Challenge: A book about God MUST be subjective, since there are so many conflicting views around the world.

You probably know that the New Testament makes some startling claims about Jesus Christ. This man really did exist. Scholars are agreed on that. The statements that he spoke are well substantiated also. The issue that is always in dispute is the how we should understand WHAT he said, and what his apostles WROTE about him. He taught entirely new, more strict, interpretations of the Old Testament law, and he took for himself “reserved” titles from Old Testament literature, such as “Son of Man” etc. He said once in a synagogue (during church), “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” Yeah, that is exactly what it sounds like. To paraphrase, he said during church, “that guy that we’re reading about today…in the Bible…its Me.” Jesus made MANY statements which he knew would be taken by the Jewish leaders as blasphemy. He claimed to be the “Messiah” whom the Jews were told to expect someday.

The apostles of Christ (and their helpers, Mark, Luke) wrote the biographies of Jesus Christ, as well as some documents of encouragement, admonition, and theological exposition to the New Testament churches. In those writings, they claimed to be writing “inspired” words of God. The best translations say of 2 Tim. 3:16 say “All Scripture is God-breathed…”, because the literal words mean “breathed-out by God”. There really is no room for wiggling on points like that. They did CLAIM to be writing the words of God Himself. They make references to each other’s writings, calling them “Scripture”, which would be understood by their contemporaries as equal to the Old Testament Scripture.

The Old Testament has its own particular view of itself, one example being that the prophets of Israel spoke in the terms, “Thus saith the Lord.” (They did NOT use the king’s English like that, however.) They claimed that their words came directly from God. Frankly, the main reason to believe they were telling the truth is that Jesus himself did so. If you dispute what Jesus *thought* of the Old Testament, there are plenty of reading materials out there on that. He quoted it, interpreted it, and expounded on it pretty often. He even attributed the writings of the Pentateuch to Moses. Some “higher-criticism” scholars think he is wrong on that. Well, I guess its their word against His.

As Christians, the inerrancy of Scripture is a case where we cheat, and “look in the back of the book.” In other words, we use the book to substantiate the claims of the book. At the same time, we assert that there is nothing irrational about doing so. Some would say that such a claim is outside the realm of what can be “proven” with pure logical reasoning, but then so is the idea of the First Cause, which science DEMANDS. Our only real rational basis for claiming the truth of the New Testament writings is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The resurrection is the proof that He was telling the truth. This was substantiated by enough witnesses back then. We can’t help it that video was not invented until later. If Christ did not rise, then our faith and our hope is in vain.

The concept that the writings of Scripture are inspired by God is something we only believe because it was affirmed by Jesus, and explicitly taught by his apostles. Jesus himself delegated to them the authority to take his message to the world, and stated that he indeed stood behind them, with his authority justifying their work.
They went, they wrote, they stood fast until the end of their lives. They performed miracles, as Jesus did, to prove that their message was true. Ultimately, we have to reflect on what Jesus said, when he sent a group of disciples to share his message:

“He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me.” (Luke 10:16)

Jesus Christ claimed that he only spoke the truth, and that his words and deeds were only done because they came specifically from his “Father.” Its one thing to make claims when speaking on your own authority, but its another thing to say that you “only” do your Father’s will, and that the words you speak are exclusively from him:

“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.” (John 14:10)

“And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.” (John 8:29)

He also challenged his detractors:

Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” (John 8:46-47)

The only sin they could accuse him of was blasphemy—claiming equality with God. Which of course is not a sin if you are the incarnate deity, sent on a mission to redeem humanity.

“If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. (John 8:54)

Not only did Christ claim that he spoke with the full authority of God, whom he called his Father (an entirely new concept by the way), but he also claimed that anyone who did not believe him or rejected him would also be rejecting God. Of course everyone has heard John 14:6, which ends with, “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus Christ did not leave the slightest bit of room for competing theologies, or other doctrines of salvation.

Jesus presumably understood that the other nations had their own theologies, and he believed (or knew) them to be false, human contrived “religions.” Consequently, he commanded his apostles to take his words to the outermost parts of the earth, baptizing the converted people in His name. So Jesus might have been completely arrogant and closed minded, *OR* he may be the only Son of God, who desires to show mercy to all the nations by bringing them his Good News of salvation by God’s grace, through faith in Him.

To disbelieve Christ is one thing; it may at least be honest. To characterize Christ as just one more religious figure, as one among many "choices" requires a dishonest reading of the Bible. You may not yet be able to see the number on your back, or the stripes on your outfit, but they are there. You are on death row without him, but he has come to get you out. No other religious leader lived and died specifically to justify you before your Creator, promising to personally, 1) remove the guilt of your sins, 2) empower you to walk uprightly afterwards. The Bible *IS* a "subjective" book. It was written by God, through the hands of His servants, to explain to us His own "perspectives" about creation, rebellion, redemption, justice, love, responsibility and how we can approach and relate to HIM. All books DO simply express the author's opinions. But one book contains God's opinions. He doesn't need to read it, YOU DO. He wrote it for you, so that you can search for and find Him. Is it wasted on you?