The Doctrine of the Bible and a Pastor’s Ministry

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Why the doctrine of the Bible matters

The Bible is our infallible source of inspiration for teaching, preaching, and all of life. If we lose the Bible, we no longer have a proper foundation. We’re like the man in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount who built his house on sand and, when the storms of life came, was swept away. Here are seven essential truths we should teach about the Bible.

7 Truths to teach about the Bible

1. The Bible is a library of 66 books

When the apostle Paul bid farewell to the Ephesian elders, he told them, “I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:26–27). While there was as of yet no New Testament, Paul spent three years preaching through the entirety of the Scriptures, in keeping with his mission to “present everyone mature in Christ” (Colossians 1:28). James, too, saturates his epistle with references to the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings (the three portions of the Hebrew canon). We owe it to our people to expose them to the whole counsel of God over a period of time. Moreover, we should draw connections between the various books of Scripture and relate them to the biblical storyline.

2. The Bible is alive

The author of Hebrews makes clear that God still speaks through his word: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). The word of God is spiritually penetrating and able to expose our secret thoughts and intentions! As the psalmist writes, “In your light do we see light” (Psalm 36:9). Let’s therefore pray with David, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23–24). We think we’re studying the Bible, but in reality, the Bible is studying us and exposing what’s in our hearts and minds.

3. The Bible is revelation from God

Many of those critical of the Bible view it merely as a deposit of the evolution of human religious consciousness, not as God-given, inspired, and inerrant. But the Bible says about itself, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). It’s precisely because it is revelation from God that the Bible is profitable both to guide and to correct. Equipped with God-breathed revelation, we’ll be “complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:17). Moses received the law from God; the prophets spoke from God; Jesus came from God and is himself God; and John in Revelation received visions from the exalted Jesus. Peter says it well: “No prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).

4. The Bible includes diverse literary genres

I sometimes run across the argument that we should be able to read the Bible and let it speak for itself. There’s some truth to this, but in the end, such an argument is unduly simplistic because it skips the vital step of interpretation. The Bible conveys truth, but it does so through diverse literary genres, each of which functions according to a set of unique rules. Scripture contains historical narratives, wisdom sayings, prophetic oracles, parables, person-to-person letters, symbolic visions, and more. We must carefully interpret a passage in its proper context and in keeping with its literary genre.

5. The Bible is not a law book but a story about God’s love

My colleague Greg Goswell and I recently published Biblical Theology. The book is almost 1,000 pages long and covers all 66 books of the Bible with its many major and minor themes, ethical teachings, and the place of each book in the overall storyline of Scripture. That said, we conclude that at the heart of the biblical “grand story” or metanarrative is God’s love for the world in Christ and his desire that we reciprocate his love by trusting in Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the cross. When asked about the greatest commandment in Scripture, Jesus answered without a moment’s hesitation that it is the biblical command to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength (Mark 12:30). The Pharisees wrongly reduced Scripture to a set of rules and regulations and completely missed the big picture. Let’s make sure we don’t do the same!

6. The Bible is sufficient for all of life

While the Bible doesn’t cover every subject, it is sufficient to provide guidance for all of life. It is authoritative on every subject it addresses, contrary to the supposition that it is normative only in religious but not social issues (as I’ve seen some people argue). This includes human sexuality and relationships, economic and social justice, the roles of men and women in the church, and numerous other topics. Even when the Bible does not address a subject directly, there are always principles we can adduce that will help us address complex theological, ethical, and other matters. That said, all truth is God’s truth; we may find truth outside the Bible, such as insights into human nature by modern psychology or various medical and technological advances. While the Bible is not exhaustive, it is comprehensive and sufficient for all of life.

7. The Bible is truth

In our postmodern age, people are advised to pursue their own truth, as if there were as many truths as there are people. The Bible disagrees—it says that the word of God is true, and our role is to listen and obey. As those who teach and preach God’s word, we will do well to heed Paul’s words, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). What’s more, we must “be ready in season and out of season,” “for the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but … will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Timothy 4:2–4). Biblical truth may be countercultural, inconvenient, or otherwise offensive, but we must preach it anyway!

Conclusion

The Bible is unlike any other book. It is a library of 66 books. And it is not just an ancient artifact; it is alive! Through the Bible, God still speaks today. At the same time, the Bible contains diverse literary genres and thus requires careful interpretation. Yet the Bible is not a law book but a story about God’s love in Christ. The Bible is sufficient for all of life and espouses the life-giving truth of God.

©2023, 2024, 2025 Andreas Köstenberger. Used with permission.