All Scripture is God-Inspired

“Inspired” literally means “breathed into.” We believe God divinely influenced the writers of the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament. About 40 different authors wrote the books of the Bible over approximately 1,500 years. They wrote in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic on three different continents (Asia, Africa and Europe), yet it has amazing unity. The books of the Bible do not always present its characters in the most flattering light. Many of its prophecies have already been fulfilled (others are not completed yet). Archaeology cannot prove the Bible is true, as that is beyond its ability, but it does show these are not mythological books. Thus, the Bible is unique. The doctrine of inspiration stresses the authority of Scripture for Christians.

When Paul wrote to Timothy, he was referring to what we call the “Old Testament” or the “Hebrew Scriptures.” Paul wrote the bulk of the New Testament. His letters were accepted by the early church. Nobody knows for certain the exact dates, but Paul’s writings were early.

The Bible can be hard to understand, but we can break it down in simple terms. We have The Bible in Five Words: Creation, Fall, Israel, Jesus, Church. The overall purpose of the Bible is redemption.