21—What the Bible says about itself.
Not having seen the original papers sent in by the class, we cannot of course say how far the printed result falls short of the intentions of the writers, but we are sure that none who study the subject to the extent in which it has been marked out in last month’s magazine, can fail to be deeply interested and instructed.
It seems to us moreover, that the instruction is that which is most particularly needed in the present day. A day characterized not so much by the denial of the word, both as to its inspiration and its facts by infidels, which has always been the case, but by the fact that Christians, even evangelists and teachers, are found secretly to question, if not indeed openly to deny, some the truths it teaches, others the acts it records. It is only a short time ago that a clergyman high in the esteem of many, delivered before many of his fellow clergy with approval, an address in which he boldly taught that the reason so many were still unbelievers and antagonistic to Christians was, because they were under a false impression as to how much it was required they should believe. The generally received idea that the Scriptures are inspired and therefore necessarily, above all things true, he considers is not held by the most educated, and boldly asserts that providing a man believes the leading truths taught in the New Testament, it is quite unnecessary for him to believe in the truth of Balaam’s ass, or Jonah’s whale, or even in the Mosaic account of the creation.
Before briefly reviewing last month’s subject, which so completely proves the folly of such a position, we will quote a few weighty words from another on this subject ‘Let us take our stand on the fact, broad deep and conclusive, that the authority of Christ has decided the question for all who own Him to be God as well as man. For instance, our Lord has spoken with particular care of Moses as the writer of the law (Mark 10:5. 12:26; Luke 24:27,44; John 5:46,47;7. 19). Think of the coolness of a man professedly not an infidel, but a Christian minister, who, after quoting Christ’s words. “Have ye not read in the book of Moses,” can say “Here the allusion is to Exodus 3-6. which was not written by Moses as we suppose.” In the things of God, it is a question of believing a divine testimony, while in pure science we have to do with necessary inferences, and in applied science with observed fact also. Hence in these it is a question of knowledge or ignorance, not of faith or unbelief of a testimony. Revelation (if anything at all) is the word of a God who cannot lie; and if any man can with comparative ease convey his mind correctly, how much more can God His, infinite though it be? The human element is fully admitted; but the essence of inspiration is that the power of the Holy Spirit excludes error in the writer. It is too much forgotten that there is ignorance in every reader. Scripture claims to be the communication of the mind of God to man. Such is the doctrine in 1 Corinthians 2, 2 Timothy 3, and with this agrees the uniform use of the passages cited for special purposes throughout both the Old and the New Testament. It is to be feared that unbelief as to the written word bodes ill for the faith which is professed in the Word, the personal Word of life. In both cases it is the Infinite brought into the finite by grace; of which the ruinous speculations of unbelief would deprive us, as their authors have been themselves deprived of it by an enemy subtler than they are.’
The creation of the world The miracles of Moses The creation of man
The opposition of the magicians
The passage of the Red Sea
Water flowing from the rock
Abel’s sacrifice and faith
The following are authenticated by our Lord Himself:
The institution of marriage The brazen serpent
The history of Noah and the flood
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
God’s appearance to Moses in the bush
Observe these are everyone miraculous events, and it is not a little remarkable that our faith in these records should be so confirmed by our Lord’s words.
Lot’s wife The history of Jonah
Now with regard to all these, we would first recall the solemn and decisive words of the Lord.
“Had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?”
Thus the Lord puts the highest honor on that part of the word now most called in question. Christ did not expect people to receive His own words who did not believe the writings of Moses.
We think now in this brief article, enough has been said to show that we cannot believe in half a Bible. It is all one harmonious whole. The book of Genesis alone for example, out of 66 books of the Bible containing some 1200 chapters, is referred to or quoted from in all but 12, containing an aggregate of only 66 chapters.
We trust this subject may be the means of showing any waverer that, if he gives up Moses, he may as well on Christ’s own showing give up Christ, for to believe that our Lord was mistaken is at once to give up the Son of God.