Jesus and the Bible

We are all aware of the conflict. Conservative Christianity holds that the Bible is the Word of God -- God-breathed -- and, as such, since God is infallible and inerrant, what God breathed in the pages of the Bible is infallible and inerrant. "Nay, nay," counters Progressive Christianity. "The Bible is a mish-mash, a conglomeration of 'the words of God' perhaps along with other human ideas interjected. As such it is absolutely not inerrant or infallible." The dividing line isn't vague or trivial. But both sides claim to like Jesus well enough, so I have to ask, what did Jesus think about it?

Ironically, at the first, the only source we have about what Jesus thought about the Bible is ... the Bible. Now, if the Bible is indeed the Word of God, that's not a problem. If, however, it is not, then arguing for Jesus while arguing against the Bible as wholly reliable leaves you in a wholly unreliable position. But, we have to try, right? Consider, also, that Jesus is God (e.g., John 1:1-3; John 10:30; John 8:58). Thus if "all Scripture is God-breathed" (2 Tim 3:16-17) and Jesus is God, all Scripture comes from Christ, and not just the "red letters."

So what do we know about what Jesus believed about the Bible? Jesus understood that Moses wrote the Pentateuch (e.g., Mark 7:10; Mark 10:3; Mark 12:26). In fact, He attributed to Moses what God said (Mark 7:10; John 7:19, 22) and attributed to God what Moses said (Matt 22:31). Jesus saw these two sources as interchangeable. Jesus believed that the Scriptures were authoritative (e.g., Matt 8:4; Matt 22:29; Mark 10:3; Mark 12:26; Luke 16:29; Luke 24:44; John 5:46). He believed the Scriptures were enduring (Matt 5:18). He believed the Scriptures represented unmitigated truth (John 17:17). In the end, then, based on the infallibility and inerrancy of God, Jesus believed in the same for the words God had breathed.

It should not come as a surprise, then, that the "Christian Left" disagrees with Jesus on the concept of Hell and judgment (e.g., Matt 5:29; Matt 7:21-23; Matt 23:33; Matt 25:41; Mark 9:47-48; Luke 12:5; 2 Thess 1:7-8). They disagree with Jesus on the problem of sin (e.g., Luke 13:1-5). They disagree with the Jesus with whom they claim to agree, a necessity if they disagree with Jesus on the fundamental nature of God's Word.

Let's not be deceived here. I'm not saying those dirty, rotten Progressives need the Gospel. I'm saying that we all need the Gospel. Every day. All the time. So don't follow their perspectives on these things knowing that they are in opposition to Jesus. On the other hand, don't suppose that because you aren't doing the same, you're better than them. We all need the Gospel. All the time.