Faithfulness (4) A Faithful Copy
Thursday September 12, 2013
In today’s world it is getting more difficult to determine what is an original document or photograph. Photocopiers and other technical devices enable changes to be made to pictures and documents. It is easy to remove someone from a picture and insert someone or something else in. Documents can be electronically signed by a computer generated electronic signature. How then at this point, and with centuries having past, can we be sure that the Bible is the authentic inspired word of God?
The scriptures have been meticulously copied over the centuries to ensure their authenticity. If a scribe made a mistake in a parchment the document was discarded. In 1946 a Bedouin Arab found some manuscripts which were subsequently named the “Dead Sea Scrolls”. These documents are believed to have been written prior to 200 AD. When compared with the Bible they prove the scriptures have been correctly copied throughout the centuries.
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 complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV)
The Bible consists of the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament lays the foundation for the New Testament. God, through inspired writers, tells of the path that the chosen ancestors of Jesus followed to fulfill God’s determined plan of salvation. The Bible also prophesies the place and timing of Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection. God did many signs and wonders among the people from whom He would bring salvation to the world. However, they grumbled and complained when things did not go the way they expected them to. They did not trust that God would help them overcome every obstacle that they would encounter on the way to the land He had promised them. Because of their grumbling, only two of the over one million people who were 20 years of age or older when they came out of Egypt, entered the Promised Land. These two people, Joshua and Caleb, believed that God was able to do through them all that He had promised.
In this wilderness your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. (Numbers 14:29-30 NIV)
While Jesus was on earth He spoke with Jewish leaders over and over again telling them to search the scriptures which foretold of Him. Jesus’ life and death was foretold hundreds of years prior in books of the Old Testament such as Psalms, Isaiah and Ezekiel and others. Jesus told them that He was the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. The Jewish leaders feared Jesus and doubted His word when He told them He was sent by God. They subsequently planned to put Him to death. Though it would appear that they were responsible for His death, Jesus said that they did not put Him to death but that He laid down His life.
The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” The Jews who heard these words were again divided. (John 10:17-19 NIV)
The Bible is a faithful book and can be relied on for guidance to live life to the full. God created us for eternal life with Him and the Bible shows us the way. Jesus said that He is the way. We may not understand everything that is written in the Bible and, like the Jewish leaders, we may not want to accept those things that we do understand, but accepting the Bible as the authentic Word of God is life changing for all who choose to believe.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6 NKJV)
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6 NIV)
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