Is the Bible reliable?

God's Word: We Live and Die by It

Jan 15

Written By Troy Kennedy

Audio Block

Double-click here to upload or link to a .mp3. Learn more

Teaching Notes

WESTSIDE VALUE

God’s Word: We live & die by it

Pledge of allegiance to the Bible:

I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God’s Holy Word, I will make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path and will hide its words in my heart that I might not sin against God
From Psalm 119:105, 111

Where do I stand?

I’ll do it my way – I’m not buying into the Bible or yielding my life to it.
Buffet Christian - I’m going to stay in authority over my life and pick and choose from the Bible what I like.
All-in Christian – I’m turning authority of my life over to God and committing to following him fully according to his Word.

There are 66 books in the Bible

39 Old Testament
27 New Testament

This is called the canon of scripture.

Canon = rule or measure

How do we know these are the right books?

Three tests:

The Credibility of the Author.
Doctrinal Soundness.
Acceptance by the Church.

The books were recognized.

Internal Recognition: Biblical authors refer to one another.
External Recognition: Extra Biblical affirmation of the original documents.

Conclusion

The written word reliably leads us to the living Word, Jesus.

Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
1 Peter 1:10-12
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
Matthew 5:17

Further reading