The Word of God
Ever wondered why our Bible contains just sixty-six books? Why do we have Genesis through Revelation? Why not the Apocrypha or other ancient religious books? That is a good question, and it deserves a good answer. The answer is not that a group of men sat around a table one day and decided what books they liked the best. Neither did a church council create the Bible. God did, and that is where we must begin.
The Bible is not man's thoughts about God. The Bible is God's Word to man. The Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 3:16: "All Scripture is breathed out by God." Every book in our Bible came from the very breath of God. Human authors held the pen, but the Holy Spirit guided them so that what they wrote was exactly what God intended. Think about it this way. If you received a letter from your Father after he was no longer here on Earth. Would you not treasure it, because they were his words? You would not add or subtract anything to it.. Why? Because the letter belongs to the one who wrote it.
The Bible belongs to God. Then, because it belongs to God, only the books He inspired belong in His Word. The Holy Scriptures are "the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience." Those are important words, but they are not difficult words. "Sufficient" means the Bible tells us everything we need to know to be saved and to live a life pleasing to God. We do not need another book from heaven. "Certain" means we can trust it completely. God never lies. "Infallible" means the Bible cannot fail because its Author cannot fail. Every day someone claims to have discovered a new truth. Yet, God's truth never changes because God never changes.
You might ask "Can't we learn about God by looking at nature?" Yes, we can. However, nature cannot tell us that Jesus Christ died for sinners, or was buried and rose again on the third day. Nature cannot tell us that forgiveness comes through faith alone in Christ alone, but God's Word can. God spoke through prophets, apostles, and faithful servants, then in His perfect wisdom, He caused His Revelation to be written down so it would be preserved for every generation. Think about how easily stories change. God did not leave His truth to be passed down like a game of telephone.
He gave us His written Word. The written Scriptures protect the truth from being changed by sinful men, false teachers, or even Satan himself. Every generation can open the same Bible and read the very same truth that God's people have read for thousands of years. Which brings us back to our original question. Why just these sixty-six books? Because these are the books God inspired. The thirty-nine books of the Old Testament and the twenty-seven books of the New Testament. These books were received by the churches because they carried the authority of God Himself. The church did not give these books authority.
Imagine standing outside at sunrise. You do not make the sun rise. You simply recognize that it has risen. In the same way, the church did not create the Bible. The church recognized the books God had already inspired. Someone else might ask, "What about the Apocrypha?" These books are very old, and they contain history and interesting stories. They may even help us understand the time between the Old and New Testaments. Yet, they were never given by the inspiration of God, they are not part of the canon of Scripture.
They may be read like other ancient books, but they do not carry God's authority. They cannot establish doctrine, and they are not the voice of God speaking to His people. Only the inspired Scriptures have that authority. Brothers and Sisters, this should fill our hearts with great confidence. We do not have to wonder if God forgot to give us something important. We do not need someone claiming to have discovered a hidden book that changes Christianity. God has already spoken.
He has given us everything necessary for salvation, faith, and obedience in the Holy Scriptures. In the Holy Bible we meet God, we learn about sin, we see God's great plan of redemption unfold from Genesis to Revelation. Most importantly, we meet the Lord Jesus Christ. The whole Bible points to Him. It tells us that the Son of God came into this world, lived the righteous life we could never live, died on the cross for sinners, was truly buried, and on the third day rose again from the grave. Those who repent of their sins and trust in Christ alone will receive forgiveness of sins and everlasting life. That message does not come from man's imagination. It comes from God's inspired Word.
So, Beloved let us love our Bibles, The Holy Word of God. Let us read them every day. Let us teach them to our children and grandchildren. Let us measure every sermon, every book, every teacher, and every opinion by the Holy Scriptures. For these sixty-six books are not merely an ancient collection of writings. They are the living, sufficient, certain, and infallible Word of the living God. As always Loved ones, stay Bold in the Lord and His Gospel and stay Strong in His Word.
