Jackson Gordon

1 What's So Special About the Bible

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  1. The Nature of the Bible

    1. The Word “Bible”: From Greek “Biblia” meaning “books,” both a single work and a collection.
    2. Diversity: A library of 66 books, 40+ authors, over 1000+ years, in three languages.
    3. Two Testaments:
      1. The Old Testament (Old Covenant): God’s work of creating and keeping the Israelites.
      2. The New Testament (New Covenant): Fulfillment of God’s work through Jesus Christ.
    4. Unified Story: The entire Bible tells a single, unified story of God’s Kingdom, human failure, and God’s plan of redemption.

  2. Why the Bible is Special: Three Defining Truths Key Scripture:

    2 Tim 3,14-17 14 But you continue in the things which you have learned and are convinced of, because you ^[Here "because" is supplied as a component of the participle ("know") which is understood as causal] know from whom you learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the holy writings that are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, 17 in order that the person of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

    1. Truth 1: Inspiration—The Bible is “God-Breathed” (2 Tim 3:16)
      1. Explanation: “Inspiration” means the Bible originates from the very essence of God.
      2. Argument: God is the source, not human creation.
      3. Support: In 2 Tim 3.16, the Greek word “theopneustos” implies the very breath, or spirit, of God. This metaphor connects the scripture to God’s inner being: The Bible isn’t merely human thought, but God’s very word.
      4. Support: Early Christians treated certain texts written in their own day as inspired in the same way as the Old Testament: (1 Tim 5.18, 2 Pet 3.16)
      5. Clarification: Inspiration didn’t override human authors.
      6. Support: God used the authors’ unique styles, experiences, and thoughts.
    2. Truth 2: Infallibility and Inerrancy—The Bible is Unable to Deceive and Without Error
      1. Infallibility: The Bible is unable to deceive or fail in its purpose
      2. Support: Reflected in Jesus’ words: “Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10.35)
      3. Inerrancy: The Bible is without error; specifically, the original manuscripts.
        1. Argument: What God has inspired is incapable of error.
        2. Support: Since the Bible is God-breathed, it is also error free.
        3. Clarification: Does not claim scientific precision, but asserts the original documents were perfect. Accounts for estimates, rounded numbers, figurative language, etc., but the underlying truth is still communicated without error.
        4. Historical Affirmation: This idea appears in earliest church leaders’ statements:
          1. Clement of Rome: “scriptures are true and given by the Holy Spirit”
          2. Justin Martyr: “no scripture ever contradicts another.”
          3. Tertullian of Carthage: “Holy Scripture will never contradict the truth.”
          4. Augustine of Hippo: Authors were “completely free from error.”
        5. Augustine’s Illustration: A powerful example of scripture’s transformative power.
          1. Support: Augustine’s conversion via scripture demonstrates its life-changing ability.
          2. Personal Testimony: The Bible was the means of turning Augustine from a life of sin.
    3. Truth 3: Sufficiency—The Bible is Enough
      1. Explanation: Scripture is sufficient to know God, trust him and live in his Kingdom
      2. Argument: The Bible provides enough to know and follow God.
      3. Support: Based on 2 Tim 3,15-17 - scripture can make one “wise for salvation” and make one “complete, equipped for every good work.”
      4. Clarification: It does not mean that scripture provides everything there is to know about God, or everything we want to know, but it is sufficient for the purpose of relationship with God.
      5. Two kinds of sufficiency:
        1. What It Provides: Sufficient truth for knowing God and living in His kingdom. Sufficient information for the Christian life.
        2. How It’s Preserved: The text of the scripture has been sufficiently preserved despite being copied by hand.
          • Support: The many variations in all of the copies do not change anything that we believe about God.

  3. Application and Conclusion

    1. Transformation is Key: The truths of the Bible mean nothing without personal transformation.

    2. Support: James shows that hearing the word isn’t enough by itself.

      Jas 1,22-24 22 But be doers of the message and not hearers only, ^[Some manuscripts have "not only hearers"] deceiving yourselves, 23 because if anyone is a hearer of the message and not a doer, this one is like someone ^[Literally "a man," but clearly in a generic sense here meaning "someone, a person"] staring at his own face ^[Literally "the face of his existence"] in a mirror, 24 for he looks at himself and goes away and immediately forgets what sort of person he was.

    3. Purpose of Scripture: To point people to Jesus Christ and to His Kingdom to transform them.

    4. Result of Scripture: To love God, rest in grace, pursue justice, and seek healing in our lives.

    5. The necessity of Interpretation and Illumination:

      1. Interpretation: Seeking the original meaning of the text.
      2. Illumination: Seeking the Holy Spirit to understand and apply God’s word.

    6. Final illustration: The Bible is a treasure map, and we have the map, but the Holy Spirit is needed like a light, to find our way.

    7. Summary Statement: The Bible is inerrant and infallible in its inspiration, it is sufficient in its preservation, but it’s dependent on interpretation and illumination for its application in your lives.

    8. Concluding Challenge: If you want a personal message from Jesus, open your Bible.

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