The Bible is an invention of men. It, that single thing, is a product created by fourth and fifth century men, not by God.
The Bible is by definition a single entity, a single book of books, various books collected by men by an act of their own will, compiled into one thing by an act of their own will, and deemed by them, by an act of their own will, to be "THE Word of God." They collected books and by an act of their own will decided which books were to be accepted and which books were to be discarded. And by an act of their own will, they took the many things to create one new thing and they called their product which they compiled together, "the Word of God." And they call you to follow this Word which they created, and which they interpret for you, a decption which is one of the most devious, seductive, and heinous lies ever foisted upon men. This invention became a way to replace Jesus with a thing created by men.
God spoke to ancient Israelites through the prophets among them. And they wrote down these messages from God. They had writings, scriptures. And these writings were written by men carried along by the Holy Spirit. After Jesus rose from the dead, his servants who were led by the Holy Spirit did also write things down. But other wayward men, false prophets, servants of Satan, decided for themselves that they wanted to take some Christians writings, which they chose for themselves to the exclusion of other Christian writings, and attach these chosen writings to writings of the Israelite prophets and create a brand new thing: a single book of books. And they then put their own stamp of approval upon their creation by calling their own invention, "THE Word of God."
There is absolutely no evidence of any kind that God ever wanted such a thing. Men just wishfully want it to be that way and convince themselves they are honoring God to insist that this is what God did. This Bible, this single thing created by men, is a delight in their own eyes so they wishfully suppose it is also a delight in God's eyes. In their own minds they are as wayward as the men who created this thing. They suppose for themselves, and they tell the lie, that this is what God wanted for the church and they put themselves in the place of God by supposing that if they themselves were God this is precisely what God would do. All these things rest entirely on the imaginations of men.
But in fact, we have evidence from the writings of Jesus' servants inside those very Bibles to the contrary. The writings of these servants of Jesus, whom wayward men deviously fitted into their new creation, ironically tell us this is not what God intended and they tell us rather what GOD did want and what GOD did do.
God spoke to ancient Israelites through prophets of old. This is how men heard from God and were instructed by God. But now God speaks to us personally through His Word, His son, Jesus Christ. And now instead of following words written in ink on paper, we are to follow God's son, the Living Word of God.
[God made us] servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2 Corinthians 3:6
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in a Son.
Hebrews 1:1-2.
For the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart and there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to His eyes with whom we have to do. Therefore, since we have a Great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
Hebrews 4:12-14.
Jesus is the Father's Word of Truth to us. When the Spirit of Truth abides in us, this is how we are to hear from God since the Day of Pentecost. THE Word of God which He gave to us was not a book of books but His very own son who comes to dwell in our hearts, Jesus the Truth from the Father.
Men created a book to follow when God gave us HIS Word to follow; God gave you His Son to follow. Matthew, Paul, and Peter were men led by the Holy Spirit and they wrote down words on paper. But they would be very unhappy to hear other men took their writings and attached them to the ancient writings of the prophets to create a new product to follow. They called people to follow God's Son who lives in people and calls them out by name. His sheep know and hear his voice. God's Son is His Word to us and we know Jesus when he comes to live in our hearts. God's Word is that which comes to dwell inside of us, the Spirit of Truth, Jesus, the Word of Truth, our Truth from God. And the Spirit led apostles wanted us to know THIS Word, and follow THIS Word, not their own writings. Their own writings only pointed to Jesus the Word of God and encourage people to follow Jesus the Truth. THE Word of God became flesh and God's Word is a person: Jesus. This is THE Word of God which He gave to us, not a canonized book of books, an invention of men created in the 4th and 5th centuries by an act of their own will. God gave His own Son; Men gave you their book.
In fact, at 1 Corinthians 1:12-4:20, Paul is very upset with the Corinthians who were following his wisdom, Apollos' wisdom, and Peter's wisdom. They were putting their faith in Paul's wisdom instead of Jesus. He explains that his own wisdom about God and Jesus is the wisdom of men and not the wisdom of God and that our Wisdom of God is Jesus who we know by the Spirit in us which searches the deep things of God. Paul would be very upset to know that men have defined his letter so the Corinthians as the wisdom of God and men were to put their faith in his wisdom and follow his wisdom teachings when in that very letter he is explaining that it most certainly is not. Jesus is.
