Scripture: Unity

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).