THATS – Is the Bible Fact or Fiction
Brother Bob Pellien: The Bible is undeniably a unique book. But should we appreciate it just as a beautiful work of literary fiction, like it’s just another book? What sets the Bible apart from other books, and is the Bible fact or fiction?
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Is the Bible Fact or Fiction?
Brother Bob Pellien: The Bible is the basis of our teachings in the Iglesia Ni Cristo, Church Of Christ which answers questions about proper worship, the right relationship with God, and most importantly salvation – That’s in the Bible!
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Brother Bob Pellien
Minister of the Gospel
Brother Bob Pellien: I’m Bob Pellien, and welcome to the program, That’s in the Bible. We received a question from Kim in San Diego about the Bible itself, here’s what she asks:
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Kim | San Diego California
Kim: My question is why have so many people taken so much interest in the Bible and belief, when it’s just another book?
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Brother Bob Pellien: Thank you Kim for your question. To help Kim out and answer her question, we need to first address the assumption that some have, which is that the Bible is “just another book”. After that, we’ll be able to answer more specifically Kim’s question: “Why have so many people taken so much interest in the Bible?”
Let’s frame our discussion around these topics then:
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Is the Bible “just another book”?
If not, what sets the Bible apart from other books?
What’s the value in learning and following what the Bible teaches?
Brother Bob Pellien: Dear friends, what should we understand about the Bible or the Holy Scriptures? For proper understanding, let’s read what is actually written 2 Timothy 3:15-17, it says:
and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
[2 Timothy 3:15-17 New King James Version]
Brother Bob Pellien: So according to what is written here, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,”—all scripture that we use as a basis of our faith from the Bible is Scripture written under the inspiration of God. We can already see that this is different from any other book. Man has his own inspiration, for example, to write down his own words, but the Bible or Holy Scriptures does not contain man’s words but rather God’s words. It was not written with the intention to be mere literature, or be created by authors for, let’s say, the sake of entertainment or for cultural purposes—no. Therefore, it’s not “just another book.”
How were God’s inspired words written down to make up the Holy Scriptures or as we now know it as the Holy Bible? We can learn how this was done by also opening up the ancient writings of the ancient prophets, for example, in Jeremiah 30:2, I quote what’s recorded there:
“Thus speaks the Lord God of Israel, saying: ‘Write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you.
[Jeremiah 30:2 New King James Version]
Brother Bob Pellien: Dear friends, in this verse, God Himself is the One addressing one of His servants. What did God instruct him to do? He said, “Write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you.” What is His servant supposed to write? Just anything he wanted? No. God said, “all the words that I have spoken to you.”
So, we can see that God is the One who chose who He will inspire to write down His words. He will also tell the writer all the words that should be written. And God’s written words are for His servants. So, the servant God is addressing then, in this verse that we just read—by the way, that was the Prophet Jeremiah—which is why there is a book in the Bible that is called Jeremiah.
But collectively, all God-inspired scriptures are in the Holy Scriptures or the Holy Bible. This further explains the intended use for the Bible, right? And what sets the Bible apart from other books. The Bible is by no means just an ordinary book. It is not.
What exactly, then, makes the Bible, makes God’s words so valuable or unique? What makes it unique—because one may say, “Well, there’s a lot of books that contain words like these”— 2 Samuel 7:28 provides this important insight:
“And now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant.
[2 Samuel 7:28 New King James Version]
Brother Bob Pellien: The uniqueness of God’s words? God’s “words are true.” That’s what makes them so valuable. We all want the truth or what is true, right? So all should value God’s words. But everyone may have their own perception of truth. Is the Bible self-fulfilling by claiming itself as true without providing opportunity for evidence-based confirmation?
Well, what exactly does that mean that God’s “words are true,”? Let’s check. Let’s let the Bible prove itself, and let’s ask then—is the Bible fact or fiction? Let’s turn to the writings this time of the Prophet Isaiah, and let’s go to Isaiah 46:9-10. This important statement is recorded there:
Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all my pleasure,’
[Isaiah 46:9-10 New King James Version]
Brother Bob Pellien: So, based on what is written here then, dear friends, one of the proofs that God’s words are true is that His words declare “things that are not yet done.” God’s words have fulfillment, they tell us what will happen, they are the truth because they happen, because they come true.
God’s words are very different from man’s words due to the fact that God is very different from man. Even though man—people—they may want to be true to their word, right? His own human limitations, however, may keep him from doing so. This is the reason many things that a person says, a person promises, or declares, do not come true. On the other hand God is Almighty—
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Genesis 35:11 NKJV
Luke 1:37 ASV
Brother Bob Pellien: and that’s mentioned in Genesis 35:11. His words are not void of power, also referred to in Luke 1:37. So, if God says something, it will happen. It will happen because God Himself will make it happen.
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Isaiah 46:11 NKJV
Brother Bob Pellien: That’s also taught in Isaiah 46:11. So, the point here dear friends, to prove if the Bible really is God’s words. We’ve got to use, then, that criteria. We’ve got to find out: Are there things written here, thousands of years ago, declaring or announcing what will happen at some point in the future, and then those events actually happened?
