Bible Gateway Blog

Is the Bible true?

Is the Bible inerrant (without error)?

Are those the same thing?

These are important questions that influence how we read and understand Scripture, and Christians have historically answered them in different ways. Last month, we liveblogged a friendly roundtable discussion between five Christian thinkers and leaders, each of them with a different perspective on the question of Biblical inerrancy.

These five individuals—Peter Enns, Albert Mohler, Jr., Michael Bird, Kevin Vanhoozer, and John Franke—have continued the discussion in the form of Five Views on Inerrancy, a book recently published by Zondervan Academic. Since we hosted the roundtable discussion, we thought it would be interesting to also share some material from that book here on the blog.

Each day this week, we’ll share a short excerpt from Five Views on Inerrancy, touching on a different perspective each day. Tomorrow and for the rest of this week, we’ll hear from the other authors:

Today we’ll start with Al Mohler, who holds to the view that belief in biblical inerrancy is a critical part of the Christian faith. Here’s how he introduces his perspective.

When the Bible Speaks, God Speaks: The Classic Doctrine of Biblical Inerrancy

R. Albert Mohler I do not believe that evangelicalism can survive without the explicit and complete assertion of biblical inerrancy. Given the pressures of late modernity, growing ever more hostile to theological truth claims, there is little basis for any hope that evangelicals will remain distinctively evangelical without the principled and explicit commitment to the inerrancy of the Bible.

Beyond this, inerrancy must be understood as necessary and integral to the life of the church, the authority of preaching, and the integrity of the Christian life. Without a total commitment to the trustworthiness and truthfulness of the Bible, the church is left without its defining authority, lacking confidence in its ability to hear God’s voice. Preachers will lack confidence in the authority and truthfulness of the very Word they are commissioned to preach and teach. This is not an issue of homiletical theory but a life-and-death question of whether the preacher has a distinctive and authoritative Word to preach to people desperately in need of direction and guidance. Individual Christians will be left without either the confidence to trust the Bible or the ability to understand the Bible as something less than totally true.

The way out of hermeneutical nihilism and metaphysical antirealism is the doctrine of revelation. It is indeed the evangelical, biblical doctrine of revelation that breaks this epistemological impasse and becomes the foundation for a revelatory epistemology. This is not foundationalism in a modernist sense. It is not rationalism. It is the understanding that God has spoken to us in a reasonable way, in language we can understand, and has given us the gift of revelation, which is his willful disclosure of himself, the forfeiture of his personal privacy…

Without reservation, I affirm the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. I affirm the document and agree with its assertions in whole and in part. To be true to the Scriptures, I believe, evangelicals must affirm its stated affirmations and join in its stated denials…

There is much more to be said and confessed about the Bible, but not less. Like every doctrinal statement, the CSBI was developed at a particular moment in the life of the church, and in a particular social, historical, and cultural context. Since 1978, new challenges to the truthfulness and authority of the Scriptures have emerged, but every one of the challenges addressed by the CSBI remains relevant…

Each contributor to this volume has been asked to address three specific test cases. The texts in these cases have been identified as “problematic” with respect to the affirmation of biblical inerrancy. In truth, I do not believe that these texts are more inherently problematic than any other text of Scripture, but the discussion of these texts and the issues they entail will reveal how our views of the authority, inspiration, truthfulness, and trustworthiness of the Bible operate at the level of interpretation…

The affirmation of biblical inerrancy is necessary for the health of the church and for our obedience to the Scriptures. Though necessary, it is not sufficient, taken by itself, to constitute an evangelical doctrine of Scripture. Evangelicals must embrace a comprehensive affirmation of the Bible as the Word of God written. In the end, inspiration requires inerrancy, and inerrancy affirms the Bible’s plenary authority. The Bible is not inerrant, and thus the Word of God; it is the Word of God, and thus inerrant.

The affirmation of biblical inerrancy means nothing more, and nothing less, than this: When the Bible speaks, God speaks. — by Al Mohler

Is Mohler’s case convincing? Why or why not? How does it match, or differ from, your own views on biblical inerrancy? Does anything here make you reconsider your beliefs on this topic?

We’ll be back tomorrow with a different perspective from Peter Enns! (If you can’t wait until then, or if you want to read more of Mohler’s argument, grab yourself a copy of Five Views of Biblical Inerrancy.)

