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Is God's Inspiration of the Bible Imperfect?
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsThe Bible stands as God's inspired revelation, designed with purpose and perfection according to His will and plan for the salvation of mankind. Despite claims of discrepancies and contradictions by critics, there are no true errors in His Word. God, in His infinite wisdom, has crafted the Scriptures in a way that may seem riddled with inconsistencies to the unconverted mind, yet He is not the author of confusion but of peace. His design in the difficulties of the Bible serves multiple purposes: to stimulate our minds, coaxing us to think deeply, contemplate, and meditate on the facts, inspiring a search for truth and curiosity for new knowledge and wisdom. These challenges lead us to value the Spirit above the letter, focusing on the essentials of God's way of life rather than mere form or occurrences. They also serve as a test of our moral character and faithfulness, revealing the condition of our hearts through our handling of these spiritual difficulties. Furthermore, the Bible's design illustrates analogies between Scripture and nature, clearly showing that God is the Designer, Creator, and Sustainer of all. Every difficulty and apparent discrepancy is capable of a fair and reasonable solution when approached with a humble and reverent heart, enhancing our perception of God's truth and strengthening our faith. God has given us His Word in the form He intended, knowing precisely what He was doing when He inspired it, and it remains perfect for His purpose. What a wonderful blessing it is to have ready access to this inspired written Word, guided by His Spirit and the direction of Jesus Christ to help us live according to His way.
Are You Biblically Literate?
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Bible, as God's inspired revelation, holds a vital role in guiding and shaping lives. The whole Bible was given to us by inspiration from God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives; it straightens us out and helps us do what is right. It is God's way of making us well prepared at every point, fully equipped to do good to everyone. As God's personal instruction, it is designed to help us along the road to maturity so that we can be useful and helpful to ourselves and to others. It gives straight talk, tells us where we have veered off the path, provides solutions to our problems, and urges us to live with integrity toward all. Furthermore, knowing the truth from Scripture, as Jesus Christ says, brings freedom, but we must hear it, read it, study it, and think about it to experience its miraculous influence and to truly know God, the essence of eternal life.
Does the Bible Contain Discrepancies?
Bible Study by Martin G. CollinsThe Bible, as God's inspired revelation, is described by the apostle Paul in II Timothy 3:16 as being given by inspiration of God, and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. To the nonbeliever, it may seem full of contradiction and error, yet this perspective often stems from a lack of guidance from its Divine Author, our great God. Even for God's elect, the Scriptures contain difficult passages that may initially appear to conflict, often due to spiritual confusion, misunderstanding, or honest misinterpretation. Several factors contribute to the challenges in understanding God's inspired Word. Vast cultural and linguistic differences between the modern West and the ancient Middle East, along with the Bible's composition by over thirty authors across nearly two thousand years, add layers of difficulty to translations from Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. God's truth itself can be paradoxical, as He both reveals and conceals His truth according to His will. Additionally, satanic influence and human nature exploit these complexities, prompting translator bias, transcription errors, and confusing translations, as the adversary seeks to inspire ambiguity and obscurity. As Christians, we are called to gain a deeper understanding of God through diligent study of His inspired Scriptures. This demands great faith and personal effort to uncover the genuine intentions of the Divine Author, beyond superficial translations, while anticipating and avoiding the pitfalls of misconception caused by these inherent difficulties.
The Bible's Claims About Itself
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughChristianity finds its foundation and conclusion in the Bible, the sole enduring record of God's revelation to humanity. Within its pages, we discover all guidance on doctrine, law, and morality, revealing the standards for harmonious living, the depths of human depravity, and the heights of potential, showing how God transforms us from one to the other. A converted Christian bases every facet of life on the words contained therein. The Bible asserts its own authority, claiming to be a direct product of God's mind and being. As Paul writes in II Timothy 3:16, all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, meaning it is God-breathed, with nothing included or omitted against His will. This is supported by II Peter 1:21, stating that prophecy came not by human will, but through holy men moved by the Holy Spirit. God employed various methods to reveal Himself, speaking directly, through visions, dreams, and even through His Son, Jesus Christ, who uniquely communicates the will of God and the path to a relationship with Him. The Bible also claims to provide truth to humanity, with Jesus declaring in John 17:17 that God's word is truth, echoing Psalm 119:160, which affirms the entirety of His word as enduring truth. God guarantees that every word He inspires is true, as He would not be God if He spoke otherwise. Furthermore, the Bible describes itself as pure, with Proverbs 30:5 stating that every word of God is pure, refined like silver, offering only the highest quality guidance toward His Kingdom. Jesus underscores the authority of Scripture in Matthew 5:18, asserting that not even the smallest part will pass away until all is fulfilled, and in John 10:35, He confirms that Scripture cannot be broken, its authority unassailable. The Being who created all that exists is the same One who inspired the words of Scripture, and since we owe our existence to Him, we also owe obedience to His Word in our Bibles.
