Concerning the Word

"So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us" (Heb. 6:17-18).

The author of Hebrews expresses an important truth in this passage, it is impossible for God to lie. This truth teaches us that, at the fundamental level of his nature, God is above deception. He is incapable of misleading. The truth that God cannot lie informs us as we read other Scriptures. When Paul states, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness" (2 Tim. 3:16), he is stating that the words of Scripture are trustworthy and true; because, they have been spoken by God.

The God of Scripture reveals himself to be holy, righteous, and perfect (see 1 Pet. 1:13-21). This depiction of God leads us to the logical conclusion that Scriptures are without error. Any perceived error in Scripture ultimately rests in a mistrust of God. When we doubt the Scriptures it really means we are doubting God. Our confidence in Scripture rests in our belief that it was the Holy Spirit who spoke through the prophets and other writers (2 Pet. 1:20-21). Since it was God who spoke, it is God who preserves.

For this reason, Jesus instructs us to build our lives upon his word (see Matt 7:24-27). What did Jesus teach about the Scripture? In Luke 24:44, Jesus makes reference to the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms which is a reference to the divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures which (although divided differently) correlates to our Old Testament. These Scriptures according to Jesus all point to him. As we study the Old and New Testaments we see the prophets, the apostles, and even Jesus pointed to a divinely inspired, accurate, and authoritative Word. We are called to trust this Word from beginning to end.