Is the Bible the Word of God?​​ 

Rick Moffett​​ 

In my last article,​​ Your Worldview Matters, I said there are only two foundations for all​​ worldviews. One is​​ based on the Word of God​​ (the Bible)​​ and the other​​ on​​ the word of man.​​ Those who have a biblical worldview trust the Bible​​ as God’s revelation to mankind.​​ Those who deny the truth of the Bible​​ are left to​​ trust in​​ their own arbitrary opinions.​​ 

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As a reminder, we all have presuppositions (things we believe to be true without necessarily having any proof).​​ Our collective presuppositions are what​​ shape​​ our worldview.​​ 

So, if we base our worldview and, more importantly, our lives on the truths contained in the Bible, perhaps it would be wise to know the answers to some important questions –​​ 

• “What​​ does it​​ mean​​ that the​​ Bible is the​​ Word of God?”

• “How do I know​​ the Bible is truly the Word of God?”​​ 

1.​​ What​​ does it mean​​ that the​​ Bible is the Word of God?

The Bible is a historical book that gives us an understanding of the past from the beginning of time, when God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1), as well as a glimpse of the future through the many prophecies and promises it contains (2 Tim. 4:8). Thus, like all historical literature, it should be interpreted literally. The Bible also contains other literary forms, including poetry, prophecy, letters, songs, etc., which should likewise be interpreted according to their particular genre.​​ 

The Bible is a compilation of 66 writings* (often referred to as books) by more than 40 authors with varied backgrounds (e.g., shepherds, kings, fishermen, and scholars) written in three languages on three continents over approximately 1600 years. Despite this great diversity, these writings exhibit a consistent unity, with no contradictions and no errors regarding the truth of their content (Psalm 119:160; John 17:17).

*These 66 different writings or books that comprise the Bible are referred to as the ‘Canon of Scripture’. The word​​ canon​​ comes from the Greek word meaning​​ rule​​ or​​ measuring stick. ​​​​ 

“The Church does not determine the canon at all.  The Church discovers the canon. The canon is the collection of books that were written by divine inspiration and are therefore part of God’s Word.  We cannot, by voting or any other means, make a book become inspired by God if it isn’t!  Nor can we, through any action of our own, cause a divine book to cease to be inspired by God.”​​ The Canon; 2018; Dr. Jason Lisle​​ 

The Bible is the​​ Self-Proclaimed​​ “Word of God”

Throughout the Bible, we find that it claims to be the Word of God. The writers surely knew they were part of something special, though I doubt they grasped the significance their writings would have. For example, the prophet Jeremiah knew he would be speaking on behalf of the Lord -​​ 

Then the LORD stretched out His hand and touched my mouth, and the LORD said to me, "Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.​​ Jeremiah 1:9​​ 

The phrases,​​ “God said”​​ and​​ “Thus says the Lord”​​ appear​​ hundreds of times​​ within the pages of the Bible, e.g.,​​ Gen. 1:3, 6, 9, 11; Ex. 3:14; 34:10; Mat. 15:4; Luke 12:20; 2 Cor. 6:16.​​ 

Consider the words of Jesus as he prayed to his Heavenly Father -​​ 

6​​  "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.​​ 7​​  "Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You;​​ 8​​  for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.​​ John 17:6-8​​ 

And the words spoken​​ by the Apostle Paul -​​ 

13​​  For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.​​ 1 Thessalonians 2:13​​ 

So,​​ Did God or Man Write the Bible?

It may sound contradictory to say that the Bible is the Word of God and also say that it was written by 40 different authors. ​​ Divinely chosen men put the contents of the Bible into written form, but the thoughts originated with God.​​ So technically there were 40 different writers, but only one author.​​ God​​ spoke​​ through various men to put into writing what he wanted​​ to reveal​​ about Himself, about mankind,​​ and about the world,​​ all​​ by a process​​ referred to as “inspiration”.​​ 

16 All Scripture is inspired by God​​ and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;​​ 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.​​ 2 Timothy 3:16-17​​ 

Note -​​ The word​​ “Scripture”​​ refers to a sacred or religious writing or book. It is often used to refer to the entire collection of writings​​ that comprise the Bible. In addition, it is used within the text of the Bible to refer to all or part of the writings that make up the Bible. According to​​ Strong’s Dictionary, this word means - something written, i.e., a writing, record,​​ or book.​​ 

There are many ideas about what the phrase “All Scripture is inspired by God” means. The word inspiration has several meanings in English. It can refer to mental stimulation for creative work, and it can also mean inhaling air into the body. These are not what the Apostle Paul means here in his letter to Timothy. First, notice that it is the Scripture that is inspired, not a person. Inspiration here does not mean breathing in, but rather that God breathed out the Scripture. While this is not fully explained in the Bible, we must conclude that it was a supernatural process completely directed by the Holy Spirit. It was neither man’s idea nor his prerogative to determine the content of the Scriptures.​​ 