Because if that’s the case, then that would be the evidence, that would be the proof that would show us, that would prove and we would know that these cannot be man’s words but rather God’s words. These cannot be man’s words, if proven then to be God’s words. Because what’s recorded in this book, the Bible, is the truth. Well, let’s check it, then.
What is one of the things that was declared in the Bible a long, long time ago, that would happen? Let’s turn to it. There are so many examples we could cite, we’ll cite this one, Matthew 24:6-8:
You are going to hear the noise of battles close by and the news of battles far away; but do not be troubled. Such things must happen, but they do not mean that the end has come. Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another. There will be famines and earthquakes everywhere. All these things are like the first pains of childbirth.
[Matthew 24:6-8 Good News Bible]
Brother Bob Pellien: So dear friends, in the first century, it was already written that people would “hear the noise of battles close by and the news of battles far away.” So, around the world, people would hear and know of this war. Although there are numerous wars all throughout ancient history, there was not yet a type of war that all would know about that war at the same time. Communication was not that fast back then.
But notice that this global war had another war that followed after it. The Bible states even in other translations of these same verses, “See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” Why? What type of war would follow? It says “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” So there would then be another worldwide war or global war that was declared to happen.
What else was declared to happen around the time of these wars? The Bible said, “… there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.” We have to look then, our part dear friends, is to look at our recent history, and what would we see? We’d learn if these types of wars actually took place. They did. We know the two wars that were worldwide in scope. History refers to them as World War I and World War II. And World War I broke out on July 27, 1914.
Are we the only ones that are realizing this fulfilled prophecy, about this war, these famines, earthquakes, and pestilences? We’re not the only ones. In fact, let’s read what some Bible scholars had published regarding these biblical prophecies spoken such a long time ago, which we see fulfilled in our recent history. We’re going to read now the footnote of those same verses, Matthew 24:6-8. This is the scholarly-researched historical context provided by publishers of Matthew 24:6-8 in the Last Days Bible. These Bible scholars noticed this and wrote the following:
Jesus now tells His followers how they could discern when the world was actually entering into the beginning of the birth pangs…The approach of the end of the age would see several phenomena on the earth occurring at the same time. Those phenomena would be: 1. Many nations rising up against many other nations 2. Kingdoms rising against kingdoms 3. Famines 4. Disease epidemics 5. Earthquakes in various places.
In Mark 13 the word troubles is used by our Lord instead of disease epidemics…Wars between nations, or even between kingdoms, is and has been a common occurrence. History has recorded famines at various times. There have been times of great disease epidemics. There have been earthquakes in the past, but increasingly so in the present day. Jesus tells His disciples, however, to be awaiting a specific time during which all of these phenomena would be in evidence at the same time. The first such time in world history occurred during the years of World War I (1914… (Matthew 24:6-8 footnote, Last Days Bible)
Brother Bob Pellien: So dear friends, we should understand because these declarations or prophecies that were written here in the Holy Scriptures, they actually happened. And these scholarly writers attest to it. These cannot be man’s words then, recorded in the Bible. These are God’s words, proven how? —God’s words are true. The Bible proves it so as it tells us what will happen.
This is the reason why people should not only be interested in the Bible as a mere literary account of ancient peoples, but should follow its instructions because it is proven to be true. And there are so many, many more examples written in the Scriptures which we see with our own eyes being fulfilled all around us all the time.
So, what’s the value in learning and knowing and following the Bible? What would happen, dear friends, if we do this? Let’s go back to the first verses that we read in 2 Timothy 3, let’s go back to, we read verse 15 through 17:
and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
[2 Timothy 3:15-17 New King James Version]
Brother Bob Pellien: So, the value of God’s words written here in the Holy Scriptures is that it “is profitable for doctrine,” So if we want a real relationship with God we should follow His doctrine here in the Bible. What else, dear friends, is the benefit of God’s words? It should be used “for reproof, for correction,” We’ve all made mistakes in our lives, so to correct what we’ve done wrong we need to follow biblical instruction. Why is it that if we follow the Bible’s instructions we will be able to live the right way?
Because the Bible is “for instruction in righteousness.” What is the most important reason people should be interested in the Holy Scriptures? Because as we also read there, it is “able to make us wise for salvation.” According to the Bible, is there anything else that we need to base our faith on? Maybe another book or various books that others have written? God’s words make clear, the Bible is so “the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” There is nothing lacking in the Bible in order to be wise for salvation.
We began our discussion with three questions, and let’s review the responses of the Bible to those questions:
Is the Bible “just another book”?: We’ve learned, no, it wasn’t created for any other purpose but to be God’s inspired words.
So, what sets the Bible apart from other books?: The events foretold, or predicted to come true in the future—well, they actually did come true. And this proves it’s not merely a thousands-year-old book of fiction.
What’s the value in learning and following the Bible?: It’s the book that contains the instructions that will equip us for salvation.
This is the reason why the sole basis of faith here in the Church Of Christ is the Bible. We faithfully follow this teaching because That’s in the Bible. We’d like you to continue learning about the Iglesia Ni Cristo, Church Of Christ, please visit online and browse the different topics or set up an appointment to meet with a minister of the gospel. If you have any questions about the Bible or salvation, please email them to us. I’m Bob Pellien. Thanks for watching. See you next time on That’s in the Bible!
