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The Bible - Written by God
by Pastor Bill Pevlor

Because of my position, I often have the opportunity to speak with people about the critical issues of life. Regardless of the issue, I always I refer them to the Bible as the consummate guide for all of life. Occasionally (and especially when they don’t like what the Bible has to say) someone will actually challenge the Bible’s authority and accuracy by saying “The Bible is just a book written by men.” Though seemingly logical, anyone who has honestly studied the bible and its origins would immediately recognize the foolishness of that statement.

The Holy Bible is God’s Word. It is God speaking directly to man, in a written form. The men who physically recorded the words to pages, scrolls or whatever medium was used at the time, were instruments in the hand of God. To say that the Bible was written by mere men would be like saying this column was written by a mere computer. Yes, I used my computer to write this article, but without my “inspiration” this space would be blank. Without God’s inspiration, the scribes of the Bible would have had nothing to write. (2 Peter 1:20-21)

When you consider the background of the Bible and the men who wrote it, it is not difficult to conclude its divine origin. The separate books that comprise today’s Holy Bible were written over a span of 1,500 years. The authors came from every walk of life. Moses was a political leader, trained in the universities of Egypt. Matthew was a tax collector. Joshua was a military general. Luke was a physician. Solomon was a great king. Peter was a fisherman. You can see the wide diversity in just these few.

The Bible was written in many different places. The apostle Paul wrote most of his contribution to the New Testament while in prison. Moses wrote the first five books in the Bible while in the wilderness. John was on the island of Patmos. Jeremiah was in a dungeon. Daniel wrote his books on a hillside and in a palace. The Bible contains books written on three continents; Asia, Africa and Europe.

The many different writers (over 40) of the Bible addressed hundreds of controversial topics. A controversial topic is one that would create opposing opinions when mentioned or discussed. Even with an abundance of controversial topics, all the authors are in agreement. To gain a true appreciation of what an achievement that is, try and find ten people in your neighborhood who can agree on just one controversial topic.

Also amazing is the fact that with all those different authors from different time periods, different locations, different lifestyles, and different circumstances; every book of the Bible has one unifying theme: God’s redemption of man. From Genesis to Revelation, it’s all one story. In fact, to gain the greatest understanding of any one book you need the rest. F.F. Bruce put it this way: “Any part of the human body can only be properly explained in reference to the whole body. And any part of the Bible can only be properly explained in reference to the whole Bible.”

The Holy Bible is, most certainly, the greatest book of all time. However, its greatest value is realized only when it is read and applied to the life of a believer. Please note: reading it alone is of little value - it must be applied. Also, reading it once is never enough. The Holy Spirit reveals new truth and greater understanding as you re-read and meditate on God’s Word.

Daniel Webster said “I have read through the entire Bible many times. I now make it a practice to go through it once a year. It is the book of all others for lawyers as well as ministers; and I pity the person that cannot find in it a rich supply of thought, and of rules for his or her conduct. It fits a person for life - it prepares them for death.”

Reading God’s Word will stimulate your spiritual growth. The Bible will help renew your mind (Romans 12:2), give you joy (Jeremiah 15:16), give you victory over temptation (Psalm 119:11), as well as refresh and revive you in times of discouragement and stress (Psalm 119:25). There is no way to list all the sustenance provided to us through God’s Word. The benefits are endless.

The Bible is not just another book written by men. It is a supernatural treasure; direct from the hand of God. God did not give us the Bible to merely use a decoration for our coffee tables and to record family births and deaths in. It is a comprehensive guide covering all of life and godliness. Read the Bible. Study it. Meditate on its truths and apply them to your life. Then, like Daniel Webster, start all over again.

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Victorious Faith Ministries
219 State Street, Algoma, WI 54201
Phone: 920-487-5775