If you were the President of the United States, would you still find the time for daily devotions?

I can attest from personal experience that it’s hard keeping up with regular devotions and Bible reading amid work, family, and other commitments—and I say that as somebody who works at a Bible website, where it couldn’t possibly be easier for me to access a Bible anytime I want to. I can’t imagine how much more difficult it would be to fit devotional reading into a day whose duties also included handling international crises, wrangling with Congress, and surviving the endless grind of everyday American political culture.

But precisely because of those challenges, time for Bible reading, prayer, and devotions would be all the more critical for a national leader. Martin Luther famously quipped “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer;” if that’s true for me and my busy day, it’s even more true for the “leader of the free world.”

Why do I bring this up? Because as it turns out, like other presidents before him, President Obama reads his daily devotions, and 365 of those daily readings have just been collected and published as The President’s Devotional: The Daily Readings That Inspired President Obama. These devotions were written by Joshua DuBois, who, while working on Obama’s staff, once asked the then-senator for permission to email him a devotional reading each day. Obama agreed, and DuBois went on to send the president a daily devotional for years.

So what does a “presidential devotional” look like? DuBois and his publisher have kindly given us permission to share a few of these readings here on the blog. Here are two daily readings from The President’s Devotional. The first devotional is from September 15:

“Resurrection”

Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” — John 11:24–25 (NKJV)

Up out of this sea, expectancy rises reborn again and sees heaven open—reborn. —— Søren Kierkegaard, Eighteen Upbuilding Discourses

Martha’s brother Lazarus had died four days earlier. Before his death, Martha called to Jesus to save him, but Jesus came too late. Still, Martha believed. She declared that God’s will would be done, if not now, then in the future, on that great Resurrection Day. And Jesus said in response: Martha, today is your resurrection. In me, there is life, each day. And then Jesus called Lazarus forth into life.

Our Lord is telling us: today is our resurrection.

In Christ, we are renewed, every day. The old things, the broken things, the depressed and dead things, are behind us. Through the blessing of an intimate relationship with our eternal God, this flesh of ours perishes each morning and our spirit is renewed. A personal springtime. A fresh awakening. Our resurrection.

Dear God, I humbly accept my renewal. Let me believe in your ability to restore. Put the old things behind me, and move me forward into my resurrection day. Amen.

Here’s one more devotional, this one from November 20.

“Power Made Perfect”

Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. — Matthew 5:11-12 (NASB)

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. — 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (NIV)

What burden—what pain and sorrow—could have broken the Apostle Paul to the point that he pleaded with God three times to take it away?

This is Paul: mighty defender of the Gospel. Second to Jesus, the most important figure in all of Christianity. Imprisoned frequently, flogged severely, shipwrecked thrice, and still—always—standing.

But something got to him. Something drove Paul to his knees to cry out, “God, take it away.” Rejected, he pleaded again. Spurned, he begged for reprieve a third time.

And God said: No. I will not remove this thorn from your side. But here’s what I will do: I will show myself strong through your weakness. My grace will wash over your pain. My name will be glorified in your time of trouble, and others will see my saving power.

Our suffering is a legacy of prophets and apostles. Let us embrace it, for the glory of one whose triumph outlasts our pain.

Dear God, remind me that my momentary struggles are just that—momentary. Fix my eyes on what is eternal. Amen.

One of the reasons The President’s Devotional caught my eye is that Bible Gateway actually has a link—albeit indirect—to White House devotionals, although from a different era. The outspoken evangelist Billy Zeoli, famous for his ministry to professional athletes, was very close to President Gerald Ford—close enough that Zeoli wrote a weekly devotional for President Ford and met with him periodically for Bible study:

When Ford became Vice President in the fall of 1973, Zeoli began sending him a weekly devotional memo that would be waiting on Ford’s desk on Monday mornings. It always had the same title — “God’s Got a Better Idea” — and began with scripture (always from the King James version, Ford’s preferred translation) and ended with a prayer. Zeoli sent 146 devotionals in all, every week through Ford’s presidency. “Not only were they profound in their meaning and judicious in their selection,” Ford said, “I believe they were also divinely inspired.” Beyond the memos, Zeoli and Ford would meet privately every four or five weeks for prayer and Bible study. Their conversations took place either in the Oval Office or the family quarters upstairs. (from Time magazine)

Zeoli was at the helm of Gospel Films when it discovered and put online a little college student project you may have heard about—BibleGateway.com.

