How should we take the Bible? Is it just another book? Or is there something special about this one? Take a hint from Christ’s attitude toward the books of the Old Testament.
- By age 12, He had so thoroughly studied scripture that he could converse intelligently with leading church officers (Luke 2:46-47).
- When tempted by Satan He used scripture to get at the truth (Luke 4:1-12). He even said, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
- Christ was even careful to see that His life was kept in harmony with biblical truth (Mark 11:17, 12:10-11, 14:27, 14:49, etc.).
- He frequently spoke of events and people like Adam and Eve, Lot’s wife, and Jonah as if they were historical fact (Matthew 19:3-6, 12:39-41, etc.).
- Clearly Christ took the scriptures as reliable, authoritative, having a claim on man’s behavior, and inspired by God.
So, early Christians followed in Christ’s belief in scripture. They knew that their Christology (view of Christ) could go no higher than their bibliology (view of scripture). How so? They understood that to affirm the deity of Jesus yet refute the truth of Scripture is oxymoronic. It is to say, “Jesus is God, but He was wrongheaded about the Word.” One cannot have it both ways!
Paul told Timothy to “study to show thyself approved…rightly handling the word…” (II Timothy 2:15). Early believers were encouraged to “live a life according to scripture.” And in II Timothy 2:16-17, we find the conviction that “all scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete…”
We live in a day when the Bible is doubted, ignored, and even disbelieved by people without and within the church. But let’s not be one of them. Let’s follow Christ’s example and think, study, love, quote, meditate, and obey Scripture. “Every word of God proves true; He is a shield unto those who put their trust in Him” (Proverbs 30:4). Jesus lived so!
