John Wesley said that the Bible must have been written by God, or good men, or bad men, or angels, or devils.
However he reasoned, bad men or devils would not write it because of the condemnation of sin and clear pronouncement of fearful judgement upon the sinner. Good men or angels neither would nor deceive men by lying as to its authority and claiming that God was the writer.
Therefore John Wesley concludes, the Bible must have been written, as it claims to have been written, by God who by His Spirit inspired men to record His Words, using the human instrument to communicate it to men.
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).
“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21).
The authorship of the Bible is wonderful. Here are words written by kings, by emperors, by princes, by poets, by sages, by philosophers, by fishermen, by statesmen, by men learned in the wisdom of Egypt, educated in the schools of Babylon, trained at the feet of Rabbis in Jerusalem.
It was written by men in exile, in the desert, in shepherd’s tents, in green pastures and beside still waters. Among its authors we find a tax gatherer, a herdsman, a gatherer of sycamore fruit; we find poor men, rich men, statesmen, preachers, captains, legislators, judges, exiles.
The Bible is a library filled with history, genealogy, ethnology, law, ethics, prophecy, poetry, eloquence, medicine, sanitary science, political economy, and perfect rules for personal and social life. Its diction and authority declares its Divine Speaker.
Our Lord Jesus Christ was accustomed to take the Old Testament in His hand and appeal to it on all occasions, and His word is “The Scriptures cannot be broken”.
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5:17-18).
“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39).
As Christian believers and disciples we rate the Bible highly, and preach it as did the Lord Jesus.
Page created 1 July 2006