The Authority, Credibility and Relevance of the Scriptures

Many people openly challenge the Bible and object to it being the inspired, written Word of God. They claim that the Bible has errors and inconsistencies. Usually, these people have not really read the Bible for themselves or done any real research on their own. Often, they cannot give specific answers when asked to point out these errors and inconsistencies. Their claims actually advertise their ignorance of the Bible and the God it reveals. Yet, they persist, under the guise of scholarship, intellectualism and progressivism.

But are there inconsistencies and problems in the Bible? Has modern science and archeology refuted it, or affirmed it? Who decided which books should be included and left out? Where does the Bible come from? Can we really trust it? These questions are valid and can be answered. 

The Authority of the Bible:  Authorship settles authority. The Bible has no real authority unless it is the Word of God, God’s Word to us. The Ten Commandments were the first set of written Words from God to man. These were given on actual stone tablets to Moses. After this, Moses wrote the Books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These five books are collectively known as the Pentateuch and make up the most significant part of Hebrew Scripture, the Law of Moses.

Additionally, holy prophets spoke and wrote words that were not their own but were in fact the very words of God Himself. Their writings are collectively known as the Prophets, and make up the largest part of the Hebrew Scriptures.

The third part of the Hebrew Scriptures is the Writings, which include the Book of Psalms. The Writings, like all of Hebrew Scripture, were recognized by the early Jewish people to be inspired by God Himself and therefore authoritative. They were written on scrolls of vellum with quill and ink and meticulously copied and preserved by hand for hundreds of years by men who were specially educated and devoted to this, known as scribes.

In the Bible, the Hebrew Scriptures are known as the Old Testament. The books of the Old Testament were completed by about 435 B.C. There are 39 books in the Old Testament.   

The New Testament deals with the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It also includes the acts of the early Christians and books and letters that deal with the fundamental, orthodox truth of Christianity. The New Testament was written on vellum and papyrus with quill and ink and assembled in book (codex) form. It was written by men who were either apostles of Jesus (those specifically sent by Him to preach and teach His Word) or by men who were very close to the Apostles.

The books of the New Testament were completed during the first century A.D. As with the Hebrew Scriptures, the books of the New Testament were meticulously hand copied and preserved for hundreds of years. There are 27 books in the New Testament.

The Credibility of the Bible:  If the Bible is a collection of the writings of men, then it is of very limited use to us today. If, however, it is the written Word of God, that changes everything.

Jesus Himself, like all of the New Testament authors, accepted the Canon of Hebrew Scripture as the authoritative, written Word of God. The word canon means the standard, or rule, by which something else is judged. Jesus quoted from many Old Testament books directly and affirmed that the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms (Writings) were not only authoritative, but pointed to Him (Luke 24:44, 45; John 5:39, 40). This alone should be enough to convince anyone who truly believes that Jesus was not a liar, or deceived, or mentally ill. If He was none of these things, then He was exactly Who He said He was, God in the flesh (John 8:58).

It is contradictory when people say that they believe what Jesus said and that they believe He was a good, even a great man, and yet deny that the Scriptures are not the authoritative, written Word of God! They are in disagreement with Jesus.

The early Christians recognized certain writings of the Apostles and men associated with them as inspired by God and therefore Scriptural (II Peter 3:15, 16). In addition to apostolic authorship, consistency with the rest of Scripture and historical accuracy were considered when accepting or rejecting books for the New Testament Canon. The process of assembling these books and letters into a canon along with the Hebrew Scriptures took several centuries to complete. Heresy, false doctrines and error made this very important for the survival of the early Church.

The early Christians, like the Jewish people before them, could only recognize divine authorship, not grant it. The Bible did not come about because men took ancient writings and merely claimed divine authorship. Divine authorship was clear to those who had access to and experience with the Scriptures. The Bible has a self-authenticating quality discovered by those who seriously and sincerely read it.

The Relevance of the Bible:  No other book in the history of the world has even come close to impacting humanity as the Bible has. Not only is it the standard for orthodox (authentic) Christianity, it has changed the lives of millions and millions of people for the better throughout its history. Each person must choose responsibly to either accept or reject the Bible as the written Word of God. No one can be neutral about this.

This article is only meant to be a start, to help point in the right direction. The end of the journey is not merely accepting the authority of the Bible, but coming to know the risen, living Lord of Heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ, Whom the Bible reveals, which is a progressive knowing and an eternal relationship. Read the Bible for yourself! May the Lord bless and direct you as you seek Him.