The Necessity of Biblical Infallibility
CGG WeeklyThe Bible stands as God's inspired revelation, serving as the foundation for believing, knowing, and following Him. Without trusting every verse of this divine disclosure, a person cannot truly believe God. The Bible's truths are eternal, relevant to any time, but only through understanding the literal events can we grasp these eternal truths. If the Bible is reduced to mere literature through metaphoric reading, its authority shifts from God to human authors and readers, placing value on individual interpretation rather than the intrinsic worth of God's Word. This diminishes the Bible's role as the sure foundation of belief, through which the body of Christ can be united. God reveals Himself through His Word and Jesus Christ, and our knowledge of Christ, the Chief Cornerstone of our faith, comes through Scripture. If Scripture is reduced to artistry of men, our knowledge of Jesus Christ and access to eternal life lose their authoritative basis. God also reveals His character through the entirety of the Bible, guiding the Christian life of growth in His character. Despite efforts by satan to sow doubt and distrust, God's Word remains perfect and complete.
Appearing Before God (Part One)
CGG Weekly by David C. GrabbeThe Bible reveals God's inspired revelation through His powerful Word. When God speaks, His words are never futile or useless. He never utters a word in vain, and He never gives a command that goes unfulfilled. As shown in Psalm 92:4-5, when God accomplishes something through His Word, it is often a process that may involve many elements and a great deal of time. Yet, no matter how long it takes, the power behind His Word ensures it will be accomplished. His Word will not return to Him void, meaning it will not be empty or without producing any effect.
Metaphors of God's Word
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod has supplied His Word to us as a precious gift, a reliable source of knowledge from Him and about Him and His way of life. We must view the Bible as nothing less than this divine gift, enabling us to discern truth from falsehood and to understand what is important. Without the Bible, we would be lost in a sea of indistinguishable information, unable to navigate our spiritual path. The Bible stands as the world's foremost work of literature, encompassing history, songs, proverbs, autobiographies, prophetic and wisdom literature, and various literary devices employed by God. It is not only a spiritual guide but also a profound literary creation, designed by God for a purpose, offering layers of understanding when approached with both literary and spiritual insight. Jesus Christ Himself elevates the significance of Scripture, referring to it as His words, distinct from any other writings. His words are spirit and life, emanating from a Spirit Being and carrying a supremely spiritual nature. Unlike human words, they are infused with His Spirit, producing godly life and, ultimately, eternal life when understood and followed by those who possess God's Spirit. God's Word is dynamic, lively, active, and powerful, not merely static ink on a page. Throughout the Bible, various metaphors illustrate this dynamism, revealing how His Word works within us in multifaceted ways. It acts as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path, guiding us internally in our steps and externally revealing dangers and temptations, helping us avoid pitfalls set by the world. God's Word is likened to a medicine or tonic, maintaining spiritual health by mortifying the flesh and promoting right living. It requires daily doses throughout our converted lives to sustain our spiritual vitality and progress toward the Kingdom of God. It is also compared to rain and snow, initiating and maintaining a process of useful growth, producing the fruit God desires in us, ensuring that His Word accomplishes what He intends. Further, God's Word is portrayed as a fire and a hammer, possessing the power to consume and crush, revealing sin, condemning the unrepentant, and purifying through trials. It serves as nourishment, like food, with every word being profitable and essential for true living, offering sustenance at every level of spiritual maturity, from milk for the newborn to solid food for the mature. As a sword of the Spirit, God's Word is a powerful weapon, inseparable from His Spirit, used offensively against spiritual enemies and introspectively to examine and eradicate carnality within us. It is also depicted as a seed, implanted by God in us as good soil, expected to root deeply and bear much fruit leading to salvation. Finally, it is described as divine breath, carrying God's power to teach, rebuke, correct, and discipline, equipping us thoroughly for life in His Kingdom.
