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Objective

In this lesson, we’ll discover how God has preserved the Bible and established it as our supreme authority for both what we believe and how we live.

Key Verse

Psalm 119:89: Forever, O Lord, your word is settled in heaven.

Introduction

When we studied the inspiration of the Bible, we learned that God breathed His very words through human authors to give us His perfect revelation. This foundational truth about Scripture leads us to three other vital truths that flow naturally from inspiration.

Because the Bible is inspired by God, it is completely true and without error. Because the Bible is inspired by God, it has been carefully preserved throughout history. And because the Bible is inspired by God, it carries divine authority to guide our faith and daily living.

In our previous lesson, we examined what inspiration means and how the Bible speaks truthfully about everything it addresses. Today we’ll focus on two equally important aspects of God’s Word: how He has preserved it through the centuries and why it has absolute authority over our lives.

(Notebook Moment: Think about a time when you had to decide whether to follow human advice or biblical teaching. What helped you make that choice?)

Here are the main points we will explore together:

• How God has preserved His Word throughout history
• Why the Bible has authority over our faith and life
• How we can know the Bible is complete

The Preservation of God’s Word

God has faithfully preserved the Bible because it is His eternal Word. When the psalmist declared that God’s word is “settled in heaven,” he was revealing a profound truth about the unchanging nature of Scripture. What God has spoken will endure forever.

Psalm 119:89: Forever, O Lord, your word is settled in heaven.

Jesus Himself confirmed this eternal quality of God’s Word when He taught His disciples about the lasting nature of Scripture:

Matthew 24:35: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

The Bible consistently teaches us that God’s Word is eternal and unchanging. Throughout Scripture, we see this truth confirmed again and again. Jesus declared that “Scripture cannot be set aside” (John 10:35), meaning that Scripture cannot be broken, dissolved, or destroyed. What God has spoken stands firm forever.

2 Kings 10:10: Know, then, that nothing the Lord has said against the house of Ahab will fail. The Lord has done what he promised through his servant Elijah.

Even when human kings try to oppose God’s word, it will accomplish exactly what God intended.

Psalm 12:6-7: And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times. You, Lord, will keep them safe forever, guarding them from this generation.

Psalm 33:11: But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.

Isaiah 40:8: The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.

1 Peter 1:23-25: For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.

One of the most powerful examples of God’s determination to preserve His Word appears in Jeremiah 36. This dramatic story shows us that no human effort can destroy what God has spoken.

God instructed Jeremiah to write His words on a scroll so the people could hear His message. When King Jehoiakim heard the scroll being read, he became angry at God’s warnings. Instead of repenting, the king took a knife and cut up the scroll, throwing the pieces into the fire until the entire scroll was burned.

But God’s response reveals His commitment to preserve His Word:

Jeremiah 36:27-28: After the king burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah’s dictation, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: “Take another scroll and write on it all the words that were on the first scroll, which Jehoiakim king of Judah burned up.”

This story teaches us a vital lesson: human opposition cannot destroy God’s Word. When people try to suppress, ban, or destroy the Bible, God finds ways to preserve and spread His truth. Throughout history, tyrants have burned Bibles, governments have outlawed Scripture, and skeptics have predicted the Bible’s disappearance. Yet God’s Word continues to spread to every nation and language on earth.

The Authority of God’s Word

The Bible’s authority flows directly from its divine source. Authority always depends on the character and position of the person who speaks. When Jesus taught during His earthly ministry, people immediately recognized that “he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law” (Matthew 7:29). Jesus had authority because He is God incarnate. In the same way, the Bible has authority because it comes directly from God Himself.

We see this divine authority demonstrated when Jesus faced Satan’s temptations in the wilderness. Each time the devil tried to lead Him astray, Jesus responded with the authoritative words of Scripture:

Matthew 4:4: Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'”

Matthew 4:7: Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'”

Matthew 4:10: Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'”

Notice how Jesus responded to each temptation with the phrase “it is written.” He was appealing to the absolute authority of God’s written Word. If Scripture was sufficient for Jesus in His moment of testing, how much more should it be our final authority in every situation we face?

Jesus also declared the permanent authority of the Old Testament Scriptures:

Matthew 5:17-19: Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. Truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Some people think that miraculous experiences or dramatic spiritual encounters carry more authority than the written Word of God. But Jesus taught exactly the opposite. In His story about the rich man and Lazarus, Jesus made it clear that Scripture has greater authority than even miraculous signs:

Luke 16:27-31: He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’

The apostle Peter learned this same lesson. Even though he had witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountain—seeing Christ’s glory with his own eyes and hearing God’s voice from heaven—Peter wrote that the written Word of Scripture is even more reliable than spectacular personal experiences:

2 Peter 1:16-21: For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

(Notebook Moment: How does knowing that Scripture has greater authority than even miraculous experiences change the way you evaluate spiritual claims or dramatic testimonies you might hear?)

The Bible has authority over two crucial areas of our lives: our faith and our daily living.