Regardless of the political climate or the particular party that happens to be in power, I find it reassuring that Scripture is being read regularly in the White House. If you’re interested in learning more about The President’s Devotional, see the official website. There have been some interesting discussions about the book on Twitter, which you can follow at #ThePresidentsDevotional. And lastly, print copies can be found at the Bible Gateway store.

Is your holiday season a bit lacking in the cheer and good will departments? Reverend Fun can help, with its large archive of Christmas-themed cartoons. We’ve gone through and picked out five of the highest-rated Christmas cartoons from Reverend Fun, as ranked by site visitors. Without further ado:

1. “Eternal Life, My Favorite!”

2. Look at the Bright Side…

3. The Coolest Thing

4. That’s Where You’re Wrong

5. It’s Not on Your Christmas List, But…

If you liked these, there’s plenty more Christmas goodness at Reverend Fun!

Blogger Jason Neil Soto knows how to get the most out of BibleGateway.com—and he’s sharing his knowledge with you! He’s put together an awesome tutorial video that walks through the process of studying the Bible online using BibleGateway.com.

Jason starts with the very basics, but moves into more advanced features (like parallel Bible views, editing the way Bible Gateway displays Bible text, and reading commentaries) as well. Here’s Jason’s tutorial:

If you mostly use Bible Gateway to look up individual Bible verses or passages, this video shows that there’s a lot more you can get out of Bible Gateway without much extra effort. We hope this has shown you one or two Bible Gateway features that you didn’t know about!

Thanks to Jason for putting together this excellent tutorial! Jason, who has impeccable taste in Bible websites and no doubt many other things, blogs at http://jasonneilsoto.com and you can follow him at @JasonNeilSoto.

170px-Mandela_voting_in_1994 As you’ve no doubt read, the highly respected South African activist and politician Nelson Mandela passed away yesterday. Mandela long career contain many highlights, but it’s his message of forgiveness rather than vengeance—even in the face of terrible injustice—that is likely to be his most lasting legacy.

While Mandela’s life and passing are being widely discussed on news sites around the web, here are a few reflections from Christian sites and writers that discuss the spiritual element of Mandela’s lifelong work.

At ThinkChristian, Bronwyn Lea reflects on what she learned from Mandela’s words and deeds while she was growing up in South Africa. For Lea, Nelson’s legacy brings to mind that of Cyrus the Great, an ancient Persian ruler who is mentioned in the Bible.
Gideon Strauss writes at Christianity Today that Christians have much to learn from Mandela about the place of politics.
“How Nelson Mandela Accomplished the Impossible” notes the quiet but strong faith upon which Mandela’s approach to politics was built.
Adrian Warnock describes Mandela as a person who “represents so much that is good, and upright, and that reflects the peacemaker values of Jesus Christ.”
Michael Trimmer talks about the ways that Mandela’s faith both inspired and restrained his actions during his long struggle against institutional injustice.
Pope Francis praised Mandela for modeling non-violence and grace throughout his life.
And lastly, here’s a collection of quotes from Christian pastors and leaders around the world reflecting on Mandela’s legacy. (And while you’re at it, see this gathering of famous quotes by Mandela himself.)

Photo by Paul Weinberg.

It’s December, and Advent is here! Chances are (if you’re in the U.S.) you’re just now fully recovering from the Thanksgiving holiday last week. But with Thanksgiving behind us, we’ve officially entered the countdown to Christmas. And while that stretch of time holds a lot of pleasant experiences—Christmas music, time spent with family, Christmas-themed activities at school and church, etc.—it’s also usually marked by a hectic pace, jam-packed schedules, and financial stress.

With all of that packed into just one month, how can you possibly experience spiritual peace this holiday season?

One simple way you can stay spiritually grounded this Christmas season is by participating in the season of Advent. Advent has just begun; now is a perfect time to choose to participate.

Advent won’t add stress to your life; you don’t need to buy presents for it. Advent is simply the period of time leading up to Christmas, during which Christians around the world take a bit of time to reflect on the true meaning of the holiday. It’s specifically meant to pull our attention away from our everyday worries and focus it on the person of Jesus Christ instead. Advent reminds us of Jesus’ first coming two thousand years ago, while pointing us to his long-awaited second coming.

