God Himself is the Author

The Bible is God’s message to you. It is the highest authority you have to govern your life in all matters of faith and practice. Both the act of believing and the specific content of what you believe come from hearing and studying the Word of God.

It is not for the church to decide what the Scriptures teach; rather, it is the Scriptures that decide what the church must teach. It is not up to us to pick and choose parts of the Word while rejecting the rest, nor to sit as critics of the Bible. Instead, as your critic and judge, the Word determines what is acceptable in your life.

While some erroneously teach that truth is relative to current conditions or cultural circumstances, wrong is still wrong, and right is still right. Truth and righteousness are absolute, and God’s Word remains infallible. We must fully believe and obey it all.

Scriptural References: Exodus 24:12, Deuteronomy 6:6-9, Psalm 19:7-10, Isaiah 34:16, Mark 7:13, Romans 10:17, Ephesians 6:17, Hebrews 4:12

Men Wrote as They Were Inspired

God used approximately forty men over a period of 1,600 years to pen the Scriptures. The Holy Spirit moved upon these selected men, inspiring them to write His Word accurately and in detail.

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." — II Timothy 3:16-17

The phrase “given by inspiration of God” comes from a Greek word meaning “God-breathed.” The Scriptures are the result of divine breathing, just as human speech is uttered by breathing through one’s mouth. In writing the Bible, these holy men became God’s vocal cords.

Scriptural References: Exodus 34:27, Deuteronomy 27:3, Joshua 24:26, I Samuel 10:25, Isaiah 30:8, Jeremiah 30:1-2, Luke 1:1-3, John 5:46, II Thessalonians 3:17, Hebrews 1:1, II Peter 1:20-21, Revelation 1:1-3

The Bible is Without Error

The Bible is inerrant, meaning it cannot fail or be false to the slightest degree. It is the Word of salvation, and it will be true and useful forever.

Every word is true. Every promise will be fulfilled. Every prophecy will come to pass. If the Bible were merely a result of man’s growing knowledge, it would be full of outdated ideas that would have been proven false by now. Yet, it remains true and unchanged because it is the Word of God.

Despite the importance the Bible places on simple words (Hebrews 12:27), the tense of a verb (Luke 20:37), and even a single letter (Galatians 3:16), it holds no error. Because it is pure, it is able to purify and save. The Psalmist declared that a man’s way is cleansed by the Word; Jesus stated that we are sanctified through the Word; and Paul affirmed that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation.

Scriptural References: Psalm 12:6, Psalm 19:8, Psalm 119:9, Psalm 119:89, Psalm 119:105, Psalm 119:130, Proverbs 30:5, Isaiah 40:8, Luke 21:33, John 15:3, John 17:17, John 20:30-31, Romans 1:16, Romans 15:4, I Corinthians 10:11, Ephesians 5:26, Hebrews 4:12, I Peter 1:25, II Peter 1:19

We Must Not Be Ignorant of Scripture

Bible study is vital to our spiritual development and our relationship with God. To defeat Satan during His temptation in the wilderness, Jesus Himself quoted passages of Scripture He had undoubtedly learned as a young person.

In your own fight against the adversary, you can wield the "sword of the Spirit" only to the degree that you know and live the Word of God.

The Bible is a mirror. Not only do you see yourself as you are now (James 1:23-24), but by continuing to look into it deeply and openly, you will see yourself changed from glory to glory to look more like Jesus (II Corinthians 3:18).

Scriptural References: Deuteronomy 17:19, II Chronicles 17:9, Nehemiah 8:1-8, Psalm 119:11, Isaiah 34:16, Hosea 4:6, Matthew 4:4, Matthew 22:29, John 5:39, Acts 17:11, II Timothy 2:15

The Word is Food for the Soul

Mankind is both physical and spiritual. Just as your body must have food to be nourished and grow, your spirit requires the Word of God to be healthy and strong.

Jesus quoted Scripture stating that mankind has an innate need not only for bread but for every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. It is true that “you are what you eat.” You cannot eat candy meal after meal and expect to be healthy. Neither can you allow your spirit to ingest the “junk food” of this world and expect to be spiritually strong. You need a daily diet of the wholesome Word of God.

Scriptural References: Deuteronomy 8:3, Job 23:12, Psalm 119:103, Jeremiah 15:16, Matthew 4:4, I Peter 2:2

The Word Must be Loved and Hidden in the Heart

It is not enough to merely be a student of the Bible. As the Apostle Paul wrote, knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. It is not enough to have the Word in your head only; you must approach it with a heartfelt passion that saturates you from the inside out.

In the last days, God warns of a strong delusion sent upon those who do not receive a love of the truth (II Thessalonians 2:10-11). You will be saved from believing a lie not simply by knowing the truth, but by loving it.

Scriptural References: Deuteronomy 6:6, Joshua 1:8, Psalm 37:31, Psalm 40:8, Psalm 119:11-16, Psalm 119:72, Psalm 119:97, Psalm 119:130, Psalm 119:140, Romans 10:8, Colossians 3:16, Hebrews 8:10