2 John 1, Introduction to 1 John (4)

5)    Characteristics of 1 John.

a)    I John is a book of love.  The new commandment that Jesus gave His disciples in the Upper Room (Jn. 13:34-35) is one of the “commandments” John refers to that must be obeyed.  (1 Jn. 3:24 contains two commandments: to believe on the name of Jesus Christ and to love one another.)  John comes back to this command several times, each time in a different context.  We will not only be reminded of the command; John will also tell us not to love the world, that love comes from God, that God loved us in Christ, and that our love for God is a response to His love as well as an act of obedience.

b)    1 John is a book about fellowship.  From the outset (1:3-4), it is the fellowship (shared life) that we have with the Father and the Son.  We have and we enjoy this fellowship by “abiding” in Christ and in God’s love.  Abiding is the key to fellowship.

c)    1 John is a book of confidence.  Whatever kind of deception his audience was facing, it apparently caused them to fear the day they would stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ.  But John writes that they might KNOW …

i)      That we can know Him, 2:3.

ii)   That we are in Him, 2:5.

iii)            That it is the last hour, 2:18.

iv) The truth, 2:20.

v)    That we will be like Him, 3:2.

vi) That Christ appeared to take away sins, 3:5.

vii)          That we have passed from death to life, 3:14.

viii)       What love is, 3:16.

ix) That we are of the truth, 3:19.

x)    That He lives in us, 3:24.

xi) The Spirit of God, 4:2.

xii)          The Spirit of truth, 4:6.

xiii)       That we live in Him and He lives in us, 4:13.

xiv)        That we love God’s children, 5:2.

xv)          That He hears and answers prayer, 5:15.

xvi)        That we are God’s children, 5:19.

xvii)     That Christ is the One who is true, 5:20.

2)    I John is a book of truth.  In a world where people deny truth that is absolute, John reminds us we can know the truth (2:21).  Our love must be true (3:18); that is a serious issue.  Not all that is called “love” is, in fact, “loving.”  We belong to the truth (3:19), we know the Spirit of truth (4:6) who is truth (5:6), and Christ gave us understanding so we can know Him who is true (5:20).

1 John 5:14-21, Introduction to 1 John (3)

4)    The Subject of 1 John: What themes does John use to accomplish his purpose?

a)    Jesus Christ is first and foremost in John and in his writing.  Concerning our Lord John reminds us:

i)      He was the Word of life, 1:1.

ii)   He was really human, 1:1-2.

iii)            Our fellowship is with Him, and with the Father, 1:3.

iv) He is our once for all and continuing atonement for sin, 1:7.

v)    He is our Advocate, 2:1.

vi) He is our propitiation (the One who appeases God’s wrath), 2:2.

vii)          He is our example, 2:6.

viii)       He destroyed the works of the devil, 3:8.

ix) He set the standard for love, 3:16.

x)    He is the object of our faith, 3:23.

xi) He is the Savior of the world, 4:14.

xii)          He lives in us, 4:15.

xiii)       He is the Christ, 5:1.

xiv)        He has eternal life in Him, 5:11.

xv)          He is the True God, 5:20.

b)    While telling us about Christ and His person, John returns several times to three themes or commands.  These are what characterize a Christian. 

i)      Faith in Christ.

ii)   Love for the brethren.

iii)            Walking in righteousness.

c)    I believe we can sum up all of this by saying that this epistle is all about confidence.  John’s is concerned with the fact that we will all stand before God someday.  He desires that we have confidence, that we do not fear that day, and that our hearts be assured before Him.

d)    Finally, on the matter of John’s subject, there are some words that appear repeatedly, as you will see. 

i)      Know.  Biblical Greek has two terms, one referring to theoretical knowledge and the other of experiential knowledge.  In 1 John, it’s the latter, almost 30 times. 

ii)   Truth.  Appears 15 times.

iii)            Love.  As expected from John, almost 50 times.

iv) Abide or continue.  Used almost 25 times.

1 John is only 5 chapters, 105 verses.  But it is packed with God’s simple and deep truth.  Yes, I said “simple and deep.”  Good for children, good for young men, and good for the older Christians.  We hope to start through in a couple of days.  Why not read the whole book today or tomorrow.

1 John 2:18-26, Introduction to 1 John (2)

2)    The Destination of 1 John: To whom was this letter written?

