Which Bible Is the Word of God?

The word scripture is defined as the sacred writings of a religion and is most specifically used to define the writings of Christianity contained in the Bible. However, my own upbringing in the church, and possibly yours as well, has brought about a slightly more specific definition in my mind. I was raised to believe that the Bible, in its entirety, is Scripture – with a capital S – because it is the inspired and infallible Word of God. As I study the Bible and its history, I question the validity of this assumption. This uncertainty has been one of much contemplation for me as of late. In an attempt to quiet the indoctrination of my past and pursue a reasonable faith, I build a new understanding upon the study of the cultural and historical context of the Bible and that of the Christian Church itself.

Nearly 1,700 years ago, the Roman Emperor, Constantine, converted to Christianity. His journey began when his mother had a vision of a cross and they bound themselves to a quest to collect Christian relics. In an attempt to unify the doctrine of the Christian Church, he held the Council of Nicaea (Turkey) in 325 AD. According to Constantine, unification was necessary because the varying views were disruptive to the peace and growth of the Empire he was building.

Some views were considered strange, while others were out and out dangerous. One dispute was if churches had to purchase holy bread and wine from Rome to perform Communion or if they could use their own. Another sign of disunity was concerning the assumption of false prophets deceiving congregations. It came to the point where Christians were killing those who they believed to be false prophets so that their deception would not spread. By calling together the Christian leaders of the time, Constantine was able to provide an organized environment for theological debates and eventually agree on what should be canonized as Holy Scripture (writings inspired by God).

It was by this process that the books considered Scripture were decided. These learned and respected bishops and elders determined what was to be included in the Bible. The 66 books that Protestants call the Bible today were included in that list. Let me emphasize that the books considered Scripture were decided by men. There are some books which barely made it in: like James and Revelation. There were also books that barely missed inclusion: like The Apocalypse of Peter and the Epistle of Barnabas.

There are also the books contained in the Apocrypha (meaning hidden in Greek). However, they have not been hidden throughout most of the Bible’s history. The Roman Catholic Church included it in their Bibles, but not as part of the canon (Scripture). Then, as early as 382 AD, they decided to canonize seven of the fourteen books of the Apocrypha. The Protestants included all fourteen books in their Bibles at first, but as non-Scripture. Later, they removed all of them from their Bibles.

Now consider this. Do the books of the New Testament call themselves Scripture? That depends on how far we stretch some implications. A cornerstone for claiming that the New Testament is Scripture by many believers is written by Paul, “All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16 (NASB). Whereas this verse is a slam-dunk for the theology of some, others have serious doubts that Paul intended the very letter that he was writing to Timothy to be part of the Scripture he had just described. Which leads one to the question if he included future writings, like Revelation, as well. Even these questions are not a concern for those who believe that God knew which books would become part of His Bible. They believe that Paul would not have had to know that he was writing Scripture for it to become so. Therefore, we may be accepting books as Scripture that the authors did not.

If the forbears of the Catholic and Protestant churches wavered on what was considered Scripture, what about the men actually documented in the New Testament? What did Paul, Jesus, and even the other Jews consider Scripture? Jesus quoted Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Jonah, Micah, Habakkuk, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. However, quotes do not mean that those books are automatically Scripture.

Some places in the New Testament describe certain books as Scripture. “Then beginning with Moses and with all the Prophets, He explained to them the things written about Himself in all the Scriptures.” Luke 24:27 (NASB). There are multiple places where the Law and the Prophets are referred to in such an authoritative way, that it is likely that the Jews during Jesus’ day would consider those to be Scripture. Paul and Jesus each teach that the commandments and the Kingdom of God are fulfilled by the Law and the Prophets. Once in the Bible, Jesus said, “All the things that are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Luke 24:44 (NASB). It seems that the book of Psalms is Scripture.

Are the 4 Gospels Scripture? We naturally want to say yes, but are they really Scripture or is Jesus referring Scripture? After all, He said, “Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.” Matthew 5:17 (NASB). Could he fulfill Scripture in a book that becomes Scripture?

Now we start seeing a bigger picture of what Scripture was considered at the time of Jesus. There is yet another aspect to consider. The Jews do not categorize the books of the Old Testament like Christians do. They do not even share the same number of categories. Here are the different categories between the Old Testament (O.T.) of the Christians and the Jewish Tanakh.

O.T. TANAKH

The Pentateuch Torah (The Law)

The Historical Books Nevi'im (The Prophets)

The Poetic Books Kethuvim (The Writings)

The Major Prophets

The Minor Prophets

Whereas the Torah consists of the same books as the Pentateuch, the Nevi’im differs from the Major Prophets. All of the Minor Prophets are included in the Nevi’im, but it also includes Joshua, Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, but does not include Daniel. Perhaps the Kethuvim was considered Scripture, but since Jesus quotes Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Daniel, and 1 & 2 Chronicles, that is evidence enough for many to believe in their divine authority.

What about the books spoken of in the Bible that are not included in the Bible? Are they scripture if they are quoted? Is only the quote considered Scripture? Such is the case with the prophecies of Enoch (Jude 1:14) and the Book of Jasher (2 Samuel 1:18). People have different opinions regarding extra-Biblical Jewish writings.

There are also many different translations which sometimes use different words with different meanings. There are also translations that leave out verses or parts of verses that other translations include. Yet others include the sometimes-missing verses, but add a footnote to explain that it might not really have been in the original manuscripts. Some of these translations are more literal, providing a word-for-word translation, while others try to translate the message into a more modern way of understanding.

Perhaps the inspired word of God is a matter of perspective. My concern is that the Christians’ primary defense of the Bible is merely summed up as, “It is God’s Word. It’s true and that’s all there is to it.” I suggest, we have the responsibility to take the time to study the history, science, and writing style of each book and as a result come to a reasonable defense of our faith and its life-changing capacity.

In Peter’s final remarks of his second epistle, he brings up Paul’s letters. He states that Paul teaches with wisdom and that he addresses, “Some things that are hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.” 2 Peter 3:15-16 (NASB). I have heard it argued that this proves that Paul’s letters are Scripture because Peter aligns them with “the rest of the Scriptures.” Perhaps Peter compares Paul’s letters to Scripture because Paul’s basis for argument in his letters so often stem from the Scripture of the Old Testament. I don’t know if this constitutes affirmation of Scripture, but I think the focus of Peter is on those who are ignorant, distorting and perverting his messages.

In adherence with this warning, I wish to acknowledge that I am not well-studied in Jewish history. I do not claim to know what constitutes Scripture. It could be the whole Bible. It could be anyone inspired by God. It could be just Jesus’ words or just the Almighty’s words. Regardless, I recommend less boasting from the church on the authority of God’s Word as being infallible and life-giving in every book and word just because that is what we have been taught. This is my lifetime goal – to draw ever-closer to the Father and His will by studying the world He created, understanding the world’s need for a savior, and not shying away from tough questions. The result of this pursuit has been me getting off the proverbial the fence and pursuing a reasonable faith.

My faith is stronger because I question the nature of truth, the meaning of life, and the Bible! My conscience is clear because I pursue truth unbiased by the unsupported teachings of my youth. I recommend that you study the evidence for the Biblical accounts for yourself not hide behind statements like, “God said so and that’s good enough for me,” any longer. Go on your own quest to support what can be reasonably ascertained about what God really said. Find out all you can about the authors who wrote the Bible. When reading the Bible, ask what the message was for the intended audience, and not, “How will this help me with my marriage and finances?” Study the Bible for how it was intended to be read and then, in due season, God’s Spirit may reveal application to you for your own life.

28 July 2017