“The Bible” is a new docudrama on the History Channel featuring stories from the Bible covering Genesis to Revelation. I am not using this blog to criticize the series. In fact, that is not what these posts will be about that at all. But the series and the blogs/tweets/posts that have surrounded it did spur on some recent personal reflection about what the Bible means to me and how it has come to be important in my day to day life. For me, the Bible is much more than a book of wonderful and true stories. While I believe the stories have impact and relevance in my life, the Bible is a book that contains all there is to know about Jesus, Who is much more “than words on a page of history.”

I am blessed to have grown up with parents who hold a high view of Scripture and who passed that on to me. All my life, I have been involved in several bible studies/small groups. I continue to be amazed at the insights I gain from studying God’s word and the clarity that God brings to my heart and my mind the more I study.

As I continue to seek God’s heart through His word, and as I have the opportunity to share some of what I’m learning with others through teaching and/or writing, I am reminded of several important – what I might even say are crucial – presuppositions and principles when approaching Bible study. As I share some of my thoughts about how I came to my particular views about the Bible and its content, I think it’s important to start “in the beginning”. 🙂 So I will let JI Packer speak for me today because his words express so well how I view Scripture and the way I interpret it in order to apply it. In the next few posts, I will spend some time sharing how this approach personally affects my day to day interpretation and application of what I consider to be the only infallibly inspired book that there is.
“Its text is word for word God-given; its message is an organic unity, the infallible Word of an infallible God, a web of revealed truth centered upon Christ; it must be interpreted in its natural sense, on the assumption of its inner harmony; and its meaning can be grasped only by those who humbly seek and gladly receive the help of the Holy Spirit.”

As John Piper says about the Bible – “it is the only MUST read” book out there. There are many great books and authors that help me understand Bible thoughts and teachings, but if all I had was the Bible itself, it would be all I need (with the Spirit’s guidance) to know God and to follow Him because His word is . . .
able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus and is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person dedicated to God may be capable and equipped for every good work.