Introduction: Almost every religion has a holy book. Islam has the Koran. Mormonism has the Book of Mormon and other books. Judaism is based on the Talmud. Christian Science has a book called "Science and Health" by Mary Baker Eddy. Christianity is based on the Bible. The Bible is the foundation of our Faith. We believe that the Bible, and only the Bible, is the Word of God.

But what IS the Bible, and how did we get it?

God didn't send it to us by UPS. It didn't drop out of Heaven. It wasn't dictated to someone by an angel. We received the Bible in a way that is both natural and supernatural. As the Apostle Peter put it 2000 years ago:

"...no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." 2 Peter 1:20-21

The writers of the books of the Bible didn't just make it up. They DID write using their own personalities and resources. But they were carried along in their work by the Holy Spirit.

There are 66 individual books in the book we call the Bible. So the Bible is actually more of a library. It is a collection of books that were written by various authors over a span of about 1600 years, or even more. Genesis was written by Moses around the year 1500 BC. Malachi was written by the prophet Malachi around 400 BC. The Gospel of Mark was written around 50 AD. The Book of Revelation was written by the Apostle John around 95 AD.

Believers gradually compiled the various books into the collections we know as the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The compilation of the Old Testament was solidified shortly after the time of Malachi (400 BC). The OT was translated into Greek around 200 BC, and called the Septuagint. Jesus and the Apostles were familiar with both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. Refering to the Hebrew Old Testament, Jesus said,

"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Matthew 5:17-18

The Old Testament had three divisions: The Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. The Law was the Torah (first five books); the Prophets were the 17 prophetic books; and the writings were Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the other books of the Old Testament.

The jot and tittle were tiny little parts of Hebrew letters. Jesus' point was that ALL of the Word of God is inspired and important. Jesus gave His approval and authority to the entire Old Testament as we have it today.

The New Testament was compiled and recognized by God's people as early as 150 AD, not long after Revelation was written. This accepted "canon" was later ratified by various church councils. Many other books were written besides the 27 in our New Testament. How were first century Christians to decide which books were really inspired by God? They had two rules: 1) Only books written by apostles or their close associates could be in the canon; and 2) only books which had universal acceptance could be in the canon.

As we consider the origin of the books of the Bible, and the formation of the Old Testament and New Testament, it is important for our generation to remember that printed books did not come into existence until 1400 years after the time of Christ. There were no computers, no typewriters, no printing presses, no copy machines. All books were written by hand, and had to be copied by hand. The first Bible ever printed with moveable type was printed in 1454 by Johan Gutenberg. There were no telephones, no radio, no automobiles, no airplanes. Everything happened then at a much slower pace than it does now. So let us not be impatient with our Christian forefathers. They did a good job, and were blessed by God in their work.

What do Christians believe ABOUT the Bible? There are five words that scholars use to describe the Bible:

1. SUFFICIENT

"Sufficient" means "enough." We believe that only the Bible is God's Word. Other holy books of other religions are at best human works, and at worst, inspired by the Devil.

"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron."
I Timothy 4:1-2

"Sufficient" also means that God has told us all we NEED to know in the Bible. The Bible doesn't attempt to tell us all there is to know about God. That would be impossible. But it tells us enough. We don't need to know more about God than He has revealed to us. He has clearly given us the way of salvation. He shows us how to live a life that pleases Him.

"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law." Deuteronomy 29:29

2. INSPIRED

Paul the Apostle wrote to his disciple Timothy about God's Word, and this is what he said:

"...from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
2 Timothy 3:15-17

The King James Bible says "all Scripture is inspired." The NIV gives a more literal translation of the Greek word: "God-breathed."

We say that Shakespeare was an inspired author, or that Beethoven was an inspired composer. All we mean is that they were very talented, and did a great job at their work. But we mean more than that when we say the Bible is inspired. We don't just mean that Moses and Paul were good writers. We mean that the words they wrote are the actual "breath of God," the actual "Word of God."

