At New Life Church, we take the Holy Scriptures—the Bible—seriously. We affirm it is the the inspired and infallible Word of God; it is Truth and Life. Continue below to learn more.
the holy scriptures
the holy scriptures
At New Life Church, we take the Holy Scriptures—the Bible—seriously. We affirm it is the the inspired and infallible Word of God; it is Truth and Life. Continue below to learn more.
We Affirm the Bible
Every Sunday before we begin our sermon, our congregation corporately affirms that the Bible is the Word of God, and that it is Truth & Life. What do we mean by that? Select each item to learn more.
"Inspire" comes from Latin root spirare, which means "breath," and literally means "to breathe in." This is the same root word for respire (to breathe again), expire (to breathe out), and spirit (breath). So to say the Bible is divinely inspired is to say it is God-breathed. What does this mean? The Holy Spirit worked, supernaturally, in and through human authors throughout history, such that their writings reveal the oracles of God to mankind. God has spoken by His Spirit, through His prophets and apostles, to make His ways known unto us. The Biblical Canon is the sum total of that revelation.
"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 complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." II Timothy 3:16-17.
"...knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." II Peter 1:20-21
Infallible means "incapable of being wrong," "unfailing," and "never deceiving." All of these apply to the Word of God. To put it in the positive, to say the Bible is infallible is to say it is always perfectly true. To say the Bible is infallible is to necessarily affirm it is inerrant (without error) as well. However, it is important to note that these affirmations apply to the original manuscripts and not to translations or interpretations of the text; and also with respect to authorial intent, which gives due consideration to genre and the use of literary devices such as idiom, metaphor, allegory, symbolism, and so on.
"[Father], Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." John 17:17
There are more (5,000+) and older (1st century) copies of Biblical manuscripts than any other text in the historical record. The consensus of contemporary scholarship has concluded that the ancient manuscripts we have in possession today are sufficient to establish a 99.5% confidence in the purity of the New Testament text, with the remaining 0.5% having no impact on anything of doctrinal significance. We have a comparable level of confidence that our Old Testament today reflects the Old Testament as received in 1st Century. Recent archeological discoveries (such as the Dead Sea Scrolls) have only further strengthened the scholarly confidence in the accuracy of the Bible.
"The words of the Lord are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times. You shall keep them, O Lord, You shall preserve them from this generation forever." Psalm 12:6-7
Perspicuous literally means "clear, transparent." Today it means "clearly expressed, easy to understand." While this may not be among the first things people think about the Bible, its message and instruction is remarkably simple when studied regularly, carefully, and thoroughly. This is because the message of the Gospel is clear and consistent from Genesis to Revelation. One part of the Bible does not contradict another part. Rather, each part helps to understand the whole. The fundamental principle is that the central message and themes of the Bible are neither arcane nor ambiguous. Scripture interprets Scripture—what is very clear should be used to interpret what seems less clear.
"The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes..." Psalm 19:7-8
The Bible contains all things we need to know about God, His Law, and His Gospel. There is nothing required to be believed by any person for their salvation beyond what is contained in the Holy Scriptures. There is nothing that ought to be required of a person to be believed or done that cannot be proven by the Holy Scriptures. The Word of God is sufficient to provide instruction on everything we need for salvation, worship, morality, and wholesome living.
"Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ." Colossians 2:8
"As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed." Galatians 1:9
While the Bible was written throughout specific ages, places, and cultures of human history and chronicles the same, its truth is not relegated to a specific time, geography, or cultural context. As God is timeless and unchanging, so too is what God reveals about Himself through His Word. This is most notable as it pertains to His eternal attributes, His moral law whereby the Creation is governed, and His gracious Gospel with which He has redeemed His people.
“For I am the Lord, I do not change." Malachi 3:6
"The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8
The Word of God bears His authority. Thus, what it clearly teaches and commands we are obligated to observe—in doctrine, worship, ethics, and wholesome living. It is never acceptable to add or subtract from it, nor disregard its instruction. As such, some pertinent instructions we find the Bible to clearly teach are as follows:
"You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." Deuteronomy 4:2
"Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar." Proverbs 30:6
Within the pages of Scripture God reveals His Law—His standard of righteousness by which all Creation is governed. In the Old Testament, the 10 Commandments were the summary of the Law of God. In the New Testament, Jesus distills the summary further:
“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40
In the Protestant Traditions, we have understood that the Law has three purposes of uses, collectively referred to as "The Threefold Use of the Law."
“Therefore you shall love the Lord your God, and keep His charge, His statutes, His judgments, and His commandments always." Deuteronomy 11:1
The Bible is an internally coherent, consistent, and cohesive composite of historical narratives, covenants, prophecies, poetry, wisdom, letters, and gospels written and passed down over millennia, which reveals and elaborates God's plan for the redemption of humanity through Christ Jesus. This redemptive history is fulfilled in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A quick summary of the Gospel is as follows: