The Bible

The Bible
Statement of Belief:
The Old and New Testaments, inerrant as originally given, were verbally inspired by God and are a complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men. They constitute the divine and only rule of Christian faith and practice.

What do you understand the following to mean in the above statement?
"inerrant" When discussing Biblical inherency one must examine what parts of the Bible can be classified as inerrant. Those parts are commonly sectioned off as 1. what form (original or later translations) and 2. is the Bible free from contradiction or is complete in scriptural accuracy (scientific and or historical). I believe that the Bible, in its final canonical form, was given to mankind from God who is inerrant or without flaw. The original biblical languages of Hebrew and Greek have been translated many times since its original authors penned the words of "In the beginning..." yet I believe that God in His wisdom has held the context of the Bible together for all of humanity to know who they are, whose they are, and what He expects from them. I also believe however, that not every translation available today is entirely accurate in literal word translation. I must add that I believe that some biblical translations are more like the original languages and can be used in the process of biblical study where as other translations may hold a better grip on contextual issues. The second point of contention is in the area of scriptural accuracy (scientific and historical). I believe that the Bible was never intended as a complete resource for science or history. Do I believe that the Bible has scientific and historical credibility? Yes, however, I look at the Bible as a complex puzzle that has been given to us by God as a complete representation of His love for His creation. If you start taking out certain pieces of the puzzle and examine them totally on their own they will appear to be mistaken or incomplete. You may ask then does the Bible contain scientific accuracy? I would answer, "Yes." However, it could never have been used as a manual to build or design a car. So why try and make it work that way? If you ask me is the Bible historically accurate? I would say, "Yes." However, it does not contain a complete record of all of human history. It contains historical accounts of its people and characters. I believe that Moses did exist and led the Hebrew people through the sea. It was a miracle but it actually happened. In conclusion I believe the Bible is inerrant in its original form languages and it contains scientific and historical accuracy. But it must be examined in light of its purpose not as a scientific manual or complete historical textbook for all of human civilization.

"verbally inspired" I believe that the Bible was verbally inspired. 1 Corinthians 14:37 and Matthew 15:4 state that God gave us His word verbally to the original writers of the Bible. God represents this belief many times over throughout the entirety of scripture. God has and still does partner with humankind to achieve many of His purposes in history and the authoring of the Bible was no different. While there has been in the past and still remains today a debate over who the authors where and when did they write, and why they wrote some things and not others is to me, not entirely as important as the ideal that they heard the words of God and recorded them in their (the authors) own style or personality for us to read and stake our very lives (spiritual and physical) on.

"only rule" I believe that the statement, "the only rule," is expressing that the Bible is the utmost authority of the Church. We, the Church, find it necessary to have a representation of God’s truth. Due to the physical and spiritual nature of humankind, even after salvation, we are still left with an inner struggle to rise above the flesh. Romans 7:14-25 The Bible is to be used to support the function and overarching purpose of the church. Paul goes on to write in 2 Timothy 3:16 that, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." I feel it also important to add that there are many very valuable works of Christian instruction written by those in the Christian faith but none can ever compare to the Bible. So in light of that I agree the bible to be the, "only rule," for us to repeatedly go to for support.

“faith and practice” “Faith and Practice,” are to me the place in the life of a Christian where the "rubber meets the road.” The Bible gives us all that we need to know what has been done, what is expected, and even a way to accomplish the life that God calls us to live. Titus 3:1-11 There are no other literary works of humankind which cover such a broad spectrum of issues we can expect to deal within the Christian walk. I believe that the truth of the Bible gives us the power to tear down strongholds of sin in our lives and accomplish the will of God to the fullest. Ephesians 6:17. I know that in my own personal spiritual experience that when I have the most difficult or weakest times it is usually because I have not been applying the Word of God to my life. So I must state that it is essential to the Christian that they must utilize the Bible as the foundation to Faith and Practice in the Christian life.