Written

Media

This modern age in which we live is truly amazing. Just think about all the things that we are able to do and experience that would have seemed impossible just over a century ago. Of course, we see this in things like travel and entertainment. However, it may be that no other area of our lives has been as completely changed by technological advancement as communication.

When we study history we must imagine what it was like to hear Jonathan Edwards or George Whitfeild preach based on the records of other people's experience. We must read the Gettysburg address and imagine what President Lincoln would have sounded like. But If we want to know what President Franklin D. Roosevelt or John F. Kennedy sounded like we could simply listen to their recorded speeches. Can you imagine what it will be like for people one or two hundred years from now? They will have so much audio and video evidence of the past to seek to accurately understand history. Amazing!

Did God say? 

In the garden of Eden, that wicked serpent asked Eve if God had actually said what she was seeking to obey. It’s interesting to note that God had given the commandment concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to Adam before Eve’s creation (Genesis 2:15-17). This would mean that it is conceivable that Eve didn’t actually receive the command directly from God, but from Adam relaying the instructions as God had given them. 

Notice the ancient enemy’s tactic to bring about the fall of humanity was to question the revelation of God. It may have been that Eve was partly deceived because she was not fully trusting the way she received the instruction from God through Adam. Satan has always utilized attacking the reliability of the transmission and translation of Scripture as a means to derail the faith of some. 

But, the Bible is the word of God! So when we read the Bible we are hearing what God said. The term “inspiration” in modern usage refers to a person having a certain emotional experience or burst of creative energy leading to new ideas and increased productivity. This is common to all people in the natural world. But the theological concept of “inspiration” is referring to the text being actually breathed out by God. Some translations translate the Greek term “theopneustos” as being “breathed out,” but others follow the Latin tradition and use the word inspired (2 Timothy 3:16-17). But the Bible is not merely the product of creative talents or disciplined productivity, it is the product of God using holy men to write down His Holy Word (2 Peter 1:19-21)!

As it is Written

We also know from Scripture that the Prophets and Apostles themselves appealed to what had been recorded in the sacred text. Even the Lord Jesus appealed to Scripture when answering the attacks of Satan (Matthew 4:1-11) and dismantling the arguments of the Pharisees (Matthew 19:4). If even Jesus wielded the sword of the Spirit in proclaiming and proving the truth of God then how much more do we need the authority that resides only in the Bible? 

My point is that while God could have chosen to communicate with us in a variety of different ways, as He actually did do in the ages before Christ came (Hebrews 1:1-2), He now reveals Himself to us in the written word so that we may study His works (Psalm 111:2) and know Him personally (John 20:30-31).

Stop with what is Written

Finally, it is important that we realize that so much of the division and deception that happens, even among Christians, would be avoided if we would only restrict ourselves to what is written for us in the Bible. Paul clearly tells the Corinthian Christians that they must “learn not to go beyond what is written”(1 Corinthians 4:6). I believe Paul’s point is clear that we should keep away from meaningless speculations or extra biblical revelations and content ourselves with the whole sufficient word of God contained in the 66 books of the Bible. 

God could have given us an audio file or a video or some technology that will exist a hundred years from now but instead He gave us a book. So we should read it. We should study it. We should memorize it. We should commit to knowing it so that we would truly know Him!

​

---