Authority Of The Scriptures

THE BIBLE

The word 'Bible' is gotten from a Latin Word called biblia; which means book....making the bible a collection of books. Based on historical findings historians and bible scholars has estimated the bible to be 3400 years old since the first book was written to the last book. Meaning that the Scriptures has out lived over 50 generations.

The Bible is known to be the best selling books of all times with an annual sales of 100 million copies; excluding 100s of thousands given out for free. In fact, Guinness Book of Records noted that since 1815 the bible has sold over 2.5 billion copies. Based on this figure the bible has sold almost halve of the current (2016) population of earth (7.4 billion).

The bible has been translated in 2200 languages; almost halve the amount of languages on the surfaces of the earth.

The Unites States Constitution and Laws are heavily embedded in the morals found in the scriptures.

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), 3rd President of the United States said: “I have always said, I always will say, that the studious perusal of the sacred volume will make better citizens, better fathers, and better husbands.”

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John Quincy Adams (1767-1848), 6th President of the United States said; “So great is my veneration for the Bible, that the earlier my children begin to read it the more confident will be my hopes that they will prove useful citizens to their country and respectable members of society.”

All these has made the bible the most influential Book on Earth. Not the Quran....not Harry Porter....not Hunger Games but the Bible.

HOW CAN THIS BE (YOU MAY ASK)

John 1:1 says; In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and God was the Word. In vs 3 its say: the was nothing that was made that wasn't made from the Word. These means the Word or the Scriptures is God hence the source of everything.

In 2 Peter1:24 say; Man is like grass his glory like flower...grass would wither and flower would fall but the Word of God is forever. Meaning that the is no book that is written from man's idea or concept that can last. It can out-live the writer but it can never have the same fervour it did the first time it was written. Unlike the Bible; which still has the same fire it did the first time it was written.....even more.

Its was the same scriptures that Paul used to convict nations in his days; setting the course of their destiny on the right path....its the same scriptures that Peter preached under the influence of the Holy Spirit and 5000 people were saved. You may ask...was the bible written at that time? But I asked....who was Peter preaching about or what principle was Paul teaching?.....the Gospel!....What is the Gospel about?....Jesus Christ!....Who is Jesus Christ?...The Word of God!

Even in our present day; its still the same Bible that is being used by 1000s of churches to convict and transform nations.

THE POWER BEHIND THE SCRIPTURES

".....For thy hast Magnified thy Word above all thy name" (Ps 138:2b)

The only thing that God exalted above His name is His Word. Which means God Himself is subject to His own Word or He is committed to His Word no matter what. So if God tells you something you better believe it will happen. Isaiah 55:11 say "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it". Now this may mean different things based on different theologies; but for me it means 2 major things:

1.When I commit sin (which doesn't make me a sinner) and the repercussion is punishment and has He is about to give me the punishment I deserve He remembers His Word which say His steadfast love never ceases and His mercy never comes to an end (Lamentation 3:22-23); with this He withdraws His hand of punishment and embraces me with His hand of Love.

2. When circumstances in my life isn't going according to the word of God; a good example is if I am sick (whatever the ailment). If I exert the Word of God with a revelational knowledge to the situation the sickness has no choice than to obey.

Now we know the Bible is the Word of God but did God write it?

ORIGIN OF THE BIBLE

"All Scriptures is given by Inspiration of God......"(2 Timothy 3:16a)

"I thought age should speak...advance years should teach wisdom. But it's a spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding".(Job 32: 7-8)

Based on the Scriptures in John 1:1( In the Beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and God was the Word); you may ask....Did God write the Bible Himself? Did He literally write the Bible the way I am writing this blog? I mean....if He did maybe our confidence in the Bible wouldn't be shaken. Think about it! If you know a Supreme Being High and Mighty physically wrote a book with codes of conduct on how humans should conduct theirs lives here on earth; wouldn't you be confident in the book?

Unfortunately that isn't the case! However 2 Timothy tells us that all scripture....not some but all scriptures was given by the inspiration of God Himself. The word 'Inspiration' means 'Breath'. So all scriptures was given by the Breath of God. Meaning that everything in the Bible or Scripture is from God; which makes it God's mind....His principles....His ideas and Ideology. So if you are reading the Bible you are reading God's Mind hence understanding how He thinks, reasons and how He operates.

We are created in the Image of God but the only way to be like God is to study His Word (Scriptures or Bible); this is our own responsibility.

THE INERRANT SCRIPTURES

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."(2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Is the Bible the inerrant Word of God? Does its really have Power and Authority? As it's written centuries ago, is it really relevant to my current life?

All these are legitimate questions. I mean the Bible was written by men who are prone to error and frailty like you and I. In fact record shows that about 40 men wrote the Bible. This inevitably increase the chances of error; because one man would have a very less chance of error compared to 40 men.

