MORE THAN A BOOK
The Christian faith is grounded in the Word contained in the Bible, which is certainly not just another book, rather much more.
The Word is eternal:
The Psalmist says, “Your word, Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.” (Psalms 119:89)
When we behold the Bible, it is easy to come away with the thought that it is a book just like any other book in the physical realm. Yet, the Psalmist makes an unusual claim that the Word is eternal, giving it the same status as God Himself. This is a recurrent theme in the Bible leading us to understand that the Bible is indeed the reflection of the invisible God in literary form. Just like Jesus was the perfect human representation of God, the Bible is the living reflection of the eternal God.
The Word is absolute:
While everything we see around us including our own lives are temporary, the Word stands as absolute, something that cannot be undermined or destroyed. This follows from the fact that Word is eternal. Jesus says,
“For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” (Mat 5:18)
And so trying to undermine the Word or trying to mold it to fit the current social trends or selectively using the Word is not intuitive, because you only hurt yourself when you try to cut down something that cannot be cut down.
The Word is inspired:
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. (2Tim 3:16)
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:20,21)
The miraculous origin of the Word of God makes it unique compared to other books. Chosen vessels were carried along by the Spirit of God to pen down the Word of God using human effort to sync with the prevalent cultural landscape. Again just like Jesus was completely human and completely God, the Word’s origin is completely human and completely divine. This means, translations are possible and cultural interpretations become necessary. This is different from the Quran which was purely a dictation and hence cannot truly be translated nor applied meaningfully. Nor is the Bible similar to the Hindu Scriptures which were totally a human effort, devoid of divine input and hence no different from any other historical book.
The Word is reliable:
Jesus says, “Your word is truth” (John 17:17). Peter goes on to say, “We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” (2 Pet 1:19)
This is internal validation that Word is free from error just as God cannot contradict himself. The external validation for the reliability of Scripture comes from the historical fact that the Bible is the most accurately preserved ancient text with practically few changes from the original texts.
The Word is alive:
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
We read other books, the Bible reads us, when we open it. From the discussion above, it should be no surprise that the Word of God makes an impact which is legitimately mysterious and life changing for those who read it. The effect of reading the Word is much more than reading a book. It lays us bare and transforms us.
