Open Bible held over an open road

The Doctrine of the Bible and a Pastor’s Ministry

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” (Col. 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” (Heb.
    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” (Ps. 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!” (Ps. 139:23–24). We think
    we’re studying the Bible, but in reality, the Bible is studying us and shedding light on 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 Tim. 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 Tim. 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 Pet.
    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 Tim. 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 Tim.
    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 Andreas Köstenberger. Used with permission.

About The Author

Photo of Andreas Köstenberger.
Andreas Köstenberger

Andreas Köstenberger is cofounder of Biblical Foundations and theologian in residence at Fellowship Raleigh Church. He is also the author of The Final Days of Jesus, The First Days of Jesus, and The Jesus of the Gospels.

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