Perhaps this is a strange question to ask, because the Holy Spirit did not lead John to address this to a specific congregation of person.  Tradition says it was written to the church at Ephesus, but this is only conjecture.  It was apparently not important for us to know this.  And furthermore, maybe it was more of a treatise by John.  There is no salutation at the beginning or personal words at the end, as were not only normal in Paul’s letters but also in 2 John and 3 John. 

However, there is something we should note in this question.  In 1 John 2:12-14 John says he is writing to the little children, the fathers and the young men.  We will discuss this in more detail in our verse-by-verse studies, as to what characterizes these people.  But what we see is that John is saying something that all manner of believers should hear, including new Christians, older Christians, and the Christians in the middle who are in the thick of the battle.  That tells me that 1 John is written for all of us, wherever we are along the path of discipleship.

3)    The Purpose of 1 John: What was John’s purpose in writing to these people?

a)    Let’s stay in 1 John 2:12-14.  John tells us why he writes to each “age group.”  He gives some facts about each.  But look carefully.  The little children are those who might struggle with sin more than the others.  They needed to know they were forgiven, and at the same time they needed encouragement to continue growing.  As Heb. 5:13 puts it, the “little children” are the babes who need milk because they are unskilled in the word of righteousness.  The young men have put on the armor of God and are engaged in the spiritual battle.  They need assurance that their faith has overcome the world, and that greater is the One in them than the one in the world.  The fathers, literally, knew the One that is from the beginning.  Many of them would have actually been alive in the Jesus’ earthly days.  They needed encouragement not to leave behind their faith in the true Christ.  They needed to be faithful when others were departing.  Above all, they needed to abide in Christ.

b)    In the previous paragraph I quoted phrases that are found in 1 John, but I didn’t give you the reference.  We will come to these things in time.  For now, as to John’s purpose, he gives us some specific statements as to why he wrote.

i)      In the context of our fellowship with the Father and the Son, John wrote so that our joy might be full (1:3-4).

ii)   He wrote so that we might know that we have eternal life.  Some see John as sowing seeds of doubt about salvation but that is not the case.

iii)            He wrote so that we (especially the little children) might not sin (2:1).

iv) He wrote so that we might not be deceived concerning Christ (2:24-26).

John 15:1-16, Introduction to 1 John (1)

I would like to begin verse-by-verse in 1 John.  I will give you a bit of a warning.  I have what I believe will be some helpful things by way of introduction to the epistle.  But I am in the process of reworking my notes.  It is possible, especially when it comes to the structure of 1 John, that I might make some modifications in the outline.  Let’s get started.

1)    The Human Author: The Apostle John (i.e. not John the Baptist).

a)    He was an ordinary man.

i)      He was the son of Zebedee and Salome, Mt. 4:21.

ii)   He had an overly proud mother, Mk. 10:35.

iii)            He had a brother named James (also one of the Twelve, but not the one who wrote the NT Epistle of James), Mt. 4:21.

iv) He had a bad temper, Mk. 3:17 (illustrated in Luke 9:54).

v)    He lived in Galilee, probably in Bethsaida, a fishing village on the NW corner of the sea, Lk. 5:10.

vi) He was a fisherman, Mk. 1:19-20.

b)    He became a disciple of Christ:

i)      He had apparently been a disciple of John the Baptist, Jn. 1:35.

ii)   John the Baptist then introduced him to Christ, Jn. 1:35ff.

c)    He was then chosen as one of the Twelve (qualifications: Mk. 3:14-16; Acts 1:21-22).

i)      He was called to follow Jesus permanently while fishing, Mk. 1:19-20.

ii)   He was one of the three apostles closest to Jesus.

iii)            He saw Jesus raise Jairus’ daughter, M,. 5:37.

iv) He saw Jesus transfigured, Mk. 9:2.

v)    He lay close to Jesus’ side at the Passover seder in the Upper Room, Jn. 13:25.

vi) He went in close to Jesus with Peter and James at Gethsemane, Mk. 14:33.

vii)          He went in closer than any other at the trial of Jesus, Jn. 18:15-16.

viii)       He witnessed the crucifixion, Jn. 19:26-27.

ix) He saw the empty tomb the morning of the resurrection, Jn. 20:1-10.

x)    He recognized Jesus at the Sea of Galilee after the resurrection, Jn. 21:1-7.

xi) He was active in the early Church, Ac. 3-4.

xii)          He wrote the following NT books/epistles: The Gospel of John, 1, 2, 3 John, The Revelation of Jesus Christ.

d)    Lessons:

i)      This explains 1 John 1:1-2.  John knew the Word of Life (Jesus) personally and experientially.

ii)   Jesus wants ordinary men; you don’t have to have the ability to follow Him, only the willingness to follow Him.

iii)            Jesus wants men who are willing to follow ALL THE WAY.

iv) You cannot effectively witness for Christ unless you live close to Him, in a day-by-day relationship (Col. 1:16: let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; John 15:1-16: fruit comes only by abiding in Christ.

