The most popular version of the Bible uses the phrase “Word of the Lord”, 255 times. It is the King James Authorized Version of 1611, turning 400 years old this year. It has gone through many revisions over the centuries and is seldom used now because of it’s archaic phrases. But as our Nation turns 235 years old tomorrow, we should remember that our Founding Fathers all believed the Bible was the Word of the Lord. Their faith was the basis for creating our Constitution, which has needed many amendments, but the Word of the Lord needs no amendments. Whatever version of the Bible you read, it is still:
Good, (Hebrews 6:5) “taste the goodness of God’s word”
Holy, (Romans 1:2-3) “God promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son…”
Truthful, (Daniel 10:21) “I will tell you what is inscribed in the book of truth”
Living & Active, (Hebrews 4:12) “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword..”
Do you believe your Bible is the Word of the Lord? How do we come to believe that the Bible holds God’s authority and that He is able to place His Kingdom in our heart? Consider it’s composition, durability, prophecies & application.
Composition. It was composed over sixteen centuries by forty authors with one central theme. Written by soldiers, shepherds, scholars, and fishermen. Begun by Moses in lonely Arabia, finished by John on lonely Patmos. Penned by kings in palaces, shepherds in tents, and inmates in prisons. Forty writers, most unknown to each other, writing in different countries and three different languages, separated by three times the number of centuries since Columbus discovered America — was it possible for these authors to produce a book of singular theme unless behind them there was one mind, one designer? The Bible is remarkable in composition.
Durability. It is the single most published book in history. The top seller for over three hundred years. Translated into twelve hundred languages by an army of translators. Bibles have been burned by dictators and banished from courtrooms, but God’s Word continues. The death knell has tolled a hundred times, but each time the grave is opened, and God’s Word continues. The Bible is indomitable in durability.
Prophecy. The pages of your Bible contain more than three hundred fulfilled prophecies about the life of Christ. A subtle but substantial biography was written about Jesus five hundred years before he was born. Can you imagine if the same occurred today? Can you imagine if we found a book written in 1900 that prophesied two world wars, a depression, an atomic bomb, and the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King? What would we think of the book? Wouldn’t we trust it? The Bible is stupendous in fulfillment of prophecy.
Application. Paul says the Bible “is useful for teaching, for showing people what is wrong in their lives, for correcting faults, and for teaching us how to live right” (2 Tim. 3:16 NCV). Apply this wisdom to your budget, and see if you don’t get out of debt. Apply the principles of fidelity to your marriage, and see if you don’t have a happier home. Apply the principles of forgiveness to your relationships, and see if you aren’t more peaceful. Apply the principles of honesty at school, and see if you don’t succeed. Apply the Bible, and see if you don’t agree—the Bible works. This book’s veracity and message can make you desire His power, not your past life, as you turn into an abundant, eternal life in Jesus Christ.
Epaggelia 