The Bible - God's word
2 Timothy 3:16-17
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
2 Peter 1:19-21
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: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 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.
From the quotations above it can be perceived that the Bible claims to be the Word of God – the way in which God speaks to us today. Indeed, there are many more places in its pages, where this is emphasised. Frequently, we meet the words, ‘saith the LORD ’ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ) and the prophets claim to speak the words of God – as, for example, King David 7 . The apostle Paul emphasised this when he wrote...
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds’. (Heb.1:1-2).
Reading these verses informs us that the same power, God’s spirit, that was operative in the creation of the heavens and the earth was employed to inspire holy men of old in the writing of the Bible. Creation is the evidence of the spoken Word of God ( 8 , 9 ) and the Bible is the written Word of God.
The reliability of the Bible, God’s purpose revealed in it, and our need to listen carefully to its message will be the subject of further essays in the WHAT WE BELIEVE section of our website.
It is most helpful to consider how the Lord Jesus Christ himself regarded the Bible. Surely, anyone who wishes to follow him, must follow his teaching on the matter, and the Lord Jesus was clear that the Bible – Old and New Testaments - are the Word of God...
Referring to the Hebrew Scriptures, he prayed to his Father, ‘…thy word is truth’ 10 and used the term ‘the word of God’ of the Old Testament in John 10:34-35 11 . All of his teaching was based on belief that the Old Testament is the Word of God – including the first few chapters of the book of Genesis, which describe Creation. As an illustration, we note that he bases his teaching concerning marriage on the Genesis Creation record. Matthew 19:3-6 reads...
The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female [This is a citation from Gen.1:27], And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? [a citation from Gen.2:24] Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder’.
Thus, Christ’s teaching is founded upon the Old Testament books being true, including such events as the Noahic flood, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, as well as words of the prophets.
Similarly, the Lord Jesus taught that the New Testament would also be the Word of God, when he promised the Holy Spirit to the apostles, saying...
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit , whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you’ (John 14:26).
Likewise, concerning future events, including some which are taking place in our own day and age, the Lord Jesus promised at the beginning of the book of Revelation...
The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John’ (Rev.1:1).
As Christadelphians, we therefore believe that the book we call the Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, is the only source of knowledge concerning God and His purposes at present extant or available in the earth, and that the Bible was given by inspiration of God upon the writers, and is consequently without error, except such as may be due to errors of translation and transmission.