Proverbs 30:5: “Every word of God is flawless…”

The Bible is God’s word to us. That statement is true. It is also under constant attack.

I tend to read books, listen to podcasts, and talk to people about biblical interpretation and authority. I want to be well-informed and well-equipped. Over time, you start to notice trends.

One of the things people do when they want to erode your sense of confidence in Scripture is to say that it’s authors say opposite things. The pit Paul against Jesus, or even David against himself!

All of this neglects what theologian J.I. Packer calls the “organic unity” of the Bible. All of it traces back to a single mind and author: God. 

Did God inspire different people to write various books, and do those individuals write with their own style and personality? Yes. But all of it traces back to the same mind and author: God.

Within the Bible itself, there is this same understanding. Let me give just two examples. In Mark 7, Jesus quotes the Old Testament teachings through Moses and calls them the “word of God” and “the commands of God.” In 2 Peter 1:21 the apostle points out that “prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

The closer you look the more you discover that Jesus and Paul don’t contradict each other. And when you read what David says as a whole, the same is true for him.

When we read passages in context, compare them to one another, and see how they fit in the larger narrative of God’s redemptive story, we discover that they all come together beautifully from a single mind and author: God.

Don’t let the same old (flawed) arguments undermine your confidence. I’ve found that study, prayer, understanding, love and growth give you more confidence, not less. 

Our Saviour trusted the Scriptures. So can you.

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Notes:

–“Why trust the Bible?” Click here to read this blog I published in 2019.

–The Up Devotional is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and resumes on January 29, 2024.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.