In any organized sporting event, there must always be someone who serves as the final authority while the the game is played. Such a person might be an umpire, referee, judge, linesman or other official who oversees the contest as it’s going on. This person makes sure that each game is played properly and makes various judgments according to the rules of the game.
Well in a similar manner, the final authority on everything for Christians is Jesus Himself. He serves as the ultimate referee for each and every question. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus demonstrated Himself to be God and because of this, Jesus is always the final authority on any subject. So with this in mind, let’s take a look at how Jesus viewed the Bible…
What Did Jesus Believe About The Bible?
Jesus held some positions on the Bible that are not shared by many people today. For example, Jesus identified the Scriptures as both the Word of God (John 10:35) and the command of God (Matthew 15:3-4). Jesus also taught that the Bible was truth (see John 17:17).
Jesus also accepted something else about the Bible that is at odds with what many people believe today. You see, Jesus believed that the Scriptures were error-free and totally infallible…
“But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail” (Luke 16:17 NAS).
“… the Scripture cannot be broken…” (John 10:35b NIV).
Jesus certainly would have known if the Bible contained mistakes and He clearly believed that the Scriptures were God’s errorless message to humanity. If Jesus taught that the Bible was true and mistake free, then those who call themselves Christians should accept it that way as well.
Myths And Legends?
Here’s another thing- many people consider the Bible to be full of fictional stories, myths, and legends. But Jesus considered the people and events mentioned within the Bible to be real and genuine, including many that some believe to be myths or legends. For example, Jesus accepted the reality of the following Biblical people and events…
- Adam and Eve (Matthew 19:4)
- Abraham (John 8:56-58)
- Moses (John 5:46)
- Noah and the flood (Luke 17:26-27)
- Sodom and Gomorrah (Luke 17:29)
- Isaiah (Matthew 13:14)
- Daniel (Matthew 24:15)
- Jonah and the great fish (Matthew 12:40)
Jesus taught a lot from the Old Testament and He didn’t consider these people and events to be myths or legends. Actually, Jesus did just the opposite- He presented everything listed above as a person who actually lived or an event that actually happened. Jesus considered these Biblical accounts to be totally truthful and accurate and He used them often in His teachings.
Jesus And The New Testament
It also seems that Jesus spoke of the New Testament to His disciples long before it was ever written. You see, Jesus told His disciples that God’s Holy Spirit would later guide them into all truth regarding the things He said and did. For example…
“But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26 NIV).
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come” (John 16:13 NIV).
“When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning” (John 15:26-27 NIV).
So what did Jesus believe about the New Testament? Well, Jesus’ words here clearly foresee the future communication of His life and teachings in the form of the New Testament. Jesus promised that these teachings would be inspired by God and that they would be totally truthful and accurate.
Because of this, we can say that the teachings of the New Testament were validated by Jesus long before they were ever written. Because of Jesus’ promise that the Holy Spirit would guide His disciples in accurately reporting His teachings, we can be totally confident when reading the books of the New Testament.
So Jesus taught and believed that the books of both the Old and New Testaments were true, accurate, reliable and inspired by God. The Doctor believes that His followers should do no less.