Scriptures: Hebrews 4:12-13, Ephesians 6:17, John 6:63, 15:3, Acts 7:54, Romans 10:17, Revelation 19:15
Various metaphors have been used to describe the Bible in the Bible. The Lord Jesus said the Bible is like a seed that grows. The prophet Isaiah said the Bible is like a hammer that breaks, and a fire that burns. But here we are told the Bible is like a sword that cuts. Ephesians 6:17 says, 'take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.' The Bible is indeed a sword--the sword of the Lord. Even though this book was penned by 40 different writers, who wrote 66 different books over a period of 1600 years, it has only one author--GOD. Nowhere does the Bible ever claim to be the words of man, it claims to be the word of God. In this message, Dr. Merritt explores the wonder, the wisdom, and the work of this the greatest of all books. We are told in no uncertain terms what the Bible is, what the Bible does, and why the Bible is unlike any other book that has ever been written.
"Now because the Bible is the word of God, it is inspired. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, 'All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.' Now if the Bible is inspired, it must be inerrant, for God would never inspire error. If the Bible is inerrant, then it must be infallible, for God never lies or makes a mistake. Because God never changes, His word never changes, therefore it must be immutable. There is only one book that could meet all four of these criteria, and that is the word of God. Because it is inspired it is a true book. Because it is inerrant and infallible, it is a trustworthy book. Because it is immutable, it is a timeless book. This is a book that was authored by God the Father, approved by God the Son, and activated by God the Holy Spirit." --Dr. Merritt
Keywords: Bible, Scripture, Word, author, written, compass, inspired, inerrant, infallible, immutable, living, active, speak, zoology, supernatural, wisdom, God-breathed, Gutenberg, Timex, 2.5 billion copies, Lawrence Livermore Laboratory, Spirit, kritikos, critic, theologian, The Jesus Seminar, Old Testament, New Testament, George Whitfield, Hellfire Club
Pastors Edge provides Bible preachers and teachers with ready-to-use resources and materials based on the preaching of Dr. James Merritt, Senior Pastor at Cross Pointe Church in Duluth, GA and host of the international broadcast ministry Touching Lives.