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-32-
God Hath Spoken
In chapter 22 of the Gospel, Matthew records the answer of our Lord to His detractors. In verse 29 Jesus answered them, "Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God." Question: "If there are errors in the Scriptures and we know them, may we not be led into error?" Jesus said they erred because they did not know the Scriptures, and the only reason He could say that is because the Scriptures are without error.
In the Gospel of John chapter 6, verse 63, the beloved disciple testifies that Jesus said, "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." The Greek word used here for the word "words" is "rhemata" (rhmata), and it speaks of "verbal inspiration" for it means the very words themselves that He speaks unto them are spirit and life. This is the reason why we must preach the Word of God, and not our opinions.
Consider chapter 8, verses 31 and 32. John writes, "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If [Reader, note the condition IF] ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Question: "Where do we find truth?" We are here told that truth is found in the Word of God. For this reason we are to continue in His Word. Our Lord prayed to His Father and said, "thy word is truth."
Note verse 48. "Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?" What occasioned such hatred? Jesus had just said to them, "He that is of God heareth God's Words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God" (verse 47). He told them the reason they could not hear the Word of God was because they were not of God.
In John chapter 17, verse 8, the Son of God prays for His disciples and says to His Father, "I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me." The disciples did not believe an idea: they believed the words Jesus gave them—the very words that were given to Him by the Father.
Chapter 17 of the Gospel of John is the High Priestly Prayer of our Lord. Note verse 17. Here Jesus prayed for His disciples then, as well as for us who should believe on their word. "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."
Consider the words: "Sanctify them though thy truth." What is truth? Jesus testifies, "thy word is truth." This cannot be the case if His Word contains errors. If the account of Adam and Eve is a myth, and if Jonah was simply taken on board a ship named The Whale then His Word is not truth, but is error. Nor can the Scriptures be truth if Jesus only spoke of psychological disorders as "demons" because the people were not able to understand.
In Acts chapter 1, verse 16, Luke records the words of Peter when he wrote, "Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus." Note that here Luke testifies that the Holy Ghost spoke by the mouth of David. It therefore "must needs have been fulfilled" which he spoke concerning Judas.
The apostle Paul gives his defense before Felix in Acts chapter 24. In verse 14, he states "But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets." Here Paul affirms that he believes "all things which are written in the law and in the prophets." He believes all that they say, even those things concerning history and science and prophecy. He believes these things as surely as he believes those things that pertain to salvation.
How are we to deal with those who do not believe the Scriptures? They may have been away to seminary and believe they are gifted in their ability to handle the Word of God. We do not need to defend the Scriptures: the Scriptures, however, are completely defensible. The defense of the Bible, however, is not the usual way to reach the unbeliever: rather, use the Scriptures knowing it is the Word of God, and that the authority of God Almighty supports it.
It is commonly maintained that "the Word of God is without error in the original manuscripts." But is my Bible without error? If not, then it cannot be infallible; and if it is not infallible, it cannot be authoritative.
There is not a single original manuscript available on earth today. For nearly two thousand years no man has seen an original manuscript. They have perished with time. But has God preserved His Word? We shall see.
And, why are there so many conflicting versions of the Bible such as the New English Bible and the Revised Standard Version? Basically, there are but two reasons: first, some of the translators were not truly converted; and second, because others followed liberal teaching believing it was scholarly to do so.
"If you think you can sit in a corner and gaze into heaven and receive the Spirit, you will receive 100,000 devils." —Martin Luther, 1483-1546