The Apostle Peter says it this way -​​ 

20​​  But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation,​​ 21​​  for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.​​ 2 Peter 1:20-21​​ 

Author Don Stewart gives an excellent commentary on this verse -​​ 

Peter said the writers were “moved” or “carried along” by the Holy Spirit. The Greek word translated “moved” in​​ 2 Peter 1:21​​ has the idea of “to be carried,” or “to be borne along.” This word was used of a ship being carried along by the wind in its sail. The Book of Acts gives an illustration of the process:

The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. (Acts 27:15 TNIV)

The word translated “driven along” is the same one as found in​​ 2 Peter 1:21, where it is translated, “carried along.”

The Holy Spirit was the active agent. The writers were passive in receiving the message, but active in the writing of the message. Ultimately, they were writing what the Holy Spirit prompted them to write. While the process was a mystery, the final result was God’s authoritative Word.

While those who wrote the words that comprise the Bible were not free to decide its content, it appears they had the freedom to express their own personalities and writing styles, i.e., the Holy Spirit did not put the writers into a trance and dictate to them. This should come as no surprise. Even today, we see men preach and teach God’s Word under the power of the Holy Spirit without compromising their individual personalities.​​ 

Is the Bible Without Error?

Only the original manuscripts of the Bible are considered inerrant. Unfortunately, no original copies of the biblical manuscripts exist. Textual critics have studied the earliest surviving manuscripts and determined that, in most places, they are 100% accurate. However, copies are not without errors. Most of the existing variations are due to spelling errors or what would today be considered “typos.” Cross-referencing the large number of manuscript copies in existence, consulting the context, and comparing scripture with other scriptures in the Bible (the Bible is the best commentary on the Bible) have resolved most of the apparent errors. More importantly, the doctrinal teachings of the Bible remain accurate and without error. A more in-depth look at this subject can be found at​​ https://www.namb.net/apologetics-blog/are-there-any-errors-in-the-bible/​​ 

Is the Bible Just a Record of What God Said?​​ 

Obviously, God is not the only one speaking in the Bible. Many words are recorded as spoken by other men and women, e.g., Adam and Eve (Gen. 3); the serpent (Gen. 3); Abram and Sarai (Gen. 16); David and Goliath (1 Sam. 17); the Apostles Peter (1 Pet. 2), Paul (Rom. 1), and John (John 3), as well as most of the Old Testament prophets. While God does not lie (Num. 23:19,​​ Titus 1:2,​​ Heb. 6:18), some of the words spoken by these men and women contain lies or facts that are not true. However, God has determined that their words be included in His written revelation to us. What is true is that what these people said is reported accurately on the pages of the Scriptures.​​ 

Conclusion

The​​ Bible is​​ God’s​​ written message to all mankind. It not only​​ reveals the​​ history​​ and future of the world,but ultimately points​​ us​​ to a loving Savior named Jesus.​​ The central message of the Bible is simple -​​ God demonstrated​​ His love for mankind by sending His only begotten Son (Jesus) to pay our sin debt so that He could restore​​ His life​​ to us, His eternal life!​​ (Romans 5:8;​​ 1 John 5:10-12)

2.​​ How do I know the Bible is truly the Word of God?

External Evidence

When I began searching for the ultimate, indisputable proof that the Bible was truly the Word of God, I had one primary criterion - I would not use the Bible to prove the Bible,​​ i.e., I would look outside the Bible to make my case. Hence, I began to consider the many facts (external evidence) in the fields of science, archaeology, paleontology, astronomy, biology, etc., that would prove the Bible to be the Word of God.​​ 

After months of searching and praying, I became convinced that the ultimate evidence proving the Bible is God’s Word does not exist outside the Bible. While many compelling facts demonstrate the Bible’s veracity, they don’t speak for themselves. Facts must be interpreted, and that is one of the problems with using facts to prove anything. People will always interpret facts in ways that align with their worldview, even if they are unaware of it. Furthermore, a lack of information or facts is not the problem for an unbeliever who rejects the Bible as God’s Word. Their issue is much deeper; they have a heart problem. They will always suppress the truth to justify their beliefs and actions, even before they consider whether the Bible is true, for they are enemies of God. (Romans 1:18-19; Rom. 5:10; Rom. 8:7; Col. 1:21; Jas. 4:3-4) Thus, a person who doesn’t first presuppose the Bible is God’s Word will not be persuaded by facts alone.​​ 

Another problem with proving the Bible by using external evidence is that whatever is chosen to justify the Bible becomes more authoritative than the Bible itself, so using external evidence to prove the Bible denies the very thing we are trying to prove. Think for a moment. If the Bible is truly God’s word, to what more authoritative standard could we possibly appeal to defend it?

