Bite Sized Theology: The Bible, “The” Book
This week we’re going to take a little bite out of the Doctrine of the Bible or Bibliology.
The Greek word for Bible is Biblos, but when the early Christians wrote the name on a scroll containing God’s Word, they wrote Ho Biblos: Biblos meaning Book and Ho meaning The.
The Bible is no ordinary book. It is The Book.
2 Timothy 3.16-17 says:
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
It was inspired by God. The literal translations says God breathed it out.
The Bible is not a book about God, it is the very Word of God.
Didn’t Men Write the Bible
But wait a minute, didn’t men write the Bible? What about Moses, Peter, Paul, John and other biblical authors?
Men penned the Bible. They were His instruments transcribing what was in the mind of God.
I’m a note taker. I take lots of notes … during church services, in classes, and when I’m counseling. I even have a preferred writing instrument, a special pen I like to use when writing. Yet, it would be silly to say that my pen took notes. It was merely the instrument.
2 Peter 1.21 says:
21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
The same Greek word was used in Acts 27.15 talking about a ship caught in a powerful storm. It says:
15 and when the ship was caught in it and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and let ourselves be driven along (NASB).
The storm was so fierce that the sailors couldn’t sail into it without great danger. They had to allowed the ship to be “driven along” by the wind.
God used men to write the Bible, but they were carried or driven along by the Holy Spirit. God carried them along insuring that they wrote His very words and what was written wasn’t corrupted in any way. He used their individual personalities and writing styles but, He was the guiding force.
In Acts 1.16, 20 Peter said:
16 “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus;
20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms:
‘Let his dwelling place be desolate, And let no one live in it’;
and, ‘Let another take his office.’
And in 1 Thessalonians 2.13 Paul said:
13 For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.
But it wasn’t just certain passages of the Bible which were authored by God. 2 Timothy 3.16 says “all” Scripture is inspired by God.
Over the next few weeks we’ll talk more about the Word of God, why it is inerrant and sufficient, what is meant by the Canon, and why we can trust God’s Word as the guiding standard for our lives.
Every believer should be a theologian. But theology doesn’t have to be difficult to understand. In each of these posts I’ll be talking about another concept and why it is important to your life and mine.
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