➤ Authority Over Our Faith

The Bible serves as our guide for what we believe. Any teaching that contradicts Scripture cannot be true, no matter how persuasive it might sound or how popular it might become. This is why we must study the Bible carefully and know its teachings well.

2 Timothy 3:16: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…

Paul tells us that “all Scripture is profitable for doctrine”—meaning it teaches us what to believe about God, salvation, and spiritual truth.

Jude 3-4: Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.

2 Timothy 1:13: What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.

When we question the authority of God’s Word in matters of faith, we follow the same pattern that brought sin into the world. Satan’s very first temptation began with questioning God’s Word:

Genesis 3:1: Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

➤ Authority Over Our Daily Life

The Bible is also our guide for how we should live. We should walk in the light of God’s revelation, obeying His Word even when we don’t fully understand His reasons.

Psalm 119:105: Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

John 15:3: You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

Sometimes obedience to God’s Word requires faith, just as it did for the disciples when Jesus gave them instructions they didn’t understand:

Luke 5:5: Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”

Peter’s willingness to obey Jesus’ word, even when it seemed pointless, resulted in a miraculous catch of fish. In the same way, our obedience to Scripture—even when we don’t see the immediate benefits—always leads to God’s blessing.

Paul explains in 2 Timothy how the Bible provides everything we need for godly living:

2 Timothy 3:16-17: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The Bible reproves us when we’re wrong, corrects us and sets us on the right path, and instructs us in how to grow in righteousness. Every area of our lives should be governed by Scripture:

Our moral purity should be guided by God’s standards, not cultural trends. Our financial decisions should reflect biblical principles about money and generosity. Our family relationships should follow the patterns God has established in His Word. Even how we speak should be controlled by scriptural wisdom about the power of our words.

(Notebook Moment: Which area of your life do you find most challenging to submit to biblical authority? What specific Scripture passages could guide you in that area?)

The Completeness of God’s Word

Throughout history, people have wondered how we can be sure that the right books were included in the Bible. Why do we have exactly 66 books—39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament? How do we know that other ancient writings shouldn’t be included?

For the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit guided the priests and leaders of Israel to preserve and collect the books of the Law and the Prophets. We can be confident these are the right books because Jesus Himself accepted and quoted from the Old Testament Scriptures during His ministry. Nearly every book of the Old Testament is referenced or quoted somewhere in the New Testament, showing that the early church recognized these as authoritative Scripture.

The formation of the New Testament presents a more complex question. In the early centuries after Christ, many false gospels were written claiming to tell the story of Jesus. There were also some good writings with true doctrine that were helpful to the church but were not included in the Bible. How did the early church determine which 27 books belonged in the New Testament?

We can be certain that the Holy Spirit preserved the authority of the Bible and guided the church to recognize the inspired books. Jesus promised that the Spirit would lead His people into all truth:

John 16:13: But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

This promise speaks both of the inspiration of the New Testament books and of how the Holy Spirit guided the church to recognize which books were truly inspired.

Under the Holy Spirit’s guidance, the early church followed three basic principles to identify inspired Scripture:

First, the book had to be connected to an apostle’s witness. The foundation of the church was built on the apostles and prophets, with Christ as the cornerstone. Only books written by apostles or their close associates were considered for inclusion.

Ephesians 2:20: Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

Second, the book had to edify the Body of Christ. Genuine Scripture always builds up believers and helps them grow in their faith.

Acts 20:32: Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

Third, the book had to be recognized as authoritative by Christians everywhere. True Scripture carries its own witness and is recognized by Spirit-filled believers across different times and places.

2 Peter 1:20: Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation.

Through this careful process, guided by the Holy Spirit, the church recognized the 27 books that make up our New Testament. We can trust that God, who inspired His Word, also preserved it and guided His people to recognize it.

Conclusion

We study and apply God’s Word because it has absolute authority over what we believe and how we live. But it’s not enough simply to know that the Bible has authority—we must respond to that authority with both reverence and love.

When Jesus restored Peter after his denial, He asked him three times, “Do you love me?” Each time Peter affirmed his love, Jesus gave him the same commission: “Feed my sheep.” Our love for Christ should motivate us to know His Word deeply and live it faithfully. Whether we’re parents guiding our children, workers influencing our colleagues, or neighbors sharing with our community, we have opportunities to honor God’s Word through our words and actions.

Paul warned that false teachers would always try to lead people away from biblical truth, like “savage wolves” who would “distort the truth.” This warning reminds us that we must always return to Scripture as our final authority, testing every teaching against the Word of God.

Ephesians 4:15: Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.

The Bible has authority because God has authority. When we submit to Scripture, we submit to God Himself. The authority of Scripture is not meant to burden us but to bless us. God’s Word provides the wisdom we need for every decision, the comfort we need for every sorrow, and the guidance we need for every step of our journey. When we embrace the Bible’s authority over our faith and life, we discover the joy and peace that come from walking in harmony with our Creator’s perfect will.

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