Now the Bible wasn't physically written by God but by man under the inspiration of God. This has made the Bible the inerrant Word of God. Meaning the Bible is free from error. According to 2 Timothy; the Bible is needed for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for instruction in righteousness; all of which is needed to make an individual live a life free of error. The only book that is qualified to do this is a book that in itself is free from error.

Due to the fact that the Bible is written by man under the inspiration of God; the bible is God's mind. This inevitable means that the Bible has Power and Authority.

POWER AND AUTHORITY IN THE WORD

"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."(Hebrew 4:12)

".....For thy hast Magnified thy Word above all thy name" (Ps 138:2b)

The Word of God is alive and is powerful than any force you can ever imagine. The Word of God is so alive and Powerful that when it goes forth from His mouth it most fulfill that which it was spoken for and never comes back to Him void.

Do you know the first Word that the Bible recorded God spoke (LET THERE BE LIGHT!) still resonates still today; because the Word of God is eternal. It like He said....Let there be lighttttttttttttttt!!!!!!!! This word still resonates but the question is; are you listening?

Let me try, as much as I can, to give us a glimpse of the Authority in the Word of God:

Our Solar system which is found is a white fluffy looking irregular structure called the milk way is made up of one star (Sun) and about 8 planets, 100s of moons, 1000s of asteroids and millions of comets; all of which revolves round the sun.

The Sun, also know as the Red Dwarf is known to be over 4 billion years old, it's known to be so big that 1 million earth can fit into it. The distance between the Sun and the Earth is 150 million km with it's light rays travelling at a speed of 300,000 km/sec; meaning that when the sun emits light from it core it reaches earth in approximately 8mins and 20 secs. Although energy reaches earth in a few minutes it would take million of years to travel from the core of the sun to the surface.

The sun has a very strong magnetic force which holds millions of object revolving round it. The sun also has, within itself, the capacity to generate heat of up to 15 million decree celsius.

When you look up at a clear sky at night....have you ever wondered the things going on out there in space? I have! Words cannot even begin to express the Power and Glory of God in that realm. What Being could be so Powerful with enough Authority to create and put these heavenly bodies in place and give it glory.

The Sun for instance........How big can it be for it to have the physical capacity to contain 1 million of earth or how much gravitational force does it exert for it to be able to hold the earth and other million object for millions of years without them drifting away into space...or how much energy does it have for it to have the capacity to generate heat of up to 15 million decrees....I mean we all know how hot 100 decrees is.

Do you know that its the Word of God's Power and Authority that put this heavenly bodies in place and sustains them?

RELEVANCE OF THE BIBLE

"Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Ps 119:105)

"........... for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." (2 Corinthians 3:6b)

In this Information Age that we are presently, I can't stress enough the relevance of the Bible. In a time where information isn't just in excess but it's forced into our face; we need to know how to discern the truth from the false.

Its interesting because one of the dictionary definitions of Authority is: 'an accepted source of information.' This is very important because the source of your information has the power to determine your destiny. What you hear or the information you imbibe has the potential to shape your perception to life. Your perception to life or how you see life would determine the choices you make and the collection of the choices you make would determine where you would end up or your destiny.

While destiny could be seen to be somewhere out there in the unforeseeable future, it's actually shaped by the daily decisions you make now; which is influenced by the source of your information.

The reason why people may feel that the Bible isn't relevant today as it contains old stories is because they read the content only and not the context. The content is the letters which is limited to the time and era but the context is the mind or the Spirit of God which is ever moving and never obsolete. In fact it's the foundation from which everything (and I mean everything) in existence or will be in existence is made from (The was nothing that was made that wasn't made by the Word of God...John 1:3).

In other to unlock us from the content to the context we need to ask the Holy Spirit to unveil the eyes of our understanding when reading the Bible. When this is done you can pick any verse in the Bible and you would see the relevance of it in your personal life.

CONCLUSION

"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them" (Genesis 1:26-27)

The Bible was written by man but under the inspiration or breath of God making it the Word of God. This make it inerrant with power and authority. Hence it is for furnishing us to be perfect unto good works.

In Genesis 1:26, we see God intention or blue print for the creation of man; which is in His image and likeness for dominion. But in verse 27 He only created man in His image. Likeness didn't appear. The next thing God did was to empower man by blessing him. God empowered man by blessing him with all sorts of things including the ability to learn and study to be Like God; so as God operates in heaven so also would man operates here on earth.

It's our responsibility, not God's, to study Him and be like Him or be in His likeness. One of the major ways to do this is to study His word. We have a common enemy who hates you and would do everything to hold you down in darkness or ignorance; meaning you wouldn't know who you truly are in Christ hence not reach your potential. The only way to receive light or enlightening is by studying the Word of God.