Roots of our Faith- The Catechism
Question #2: Where did the Scriptures come from?
Answer: The Scriptures “were given by inspiration of God”
Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17, All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
The reason that the Bible is our only hope for knowing God, knowing ourselves, and understanding the world in which we live is because it is God Himself who has spoken to us through the Scriptures. The very words of the text are the very words of God. God used real men—their words, their situations, and their personalities—to speak His Word.
The word inspiration is used in different ways in our world today. Sometimes when we say inspiration we mean motivation. Sometimes when we say inspiration we mean encouragement. And while the Bible is certainly motivating and encouraging, that is not what we are talking about here. Inspiration, in this context, means breathed out. We should approach the words of the Bible like they are God’s words because in fact they are—God Himself breathed them out!
Everything else that we believe about the Bible rests on this foundation. All of the truths we profess, all of the commands we obey, and all of the promises that we cling to, are only valid because they come from God. The Bible is our book because the Bible is God’s book.
So what?
When you approach the Bible each day, come ready to hear God speak. When you approach the gathering of God’s people on the Lord’s Day, come ready to hear from the Lord. When you are desperate for truth, direction, and hope, God is excited to give it to you—He will give it to you through the Scriptures which He inspired. We know God through His word because, after all, they are His words.
