Geoffrey R. Kirkland
Christ Fellowship Bible Church
Scripture testifies about itself that it is God’s Word. It does not merely contain God’s truth nor does it just speak about God’s truth. Every word comes from the mouth of God and thus every word of Scripture is holy, perfect and true. To elaborate more on these truths, this essay will provide six attributes of Scripture to guide the child of God into a theologically robust bibliology [=doctrine of the Bible].
1. INSPIRED
Scripture constantly speaks of itself as the Word of the Lord or the Word of God. This means that it is God’s Word. It is the Word that has God as its source. Thus, the Word comes from God and thus it is God breathing His perfect breath so that every word of all of Scripture is exactly and fully what God desires. Every single word in the original autographs [=manuscripts] are perfectly God-breathed truth. He did not breathe into the finished product and thus ‘make it inspired’ but rather as the author penned every word, yea, even every letter/stroke, God Himself breathed out the perfect revelation of Himself to His creatures.
2. INERRANT
The Word of the Lord is tried (Ps 18.30). It is refined and cannot err. The Law of God is perfect (Ps 19.7) and thus it itself is whole, perfect, blameless and true. Man is susceptible to error and deceit, but not God. He cannot err and cannot falter. His Word thus is dependable, true and always perfect. When the biblical authors wrote down every word it was in fact the inerrant Word of God since God Himself guided every stroke that the author made since God the Spirit carried the authors along in the act of writing/inscripturation.
3. INFALLIBLE
It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail (Luke 16.17). Indeed, the testimony of the Lord is sure, that is, confirmed (Ps 19.7). It cannot fail. Nor can it lead astray. It cannot come up short from fulfilling its promises. God’s truth is infallible and thus it always can and it always will be trusted. It cannot fulfill its word differently than how it was originally given. God is infallible, trustworthy, dependable and so it follows that His Word must also be infallible.
4. AUTHORITATIVE
If the Word of God really comes from God then it carries all the authority that God Himself has. Since God has spoken and has given His Word to His people through the sufficient and clear writings of old, then God’s creatures must bow the knee to the inherent authority of Scripture. Scripture has authority over man; man does not sit in judgment over the Word. It is the Word that judges. Indeed, Christ’s Word is what will condemn and judge men on the last day (John 12.48). Thus, men owe to Scripture the save reverence and honor that God deserves since the words of the Bible are in fact God’s Words. To dishonor Scripture is to dishonor God. To bow in humble submission to the authority of Scripture is to bow in humble submission to the authority of God Himself since it is His Word revealed in Scripture.
5. CLEAR
The commandment of the Lord is clear (Ps 19.8). This means that the Word of God is clear in what it says. The clarity of Scripture speaks to its lucid nature. Men can understand Scripture. When God’s people open the Word, because they have the Spirit of God in them, they can in fact understand it and it becomes clear to them. And the Lord gives understanding to His people in everything (2 Tim 2.7). This is why the people of God read the Word, interpret the Word, desire to accurately handle the Word of Truth, and constantly pray for more light from the Lord so that the Word gives understanding to the simple (Ps 119.130). Because Scripture is clear, believers can read the Word and interpret it rightly. That is to say, God’s people can ascertain the meaning of the text as they read and interpret it rightly. No need exists for the so-called hermeneutic of suspicion or, as some wrongly assert, to call everything into question and never come to any dogmatic conclusions. God’s people must interpret the clear Word so that they know God’s meaning of His Word so that they know how God wants them to think, speak, and live.
6. SUFFICIENT
Perhaps no doctrine of Scripture has come under attack as much as the doctrine of the Bible’s sufficiency. The question that this doctrine answers is this: is the Bible really enough for all that Christians need for all of life and for all of godliness. And the sufficiency of Scripture answers this question with an emphatic “yes”! Does the Bible claim to give all the exhaustive information about every subject under the sun? No, it never claims to be such a source (only God has this knowledge). Rather, the Bible is enough for every man of God so that he may be adequate, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Tim 3.17). The Scripture teaches, reproves, corrects, and trains the people of God how to live. Nothing in addition to Scripture is needed to show the child of God how to live. Manmade methods and sociological, psychological, psychiatric, and secular methods of information are not needed to save a person nor to sanctify a person. The Word of God sufficiently can address directly or indirectly every single issue that a child of God may face in all of life. Thus, theories and hypotheses come and go. Various manmade methods will pass. Books will fade. But the Word of God will live forever. And the Word of the Lord is perfect, whole, complete, blameless and it endures forever (Ps 19.7). Thus, the child of God should believe the Word, know it, read it, set it upon their hearts, and apply it diligently and daily to their lives!
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