The
Purpose of the Scriptures
The primary purpose of the Scriptures is to point people to
Jesus Christ (Luke 24:27, 32, 44-48).
“The Father who sent Me has Himself testified concerning Me . .
. . These are the Scriptures that testify about Me . . .” (John 5:37-39).
We can trust the Bible as the Word of God because God is the divine
author. Yes, men wrote, but God stood behind the written word. Men used their own
vocabulary and style of writing, but God guided over them in their choice of words. Men
wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. Peter expressed this clearly, “No
prophecy ever came by the impulse of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from
God” (2 Peter 1:21). It was not thought up by the prophets, but rather inspired by
God.
The word Peter uses for “moved” is used for “blown by
a violent wind” (Acts 2:2), and a ship that is carried along by a wind (27:15, 17). The metaphor Peter uses here is that of the
prophets raised their sails and the Holy Spirit filled them and carried their craft along
in the direction He wished. The Holy Spirit carried them along and they spoke His message.
The Holy Spirit “moved” the writers of the Bible along in
their writing to produce the words that God intended them to write. They wrote as men moved
by the Holy Spirit. They were “being borne along” by the Spirit. The New English Bible translates, “Men they
were, but, impelled by the Holy Spirit, they spoke the words of God.” The result is
the divinely inspired and inerrant Word of God in the original manuscripts.
Jesus believed in the full inspiration and divine authority of the
Old Testament Scriptures. I, too, fully accept the plenary verbal inspiration of the
Bible. It is fully inspired of God. God gave us His Word and since it is His Word it is
without error.
Because we have a fully trustworthy Bible we can accept its message
without reservation. The message of the Scriptures is the good news in Jesus Christ. Its
purpose is to reveal Christ and His atoning work of salvation of sinners. The Scriptures,
Jesus said, “bear witness of Me” (John 5:39).
The two men on the road to Emmaus discovered this great truth as they
walked with Jesus on the day of His resurrection (Luke 24:32). Jesus opened their hearts
and their eyes to see that He was the fulfillment of all the Scriptures. He listened to
them discuss the events of His own crucifixion and the rumors of His resurrection and then
He said, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have
spoken!” (v. 25). He admonished them to “believe in all that the prophets have
spoken” because it is God’s word and it is fully inspired. What was it He wanted
them to accept? It was the teaching about His suffering and His entering into His glory.
What did He teach as they walked down the road? “And beginning with Moses and with
all the prophets He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the
Scriptures” (v. 27). Jesus explained, opened up completely, thoroughly and
intensively the Scriptures to them (v. 32). If you want to know more of what He taught
them along the road go to
Christ in the Old
Testament. As Jesus spoke to them their minds were opened, and their hearts
burned within them. That is what should happen to us as we look for Christ in both the Old
and the New Testaments (vv. 44-45).
The Holy Spirit has to open the eyes of the mind so we can understand
the great truths of the gospel (v. 45). When He opens our spiritual eyes we can recognize
Him and worship Him. However, just like those two disciples, we cannot see Him spiritually
until He opens our eyes to see Him.
God gave the scriptures so that you and I might come to Jesus Christ
and receive eternal life. In the Son of God we have a true knowledge of the Father. God
has spoken in His word about Christ so there is therefore now no excuse for not putting
your faith in Christ as your Savior.
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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