Psalm 123

We have turned our back on Meshech; we are confident of Help to see us to the end; we have a grand view of the goal. 

And so we begin; perhaps with small steps; we begin to walk away from the despair and deceit and destructive ways of Meshech.  But this means we must also, in some ways, walk away from the people of Meshech.  Here and there an activity will change, or we will drop a relationship.  And it will not be long before Meshech will notice.

If you have a holy discontent for this world and determine to walk away from it, what do you suppose those who are still in that world will think?  What will they say?  The contempt of the men of Meshech is the first problem for the pilgrim, and he experiences this before he even gets to the hills.

In v3, the word contempt is a term that assumes a superior position, and then looks down on others.  It is the opposite of reverence or regard.  In v4 scorn means to make fun of someone.

Illustrations of this contempt, of course, begin at the cross where mockers made fun of Jesus.  "If you are the Son of God come down from the cross.  He saved others but he cannot save Himself."  (See Ps. 22:6; Isa. 53:3; Mt. 27:42).  He taught His disciples that they must expect the same treatment (Jn 15:18-25).  Israel experienced contempt when they were rebuilding the walls.  Their neighbors called them "feeble Jews" and said that even "if a fox jumps on it, it will fall down" (Neh. 4:1-3).  For the Psalmist a recurring form of contempt was the question, "Where is your God?" when he was beset with trials (Ps. 42:3,10).  I once heard Christians referred to as those who base their lives on false pronouncements of ancient figmental deities.

This contempt or scorn must be expected.  The pilgrim must remember that no matter how congenial he may be with the people of Meshech, the fact is that when he determined to make his journey to God he turned his back on people with certain values and judgments.  He was saying he found life in Meshech to be unsatisfying and sought something better.  And when this happens to people who are proud (v4) they do not take it well.  They will feel they are being judged and will fight back.  Remember that pride is a way of life in Meshech.  You have lived there; you used to have the same attitude.

Do not be surprised by the contempt.  Instead, lift your eyes to the Lord for His mercy (v1-2).

We have noted that the pilgrim's first hindrance on the journey to God comes not from the hills ahead but from the city behind him.  He expects this because he has lived in that city and shared its pride and arrogance.  It's the kind of thing that comes from those who are self-righteous (Luke 18:9,11) or complacent (Job 12:5; men at ease have contempt for misfortune as pilgrims are wont to have).  He expects contempt because Christ Himself, the Ultimate Pilgrim on this earth, experienced contempt. 

We have said God will be the pilgrim's help.  So what is the pilgrim to do about contempt?  Should he be ready with a snappy retort?  Should he return insult for insult?  To the surprise of many the answer is "no!”

One thing the pilgrim is called to do in this Psalm: he must simply commit the contempt to God (v1-2).  Specifically, he looks to God as "the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress."  What does this mean?  Slaves have no power, no expectations, no rights.  For maids, as women, it is always worse.  When they are mistreated for their service to their master what can they do?  They simply look to the master for satisfaction.  They look reverently, obediently, attentively, continuously, expectantly, singly, submissively and imploringly.  And they do this until He has mercy.  All this precludes any hurt feelings.  This is not personal against the pilgrim; it is in fact directed toward the One to Whom he draws near.  So he commits it to the Maker of Heaven and Earth as Christ Himself did (1 Peter 4:19)

One should note that the Bible adds something beyond what this Psalm says about our response to insult.  Numerous New Testament passages say that, rather than returning insult, for insult we can and should return a blessing for an insult (Matt. 5:44; Rom. 12:14; 1 Peter 3:9).  Again, this response is reminiscent of Jesus Himself Who, from the cross, asked His Father to forgive the very ones pounding the nails.

Perhaps this first test for the pilgrim is a special opportunity to test his faith in the One Who promised to be his help in Ps. 121.  In a difficult moment the pilgrim is asked to simply give it to God.  Let God, in His time, in His way, deal with the matter.  Graciously, and with purpose, continue on to the place you long to be!

