Chapter 4 | What Is the Bible? Revelation: The Doctrine of Scripture
Key Verse: All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
For Further Study*
Book:
How We Got the Bible, by Neil Lightfoot
Podcast:
“Is the Bible a Human Book or a Supernatural One?” Stand to Reason, with Greg Koukl
Article:
“What is Shaping You,” Nancy Guthrie
Video:
“The Top Three Reasons the Bible Is Reliable,” by Jay Warner & Jimr, Cold Case Christianity
Video series:
“Evidence for the Bible,” BibleThinker
Infographics:
“Comparing Ancient Manuscripts,” Institute for New Testament Textual Research
“Evidence for the Reliability of the Bible,” Timothy Keller, The Reason for God
Theology with Old Friends:
Kids’ Content:
“The Bible Is Reliable,” Kids Answers
“Buck Denver Asks…What’s in the Bible?” What’s in the Bible video
Summary:
Brief Definition: God can be truly known. He graciously makes Himself known to us through Scripture. The Bible is inspired, authoritative, inerrant, infallible, necessary, sufficient, and clear.
We do not discover God. We don’t stumble across Him or search Him out, but rather, He makes Himself known. He reveals Himself to us. We cannot know God unless He gives Himself to us in revelation.
General Revelation (Psalm 19:1-2)
God makes Himself known in what He makes. Creation glorifies and reveals its Creator.
(Romans 1:18-20)
Our natural response is to suppress the truth of God in His creation. We take the things God has created and worship them as though they were the Creator. We worship the made and not the Maker.
Special Revelation
Specific audience (believers), and a specific purpose (salvation). God reveals knowledge sufficient for salvation in Christ in the Scriptures.
Christ
Jesus shows us exactly what God is like. He is “the image of the invisible God.” He is the exact imprint of the nature and character of God. When we come to know who Jesus is, we come to know who God is (Hebrews 1:1-3).
Bible
A collection of sixty-six books written across about 1500 years, by more than forty different authors. The fact that its message is consistent and has withstood the test of time is evidence of its miraculous origins and nature.
What Does the Bible Do?
The Bible grows our relationship with the God it proclaims and transforms us into the image of Christ.
The text the Holy Spirit inspires is also the text the Holy Spirit employs to illuminate our hearts and minds to know and love God. The Holy Spirit illumines our darkened hearts and minds so we can understand and be transformed by Scripture.
The Bible is not just a text that informs us but a text that transforms us.
The Bible invites us to know and love God.
Discussion/Reflection Questions:
1. What personal experience have you had with general revelation? Describe the most worshipful moment you have had in nature or the most worshipful non-manmade place you have been.
2. Which of the seven attributes of Scripture is easiest for you to understand and affirm? Which is the hardest? Why?
3. As you read this chapter, what additional passages of Scripture came to mind that support the doctrine of revelation?
4. How has your relationship with the Bible drawn you into deeper relationship with God? What passages are most precious to you? Why?
*Disclaimer: Our ultimate authority and resource will always be the Bible, and any other resource should be used as a supplement. While we believe the authors represented here have done excellent work to provide insight and clarity in these topics, we may not endorse every statement, or position they hold (past, present, future).
