The Bible has been around for thousands of years, carefully translated and maintained for the benefit of people today. But where did we get it, and how do we know it's trustworthy?
--
The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.
Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.
Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.
Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.
Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.
--
The Bible doesn’t have to be intimidating. We encourage you to read the Bible for yourself and put it into practice. That’s why we’re doing this series. The first question that arises is: where did the Bible come from?
The Bible is not just a book some religious or philosophical-type humans put together. It comes from God himself.
“Inspired by God” means “God-breathed.” So when you read the Bible, you are reading the Word of God. God is there with you when you read. You will encounter God in the Bible. For example, 2 Timothy tells us some of the ways God speaks to us in the Bible: he teaches us what is true; he opens our eyes to what is wrong in our lives; he corrects us when we are wrong; and he teaches us to not simply know the truth, but to do what is right.
Jesus himself attested that the Bible is inspired by God.
Jesus then quoted Psalm 110. He believed that when David wrote that Psalm, he spoke under the Spirit’s inspiration. Note what Jesus told Satan:
His actions explain what he meant, because that very statement was a quote from Deuteronomy 8:3, and he quoted the Bible two more times to resist Satan’s temptations.
These passages lead us to hold a view called “verbal plenary inspiration”, which means that divine inspiration extends to the very words themselves, and to all parts of the Bible and all subject matters on which the Bible speaks. Thus the Bible (when interpreted according to the intended sense of the author) speaks truly and reliably in all that it affirms. It never leads us astray.
Not only did the Holy Spirit inspire the Bible, the Holy Spirit also illuminates the Bible. He enlightens our hearts and minds as we read it.
While it is the Word of God, it is also the words of human authors. The two are not mutually exclusive. God spoke through human authors, through their unique personalities, experiences, language, culture and time.
The Bible is a product of divine authorship AND human authorship. Inspiration does not equal some kind of dictation. Authors were not like copyists or transcribers, writing down the words of someone dictating a letter. The Bible authors spoke in their own...