1 Tim. 4:6-16, The Preservation and Animation of Scripture

Because the Bible is inspired by God, it speaks with final authority, it is inerrant (without error) and infallible (always accomplishes its purpose).  For the same reason, the Bible has been preserved for succeeding generations and it is animated (endued with life).

·       Preservation

o   Definition: This refers to the lasting character of the Bible and affirms that it is not the result of accident, coincidence or good fortune but rather by the Sovereign hand of God.  On one hand, God does not promise to do this.  But on the other hand, if His word endures forever then it must be preserved. 

o   Scriptural evidence:

§  Psalm 119:89,152: Forever O Lord Thy Word is settled in heaven ... Concerning Thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them forever.

§  Matt. 24:35: ...but my words shall not pass away

§  I Peter 1:23: the word "which liveth & abideth forever"

·       Animation

o   Definition: This refers to the element of vitality or life which the Bible exhibits as does no other book.  We might say that some authors write books that are “lively.”  They are an easy read.  But the Bible is itself endued with life.  Literally!  Here is an abbreviated edition of this list of verses; they are more fully recorded in our blog on May 20, 2023.

o   Scriptural evidence:

§  Deut. 32:45-47: These are not just idle words; they are your life.  John 6:63: The words I have spoken they are spirit, they are life. See also Acts 7:38, Heb. 4:12, I Peter 1:23.

o   They have power to save.  Again, this is like no other book.  Many books are powerful, but the Bible has power to make a change in the soul of those who believe.

§  2 Tim. 3:15: The Scriptures are able to make you wise unto salvation.  James 1:21: Receive the implanted word that can save you.  I Peter 1:23: We are born again by the incorruptible seed, the word of God.  See also Romans 1:16; 10:17; 2 Pet 1:4.

o   Power to sanctify

§  John 17:17-19: sanctify them by Thy truth; Thy word is truth.  Acts 20:28: Commit to God & Word of His grace which can build you up, give inheritance among sanctified.  See also Eph.5:26; I Thess 2:13; I Peter 2:2.

This concludes our studies in “Bibliology,” the Doctrine of the Bible.  This Book is so rich, and will bring the sinner into a relationship with God the Creator.  For that reason, Satan’s chief work is to discourage us from the study, memorization and application of this Book.  “Do not give the devil a foothold” (Eph. 4:27).

Matthew 4:1-11, The Infallibility of Scripture

Some scholars consider “inerrant” and “infallible” to be the same.  I’m not a scholar, but I like to differentiate.  One means Scripture is without error, the other that Scripture cannot fail to accomplish its purpose.  Here is “infallibility.”

·       Psalm 33:11: But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of His heart through all generations. 

·       Prov. 19:21: Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.

·       Prov. 21:30: There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.

·       Isa. 14:24: The Lord Almighty has sworn, "Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand."

·       Isa. 25:1: O Lord, you are my God, I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.

·       Isa. 46:9-11: Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God and there is no other, I am God, and there is none like me.  I make known the end from the beginning from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand and will do all that I please.  From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. 

·       Isa. 55:11: 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.

·       Matt. 5:17-18: I did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it.

·       Luke 24:44: Everything must be fulfilled that was written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.

·       Heb. 6:17: Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath.

In some of the above passages it is God who is “infallible.”  But I will remind you that God has revealed His purposes to us in His “Special Revelation,” the Bible.  He reveals His plans to the prophets (Gen. 18:17-19; Amos 3:7; John 15:15).  Here are a few thoughts from Scripture on the purpose of Scripture.

·       To make men wise unto salvation.  2 Tim. 3:15 uses these exact words.  James 1:21 calls us to “humbly accept the word planted in you which can save you.”

·       To present men perfect before Christ.  The Bible is a “lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Ps. 119:105).  But also, when we need it, God’s word is like a fire and a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces (Jer. 23:29).  As a reminder, “infallibility” is one of those results of “inspiration.”  Because the Bible is “God-breathed” it is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (2 Tim. 3:16-17).  The Bible is able to delve into the deepest recesses of our being and enable us to see what is actually there (Heb. 4:12). 

Based on this, how sufficient are the Scriptures today in areas of...

·       Psychology: Take a look again as Psalm 19:7-11 and answer this question. 

·       Pragmatism (methodology in the church, where there is often an over-emphasis on the flashy, spectacular, or popular rather than on the teaching and preaching the Word): Again, take a look at 2 Tim. 3:16-17.  What will the Scripture do?  It will do for us exactly what must be done that we might be transformed into the image of Christ.

