WHY WE BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD

2 Timothy 3:10-17

INTRODUCTION: Much of what I am preaching today is based on the foundation of a message preached by Dr. R. A Torrey in 1898. Everything we believe about our faith is based on the Bible being the Word of the Living God. So what proofs can we find to have a solid foundation that the Bible we have is truly the Word of the Living God?

I.   WE HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHRIST, HIMSELF!

There are many people who accept the authority of Jesus Christ who do not accept the Bible as a whole. Jesus is accredited to us as the living Word of God by five Divine testimonies: 1.) The testimony of the Divine life He lived. 2.) By the testimony of the Divine words He spoke. 3.) By the testimony of the Divine works He wrought. 4.) By the Divine attestation of His resurrection from the dead. 5.) By the testimony of His Divine influence upon the history of mankind. Our Lord Jesus spoke of the authority of the Bible as a whole being of Divine Authorship. Jesus said the Old Testament was inspired by God: Mark 7:9-13; Luke 24:25-27, 44-45; Matthew 5:17-18. Jesus also said the New Testament would be the Word of God: John 14:23-26; John 16:12-15. So if we accept the authority of Jesus Christ as Lord, we must also accept the whole of the Bible as the inspired Word of the Living God.

      II.   SECOND ON THE GROUNDS OF THE BIBLE’S FULFILLED PROPHECIES!

      There are two classes of prophecies in the Bible: first, the explicit, verbal prophecies: second, those of types. In the explicit, verbal prophecies we find definite prophecies concerning the Jew, the heathen nations and the Messiah. We will just look at three prophecies referring to the Messiah to show how minute the details the Word of God gives about His coming, life and death. Isaiah 53:1-12; Micah 5:2; and Daniel 9:25-27. These prophecies were written hundreds of years before the Messiah came. Yet we see details that no human could ever have known apart from the Holy Spirit enlightening them. But the prophecies of types are even more remarkable. Everything in the Old Testament—history, institutions, and ceremonies are types of our Lord Jesus Christ. John 5:39; Isaiah 44:6-8.

III.   ON THE GROUNDS OF THE VERY UNITY OF THE BOOK!
The wonderful thing about the Bible is that its unity does not lie on the surface. Often with a cursory reading of the Word of God it seems to contradict itself. It is only after much study of the Word of God you come to see it as unit Divinely inspired: 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

IV.   ON THE VERY FACT OF THE IMMEASURABLE SUPERIORITY OF THE TEACHINGS OF THE BIBLE TO THOSE OF ANY OTHER AND ALL OTHER BOOKS!

Many like to compare other religious leaders with the teachings of the Bible. The Bible has in it nothing but truth, while all the others have truth mixed with error. The Bible contains all truth! The Bible covers all the areas of moral and spiritual subjects. The Bible contains more truth than all the other religious books put together. 2 Peter 1:3-4.

V.   ON THE GROUNDS OF THE HISTORY OF THE BOOK: IT’S ABILITY TO OVERCOME ATTACK!

The Bible has always been hated by men and they have tried from earliest times to stomp it out. For twenty centuries human power and philosophy has tried to destroy the Word of God but each attempt has only proven over again that nothing can or will destroy the Word of God! Matthew 24:35.

      VI.   ON THE GROUND OF THE CHARACTER OF THOSE WHO ACCEPT AND THOSE WHO REJECT THE BOOK!

Two things speak for the Divinity of the Bible—the character of those who accept it, and equally the character of those who reject it. The nearer men live to God the more confident they are that the Bible is God’s Word: 2 Timothy 2:15.

VII.   ON THE GROUND OF THE INFLUENCE OF HE BOOK!

There is more power in the Word of God than in any other book to save men, purify their lives, gladden their hearts that all the other literature put together.1 Corinthians 6:9-11. What other book could have changed the lives of those heathen people like the Word of the Living God?

VIII.   ON THE GROUND OF THE INEXHAUSTIBLE DEPTH OF THE BOOK!

Nothing has been added to the Bible in almost 2,000 years. Every time you read the Bible it comes even more alive for you: 2 Peter 1:3-4; 2 Corinthians 1:3.

IX.   ON THE GROUND OF THE FACT THAT AS WE GROW IN KNOWLEDGE AND HOLINESS WE GROW TOWARD THE BIBLE!

Every thoughtful person who begins to study the Bible finds many things he or she disagrees with. But as we chose to go on studying the Bible and becoming more like our Lord His Word comes alive in our hearts. Isaiah 55:8-9; Jeremiah 6:16.

X.   ON THE GROUND OF THE DIRECT TESTIMONY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!

We began with God and shall end with God. We began with the testimony of the second Person of the Godhead and close with the third Person of the God head. The Holy Spirit of God sets His seal in the soul of every believer to the Divine authority of the Bible along with the Son: John 10:27; John 7:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Read the gospel of John and ask yourself three questions that only the Bible can answer: Who was Jesus? John 1:1-3. What did Jesus come to this earth to do? John 3:16. What must we do in response? John 1:12-13. If you will honestly seek after God you will come to know that the Bible truly is the living Word of the Living God!