What We Believe About the Bible

What we (@Calvary Chapel El Monte)
Believe – About the Bible

If you read our statement of faith, you’ll notice that the very first doctrinal declaration is: We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative, inerrant Word of God.

Part of the reason this doctrinal declaration comes first, is because of the fact that this is, in all reality, the basis for all other beliefs. In other words, we draw all other beliefs from this first fundamental belief; the Bible is the Word of God!

Inspired: In 2 Timothy 3:16 the Bible makes a radical statement about itself, and that is that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” The Greek word used here is theopneustos, which literally means, “God-breathed.” What that means is that although different men were instruments, and even instrumental in the writing of the Bible, ultimately it is God’s Word, from God’s “mouth” and even from God’s “heart” - that we have in our hands. The Bible is inspired by God!

Infallible & Inerrant: The word infallible means, “incapable of making mistakes or being wrong.” The word inerrant means the same thing, “without error.” It follows logically that if the Bible is inspired by God, it is therefore infallible and inerrant, without mistakes and without errors. Since the Bible is “God-breathed” it is accurate in all that it says about God and men, about life and death, about anything and everything God has chosen to include in the Cannon of Scripture. Psalm 19:7 simply puts it this way, “The Law of the LORD is perfect.” There may be minor scribal errors in some of the copies, but none of the originals could have any errors for the Bible is infallible & inerrant!

Authoritative: As we continue down this road of revelation, it naturally follows that if the Bible is inspired by God, and therefore infallible and inerrant in all it contains, this must be the book - or even better yet - the Truth that I will base my entire life on! If the Bible is God’s personal and perfect message to man, it makes perfect sense to live my life in light of what He’s written to me. As a matter of fact, most theologians will tell you that this is exactly how King Jesus rules His Church - by the scepter of His Word.

If you think about it, everyone has some type of authority in life – some look to science, some look to self; some follow culture, some follow counter-culture; some choose tradition, some choose religion; some look to psychology, others sociology; but in all reality, the only proven and absolutely authoritative truth we have, is the Bible – it is inspired by God, and infallible and inerrant in all. Jesus said in Matthew 4:4, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Just as bread is food for the body, giving it what it needs to live physically; the truths of the Bible are food for the soul, providing what is necessary for the real man, the inner man, the eternal man, to live spiritually. I love what we read in Luke 4:32, “And they were astonished at His teaching, for His Word was with authority.”

It is for these reasons listed above, that all that we do individually and congregationally is based upon the revelation we find in the Bible. We teach it, we preach it, we yearn to learn it and live it, to give it to everyone who has sense enough to see what Job said in 23:12, “I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food.” May God help us to read the Word and heed the Word, to love the Bible, primarily by loving the Author of the Bible – God Himself! (John 5:39).

For further study see: Psalm 119:105; John 10:35; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:21.

This article is partially intended to spark an interest in the Word of God. For further study on this topic, I would recommend Charlie Campbell’s article available online at: www.alwaysbeready.com - click on the links – Bible evidence for and – Evidence for the Trustworthiness of the Bible, by Charlie Campbell

One last Word on the Word. The master main and plain purpose of the Bible is to point you to Jesus Christ. If you have not received Christ as your Lord and Savior, do so today; bow down, confess you're a sinner in need of the Savior, Jesus Christ who loves you and died for you on the cross!