Watering Down the Bible

Have you ever tasted something that has obviously been watered down? Even the finest coffee or tea loses some of its flavor when it is diluted with too much water. A watered down message can lose its potency as well. In the world today, there is an attempt by some to water down the Word of God in an attempt to make it more palatable to the changing morals and attitudes of our culture. But the Bible doesn’t conform its message to public opinion polls. It doesn’t change its doctrines in response to societal consensus. It should never be watered down.

God’s Word is eternal—ever old, ever new, and ever sure. The Bible is as venerable as, “Thus says the Lord,” and as contemporary as, “The Last Days.” It spans the ages, being ageless. We can count on it in every condition: in sickness, in health, in poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth.[1]In a world of lies, His Word is truth. In a world of opinions, His Word is accurate down to the last jot and tittle.

Because God is eternal, His Word is established in the heavens. Because He cannot fail, His Word cannot be broken. Because He is unchanging, His Word is certain. Heaven and earth may pass away, but the Scripture will endure forever.

The Inspiration of Scripture

            The word “inspiration” is taken from 2 Timothy 3:16, where the apostle Paul said, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. . .” Peter gave additional insight when he wrote, “No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation [or origination], for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21).

            Inspiration can be defined as the power of the Holy Spirit upon the human writers of the Scripture so that as they spoke and wrote the books of the Bible, they were recording the very words God intended to give the human race.

            I’ve never understood pastors who stood in the pulpit without a firm belief in inspiration. Why would anyone devote his life to preaching a Book he didn’t believe?

            Arthur W. Pink said, “Upon the foundation of the Divine inspiration of the Bible stands or falls the entire edifice of Christian truth.”[2]

The Inerrancy and Infallibility of Scripture

            The doctrine of inspiration leads logically to the tenets of inerrancy and infallibility. If holy men of old spoke and wrote as they were borne along by the Holy Spirit, those words must be trustworthy in all respects. The word “inerrancy” means that the Bible is without error in its original manuscripts. The word “infallibility” means that it is accurate, unfailing, and authoritative.

            It’s possible to accumulate a lot of information and store up a lot of data. But only the Bible provides an infallible foundation for true knowledge.

The Indestructibility of Scripture

            The Bible is also indestructible. Reuben Archer Torrey, who was a champion of the Bible in an age of encroaching liberalism, thundered: “It is so self-evident as to be practically axiomatic that what man has produced man can destroy. If then men produced the Bible why have eighteen (now twenty) centuries of assault upon the Bible been unable to destroy it?” 

            Torrey went on to say that the Bible has been attacked by many people of great ability and power, using all the intellectual, scientific, philosophical, political, and physical forces they could command. Emperors tried to burn it. Scholars tried to discredit it. Critics tried to bury it. The world has tried to ignore it. But it’s still the best-selling book of all time. While human governments have fallen, while human philosophies have faltered, the Bible still stands.

The Influence of Scripture

If the Bible is the inspired, infallible, inerrant, and indestructible Word of Almighty God, it should have a lasting influence on our lives. When our Creator and Redeemer tells us something, that word is determinative. If it’s a command, we must obey it. If it’s a truth, we must accept it. If it’s a promise, we must believe it. Otherwise we are double-minded people, unstable in all our ways (James 1:8). A watered down message leads to a waterlogged life. 

Let’s cherish our Bible. Read it to be wise. Obey it to be safe. Believe it to be happy. Proclaim it to be joyful.