What is the Bible? How shall we regard it? Where shall we place it?
These and many questions like them at once come to the front when we
begin to discuss the Bible as a book. It is only possible in this
brief study, of a great subject, to indicate the line of some of the
answers.
It is not Like Other Books.--Although its last paragraph was written
and the canon completed many hundreds of years ago, it is still one of
the freshest and newest of books and its moral precepts and
admonitions are far in advance of the world's practice. It has an
adaptability to all sorts and conditions of men and a flexibility in
meeting the most radical changes of thought, which is possessed by no
other volume. It has been attacked and denounced and seemingly
demolished only in the end to lead its critics captive and to come
forth from the fray stronger than ever.
It is a God-filled and God-inspired book. It is the most lasting in
its popularity of all books.
It is Like Other Books in that it is cast in the mold of the
literature of a certain people. We find here all the forms of
literature, history, philosophy, poetry, letters, etc. There is much
plausibility in the plea for the study of the Bible as literature for
it is the best of its kind.
It Leads the World's Thought of Righteousness and Purity of Life.--The
Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17), The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) and
The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:29) set forth the highest
ethical standards known to man.
It is the Record of a Revelation from God.
The theme is, "the entrance of God into the spiritual life of man."
This makes it superior to all other books and invests it with a unique
character which commands our most earnest attention. God, who is
speaking to men through this book, says, "Thou shalt have no other
gods before Me." God is not only the God of the Israelites but of all
nations and peoples.
The great men, whose life stories are given in the Bible, were God
called to, and God guided in, their work of uplifting the world. We
have only to look at the record to see how the initiative is declared
to have been taken by God. Here is the roll call, Abraham (Genesis
12:1-3), Moses (Exodus 3:14), Joshua (1:1-6), Samuel (1 Samuel
3:4-21), David (1 Samuel 16:3,11-13), Isaiah (1:1), Ezekiel (1:1),
Jeremiah (1:2) and all the prophets, John the Baptist (Luke 1:13-17;
Matthew 3:1-12), Peter, John and Paul (Acts 1:8; 2:1-4; 13:1,2).
The Old Testament shows the looking forward to the Christ and the New
Testament records His coming as the Spiritual Light of the world. No
other book or set of books announce "the entrance of God to the
spiritual life of man" through Jesus Christ (John 1:1-18), who came
speaking of the new spiritual birth of man (John 3:1-21).
The only key to the understanding of the Bible is this plan of God to
enter into the spiritual life of man. We may easily look in the Bible
for what is not there and read into its pages what is in our own
thoughts or read out of them that which we do not wish to see, but
back of all we must acknowledge this peculiar purpose of God.
Back also of all theories of revelation and inspiration--and giving
rise to them--stands the great thought of God for the spiritual
redemption of men. For this end He enters into covenant with the
Israelites, He sends them prophets and teachers, and at last He sends
His Son. Continually God is calling to men, "Be ye holy for I am
holy."