Pioneer Christian Monthly - September, 1993

The Word Of God
John Muller

One of the things that distinguishes us in the Reformed churches is our emphasis on the authority of the Scriptures and the centrality of preaching the Bible.

The Bible is the most important book in the world. Its massive influence upon our culture and civilization is acknowledged by many who do not necessarily believe its contents.

Our BELGIC CONFESSION states that "we confess that this Word of God was not sent, nor delivered, by the will of man, but that holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." The Word of God makes God more clearly and fully known than He is known through His general revelation in the world about us. The Bible is not of human origin, even though it comes to us through human instruments. It commands our obedience and respect because it comes from a source with superior wisdom and might.

Revelation is not man's search for God,'but it is God seeking for men. "Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." (H Peter 1-21). The verb translated "moved" means literally to be home or carried along. It is expressive of the way God inspired men to write. They were His chosen instruments who were prepared and called by God. God gave them a message, and so guided them that they became His spokesmen, thus proclaiming His truth.

The CONFESSION states that "afterwards God, from a special care which He has for us and for our salvation. commanded His servants, the prophets and the apostles, to commit I-Iis revealed Word to writing."

God had made Himself known to His people. He had revealed Himself. It was unwritten, and was passed on from generation to generation. It became the heart of Israel's religious tradition.

Unwritten tradition is in danger of being perverted, despite great care in transmission. So it pleased God in His infinite wisdom "from a special care which He has for us and for our salvation" to have His Word put into writing by means of Spirit-possessed people.

His Word was inscripturated, written down to preserve what God had been saying. God authorized, indeed commanded, this writing. It stands as a faithful reminder of what God has spoken. Henceforth teachings can be tested and measured thereby. What has been recorded can be studied and analyzed by us. At the heart of all literary efforts is this most valuable treasure, the written Word of God.

Not all that God has spoken has been put into writing. At the end of his Gospel about Jesus' life John said: "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they should all be written, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written." (John 21:25) Not all has been preserved for the church by the Holy Spirit, but what has been preserved has been for a purpose. John states the purpose of his writings: "These are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you might have fife through His name." (John 20:31) It is evident from the productions of other Biblical writers that they also had purpose in their writings.

The revelation of God in the written Word was superintended by God Himself. Because of His "special care" the inmost center of His revelation was put into writing. The Bible does not contain a record of all the works of God but it contains enough for our salvation, and that is sufficient.

God's Word is specially addressed to our fallenness. We are stubborn sinners, but God is just as strong in His intent to redeem. Hence the written Word of God was inspired by God's "special care which He has for us and our salvation." The great purpose of the written Word is redemptive. We attend to Scriptures to discover how we may become wise - wise unto salvation, instructed "for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." (2 Tim. 3:15)

Because the Bible is such a book we call its writings "holy and divine Scriptures." There are many books, there is only one Bible, the Word of God to man. If we disparage it, we disparage Him Who gave it. To be disrespectful of the Bible will bear its own bitter fruit.

Yet since the mid-1800's great changes have come in attitudes toward the Bible. Destructive higher criticism has questioned the authority of the Scriptures. "Starting from a naturalistic foundation many scholars have believed the Bible to be nothing more than a human attempt to interpret the religious experience of one small part of mankind." (Osterhaven) Human reason is placed in the saddle and dictates what is the Word of God and what is not.

Some of that attitude of rationalistic liberalism has passed, but don't be fooled that it is gone. It is still firmly entrenched in many of our seminaries, and shows up in many a pulpit. Human reason still rules in many circles. We have to decide what will be our ultimate nonn, and our final court of authority. Our teaching and preaching must emphasize "It is written; thus saith the Lord."

The Church of Jesus Christ reformed according to the Word of God believes and accepts the Bible as the Word of God, for as it knows that "all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flowers of the field. The grass withers, and the flower thereof falls away, but the Word of the Lord endures forever." (I Peter 1:24ff)

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