Why We Can Trust the Scriptures
There are generally four characteristics of God’s Word pointed to by scholars that are taught in the Scriptures themselves that give us confidence in their reliability and authority:
1. Scripture is inspired. The Bible was composed by a number of different authors, with different personalities and contexts, yet Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 3:16 that “all Scripture is breathed out by God.” The doctrine of inspiration recognizes Scripture’s claims that the words of the Bible are God’s words and are thus authoritative.
2. Scripture is inerrant. We are told in Titus 1:2 that God never lies and in 2 Samuel 7:28 that all of God’s words are true. In other words, the Scriptures do not contradict themselves. They are consistent, and they do not present anything contrary to fact. Though some ancient copied manuscripts of Scripture do contain some differences, these are minute and do not alter any primary points of doctrine in any way.
3. Scripture is clear. While there are certainly difficult parts of Scripture, the overall content given by God in a way that is intended to be understood and communicated. We see this in God’s command to parents to instruct their children in Deuteronomy 6:6-7, as well as the fact that the Lord has provided teachers of his Word to his people (cf. 1 Cor. 12:28, Eph. 4:11).
4. Scripture is sufficient. Though the Bible does not provide infinite answers or knowledge about every subject in the universe, its purpose is to make us “wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 3:15). And in this purpose it is ultimately sufficient. All that we need to know for a full and abundant life with God can be found in the teachings of Scripture.
I was helped greatly in writing this by the article “The Bible and Revelation” in the ESV Study Bible. For more information on these points, I would encourage you to purchase one of these Bibles and check out this article. I have found the ESV Study Bible to be one of my most helpful resources in personal Bible reading and study, and would highly encourage you to look into purchasing one.
1. Scripture is inspired. The Bible was composed by a number of different authors, with different personalities and contexts, yet Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 3:16 that “all Scripture is breathed out by God.” The doctrine of inspiration recognizes Scripture’s claims that the words of the Bible are God’s words and are thus authoritative.
2. Scripture is inerrant. We are told in Titus 1:2 that God never lies and in 2 Samuel 7:28 that all of God’s words are true. In other words, the Scriptures do not contradict themselves. They are consistent, and they do not present anything contrary to fact. Though some ancient copied manuscripts of Scripture do contain some differences, these are minute and do not alter any primary points of doctrine in any way.
3. Scripture is clear. While there are certainly difficult parts of Scripture, the overall content given by God in a way that is intended to be understood and communicated. We see this in God’s command to parents to instruct their children in Deuteronomy 6:6-7, as well as the fact that the Lord has provided teachers of his Word to his people (cf. 1 Cor. 12:28, Eph. 4:11).
4. Scripture is sufficient. Though the Bible does not provide infinite answers or knowledge about every subject in the universe, its purpose is to make us “wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ” (2 Timothy 3:15). And in this purpose it is ultimately sufficient. All that we need to know for a full and abundant life with God can be found in the teachings of Scripture.
I was helped greatly in writing this by the article “The Bible and Revelation” in the ESV Study Bible. For more information on these points, I would encourage you to purchase one of these Bibles and check out this article. I have found the ESV Study Bible to be one of my most helpful resources in personal Bible reading and study, and would highly encourage you to look into purchasing one.
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