·       Spiritual warfare: Eph. 6:10-20 tells us our part in battling Satan.  It requires a life committed to Christ and committed to the memorization of God’s Word (Psalm 119:11).  Do you doubt this?  Look at Jesus using the word of God in today’s passage (Matt. 4:1-11).

We can go on in every discipline in life.  Can I let the Psalmist make my point?  This is from Psalm 119:

⁹⁸ You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies;
For they are ever with me.
⁹⁹ I have more understanding than all my teachers,
For Your testimonies are my meditation.
¹⁰⁰ I understand more than the ancients,
Because I keep Your precepts.

2 Timothy 3:10-16, The Inerrancy of Scripture (3)

This might not be as detailed as you might like, but there are books and web pages that exist on this subject.  Are their errors in the Bible?  It would seem there are things at odds, perhaps differing numbers from lists that are supposed to be the same.  And sometimes things more important than that.  So what about these?  First, here are some general answers.

·       Many difficulties already have highly probable solutions.

·       For others, the evidence is not in.

·       Many are based on presuppositions of the critics (those who deny the possibility of predicted prophecy, or who deny the supernatural).

·       Many alleged errors offer great division on the part of the critics.

The statement from the church doctrinal statement we quoted in an earlier post indicates inerrancy applies to the original autographs.  That might make it doubtful that we have a very good copy of the Bible it the only reliable one is the original.  (We will discuss the doctrine of “preservation” later which deals with this.)  But we can say that the confirming data tells us that what we have is very reliable.  I am still in awe of God’s preservation after the Dead Sea Scrolls took us back several hundred years earlier than our oldest manuscripts, and they were identical.  It is ultimately a faith matter, but the evidence points to very reliable manuscripts.

Here are a few illustrations of “supposed errors” and their answer.

1)    Supposed error: Matt.22:42 and Luke 20:41 record differently the same question asked by Christ.  He must have said one or the other or neither.

a)    Answer: A harmony of the passages shows that each was recording part of the conversation. "Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, 'What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?'  They said to him, 'The son of David'" (Mt.22:41) "But he said to them, 'How can they say that the Christ is David's son?'" (Lk.20:41)

2)    Supposed error: In 2 Chron. 4:2 the "molten sea" is said to have a 10 cubit diameter and 30 cubit circumference.  This cannot be, since it is said to be round.

a)    Answer: Facts...Cubit = 18"; handbreadth = 4"...Sea is said to be, thus, 180" across, and 4" thick (v5). If the 8" (2 thicknesses) is taken from the 180" diameter it leaves 172" which when multiplied by pi (3.14) it equals 540.08 inches which is 30 cubits.  The diameter was measured to the outer rim, the circumference on the inner rim.

3)    Supposed error: Mark 2:26 says David ate the bread "when Abiathar was high priest" but 1Sam.21:1ff says the HP was Ahimelech, the son of Abiathar.

a)    Answer: Another reading in Mark is quite likely, as in NIV, "In the days of Abiathar the High Priest." I.e. it is not necessarily that he served as HP at the time but, like those in Jesus time (Annas and his son Caiaphas), was a principle party serving under or alongside his father.

4)    Supposed error: Contradiction in numbers, I Cor 10 says 23,000 fell but Num.25:9 says 24,000.  A manuscript error is not likely.

a)    Answer: Possible transmission error since Hebrew numbers were easy to confuse in the way they were written.  Further, the 2 numbers could represent approximations of the actual number which might have been in-between.  Further, Paul's number may exclude some put to death by the leaders (Num.25:5) and not specifically killed in the plague.

The word of the omniscient and all-wise God must display perfect knowledge and wisdom.  In the Bible we have such a word.  Today is Thanksgiving Day in the USA.  Here is something for which we can give thanks: the inspired, inerrant, authoritative word of God!

Psalm 19:7-14, The Inerrancy of Scripture (2)

What is the basis for the doctrine of inerrancy?  Do I believe the Bible to be without error because …

1.    Archaeology and science have shown it to be true.

2.    It is the inspired Word of God.

3.    It stands alone in comparison to other ‘sacred books.’

4.    I have personally found it to be life-changing.

The only appropriate answer is #2.  #1 makes science “god;” #3 makes reason “god;” and #4 makes experience “god.”  I bring that to your attention because I do think there is truth to each statement.  But the others (#1,3,4) might help to confirm in my own heart the truth of the Bible. 

