Over the course of many past weeks stretching back to the close of last year, this column has provided points to support that the Bible is divinely inspired and that what that divine source desired to communicate through the scriptures can be clearly and accurately understood. As mentioned before, the evidence provided in those articles is but a small sample of the kinds of evidence that have been compiled that support the claims of the Bible to be divinely inspired and that it can be rightly understood. With the two previous facts established, the next logical question to explore is whether or not the inspired scriptures are God’s only and final word.
Assuming, as has been discussed in previous articles, that the words of the Bible are truly inspired by an almighty divine being who sits as the final authority in all the universe, then whatever it has to say on any topic is the absolute truth and carries the full authoritative power of the one who inspired it. So, what does it have to say on this topic? Does it indicate that it stands alone as the written communication from God to mankind?
Let us begin with the opening verses of the book of Hebrews. “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son…” (Hebrews 1:1-2a). What the inspired writer of Hebrews reveals to us here is that first of all, in the past, before the coming of the Word made flesh as the incarnate Jesus (John 1:1, 14), God communicated by way of prophets but now with the final covenant has communicated His will via the incarnate Word. It should be noted that Peter clearly informs us in 2 Peter 1:21 that these prophets spoke and wrote as guided by the Holy Spirit of God directed. Jesus makes this same claim, recorded in John 12:49, “For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.” Thus, even the living Word spoke by the Father’s will.
As stated already by the Hebrew writer, Jesus was the final messenger, but He entrusted this message to His disciples to deliver after His ultimate sacrifice. During Jesus’ long final night with the disciples before His execution, He encouraged them with these words recorded in John 16:13; “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.” The message of those who penned the New Testament is Jesus’ message. The final words of Jesus before His ascension, as recorded in Luke 24:46-48 confirm this fact.
“Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things.”
So, in what has been delivered by all these that have spoken, can we find assurance that it is complete and final? In answering this question, let us consider a few points from what Paul penned to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:15-17.
“…and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
When it comes to the collection of inspired writings at the time that Paul penned this encouragement and admonishment to Timothy, it already contained all that was needed to make one wise for salvation. In other words, everything you could need to know to obtain eternal salvation was already written for an individual to read and learn the knowledge required to gain salvation…what more would one thus need? Paul continues to inform us that all one needs to be complete in God is already contained in the God-inspired Scriptures. If we can be complete with what had been written by the time Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, then there would remain no other piece to fill in the blank. I think of it like this after you place the final piece in a puzzle with no void left, do you continue to search for puzzle pieces; of course, not because it is complete. When it comes to accomplishing the good work that God desires us to do, Paul does not simply say the Scriptures at his time had what was needed to be equipped, but thoroughly equipped. Thus, the Scriptures as they stood some two thousand years ago contained all that was needed to understand God’s plan for salvation, to make us complete, and to thoroughly equip us…nothing more was needed.
In 2 Peter 1:3, the inspired Peter informs the reader that God has already communicated all things about life and godliness. All is a little word with a big meaning. Peter uses the word ‘All’ that firmly means that there is nothing left out. We have all that is needed; again, there is nothing more to add. The finality and completeness of God’s inspired word are so important to maintain that John closed out Revelation with this stern warning in Revelation 22:18-19.
“For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
I don’t know about you, but when something comes with such a strong warning label, I tend to take heed.
In closing, consider what is written by the inspired Apostle Paul in Galatians 1:6-9…take time to open your Bible and read it carefully. Paul first points out that some were turning to not an entirely different religion or gospel but to a perverted (contorted, twisted) form of the gospel. By saying ‘we’ in verse eight that includes himself (an Apostle) as well as his present company; folks like Timothy and Titus; folks who would be sent by the Apostle Paul. Paul makes it clear that none of them, including himself, have the authority to alter the true and pure gospel to even the smallest degree. He further states that not even an Angel from heaven has such authority. In fact, as concluded in verse nine, no one does. This is so important to heed because there are major religions in the world today that have deviated from the gospel as revealed in the Bible that claims as their source of new revelation an Angel. To quote Paul in regards to altering the text of God, by addition or subtraction or alteration… ”let him be accursed.”
(Carl Hartman is the Minister at Main Street Church of Christ in Lockney)
