THE BIBLE AN INSPIRED BOOK

THE BIBLE AN INSPIRED BOOK

How Inspired? What do we mean when we say that the BIBLE is an “INSPIRED BOOK?” Without going into any philosophical definition of the word “inspired” it will be enough for our purpose to say that by “inspired” we mean that the prophets and apostles, in that they said and wrote, were guided by the HOLY SPIRIT in a manner higher than that of any men of their times. Rightly to understand and appreciate this we must be sure to bear in mind that these men, all of them, wrote in times when in all the world there was idolatry and polytheism everywhere.
Before the birth of Christ, when Old Testament prophets spoke and wrote, all the world with the exception of the Jews was polytheistic. Men worshipped beasts, and creeping things, sun, moon and stars, When JESUS was born, and all through the times of the apostles, Greeks and Romans worshipped Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Mars and a host of false divinities. When under these circumstances we find one set of men uniformly preaching the truth of ONE GOD and HE a SPIRIT. We are forced to the conclusion that they did not invent or discover this truth unaided by the DIVINE SPIRIT. An influence higher than anything human must have pervaded their thought and governed their speech and writings.

Heathen Writings: The moment we compare what they said and wrote with the so called sacred writings of all other nations we see how immeasurably superior their utterances were. Take the Koran, the book of the Mohammadan world, of the Vedas, the book of the Hindu religion, or the writing of Confucius, in whom the Chinese believe, or Zend Avesta, the book of the sun worshippers of Persia and so on, and compare any of them with the BIBLE, and you will need no other argument to force you to believe that the BIBLE writers were moved by a power far above themselves, and they received revelations from GOD to the true nature of GOD and of the way of Salvation.

Prophetic Types: That men had direct revelation from GOD is beyond question. The wonderful miracles of the Old Testament are evidence of that fact. The elaborate ritual and ceremonies of the tabernacle service were not the production of a people just out of slavery, nor of Moses, their leader who was brought up in the courts of Egypt. Nor does Moses take credit of it, but declares it was after the pattern shown him on the Mount. Every part of it was a type of pointing to a Kingdom that had its beginning 1500 years later in the Cross of Calvary. Even the tearing from top to bottom of the great veil before the HOLY of Holies on the day od Crucifixion, was a type which betoken the fact that from that time every man had access to the FATHER through CHRIST as the High Priest of GOD.

Three Arguments: To put the matter more correctly, we believe that the BIBLE is inspired for three reasons:
-First:
Because it reveals more truth about GOD and the duty of man than any other book and here let us pause to say that a book like Bunyan’s Pilgrims Progress speaks much about both of these truths. But bear in mind that Bunyan got his truth from the Bible. This is true of all books that draw their truth from this sacred volume. Look at the patriarch Abraham. Remember he was brought up as an idolater. Then look at the story, and see how he was led into the worship of One True and only GOD. How could this have come to pass unless there had been some Divine revelation to him? Take the grand utterance by Moses when he proclaimed “Hear, O Israel the LORD our GOD is one LORD, and thou shalt love the LORD thy GOD with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might, and then thou shalt love neighbours as thyself”.
At the same time this was uttered all the world was sunk in idolatry and from whom could Moses have received this majestic truth if not from GOD direct? The gods of all nations at that time were for the most part represented as immortal and licentious. Yet Moses proclaim, “Ye shall be Holy, For I the LORD your GOD am HOLY”. Such lofty and perfect morality as this, was to be found nowhere in the world at that time. It corresponds with what our blessed LORD said when He commanded men to be perfect even as their FATHER in Heaven is perfect .Such utterances were not only not common in those days among the men of other religions, but they are not to be found among them at all. In the midst of Roman idolatry and polytheism we find our LORD saying, “GOD IS A SPIRIT”, and they who worship HIM must worship Him in SPIRIT and in truth. Such a saying calls for more than mere human intelligence. It is nothing less than a DIVINE revelation.
The same is true with regard to what the BIBLE has to say about the duty of man. Here we find truth of the very loftiest kind, and in addition to this we find the way of salvation so clearly, marked out that no one need fail of reaching it, if he so desires. John 3:16 is of itself a proof of the inspiration of this Book. For here we find the Gospel of Salvation put in one sentence, the most precious sentence in the whole world, “FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON SO THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE”.
-Second:
Because of the fulfilment of prophecy uttered hundreds of years before. The first promise of the BIBLE for the future was the promise of a deliverer from sin (Genesis 3:15). The prophecy runs like a golden thread down through the Old Testament times.
To Abraham, GOD said “IN THEE SHALL ALL FAMILIES OF THE EARTH BE BLESSED”.
Jacob in his last words, said of Judah,
“THE SCEPTRE SHALL NOT DEPART FROM JUDAH NOR A LAW GIVER FROM BETWEEN HIS FEEET TILL SHILOH COME”.
David Isaiah and many of the other prophets told before of the coming of the JUST ONE and almost all of these prophecies are referred to by New Testament writers as having had their fulfilment in JESUS of Nazareth. The captivity of Israel and Judah and the destruction of Jerusalem, as well as the deliverance of the Jew’s exile, was the burden of the prophecies many of the later prophets, years before these events took place. JESUS HIMSELF foretold the later destruction of Jerusalem and Temple forty years before it occurred.
Then, too we see everyday results, conditions and experiences which are the direct fulfilment of prophetic teaching of GODS Word, many of teachings from mere human standpoint would seem paradoxical and absurd.
-Third:
Because of the influence that it has had in the uplifting and purifying of human society. Think for a moment. IS there any locality fifty miles square on the face of the earth, where the BIBLE has not come where you would like to live and bring up a family of children? We all are worshippers of one GOD. But all our ancestors were idolaters. How did the change come about that has made us worshippers of one GOD? Simply because the BIBLE came to our forefathers and by HOLY SPIRIT’s power changed them. Take out from us all that has come to us from BIBLE and best part of our civilization would disappear at once.
The fact is that the best of all that we hold dear, and that makes us what we are, has come to us from this Book. If this does not prove that it is a book of DIVINE origin, I do not know what would prove it. Look again at heathen lands. What is it that has changed many of the indigenous islands into places of peace and prosperity? Is it not this Book? Did any other book produce such results? What is it that has transferred Uganda in the centre of Africa into Christian Communities where the people gather by thousands in their own churches?
What lifted Korea from Idolatry into the worship of one GOD, so that the people are fast becoming Christians? Is it not this Book? Did ever any people in the whole of History accept the teachings of this book without being uplifted by it and spiritually transformed? And is it not true that the more perfectly we obey the teachings of this Book the Holier and more CHRIST like our lives become? The fact is that if you could discover a city anywhere in the world where everyone regulated his life perfectly by this Book there you would find the perfect community.
Between that city and Heaven the only difference would be one of place. Both would be animated by the same spirit. Thus we have briefly stated three reasons why we believe this Book is INSPIRED. If you want proof of its inspiration, just try and regulate your own life that is truly none other than the very word of GOD to your own soul.

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