THE PURPOSE OF THE BIBLE.

The purpose of the Bible is not to serve as a book of rules and regulations, ethical guidelines fixed in the concrete of moralistic legalism. The Bible is not an ethics book. The Bible is not a textbook of proof-texts to defend Christian doctrine as it has been systematized by man. You can attempt to prove almost anything from the Bible. (I recall one individual who maintained that it was wrong to peel a banana on the basis of the reading "whatsoever God has put together, let no man part asunder.")

The Bible is not a law or logic textbook to prove one's point. It is not atextbook of theological trivia. The Bible is not a sociological textbook that settles the institutional church into the conservatism of the status-quo. The Bible is not an encyclopedic text that gives every answer to every question on every subject in the universe. This is not the purpose ofthe Bible.

What Then Is The Purpose Of Ohe Bible?

The purpose of the Bible is to bear witness to Jesus Christ, who is the living expression of God, the Word of God. Jesus told the Jews,"...you do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believeHim whom He sent. You search the Scriptures, because you thinkthat in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may havelife." (John 5:38-40)

The Scriptures bear witness of Jesus. A good witness in ajudicial setting does not focus attention on himself, but tothe issue at hand. The Biblical writings do not point to themselves, but to Jesus Christ. The written record of God's expression and revelation of Himself in Jesus Christ isdesigned to direct a person to faith in Jesus Christ, to receptivity of the redemptive and functionally living activity of Jesus Christ.

The apostle John explains the purpose of his writing thegospel narrative attributed to him: "these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son ofGod; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31). The purpose of the Scriptures is to lead one to receive the life that is in Christ Jesus.

The apostle Paul reminds Timothy of the value of thewritten record, urging him to "continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing fromwhom you have learned them; and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim 3:14,15). The translation reads "sacred writings," but there is no intrinsic sacredness orholiness in the writings themselves, as has been previously noted. Paul was simply referring to the "God-givenwritings." The purpose of the writings is that they are "able to give...wisdom..." The God-given writings serve as avehicle, an instrument, that the Spirit of God uses to impartthe spiritual wisdom and discernment necessary to understand spiritual things in order that one might see theirneed for functionally restorative salvation, which comes only by the receptivity of the activity of the Savior, JesusChrist.

The Scriptures serve an instrumental means, but are not a salvific means in themselves.

Shalom.