Moreover, leaving the Bible out of any discussion about proving it is God’s Word removes the very foundation on which the Christian stands. It allows the unbeliever to set the criteria for truth, which usually reduces to his own autonomous reasoning. Sound familiar? Recall the incident in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3), where Adam and Eve relied on their own reasoning and acted independently of God rather than heeding His Word. In essence, they became their own god; that is ultimately the heart of the​​ issue. Man does not want to be accountable to God or His Word; he wants to be free to do what he wants and not feel guilty about it. (John 3:19)

​​ “How can anyone claim the Bible is the​​ ultimate source of authority in the universe, when all the while suggesting that it​​ should only be believed because it conforms to some other “neutral” standard (which​​ itself does not have the Bible as its ultimate source of authority)? If the method of​​ argumentation communicates to the unbeliever that he should believe the Bible only​​ because it has received the stamp of approval from science, archaeology, and​​ historical criticism, those disciplines, not the Bible, will be his ultimate authority.”​​ The Sufficiency of Scripture in Apologetics;​​ 2001;​​ Michael Kruger

In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus tells the story of Lazarus and the rich man. As the story goes, Lazarus dies and goes to be with the Lord, while the rich man dies and finds himself in Hades. Because of the great torment he experiences there, he begs Father Abraham to send someone to warn his five brothers so they won’t end up in this place of torment. Here is the conclusion to their conversation-​​ 

29​​  "But Abraham *said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.'​​ 30​​  "But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!'​​ 31​​  "But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.'"

The obvious point of this story is that external evidence, even the resurrection of the dead, will not persuade an unbeliever to believe God’s Word. The Bible itself is the most powerful weapon we have. It is the sword of the Holy Spirit. It can pierce the hearts of men and accomplish what God desires.​​ (Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12)​​ 

So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding​​ in the matter​​ for which I sent it.​​ Isaiah 55:11​​ 

As previously mentioned, there is substantial external evidence confirming the truth of the Bible, and there is a time to use it. For example, it supports the historical reliability of biblical documents and shows how science aligns with the scriptural account of creation. But external evidence does not validate the Bible as the authoritative Word of God and should not be used as an independent standard by which the Bible must measure up.​​ The Bible is not the conclusion of any argument we make; it should be and is the foundation for all truth.​​ Learning to use external evidence correctly is important and requires a skill set that will be discussed in future articles.​​ 

What I Discovered​​ (or maybe just remembered)

The reason I decided to write this article was twofold. First, to demonstrate to Christians that the Bible can be trusted as God’s Word and is therefore the foundation of our belief system. I also wanted to prove to unbelievers (non-Christians) that the Bible is truly God’s Word, with the end goal of their salvation. So I thought back to my own salvation experience and to the moment when I came to know that the Bible was truly the Word of God. As far back as I could remember, I had believed the Bible was true and that it was the Word of God, i.e., I presupposed it to be true without actually proving it. And when I received Christ at eight years old, I’m pretty sure I didn't know that the Bible was truly God’s Word.

Out of curiosity, I decided to conduct an informal survey of people I believed were Christians.​​ I asked about 20 people the following two questions -​​ 

1.​​ “Do you know*​​ that the Bible is the Word of God?”

2.​​ “Did you come to know*​​ this before or after you​​ received​​ Jesus​​ as your savior?”​​ 

*It’s important to note that there is a difference between​​ believing​​ and​​ knowing​​ something.

Not surprisingly, all of the participants answered “yes” to the first question, and with only a couple of exceptions, everyone answered the second question almost immediately with “after I received Jesus.” As mentioned above, it was “after I received Jesus” that I too came to know that the Bible is truly God’s Word.​​ 

Now I realize that it would be a fallacy to draw any convincing proof from my survey, but it did remind me of something I had forgotten - a person doesn't need convincing proof that the Bible is the Word of God before receiving Christ as their savior. Our salvation is based on our faith (belief) in the gospel message - that Jesus gave his life on the cross to pay man’s sin debt, was buried, and rose again on the third day to give us new life (1 Cor. 15:1-4; Rom. 10:9). It is the Holy Spirit’s ministry to convict a person of their sinfulness, and it is God the Father who first draws a person to Jesus (John 16:8, 44). The unregenerate man can't come to Jesus for salvation any other way (John 6:65). Thus, we presuppose the truth of the Bible before it is proven to us.

So,​​ How Do I Know​​ the​​ Bible is​​ Truly​​ the Word of God?

