Late summer and early fall are times families spend their Saturdays canning fruits and vegetables for the coming year. Through a process of cleaning, sterilizing, and cooking the goods canned are insured to be safe and enjoyable when later needed.

In a similar way God has preserved his word so the Scriptures we read are safe and enjoyable, whenever we read them. One difference between preserved vegetables and the preserved Word of God is that the vegetable undergoes a certain Read the rest of this entry →

We’ve all stumbled our way through a dark room. We bump into the chair, the table, or step on a child’s toy while we desperately search for a light switch.  Once the light is on we are able to clearly see everything in the room.

The Bible can sometimes seem like a dark room.  We may read it, but we don’t understand what we read.  The light of understanding is still turned off in our mind, but once it is turned on then understanding comes. The process whereby God turns the light on in our Read the rest of this entry →

You’re sitting in the concert hall, having arrived a few minutes early.  You can hear the orchestra tuning up.  You may occasionally see the curtain move as someone or something moves behind it.  The lights are on, but you are in the dark about what’s happening on stage, except perhaps for a few educated guesses.

But then the time arrives, and the curtain goes up.  All that was once hidden is now open to view. Read the rest of this entry →

When establishing the authority of Scripture, we often look to verses like 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is inspired by God….” But what does it mean to be inspired by God? It is important to have a solid understanding of this concept to understand Scripture and to represent God and His Word to a lost world.

We use the words “inspiration” and “inspired” to discuss great performances by athletes, actors, or musicians. Is this what is meant by inspiration of Scripture, that the writers of Scripture were moved with great intellect and emotion to write the words of God? The NIV translation of 2 Tim. 3:16 uses the phrase Read the rest of this entry →