Scripture:
Unity
Not only is the
Bible inspired, inerrant, infallible, sufficient, authoritative,
clear, and necessary, it is one. The word of God forms a cohesive
unit. Scripture reveals a consistent and unified drama where God
takes center stage and acts upon his creatures and creation with his
glory and the salvation of sinners as the plot.
Authorship of Scripture demonstrates unity. The Bible
developed over fifteen centuries and in three languages. But its
message and history is intricate and precise. The fact that there is
unity in a book as diverse as the Bible is proof that God is the
Author. Only God could take something so different and complex and
make it coherent, ordered, and seamless.
The Bible was composed by over forty different human
authors. These writers were each unique. They had various
backgrounds, strengths, weaknesses, educations, circumstances, and
abilities. They were kings, fishermen, tax collectors, prophets,
shepherds, learned, and unlearned. These writers did not know each
other or collaborate. Yet, all of their writings are unified and
correspond with each other even though they were separated by time
and space, culture and language, circumstances and providences. And
look at the result. We have sixty-six books that form a unit, but
were all written differently and with divergent styles. The
collection includes historical narratives, poetry, songs, prayers,
prophecies, apocalyptic literature, parables, sermons, letters, and
genealogies.
It is truly astounding, then, that Scripture is
unified. If we were to try to duplicate this today, there is no
telling what we would end up with. Think of it- if we were to take
forty people who spoke three languages, put them in separate places
with no contact with one another, and tell them to write a religious
text, the result would be chaos- further proof of divine authorship
of the Bible.
The Bible is unified in its theology. It is not
surprising that the word is consistent in doctrine. With the Lord of
Glory overseeing this monumental project, there was no chance of
errors, inconsistencies, contradictions, or inaccuracies. God and
his nature, creation, God's will and purpose, angels, demons, the
Son, the Spirit, the deity and humanity of Christ, the deity of the
Spirit, salvation, covenants, man, sin, to name a few doctrines, are
revealed and discussed in various ways by different authors in
varying contexts, but with precision and accuracy. There are no
contradictions. In fact, the Bible builds on what had come before.
The Lord revealed himself progressively which resulted in conformity
and perfect agreement between authors and content. Amazing! But,
what would we expect? Our God is awe-inspiring.
Not only does the Bible demonstrate unity with its
authorship, but it is united in its theme and message. It is
remarkable that both testaments write on the common theme of Christ
and his redemption. The Old Testament foreshadowed the coming of
Christ and his work in types, shadows, promises, prophecies, and
ceremonies. The New Testament recorded key events in the life of
Christ and looked back on his work in an effort to expound and
proclaim it for the masses. There is a remarkable unity between the
testaments. Scripture, as a whole, has Christ as the subject,
redemption as the theme, the cross as its message, and the glory of
God as its goal.
Allow me to close by simply quoting Scripture. Think,
ponder, meditate, and worship as you read the word of God. Stand in
awe of God and be thankful for his revelation to man. Praise him for
the inspiration, infallibility, inerrancy, sufficiency, clarity, and
unity of his word. Don't take Scripture for granted. We have access
to the mind and heart of God- the God who created and sustains all
things for his glory and the good of his children. Men have given
their lives for the word of God. Christians all over the world wish
they had Bibles. Take advantage of the privilege you have!
“You
search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal
life; and it is they that bear witness about me” (Jn. 5:39).
“
For
if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me”
(Jn. 5:46).
“
And
he said to them, 'O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all
that the prophets have spoken!
Was it not necessary
that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?'
And
beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in
all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Lk. 24:25-27).
“Men
of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you
by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through
him in your midst, as you yourselves know-
this Jesus, delivered
up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you
crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
God raised him up,
loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be
held by it. For
David says concerning him, 'I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore
my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell
in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or
let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to
me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your
presence.' Brothers, I may say to you with confidence
about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his
tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet,
and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set
one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke
about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to
Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God
raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being
therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from
the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this
that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did
not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, 'The Lord said to
my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies
your footstool.' Let all the house of Israel therefore
know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this
Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:25-36).
“
And when Peter
saw it he addressed the people: 'Men of Israel, why do you wonder at
this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety
we have made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his
servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of
Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you
denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be
granted to you, and you killed the Author of life, whom
God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. And
his name-by faith in his name-has made this man strong whom you see
and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this
perfect health in the presence of you all. And now,
brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your
rulers. But what God foretold by the mouth of all the
prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled.
Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted
out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence
of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you,
Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for
restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his
holy prophets long ago. Moses said, 'The Lord God will
raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall
listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be
that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be
destroyed from the people.' And all the prophets who have
spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed
these days. You are the sons of the prophets and of the
covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in
your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.'
God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to
bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness” (Acts
3:12-26).
“When
they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the
chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when
they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said,
'Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and
everything in them, who through the mouth of our father
David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, 'Why did the Gentiles
rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the
earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against
the Lord and against his Anointed'-for truly in this city there were
gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed,
both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the
peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan
had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon
their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your
word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to
heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your
holy servant Jesus.' And when they had prayed, the place
in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all
filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God
with boldness” (Acts 4:23-31).
“Oh,
the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How
unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
'For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his
counselor?' 'Or who has given a gift to him that he might be
repaid?' For from him and through him and to him are all
things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:33-36).
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