·       Archaeology does that.  The previous generation of archaeologists in Israel (Yigael Yadin comes to mind) actually trusted the Bible to guide their digging.  If the Bible indicates a certain place contained something important, they would dig there and find it.  One of my favorite sources of late that demonstrates this is Randall Price’s Zondervan Handbook of Biblical Archaeology.

·       The “consistency” of the Bible confirms inerrancy.  It doesn’t contradict itself.  The Bible was written by around 40 different human authors over 1400 years.  But there is not the contradiction you would find in any other book like that.  It gives you the idea that there must have been one Author behind it all.

·       The practical efficacy (its life-changing value) also confirms the Bible.  To this day, people who commit themselves to the God of the Bible find that the truths of Scripture change their perspectives and actions in life in such a way as to bring peace and purpose.  In today’s passage the power of the Bible in life is stressed.  It changes the soul, makes a person wise, brings joy to the heart and so forth. 

Without going into detail, I believe that other “sacred” books cannot say this.  The Book of Mormon tells stories of people that have never been seen in the books of history of archaeology.  Not to mention that the same book contradicts itself and contradicts other books (principally the Bible) held sacred by the LDS.  Some sacred books, particularly of the “Eastern religions,” do not make pronouncements on historical events and locations.  The fact that the Bible does mention these types of things is part of the whole underpinning of the Bible: it is ultimately the story of God coming to earth, in a real time, culture and geographical location.  Read the story of Christmas again sometime (Luke 2:1-20) and see how many details of the Roman empire were given when telling the story of His birth.  History matters and must be accurate.

Psalm 119:153-160, The Inerrancy of Scripture (1)

Let’s review.  Because of the “inspiration” of Scripture, we can say five things about the Bible: it speaks with the authority of God, it is inerrant and infallible, it will be preserved so God can speak throughout history, and it is living. 

Let us now consider the doctrine of “inerrancy.”  Because the Scriptures are inspired by a holy God, they are without error in any and every part.  Here is the related statement from a doctrinal state from one of the churches I pastored:

We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as verbally inspired of God and inerrant in the original writing, and that they are of supreme and final authority in faith and life.

In the age of the Church there have been many attacks on this doctrine.  Sometimes it came from translations.  The Revised Standard Version was the first serious translation by men who denied this doctrine.  The New English Bible, on the basis of the views of the translators, actually rearranged sections of Job and Zechariah, showing they did not believe what was handed down was without error.

Sometimes it was from the interpreters of Scripture.  Social liberalism (1800-1900s) ascribed to naturalism, debunking all supernaturalism as myth. Thus, they made science god over the Bible, and even robbed us of salvation: the golden rule became the key verse in the Bible rather than John 3:16.

We have been told that we can have an inerrant gospel, a saving Christ and a trustworthy Bible while having a Bible with errors.  Many of us, myself included, consider that to be ridiculous.  A book that gets it wrong about things we can check by our senses can’t be trusted to get it right when talking about spiritual and heavenly things that we can’t see.

The Bible claims inerrancy for itself. 

·       Here is a passage that brings together the perfect God and His proven word: As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him (2 Sam. 22:1).  Another thing this passage does is join the proven word and its value in the lives of the saints.  You can trust God because what He has said is true.  Furthermore, notice the words chosen by the Spirit.  God’s way is “perfect” meaning it is whole or complete.  The term “proven” is the standard term for smelting or refining precious metal.  It has been tried in life situations and always been true to the occasion.  Always!

·       Psalm 12:6 speaks of the “proven” idea: The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.  “Tried” is the same Hebrew term as “proven” in the previous passage.

·       Psalm 119:160 says, The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.  This adds two thoughts.  All of Scripture is truth (firm, true, faithful).  And it will never cease to be true. 

·       Prov. 30:5 builds on previous passages: Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.  What it might emphasize is “ever word.”  The Bible can’t be wrong on “unimportant” facts but true on what really matters, as some want to maintain.

·       Jesus maintained the inerrancy of Scripture: If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scriptures cannot be broken) … (Jn. 10:35).  “Broken” means to “loosen” and is used in many contexts.  The Scriptures cannot be annulled or denied.  For Jesus, “Scriptures” refers to the entirety of the OT.  Remember Luke 24:44-45: when He opened up the “Scriptures” He was talking abut “the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms.”

·       Jesus said it plainly: Sanctify them by Your truth.  Your word is truth (Jn. 17:17).