Questions of the World - Poiema Christian Centre

Questions of the World

by Lee

Question #2:

Why should I believe in the Bible which is written by fishermen and people of low intellect?

Response:

Perhaps a more pertinent question would be –
Is the Bible the Word of God?

To answer this, lets consider some important truths about the Bible.

1. The Bible is God’s Word, inspired by God and written by men.
It is therefore truthful and authoritative. As the Bible is God’s book, it comes to us with God’s full, absolute and binding authority

2. The author of the Bible is God Himself.
(NIV) 2 Tim 3.16 ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, [17] so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.’

The key phrase is ‘God breathed’ sometimes more weakly translated as ‘inspired’. The Bible is the result of direct breathing out of or the speaking of God. It is His Word first of all and He has the first and last say – Rev 21.6: …I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.

Lee is a member of Poiema Christian Centre, whose personal and family life has been radically transformed by the Person of Grace and Truth. He describes himself as being 'addicted to Jesus' and delights in boasting of Christ's goodness and grace to all who would only believe.

The two principles taken together mean that the 66 books of the Bible are integral to tell one story, though with many parts and the many parts do not contradict one another if rightly understood. The God in the Old Testament is the same God in the New Testament. Shadows in the Old Testament become substance (Jesus Christ) in the New Testament. Signs that point to Jesus Christ in the Old Testament becomes the destination itself (Jesus Christ) in the New Testament. The New is concealed in the Old and the Old is revealed in the New.

The way of salvation in the Old Testament are shadows of the substance, Jesus Christ, in the New Testament.

Human reasoning will also lead us to the conclusion that the Bible has to be divined by God as it is written by so many writers over a period of time covering an even longer history of time, yet all the various writings by these different writers fit together so perfectly (principle of unity) like a gigantic jigsaw puzzle.

Of course, as the writers are human, the Bible bears the marks of its human writers. Moses would not write the same way as Paul nor would Dr Luke write like David. We must be attentive to the context of the Word and the precise meaning of specific words and the purpose God has in writing them – there is nothing insignificant in the Bible because there is nothing insignificant about the Almighty God.

Jn 5.39 “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.

The religious leaders of Jesus’ times and readers today, they did not find Jesus and therefore their lives were unchanged. If our reading of the Bible does not unveil Christ and His glory, we may have also missed the point and may even become proud of what we know and even self righteous. The Bible is a ‘Heart Book’ and must be read with the heart guided by the Holy Spirit.

Isa 5.13 - Therefore my people have gone into captivity, Because they have no knowledge;

Pro 11.9 - …But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.

That is why we must pray as we study the Bible for the Holy Spirit to illuminate our spirit man (our hearts and spiritual mind) if we are to delve into God’s Kingdom and derive the correct knowledge. Right knowledge leads to right believing leads to right living and that’s how our image will be transformed more and more into His likeness

2 Cor 3.18: And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Would you want to invite Jesus Christ into your life so that the Holy Spirit can help illuminate your path into His likeness with ever-increasing glory?

Br. Lee