Your church might observe Advent this year—common ways to commemorate the season include special Scripture readings, the lighting of Advent candles, and the use of purple and blue in decorations. However, Advent is even more rewarding when you observe it not just at weekly worship services, but in your personal life throughout December. Here are just a few of the ways you might choose to observe Advent:

Commit to read the Bible for five minutes (or whatever amount of time fits into your schedule) each day.
Challenge yourself to read a particular section of the Bible during Advent. This doesn’t need to be a huge commitment—reading through one or more of the Gospels would be very thematically appropriate, and easily do-able in a month. (If you’re not sure where to start, begin with Luke 2!)
Spend a few extra minutes each day in prayer, perhaps centered around a particular theme. For example, you might pray for a different person in your family, church, or community each day.
Find and read a good devotional during December. We offer several devotionals, including some Advent-specific ones, here at Bible Gateway, but you could also track one down at your local bookstore, church library, or elsewhere.
Practice charity. Go out of your way each week during Advent to spread grace in your community. This might mean running errands for somebody who can’t do them on their own; volunteering or donating at a food pantry or other organization; visiting somebody who needs company during the holidays; buying groceries for a family struggling to make financial ends meet; or whatever else you can dream up.

There’s no limit to what you can do to observe Advent, nor any requirement that you observe it in a particular way (or at all). But if you could use an extra dose of spiritual peace and joy this Christmas season, try commemorating Advent in a way that makes sense for your life and situation—you’ll find that time spent focusing on Jesus Christ will put the rest of your hectic holiday schedule in a healthy perspective.

Have you noticed anything different about Bible Gateway today? We’ve got a new logo!

If you’ve been using Bible Gateway for any length of time, you know that we’ve grown and evolved immensely over the last decade. In the seven years since we last revised our logo (which suggested a stylized person proclaiming God’s Word), Bible Gateway has significantly expanded its reach and resources. While the text of Scripture is and always will be the heart of Bible Gateway, the experience of reading God’s Word has now been enhanced with dozens of devotionals, reading plans, audio Scripture, Bible reference works, a mobile app, and other resources.

And so we thought it was time our logo changed to reflect the new, more comprehensive Bible Gateway. Here’s the logo that’s rolling out on BibleGateway.com and across our various resources this month:

The new logo illustrates our vision for Bible Gateway: a place where you can enter into a deeper experience of engagement with the Bible. It’s our hope that you’ll encounter God’s Word at Bible Gateway, and that our study and devotional resources will help you explore, understand, and apply what you read.

If you aren’t familiar with Bible Gateway’s assorted resources, here are some of our most popular tools:

Christmas and Advent email devotionals
Our email and online devotional libraries
Our collection of audio Bibles
Bible commentaries and reference works
Bible reading plans of varying lengths and approaches

Thanks to everyone who’s journeyed along with us over the years! We hope you like the new logo, and the vision behind it, as much as we do.

Happy Thanksgiving to our friends in the United States! Wherever you are today, and whatever your circumstances, pause for a few minutes today to consider what you’re thankful for—and express that gratitude to God! And if there are people in your life to whom you owe a word of thanks, today’s a perfect day to convey that gratitude as well.

While the Bible contains many depictions of of thankfulness, the book of Psalms contains some of the most poetic ones. Below are two of the most famous psalms of thanksgiving in the Bible. Whether you’re gathering for a family feast this afternoon or are spending your holiday alone, consider reading these short passages out loud today:

I thank you, Lord, with all my heart;
I sing praise to you before the gods.
I face your holy Temple,
bow down, and praise your name
because of your constant love and faithfulness,
because you have shown that your name and your commands are supreme.
You answered me when I called to you;
with your strength you strengthened me.

All the kings in the world will praise you, Lord,
because they have heard your promises.
They will sing about what you have done
and about your great glory.
Even though you are so high above,
you care for the lowly,
and the proud cannot hide from you.

When I am surrounded by troubles,
you keep me safe.
You oppose my angry enemies
and save me by your power.
You will do everything you have promised;
Lord, your love is eternal.
Complete the work that you have begun. — Psalm 138 (GNT)

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
Let Israel say:
“His love endures forever.”
Let the house of Aaron say:
“His love endures forever.”
Let those who fear the Lord say:
“His love endures forever.” — Psalm 118 (NIV)

For more poetic examples of gratitude to God, see Psalm 22 (in which the author finds cause to give thanks even among very dire circumstances), Psalm 92, and Psalm 115.