This invention of men has created a big problem, a very big deception, a crafty deception. There is a problem with your Bible and that problem might be you. Today, there are many people who have the wrong authority. They claim the Bible is their final authority. Today, there are many people who want the Bible to be the definitive testimony of Jesus. Today, there are many people who believe knowledge of the Bible gives them eternal life. Today, there are many people who think life is found in the Bible. Today, there are many people who think the Bible is the way to heaven. Today, there are many people who think God gave us a Bible canon so that we would not perish but have eternal life. Today, there are many people who think the Bible was God's final revelation to us. Today, there are many people who think the Bible is God's final Word to us. You might be one of these people and that might be the problem with your Bible.
We do have good reason to believe the contents which are in the Bible are all good and that faithful men moved by the Holy Spirit, the power of the Almighty God, wrote the words in your Bible. But men have taken the writings of God's people which were otherwise good and turned them into an object for evil purposes, an object of worship, an idol to serve.
Our final authority is not a book, not even a book about God and Jesus. Our final authority is the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is not a book. The Bible is not our final authority, a man raised into glory is our final authority.
The Bible is not the final revelation of God to us; Jesus is the final revelation of God to us.
God did not call us to believe in a Bible canon; He calls us to believe in His Son.
The Bible is not God's final and complete Word to us; Jesus is God's final and complete Word to us.
The Word of God by which He speaks to us is not a 66 book canon stack of paper; the Word of God is Jesus Christ.
The Bible does not reveal God the Father to us; Jesus reveals God to us.
Jesus did not say that whoever does not carry his Bible cannot be my disciple but whoever does not carry his cross.
The Bible cannot witness to us that we are children of God; the Spirit witnesses to us that we are children of God.
Jesus did not want a book to be his testimony. He calls you to be his testimony.
Jesus did not want you to write up a written statement of faith; He wants you to be a statement of faith.
We are not to be conformed to the image of the Bible; we are to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.
No knee will bow nor tongue confess that the Bible is the final authority; Your knee will bow before Jesus whom God made Lord!
Eternal life is not found in the Bible. Eternal life is found in Jesus Christ.
Knowing the Bible does not give you eternal life. Knowing Jesus gives you eternal life.
The Bible is not the Way to the Father; Jesus is the Way to the Father.
The Bible is not God's whole revelation of Truth; Jesus is God's whole revelation of Truth.
The Bible is not our Life; Jesus is our Life.
The Bible is not alive; Jesus is alive.
The Bible is not the Resurrection and the Life; Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life.
The gift of God is not eternal life found in your Bible; the gift of God is eternal life found in Jesus Christ.
The Bible is not the Way to the Father; Jesus is the Way to the Father.
The Bible is not your Shepherd; Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
The Bible is not God's salvation; Jesus is God's salvation.
God did not give His only Book so that whosoever believes the Book will have eternal life. God gave us His only Son so that whosoever believes in HIM will have eternal life.
The Bible cannot save you; Jesus is our Saviour.
The Bible did not die for you; Jesus died for you.
The Bible is not our Teacher; the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the Spirit of Truth, is our Teacher.
The Bible requires translation; the Spirit of Truth requires no translation.
The Bible requires interpretation; the Spirit of Truth requires no interpretation.
The Bible cannot witness to you that we are a child of God: The Spirit witnesses to us that we are children of God.
The Bible does not search our hearts; the Spirit of Jesus searches our hearts.
God's will was not written by men on paper in ink but by the Spirit of the Living God on our hearts in love.
The Bible is not the Light of the world; Jesus is the Light of the world.
The Bible is not the Bread of Life; Jesus is the Bread of Life.
Jesus did not say that without the Bible you can do nothing; He said without ME you can do nothing.
Jesus cannot be found in your Bible; Jesus lives in those who love him.
It is not those who are led by their interpretations of the Bible who are sons of God; it is those who are led by the Spirit of God who are sons of God!
The Bible is not your Lord, Messiah, and Savior; Jesus is your Lord, Messiah, and Savior.
The biggest problem with your Bible just might be you. Jesus is not just a story.
Bow down and surrender to Lord Jesus. He is alive and he truly dwells in the hearts of those who love him and He is the one who faithfully leads you and guides you down the narrow road that leads to eternal life. Follow THIS Word of God because Jesus, not a book invented by men, is THE Word of God.
