A Faithful Friend

INTRODUCTION: Our View of Scripture

What we believe about the Bible is, according to Dr. Francis Schaffer, a watershed issue. Simply explained, by holding to differing views on the Bible's inspiration and authority we end up miles apart even though we begin at the same source.

Is the Bible Culturally Oriented? Is it of Biased Opinion? Does it contain errors? Is it the word of men, or the Word of God? (See. 1 Thess. 2:13)

I. What the Bible says about the Bible:

It is referred to as.

"the word of God" - various OT passages; Rom 10:17; 2 Cor. 2:17; 1 Thess 2:13
the "Scripture of TRUTH" [Emphasis Mine] Dan. 10:21; John 17:17
"HOLY" - 2 Tim. 2:15
being "tried" - 2 Sam. 22:31; Ps 33:4
being "settled forever in heaven" - Ps. 119:89
"very PURE" - Ps. 119:140; Pr. 30:5
"true from the beginning" - Ps. 119:160
"standing forever" - Isa. 40:8
that "which cannot be broken" - John 10:35
"quick" and "powerful" - Heb. 4:12
"living" and "abiding forever" - 1 Pet. 1:23
"enduring forever" - 1 Pet. 1:25
the "power of God" - Rom. 1:16

II. What did Jesus think of the Scriptures?

That Moses was the author of the Pentateuch - Mark 7:10, 12:26; Luke 16:29, 30; John 5:46
That the Scripture could not be broken - John 10:35, 36

III. Our 3-fold relationship to the Bible

             1. We are SAVED by the Word - 1 Cor. 15:1-2
             2. We are SANCTIFIED by the Word - John 17:17
             3. We are SUSTAINED by the Word - Matt. 4:4

Christianity is the true worship and service of the true God, humankind's Creator and Redeemer. It is a religion that rests on revelation: nobody would know the truth about God, or be able to relate to him in a personal way, had not God first acted to make himself known. But God has so acted, and the sixty-six books of the Bible, thirty-nine written before Christ came and twenty-seven after, are together the record, interpretation, expression, and embodiment of his self-disclosure. God and godliness are the Bible's uniting themes.From one standpoint, the Scriptures (Scriptures means "writings") are the faithful testimony of the godly to the God whom they loved and served; from another standpoint, through a unique exercise of divine overruling in their composition, they are God's own testimony and teaching in human form. The church calls these writings the Word of God because their authorship and contents are both divine.

J.I Packer

What Scripture says, God says; for, in a manner comparable only to the deeper mystery of the Incarnation, the Bible is both fully human and fully divine. So all its manifold contents-histories, prophecies, poems, songs, wisdom writings, sermons, statistics, letters, and whatever else-should be received as from God, and all that Bible writers teach should be revered as God's authoritative instruction. Christians should be grateful to God for the gift of his written Word, and conscientious in basing their faith and life entirely and exclusively upon it. Otherwise, we cannot ever honor or please him as he calls us to do.

J.I. Packer

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

Daniel 10:21 (KJV)
21 But I will shew thee that which is noted in the scripture of truth: and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.

John 10:35 (KJV)
35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;

2 Timothy 3:14-16 (KJV)
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2 Peter 1:20-21 (KJV)
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Deuteronomy 8:3 (KJV)
3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

1 Samuel 15:23 (KJV)
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

2 Samuel 22:31 (KJV)
31 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.

Psalm 18:30 (KJV)
30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

Psalm 33:4 (KJV)
4 For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.

Psalm 119:89 (KJV)
89 LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

Psalm 119:140 (KJV)
140 Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it.

Psalm 119:160 (KJV)
160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

Proverbs 13:13 (KJV)
13 Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.

Proverbs 30:5 (KJV)
5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

Isaiah 40:8 (KJV)
8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Jeremiah 23:28 (KJV)
28 The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.

John 10:35 (KJV)
35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;

John 12:48 (KJV)
48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

John 17:17 (KJV)
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

(As you read through Acts you will notice the number of references to the "preaching" of the word, and the "word grew mightly." This is how the early Church was established - through the preaching of God's word. See 1 Cor. 1:17)

Acts 2:41 (KJV)
41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

Acts 4:4 (KJV)
4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

Romans 10:17 (KJV)
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

2 Corinthians 2:17 (KJV)
17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ

Ephesians 1:13 (KJV)
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Ephesians 5:26 (KJV)
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,

1 Thessalonians 2:13 (KJV)
13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

2 Thessalonians 3:1 (KJV)
1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:

2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Hebrews 4:12 (KJV)
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Hebrews 5:13 (KJV)
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.

James 1:18 (KJV)
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

James 1:21 (KJV)
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

1 Peter 1:23 (KJV)
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

1 Peter 1:24-25 (KJV)
24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

2 Peter 1:19 (KJV)
19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

Romans 1:16 (KJV)
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

1 Corinthians 4:15 (KJV)
15 For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.