Or, a Time to Treasure and Ponder

A guest post by Mel Lawrenz

Why should we take time to do devotional readings leading up to Christmas? Because it is an excellent way to “treasure” and to “ponder.”

In Luke’s account of the Christmas story we read: “Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). That’s what she did in response to the shocking news the shepherds gave about an angelic multitude announcing “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14).

In this noisy, troubled, uncertain time in which we live, we need to take time to let the message of the advent (coming) of the Lord Jesus sink in. To “treasure” it. To “ponder” it. Devotional reading is a great way to do that.

Bible Gateway’s Christmas devotional sign up is here.

From Mel Lawrenz’s Christmas Joy devotional…

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.’” — Luke 2:10-11

A bit of joy will do. But “great joy”? Is it almost too much to hope for?

Where did all the Christmas joy go? How did things get so complicated? So rushed? So squeezed and cluttered? It doesn’t have to be that way. We can choose to step aside, step into a quieter moment, and read angel’s words that came on that night that changed the world.

Real joy is never something that originates from within, it has to come to us from without. Trying to find joy by getting it out of yourself is like believing a river can flow uphill. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why so many have a hard time finding joy at Christmas. Bite into a Christmas cookie, and you might enjoy it. Open a shiny package and you might enjoy what you find inside. But joy itself—in its true and pure form—is so much more than enjoyment. Joy is the startling realization that God really has claimed territory in this world. He’s taken back what belongs to him. And then joy is a thirst that doesn’t want to be quenched; a hunger that knows it will go on and on. It’s a good thing, to never get enough of God.

This Christmas CAN be different.

Mel Lawrenz writes Bible Gateway’s Everything New weekly devotional and leads The Brook Network.

nativity The holidays are officially upon us—and that means that our Advent and Christmas devotions are here!

For many people, the Christmas season is one of the most hectic and stressful times of the year—a time when we could all desperately use a regular dose of Scriptural encouragement. We’d like to help you capture moments of reflection, peace, and worship during the Christmas season. To do that, we’ve put together five Christmas-themed devotions you can receive via email throughout Advent.

Here’s what you’ll find on our Holiday Devotions page:

Advent Devotions: The Bible Gateway team hand-picked this selection of Advent-themed Scripture readings, inspirational readings, and devotional essays to help you stay focused on the true meaning of Christmas.
Christmas Joy: Pastor and author Mel Lawrenz (who writes the Everything New weekly devotional here at Bible Gateway) walks you through each day of Advent, focusing on a different aspect of the Christmas story every day.
Classic Christmas Hymns: The beautiful, worshipful music of Christmas is one of the season’s most defining elements. Discover the inspiring stories behind your favorite Christmas hymns!
Readings to Celebrate Advent from The Voice Bible: Brand new this year! Did you know that references, foreshadowings, and echoes of the Christmas story can be found not just in the Gospels, but all throughout Scripture? These daily readings from throughout the Bible were chosen for the insight they offer into the Christmas story.
The Christmas Story: Have you ever read the Christmas story from start to finish? This series of daily readings will walk you through the miracle of Christmas from beginning to end.

All of these devotions are free, and signing up is easy—just visit the Holiday Devotions page, check the box next to the devotions you want to receive, and subscribe. Click here to sign up.

We hope that these devotions help you face the stress of the holidays with true peace and joy. Have a blessed Advent, and a very merry Christmas!

Bible Gateway Blog

Most Recent Blog Posts

Is the Bible Inerrant? Al Mohler on Biblical Inerrancy

When the Bible Speaks, God Speaks: The Classic Doctrine of Biblical Inerrancy

The President’s Devotional: Reading Scripture in the White House

“Resurrection”

“Power Made Perfect”

Top Five Christmas Cartoons from Reverend Fun

Fan Tutorial: How to Study the Bible at BibleGateway.com

Reflecting on Nelson Mandela’s Christian Legacy

How Are You Celebrating Advent This Year?

Bible Gateway Unveils a New Logo

Give Thanks!

Why Do Devotional Readings Leading Up to Christmas?

Or, a Time to Treasure and Ponder

Bible Gateway’s Holiday Devotions Are Here!

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