As we continue exploring this vital topic of “How to Study the Bible,” we must begin with our attitude toward Scripture. This will be the first of three installments on our attitude toward the Bible when we open it to study. Those three attitudes are: belief, submission, and reverence. Today’s topic will focus on the attitude of belief.
To begin with, I can think of no better Scripture for this point than the one the apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonian church: “And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). I have a choice, when I receive the word of God; I do so, believing it is the actual word of God or, it is nothing more than a man-made document. Only when I accept it as the word of God, can Scripture then be at work in my own life.
This means that I believe not only that the Bible is true, but that its contents are true. This is the fundamental starting point. My choice is between truth or fiction. Since the Age of Enlightenment (17th century through 19th century), empirical science and humanistic philosophy sought to de-mystify the Bible and make it a human document. Simply put, I face a choice of believing the miracles of the Bible or not. I do the Bible no favors and myself no favors by trying to explain away the miracles.
The Bible has been represented the last 300 years as being full of myth and fantasy. Scientific thinking and modern sophistication have tried to make belief in the Bible as the word of God untenable. The message has been loud and clear–no rational, thinking person could possibly believe what is in the Bible. It comes down to whether or not I am willing to allow for the transcendent. Is there something more than just the physical world and empirical facts that can be verified through Science? I have to start as I approach the Bible to study it with the firm belief and conviction that the miracles of the Bible were real, and they happened just as they were recorded. No explaining away. No hedging. No dismissing. No reinterpretation.
The Bible is clear about its origin and source. The claims that it makes about itself as Scripture need to be taken seriously. In 2 Timothy 3:16, Paul tells Timothy that it is inspired of God. Literally, it can be translated as “God-breathed.” God is the author and source of this divine revelation. Peter told his readers that “no prophecy of Scripture was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke as they were carried along/inspired by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). So many more passages in the Bible refer to its divine origin.
Because Scripture claims its own divine origin, I can then move from mere belief to trust. Even though many today are dismissive in their attitude toward Scripture, God’s design is that it is revelation of Himself that I can trust. I can trust its content, and I can trust my destiny with it. With my life and my very soul, I can trust God’s word to guide me and feed me spiritually.
My trust in the Bible is not only based on its own claims, but also verification processes that include its historical accuracy. Two things are included here: it is quite amazing how many biblical events are not included with a calendar and a date. Having said that, it is also amazing many signposts are included that check out being historically accurate. For instance, Luke tells us in chapter two that the time of Jesus’ birth was during the time when “a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria” (verses 1-2). The date established by this identification is accurate. Many, many more examples could be given in Scripture.
I will get a little technical here. Scripture passes what philosophers call “the test of truth claims.”The main tests for truth claims are the “correspondence test” (whether a claim aligns with observable reality), “coherence test” (whether a claim fits logically within a system of knowledge), and the “pragmatic test” (whether a claim is useful or has practical applications) – all of which are used to evaluate the validity of a statement by comparing it to established facts and logical reasoning [resource: https://www.google.com/search?q=what+are+the+tests+for+truth+claims% ] I could have an entire entry or installment on each of the three tests! Suffice it to say, the Bible passes all three tests with flying colors!
Because Scripture contains truth, is truthful, and passes the tests of truth claims, it does not take a rocket scientist to realize that God has revealed His will in such a way as to create and engender trust in us when we read and receive it. Though “enlightened” intellectual leaders in science, technology, and education try to throw suspicion on the Bible to confuse and confound believers, we can rest assured that the power of God’s word can transform the lives of those who trust it–”at work in us who believe.” May our attitude of belief be unshakable and the foundation of our life of trust in God’s living word guide us to our eternal destiny!