The Self-Authenticating Word

By redbarn | December 8, 2010

The following scenario was posed at the end of one of our Adult Bible Fellowships (not in this many words):

Suppose we are out sharing the Gospel and we tell someone that the Bible is the Word of God. We share with them that the very words of Scripture are actually God’s very words. It is as if God spoke to us directly in a book. Of course, we tell them this on very good authority, the Word of God itself which states this truth in numerous places (most notably 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; and 2 Peter 1:21).
But, what do we do if the person does not receive this truth? What if they say, “I don’t believe that the Bible is the Word of God”, how then do we respond?

Here is a suggested three-step way to respond.

Establish the Authority of the Bible: First and foremost, there is no authority higher than the Word of God. Therefore, there can be no authority that can validate the Bible as the Word of God. For example, if we were to say that the church is the authority that validates the authenticity of the Scriptures, then the church would be elevated in a higher place than the Word of God. This applies for all ways of attempting to validate the Bible through man-made methods (i.e, science, historical, philosophical, etc.). The Bible is the Word of God because it says so. The Bible is “self-authenticating. J. I. Packer writes, “God the Father is the giver of Holy Scripture; God the Son is the theme of Holy Scripture; and God the Spirit is the author, authenticator, and interpreter of Holy Scripture.”
Speak to the Reliability of the Content: The Bible has proven itself to be completely reliable. There are no contradictions within the Bible. Also, the Bible is accurate scientifically, historically, and geographically. There have been those that have accused the Bible as having false information only to have history prove the accusation as being wrong. Each day that passes, the Bible continues to prove it is truthful and reliable.
Solicit a Response: Because the Bible claims to be the very Word of God and because the Bible has proven itself to be reliable and accurate we need to seriously consider what the Bible is saying. If we approach the Bible as a science book, we will be disappointed because it is not intended to be a science book. Nor is the Bible intended to be read as a history book, philosophy book, or any as any other genre. The Bible is written as a communication from God to man, the Creator to the created being. We need to read the Bible with this view in mind. If we view the Bible with that premise, we will find that it does speak to our hearts and our minds and it does reveal to us who God is and what is mankind’s relationship to the Creator.