Modernist preachers are trying to say that the Bible is NOT the Word of God. When they read Scripture in church they may say, "Listen FOR the Word of God," instead of "Listen TO the Word of God," as if the Word of God were between the lines. They say the Bible "becomes" the Word, or that it "contains" the Word, or "bears witness" to the Word of God. These modern innovations are wrong. The Bible IS the Word of God.

This is true because of what Peter said (we quoted it earlier): "men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." The Bible is truly a supernatural book. It is inspired. It is the actual Word of God Himself.

3. INFALLIBLE

Logically, if the Bible is God's Word, then it must be infallible, because God is infallible. If God makes no mistakes, then there must be no mistakes in the Bible. Christians believe that the Bible is infallible in every area that it speaks to: whatever it says about history is true; whatever it claims about scientific things is true; whatever it says about religion is true; whatever it teaches about morality is right.

For 200 years unbelieving archaeologists charged the Bible with being mistaken about the history of the Middle East. Also for 200 years, as new discoveries continued to be made, the archaelogists have had to eat their words and make retractions. The Bible has always been proven accurate by archaeology.

In the area of science the great controversy has to do with the theory of evolution. Unbelieving scientists say that God did not make the world, and that the first living thing originated in the primeval ooze; and that mankind evolved from ape-like beings. The Bible says God made everything. The Bible says that God made Adam from the dust of the earth, and then made Eve from Adam's rib.

Genesis 2:7 "The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."

Gen 2:18, 21, 22: "The LORD God said, It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man."

It takes more faith to believe in atheistic evolution than it does to believe in the Bible. Christians believe in the Bible. When we say that the Bible is infallible, we are saying that whatever the Bible teaches is true, because God is Truth.

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life.

Psa 119:142 Your righteousness is everlasting and your law is true.

Psa 119:151 Yet you are near, O LORD, and all your commands are true.
Psa 119:152 Long ago I learned from your statutes that you established them to last forever.

Psa 119:160 All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.

Jesus said: "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth." John 17:17.

4. AUTHORITATIVE

The authority of the Bible naturally flows from our belief in the inspiration and infallibility of the Bible. It is inspired by God. God gave it to mankind. There are no errors in it. Therefore, we must accept it as being authoritative over our beliefs and the way in which we live. Christians are bound to believe what the Bible tells us to believe, and we are bound to act however the Bible says to act.

The Bible is our Supreme Court. If we have a disagreement over doctrine, we must go to the Bible for answers. If we clash about ethics and morality, the Christian looks to the Bible. If we have a argument about how to live on God's good earth, then we must go to the Bible for answers. A Christian can never say: "I don't care what the Bible says, I have a right to my opinion." All of our opinions are judged by the authority of the Word of God.

"What do you think about abortion?" we may be asked.
"What is your opinion about gay marriage?"
"Do you think churches should have women elders and deacons?"
"Do you believe there really is such a place as Hell?"

When faced with any of these questions, the Christian looks to the Bible for answers, because the Bible is authoritative.

5. POWERFUL

The Bible is the Word of God. Because it is God's Word, it is powerful, and the preaching of the Word always accomplishes God's purposes.

"As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:10-11

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

The Bible is the Sword of the Holy Spirit. It is the tool that He uses to work in the human heart.

When God's Word is read, or preached, the Holy Spirit uses the Word in our hearts. He regenerates. He afflicts the conscience. He convicts of sin. He strikes us with a sense of guilt, and gives us the gift of repentance. He brings people to faith in Christ.

The Bible records the results of Peter's preaching on the day of Pentecost:

Acts 2:37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
Acts 2:38 Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call."
Acts 2:40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation."
Acts 2:41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Conclusion: The Bible is a wonderful book. It consists of 66 books, written by various authors, over 1600 years. It was Providentially compiled and preserved by God. It is MORE than a wonderful book, it is the Word of God. It is the foundation of the Christian Faith. The Bible is: SUFFICIENT, INSPIRED, INFALLIBLE, AUTHORITATIVE AND POWERFUL. It is our duty, and our delight as God's children, to read and study, and hear the preaching of God's Word. Amen.