Nine Ways The Bible Is Superior to Every Other Book

The Bible is:

“... supernatural in origin, eternal in duration, divine in authorship, infallible in authority, inexhaustible in meaning, universal in readership, unique in revelation, personal in application and powerful in effect.”

― GIDEONS INTERNATIONAL

1. Supernatural in Origin

The Bible is a God-breathed document. Those who contributed were God’s direct messengers. The Bible text transcends that of human words and wisdom. It is from another world.

2. Eternal in Duration

Spanning Genesis (the creation accounts in chapters 1 and 2) and Revelation (Christ’s coming and installation of the New Heaven and New Earth in Revelation 21) is not the half of it. The Bible constantly draws attention to another world where there is no time – Eternity.

3. Divine in Authorship

God breathed through men these living words for life. Indeed, Christians believe God’s Spirit wrote the Bible. In fact, I relate it in this: sometimes I can be writing God’s words, almost completely without intentioned thought, and then, only after having reviewed what was written, what was written not only made sense, it was not truly of me; the words were beyond my mind without God. God used biblical authors as mouthpieces fitted with pens in just the way he uses the preacher. The communication is very little of the human being communicating. This has to be experienced personally to be believed.

4. Infallible in Authority

Those who have written the individual pieces of the Bible have been anointed as apostles and prophets – people with God’s message. They speak only the words that God has given them. The Bible’s standing is its inerrancy, which has been accepted for two millennia at least. Only in our post-Christendom age do we weaken over such matters. The Bible speaks for God – there is no equivalent or superior authority.

5. Inexhaustible in Meaning

It is still so amazing how the Holy Spirit illumines the verses, chapters and pages of the Bible for fresh insight – yes, twenty, thirty, and forty years hence. God’s Word speaks in new ways all the time, and this is simply a mystery to us.

6. Universal in Readership

No other document has been translated into more languages than the Bible. More people from more nationalities have read of the Bible than any other literary work. God’s Word is clearly intended for everyone.

7. Unique in Revelation

Firstly, the Bible proclaims the Incarnation – God coming to earth to live as the man, Jesus, the Christ, and to die for humankind’s sin. Secondly, as we read from the Bible, revelation comes to us via the Holy Spirit, the Spirit living in us, and the Spirit brings the words of the Bible alive in our lives, by faith. Thirdly, the Bible reveals every part of God’s redemptive plan so we understand the fuller picture. Each of these three standpoints is unique to Christianity and the Bible.

8. Personal in Application

The Christian worldview is that religion and spirituality have their connecting point in a personal relationship with the risen Lord Jesus. We who believe actually know God, and our Lord makes it personal by the fact we cannot get away from God. We can run and we can hide, but both of those are futile. Facing God, we realise there are life lessons made apparent if we will only work justice, love mercy and walk humbly.

9. Powerful in Effect

Evidence of life transformations is poignant. The Bible, like no other book or program, sets people free to live as they always knew they should. People are set free by their faith to discern and trust in biblical truth. But life transformations are the best gauge.

© 2013 S. J. Wickham.