What Is the Bible?
For the past month, I've been teaching our basics of the faith class called Starting Point. A small group of us have been meeting on Sunday mornings to study important topics such as Jesus' call to follow Him, God's goodness, suffering and trials, and sanctification. On each of these topics, we review various scripture passages and discuss what God's Word is telling us. Recently, one of the students asked if they could get an overview of the Bible since we refer to it so much for the things we believe. This was a great request! It made me realize that, as God's people, we can never take our understanding of God's Word for granted.
The Bible is central to our faith! It is the eternal, inerrant, inspired Word of God. 2 Timothy 3 says that the Holy Scriptures make us wise to God's salvation. It is God-breathed and useful for teaching and equipping us for every good work. In other words, we cannot live our lives without the regular input of God's Word. And yet the Bible is more than just a book of wisdom, information, and instruction for life. It is, in large part, how God speaks to us, reveals Himself to us through the Holy Spirit, shapes our hearts and minds, and affirms His work in us and in the world around us.
As a general overview, the Zondervan Handbook to the Bible says that there are two ways of looking at the Bible: seeing it as a story and hearing it as a witness.
Seeing it as a story - The Bible is a true story-book, full of accounts well-told. But it is more than just a collection of stories. There is one big story told by the entire collection. At the center of the big story is God and what He is doing with the world and the human race. The Bible begins with God creating the heavens and the earth, and tells the story of His relationship with humankind through to the day, yet to come, when He will wrap history up, and war, disease, death and pain will be no more.
The Bible as a witness - The Bible does not simply tell the story in a detached way, as a historian might. It is written to invite those who hear its message to respond to Jesus and to enter into its story. It is a testimony to what God has done throughout history and what God will yet do. It is written to persuade its readers to become followers of Jesus, and to help them understand how to live in relationship with Him and in company with others. Reading the Bible is like receiving an invitation to a party - it seeks our response!
Obviously there is more to the question of what is the Bible. In the coming weeks, we will discuss this more so that, together, we might understand the role and importance of God's Word in our lives and in our church. I believe God is inviting us to take up our role in the ongoing story of creation and redemption. And He's calling each one of us to engage with His Word.
Pastor Darren
