Meant by ‘Infallible'”. Good News: Leading United Methodists to a Faithful Future.
Another excellent article is found once again on the GotQuestions website. The article begins with this short paragraph:
The word infallible means “incapable of error.” If something is infallible, it is never wrong and thus absolutely trustworthy. Similarly, the word inerrant, also applied to Scripture, means “free from error.” Simply put, the Bible never fails.
The full article can be found here: What Does it Mean that the Bible is Infallible?
- Scripture is Sufficient
Perhaps the most important question to ask and answer, a question that many Christians do not even consider, is the question: Is the Bible Sufficient? The sad reality is that almost the entire New Reformation Movement in its practise and teaching absolutely believes that Scripture is not sufficient, and that adherents to this false movement are encouraged, cajoled and bullied into beliefs and practises that are just blatantly pagan and even in some instances occultic in nature.
A simple definition of the sufficiency of Scripture is the Bible contains all the information God wants us to know in order to live a life that pleases him. The Bible doesn’t tell us everything there is to know, but it tells us everything we need to know. And it tells us everything we need to know in order to have a personal, loving relationship with God and it tells us all we need to know in order to live a pleasing life to him while we are here on this cursed earth.
We have already considered some Scriptures in this regard (see 2 Timothy 3:17, 2 Peter 1:21).
In 2 Peter 1:3 – 4, Peter makes a vital point: God has granted us ALL THINGS that pertain to life and godliness!
“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. “
We have the path to salvation through Jesus. We have the Word of God as found in the Scriptures. We have the foundational teaching of the Apostles of God ‘once and for all’ given to us (Jude 1:3). We have everything we need for life and godliness in the Scriptures!
Paul gives us a stern warning in Galatians 1:6 – 10:
“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.
As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
Let us finish with just 2 more Scriptures, given to encourage you in your walk with God:
Psalm 19:7 – 14:
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;
the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults.
Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
John 10:27 – 28:
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
Trusting that you will continue growing in grace as you remain faithful to God’s Word, always searching the Scriptures diligently, trusting that God will lead you into all Truth!
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash