Is the Bible Just a Book? Why the Authority of Scripture Still Matters
In a world of shifting truths and “personal” realities, where can we find a foundation that doesn’t move?. At The Valley Remnant Church, we believe the answer is found in a conviction that has sustained the faithful for centuries: the total trustworthiness of the Word of God.
A History of Standing Firm
On October 26, 1978, a remarkable gathering of 268 theologians, pastors, and scholars met in Chicago to draw a line in the sand. They were responding to a “drift” in the church—a move away from the belief that the Bible is without error.
This wasn’t just an academic debate. These leaders knew that if we move away from the inerrancy of Scripture, we untether the church from her moorings and lose our authority in life and worship. To stray from Scripture is, ultimately, disloyalty to our Master.
Trusting the Source: It’s “God-Breathed”
You might ask, “How can I trust a book written by 40 different men over 1,500 years?”. The answer lies in the nature of the writing itself.
The Bible isn’t just “inspired” in the way a sunset inspires a painting. The Greek word used in the New Testament is Theopneustos—meaning God-breathed.
- The Process: God used the unique personalities and life experiences of shepherds, kings, and fishermen to breathe out exactly what He wanted us to know about Himself.
- The Unity: Despite being written on three continents over 60 generations, the Bible tells one cohesive story of one God saving one people for His glory.
The Strength to Withstand Scrutiny
The Bible is more than just “spiritual” or “sacred”—it is living, active, and remarkably durable. Long before modern science “discovered” certain truths, Scripture had already spoken:
- The Cosmos: While humanity once struggled to understand the universe, Genesis 1:1 established the origin of time, space, and matter.
- The Earth: Job 26:7 describes the earth hanging upon nothing, and Isaiah spoke of the “circle of the earth” long before it was common knowledge.
- The Depths: Scripture mentioned the “paths of the sea” centuries before oceanography mapped underwater currents.
Let the Lion Out of the Cage
The great preacher Charles Spurgeon once said, “Defend the Bible? I’d sooner defend a lion. You don’t defend the Bible; you open its cage and let it roar!”.
At The Valley Remnant Church, we don’t try to impose our feelings onto the text. Instead, we let the Scriptures interpret the Scriptures. When we come to the Word with a “grammatical-historical” perspective—looking at the original language and the author’s intent—the truth of God’s message becomes clear.
Your Next Step
The Bible is a mirror to our souls. It shows us our faults, but more importantly, it shows us the Savior who lived the perfect life we could not.
Are you searching for a firm foundation? We invite you to join us this Sunday at The Valley Remnant Church as we study the Word together. Don’t just take our word for it—search the Scriptures daily to see if these things are true.
The term comes from the Greek word Theopneustos. It signifies that Scripture was “breathed out” by God rather than “breathed in” by man. While God used the unique personalities and experiences of approximately 40 different authors, He guided them to record exactly what He intended.
Despite being penned over 15 centuries across three different continents, the Bible maintains a single, non-contradictory story. It tells one message about one God saving a people for His glory. Furthermore, Jesus Christ Himself treated the Old Testament as historical fact and total truth.
On the contrary, Scripture frequently predates scientific discovery. For instance, the Bible described the earth hanging “upon nothing” and mentioned the “paths of the sea” long before these were established scientific facts.
