Essay 11
The Uniqueness of
God's Word: Perspectives of Bible-Believers
by Dr. L. Bednar
Various aspects of the uniqueness of God's Word
A summary of the subjects covered in topics 11 a-h
1. The wise person wanting to rightly understand the wisdom and guidance of God’s Word will emphasize literal interpretation, but he will also realize that the language is figurative at times for good reasons. This is especially true of Hebrew poetic passages where figurative language has unique purposes such as emphasizing the beauty of God’s creation or the unique way that He directs mankind. What is likely the most unique example of figurative language relates to the way God presents the creation in scripture. We might wonder how God can speak to both ancient and modern people by one unchanging Bible text since the understanding of the creation has changed so greatly over the many centuries since the Bible began to be written ~4000 years ago with the book of Job (for proof of the age of the Job book see the concluding part of Essay 1, Our Guide to Eternity).
2. Opinions on the importance of baptism range all the way from the notion that it is crucial to salvation, to the idea that it’s just a ritual marking a person’s membership in a church. This exercise of opinion reveals why there is so much uncertainty about the significance of this ordinance of the church.
3. The reality of resurrection of believers in Christ rests entirely upon the reality of His Resurrection (Jn.14:19 & 11:25, Rom.6:5, 1 Pet.1:3), for we are in Him in all things, from the day of salvation unto eternity.
4. One of many errors introduced to churches, through some modern English versions and modern seminary graduates, is favoring of the rendering slave or occasionally its equivalent, bond-servant for Greek doulos. This results in the improper suggestion that the Bible teaches a Christian is to be a slave, or in bondage to God and man. It’s not God who condones slavery and bondage, but the devil, through his influence on men who seek to make others submit to them. God teaches us voluntary servanthood, which is a very different matter, one having marvelous blessing, security and ultimate glory (Rev.3:21, Mt.19: 28, Lk.12:42-44) associated with it
5. The hour of Christ's crucifixion: Three Passover observances were associated with Christ at Crucifixion week, two old ones and an intervening new one (communion supper). A first old Passover day was one by which Christ related to the Passover itself, and a second old one was that by which He became the Passover sacrifice for all Israel, the people and priests. The old Passover was replaced by the intervening new one, but a second old one was vital to fulfill Passover typology establishing Christ as the ultimate Passover sacrifice for Israel that made the nation eligible for the new Passover observance.
6. The big-fish experience of Jonah can be shown to be a reality that accords with good science, and is not the big-fish story that some scholars think applies.
7. Contrary to modern evolutionist scientists, dinosaurs didn't become extinct millions of years before man appeared on the earth. The book of Job, the oldest Bible book provides an historical record that dinosaurs and dinosaur relatives roamed the earth ~4000 years ago.
8. Psalm 2:16 - They pierced my hands and my feet, or like a lion my hands and my feet? The Christian Old Testament, derived from the Masoretic Text, reads as in the first clause above, whereas the Tenach/tenakh of the Jews reads as in the following phrase. The result has been some rather sharp criticism of text accuracy by Jews and by Christian scholars. Actually, both readings have their place in text history, and they are both involved in preserving text accuracy. There is a certain aspect of text history that both Hebrew & Christian scholars have overlooked.