Trusting the Bible
Sermonette by Craig SablichThe Bible stands as the inspired revelation of the Creator of all that is, a book uniquely preserved through history. Historical evidence shows the Old Testament was meticulously gathered and maintained from about 50 BC to 100 AD, with scribes counting words and letters to ensure accuracy. The Dead Sea Scrolls, dating to the first century BC, confirm that the text remains unchanged for over 2,000 years. Similarly, the New Testament's integrity is supported by over 4,500 Greek manuscripts, verified to be 95% accurate to the originals used for the King James Bible. The completeness of the Bible is evident as the Jews, tasked with preserving the Old Testament, rejected additional books like the Apocrypha centuries before other versions emerged. By 170 AD, most early churches agreed on the New Testament books, long before later compilations. God inspired the Bible to be written in a style that may seem filled with discrepancies, as described in Isaiah 55:8-9, where He declares His thoughts and ways are far above human understanding. This design challenges readers to approach His Word with honest study, not to disprove it, but to live by it, revealing truth only to those who seek on His terms. Scientific insights, such as the earth hanging on nothing in Job 26:7 and being described as a circle in Isaiah 40:22, were revealed in the Bible thousands of years before human discovery, affirming its divine origin. Additionally, the Bible's prophetic content, unmatched by any other book, demonstrates God's power, as He challenges any to predict the future with accuracy in Isaiah 41:21-24, declaring in Isaiah 46:9-10 that His counsel will stand. When tested against other religious texts for accuracy, completeness, scientific and historical evidence, and prophecy, the Bible stands alone as the authoritative source of divine knowledge. Faith, a gift from God, is essential to trusting the Bible, granted to those who diligently seek truth from His Word as He intended. The foundation of belief rests within its pages, calling for readiness to explain the evidence of this faith with clarity and compassion to those who question.
The Proof of the Bible
Herbert W. Armstrong BookletWe live in an age of skepticism. Is the Bible superstition or authority? Did you ever stop to PROVE whether the Bible is the inspired Word of God?
What God's Love Is Not
Sermonette by Ronny H. GrahamAn increasing number believe that the Bible is not the literal word of God, motivated by the desire to protect 'politically correct' positions.
The Post-Resurrection Last Words of Christ (Part Three)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsGod has called individuals with different temperaments, giving them a variety of spiritual gifts to work interdependently within Christ's Body.
The Bible—Superstition or Authority?
Herbert W. Armstrong BookletWhy do the many churches disagree about what the Bible says? Have you ever proved whether it is the authoritative Word of the Creator God?
The Oracles of God
'Ready Answer' by Charles WhitakerThe oracles of God in Romans 3:2 are the revelation of God to mankind. These oracles are the message that gives us instruction for salvation.
Revelation 2-3 and Works
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe letters in Revelation 2 and 3 are for the end times, shortly before Christ's return. Each emphasizes repentance, overcoming, and judgment according to works.
Dead Prophets' Society
CGG Weekly by Mike FuhrerToday's hollowed-out nominal Christianity asserts that, if one wants Christian doctrinal proof, go to Jesus and Paul, not Moses, David, or the prophets.
Strategies for Escaping Babylon (Part Seven)
Sermon by David F. MaasWe draw closer to God through Bible study and prayer. Here are practical techniques for augmenting our Bible study, gathering our daily spiritual manna.
The Offerings of Leviticus (Part One): Introduction
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughThe offerings of Leviticus, though not necessary under the New Covenant, are invaluable for teaching about Christ in His roles as sacrifice, offerer, and priest.
Is the Christian Required to Do Works? (Part One)
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughWhy do so many nominal Christians reject works and obedience to God's law? Largely because they fail to gather God's whole counsel on this subject.
Four Views of Christ (Part 1)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughIn the typology of the four living creatures (Revelation 4:6-8) lies the foundation for understanding the gospels as four representations of the same Life.
Rome's Challenge (Part 4)
Article by Staff'The day of the Lord' or 'the Lord's day' is not a reference to the fist day of the week (Sunday) but to the time of Jesus Christ's judgment at His return.