God has spoken to us and made Himself known through His written word. The Bible is called special revelation because it allows us to understand and know God better. Human authors wrote the Bible as they were influenced by the Holy Spirit to share God's words with us. Scripture is our final authority, it builds the core truths that we believe and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, guides us into righteousness. The Bible has no flaws and has withstood the sharpest scrutiny and testing, proving true in every prophecy and declaration.
Read 2 Tim. 3:16
Discuss: What are the spiritual benefits of the scriptures?
The Bible is Authoritative
- The Bible itself claims to be the very words of God. (Ex. 4:30, Josh. 3:9, 2 kings 17:13)
- The Bible demands obedience from all of those who follow Jesus. (Matt. 5:18, Deut. 12:32)
- The Bible gives revelation to those who do not naturally understand the things of God. (1 Cor. 2:10-16)
The Bible is Sufficient
- The Bible provides everything we must know for salvation, sanctification, and living a life pleasing to God. (John 17:17, Ps. 19:7-9, Matt. 4:4)
The Bible is Inerrant
- In the original manuscripts of scripture, there are no errors. (Rev. 22:18-19
Discuss: How can we answer to someone challenging that human authors have changed the bible? (2 Pet. 1:21)
Personal Application
Knowing that the Bible is God’s revelation to us, how do we train our minds and hearts to trust what it says?