The Purpose of the Scripture

It is presently the world’s number one bookseller of all time. The Bible has endured thousands of years of history, written in the most number of languages and read of all kinds of people on earth. But why has this book endured so much? What was God’s purpose in having His words and the historical accounts of Israel and his people, written?

I believe God had His Word written for very important purposes, and an understanding of them can help deepen our faith in the Scripture and in God’s overall plan with humanity.

Preservation

Preservation is the first and most obvious reason of the Scripture. God knows the frailty of human mind, as well as its evil nature because of sin. Oral transfer of ideas have a way of diminishing and even distorting the original spoken words. Thus, true events become legends and myths and hearsay.

But God wanted His words to be remembered exactly as He spoke them the first time for the sake of those who have not had the opportunity of hearing them with their ears. This is crucial for us who came in late in history.

There is a big difference between Bible translation and paraphrase. Much of today’s English versions of the Bible are merely paraphrases: God’s words spoken in a different for the benefit of the hearer. Now this is important when you are dealing with children who are mostly after Biblical stories. But when you talk about Biblical doctrines, the exact translation becomes crucial.

Thus the Apostle Peter wrote these words:

This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in [both] which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:

That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour.

- 2 Peter 3.1, 2

Testimony

God commanded His prophets to write His words and the events of times past in order to serve as a testimony of His love, faithfulness and justice. He wanted future generations to know that God loves people, fulfils His promises and judges sin and wickedness. Psalm 107 is a very good example of this purpose.

The Scripture is also a testimony of God’s sovereign power over human destiny. His prophets wrote hundreds of future events long before they took place, especially events, places and persons that matter most in His plans of salvation and redemption.

Jesus Christ confirmed this when He said:

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

- John 5.39

Doctrine

God is not so much interested is boasting of His power as in instructing men of His righteousness. When man first came face with good and evil he fell into sin. Throughout history God was slowly teaching us of His righteousness through the lives of men and women.

Paul captured this crucial truth when he wrote his second letter to Timothy. He commended his love for the Scriptures since childhood and what it produced in his young life. He also confirmed the importance of the written Word in this manner:

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 perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

- 2 Timothy 3. 16, 17

The Scriptures simply tells what is right and wrong in the sight of God, why we are wrong, how we can get right and stay right before Him. No other book on earth can offer those things to us.

Warning

The righteousness of God demands that He not only commend the right and good but also condemn the wrong and evil. But God goes even farther: he warns the wicked of His wrong and provides a means of escape from the coming judgment.

An Old Testament prophet by the name of Habakkuk wrote:

And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make [it] plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

For the vision [is] yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

- Habakkuk 2.2, 3

Also, the Apostle Paul wrote:

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

-Romans 15.4

And again:

Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

- 1 Corinthians 10.11

The Scripture could well be the most important possession of a true believer of God. Upon it rests our faith in God of yesterday, today and forever. Let us therefore take heed to the things written in this book.