Can Scripture Be Trusted in All it Says?

For many Christians this is a rhetorical question that should not be answered.  However, there are many today who do not accept the claims of Scripture as being from God or that the things stated in Scripture hold true in this life.  I would propose that all the words in Scripture are completely true and without error in any part (2 Tim 3:14-17).  They can be trusted in all that they say and they should serve as the basis for all of our faith and practice.  Because God is a God who cannot speak a “lie”, His words can always be trusted in all that they say (Titus 1:2). 

The psalmist says concerning God’s Words, “The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times” (Psalm 12:6).  It is not just that some of the words of Scripture are true but Solomon says that, “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him” (Pr. 30:5).  It would be good to remember that God’s Word is fixed in heaven for all eternity.  We are told in Psalm 119:89, “Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.”  His words are never changing so that we can safely trust them for all times.

Jesus Christ Himself affirmed the truthfulness of His own words and His fathers.  He says in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”  In John 17:17 Jesus teaches that, “Your word is truth.”  The word “truth” in the Greek is actually a noun, which implies that God’s word is not just true but it is truth itself.  The Bible is God’s Word, and God’s Word is the ultimate definition of what is true or what is not true.  This is why our churches need to stand firm on the authority of Scripture alone as the ultimate standard for truth by which all other claims are measured. 

A key word to know when speaking about the truthfulness of Scripture is the word inerrancy.  It means that Scripture, in the original manuscripts, does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact.   This does not mean that the Bible tells us every thing there is to know about every subject.  This definition does affirm that what it does say about any subject is indeed true in all it says.  2 Timothy 4:16-17 assures believers that God has provided, through His word, everything that believers would ever need to know in order to live a righteous life before Him.

Walk in confidence today knowing that God’s Word stands completely trustworthy and that it is sufficient for everything that we would need to live this life and to prepare us for the next.