God wants to speak to us.
Christianity is a relationship, and great relationships have good communication. To make sure that we hear Him, God has provided the most miraculous method of conversation in the history of the world.
Don’t think email, TikTok®, or LinkedIn®—think the Bible!
The Bible has 66 books and 40 authors with a coherent and similar message that begins in Genesis and ends 1,600 years later with the writing of the Book of Revelation.
I have difficulty remembering a conversation from yesterday, so let’s consider the probability of keeping a consistent message for hundreds of years.
The Bible does. Miraculous!
Of the 798,000 words in the Bible, only one word describes the process of making and maintaining this similar content…
All Scripture is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16, NASB1995).
All Scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16, NIV).
The word in the Greek is “theopneustos,” which literally means “Theos” or “God” and “nuestos” or “breathed.” It is translated as either “inspired” (New American Standard Version) or “God-breathed” (New International Version).
The Apostle Paul wrote this word once (it is not used elsewhere in the Bible) to indicate the uniqueness of Scripture and its message to us today.
No other book is God-breathed. Miraculous!
What does “inspiration” mean?
Did God take control of the hands of Biblical authors as they wrote? Is it the same inspiration that we might feel listening to the song Amazing Grace? Can I claim divine inspiration for writing Interruptions?
The Apostle Peter says…
But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God (2 Peter 1:20-21, NASB1995).
The concept of men “moved” by the eternal Spirit of God and not with human inspiration explains how the Biblical message of 66 books by 40 authors, written over 1,600 years, can be the same.
God took this time and effort to give us the Bible. He wants us to know His Word—1,600 years of inspiration so that we won’t miss living with Him for eternity.
The author of Hebrews states…
We must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it…how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? (Hebrews 2:1 and 3, NASB1995).
And it should not surprise us that the “66, 40, 1,600” of the Bible is finished.
The Apostle John writes…
I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book (Revelation 22:18, NASB1995).
God wants to speak to us. It’s a complete message, totally unique, and preserved for us. We just need faith to believe in it.