Before I answer that question, ask yourself, “How do I know anything is true?” For a belief to count as knowledge, it must be true and grounded in a “good reason.” But that “good reason” is only sufficient if it, too, is grounded in a “good reason,” which likewise needs to be grounded in a “good reason.” As you can see, this could go on indefinitely, and if it did, we could never really know anything for sure. At some point, our chain of​​ reasoning must conclude in an ultimate standard or authority, i.e., that which we hold to be indisputable and cannot be proven from anything more foundational (otherwise it would not be “ultimate”). To know anything, we must have an ultimate standard/authority that serves as the fundamental basis for our beliefs. But how do we justify an ultimate standard/authority if it cannot be proved from anything more foundational? It might appear that we really can’t know anything for sure.​​ 

Many contend today that a person cannot know anything for sure. This idea occurs within the branch of philosophy known as[popup_anything id="2306"]and is referred to as the[popup_anything id="2307"].​​ Many postmodern religions​​ hold to the belief that there are no absolutes and that it is impossible to know anything for sure.​​ This belief is​​ clearly​​ contrary to what the Bible says. Consider, for example,​​ 1 John 5:13, 20.​​ 

​​ The only available answer is that any ultimate standard or authority must justify itself. It must be self-authenticating and therefore does not need to rely on external sources to validate its authority. Again, any external evidence used to prove an ultimate standard or authority becomes the ultimate standard or authority itself!​​ 

Most of you would recognize this justification as circular reasoning and thus not a valid proof. But circular reasoning is unavoidable when arguing for an ultimate standard of truth. To what higher authority could we appeal regarding the Word of God? If not God Himself, we are left with only man’s fallible reasoning.

Yes, the self-authentication of the Bible as the ultimate standard and authority for the Christian worldview involves circular reasoning, but so does every other worldview!​​ 

Conclusion​​ 

My conclusion is that the only way to know the Bible is truly God’s Word is through a revelation from the Holy Spirit. The Bible is first and foremost a spiritual book that reveals spiritual truth. Without the indwelling Holy Spirit, we cannot know or understand spiritual truths. A person without the Holy Spirit is foolish in reasoning and unable to see the truth because of the hardness of his heart (Rom. 1:21; Eph. 4:17-18). Facts and logic will never remove the scales from the eyes of a blind man. He is helpless to see unless he is first given new vision. It is the Holy Spirit working through the gospel message that has the power to open the spiritual eyes of a man’s heart so that he might see his need for a savior (Rom. 1:16; Eph. 1:18).

12​​  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God,​​ 13​​  which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual​​ thoughts​​ with spiritual​​ words.​​ 14​​  But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.​​ 1 Cor. 2:12-14

As men of old were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write the words contained in the Bible, we today are convinced of its authenticity as God’s word by the witness of the same​​ Holy Spirit. And I would add that for those who profess to be born again, you must read and study these Scriptures to receive this witness of the Holy Spirit regarding the Bible’s truth and authenticity. As you do, God’s Word will come alive. The Bible is not a book to be occasionally looked at or displayed as a decoration on a coffee table or carried around as a good-luck charm. The book itself has no magical powers; it is merely words on a piece of paper. It is the truth to which the Bible points us that changes one’s life. That truth is a person. That person is Jesus. (John 5:39-40)

Consider your own salvation (your spiritual rebirth). Can you prove it by external evidence? No. We know we are truly born into the family of God by the witness of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:16).​​ 

2​​  For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.​​ 3​​  I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling,​​ 4​​  and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,​​ 5​​  so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.​​ 1 Corinthians 2:2-5​​ 

Last Thought

Have you ever wondered why God doesn’t simply appear in the sky for the whole world to see, so that everyone would immediately recognize and accept that He exists and has spoken to us through His written Word?​​ 

As an​​ answer​​ to this​​ question, consider this​​ quote from Philip Yancey​​ –​​ 

"The more I get to know Jesus, the more impressed I am by what Ivan Karamazov called “the miracle of restraint.” The miracles Satan suggested, the​​ signs and wonders the Pharisees demanded, the final proofs I yearn for- these would offer no serious obstacle to an omnipotent God.​​ More amazing is his refusal to perform and to overwhelm. God's terrible insistence on human freedom is so absolute that he granted us the power to live as though he did not exist, to spit in his face, to crucify him. I believe God insists on such restraint because no pyrotechnic displays of omnipotence will achieve the response he desires. Although power can force obedience, only love can summon a response of love, which is the one thing God wants from us and the reason he created us."​​ The Jesus I Never Knew; Philip Yancey; 2002

Let us be diligent to destroy all reasoning that exalts

itself against the knowledge of God.

Read the next article​​ in​​ this series –​​ Confirming the Reliability of the Bible

Read the previous article in this series -​​ Your Worldview Matters.