Let the Bible Speak: God and His Word

By Lynn Watkins

With over five billion copies sold, the Bible has had more copies printed than any other book. Yet few people seem to understand why the Bible is unique or valuable. Even many so-called "churchgoers" have not read the entire Bible. In this book, the author unlocks the Bible for those who need help. Through a series of short chapters, the unique characteristics of the Bible--such as inspiration, authority, canonicity, and reliability--are explained.

"The Scripture is a collection of poetry, historical events, adventures, heart-breaking incidents, teachings, and riddles that present the history of God and humanity. Throughout the pages of this book, unlikely heroes and heinous villains emerge in an incredible love story; a story which this book proclaims is true" [L Watkins]. Such a book is worth devoting time for reading, studying, and exploring!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Captured Splendor Imagery
• Release date: Jun 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9798985424553

Book preview

Let the Bible Speak:

God and His Word

Lynn L Watkins, Th.D.

LET THE BIBLE SPEAK: God and His Word

Published by Captured Splendor Books, a Division of Divinely Commissioned LLC

P. O. Box 172916

Spartanburg, SC. 29301

This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America copyright law.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are taken from the World English Bible [WEB], a public domain [no copywrite] Modern English Translation of the Bible. You can copy it in any form, including electronic and print.

Scriptures marked [AMP] are taken from the Amplified Bible. copyright © 2015 by the Lockman Foundation, LaHabra, CA, 90631. All rights reserved.

Cover design by Lynn Watkins using Canva. https://www.canva.com.

copyright © 2023 by Lynn Watkins. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 979-8-9854245-5-3

Religion-Christianity-Apologetics

Religion-Christianity-Reference-Bible

Religion-Christianity-Theology-Bible

LET THE BIBLE SPEAK:

God and His Word

This book is dedicated to the men and women who have given their lives to preserve and translate the Scriptures so that all nations can read the Word of God.

And to Jesus, the Living Word.  Glory and Honor to Him forevermore.

To God be the Glory.  Lynn Watkins, February 2023.

Your word is a lamp to my feet,

and a light for my path.

I have taken your testimonies as a heritage forever,

for they are the joy of my heart.

[Psalm 119:105, 111]

Table of Contents

1—INTRODUCTION: TAKING the Lid Off

2—It’s Alive!

3—Civilization and Divine Revelation

4—God’s Voice to Man

5—No Dictaphones

6— External Proofs of Inspiration

7—Internal Proofs of Inspiration

8—The Nature of Scripture

9—Authority of Scripture

10—Beliefs of the Church Fathers

11—Miracles Are Real!

12—The Trustworthiness and Endurance of the Scriptures

13—The Canonicity of the Bible

14—The Power of the Word

15—The Word [Part 1]

16—The Word [Part 2]

17—The Point of the Story

18—Last but Not Least: The Neglected Dynamite

Selected Bibliography

Author’s Page

CHAPTER 1—TAKING THE LID OFF

IT MAY SIT IN A DRAWER next to a bed. It may lie open on a lace-covered table. It may be tattered and torn, stuck in a backpack, or lying on a table beside a comfortable chair. What is It? A Bible.

With over five billion copies sold, the Bible has had more copies printed than any other book [and that ignores copies of the Jewish Scriptures that have been printed and sold].

Yet few people seem to understand why the Bible is unique or valuable. People are looking elsewhere for wise counsel or spiritual direction. Even many so-called churchgoers have never read the entire Bible. Only a relative few know what the Bible says.

Yet despite their ignorance, people make all kinds of assumptions about the Bible. Some focus on the phrase, God is love, and assume God will let us do whatever we want, so they don’t need to read an old book. Others think the Bible is a moldy set of outmoded rules that don’t apply to our enlightened modern age.

What do you think of the Bible? Have you considered that this collection of sixty-six books has supernatural power?

You may have never asked yourself this question before, so take a few moments to think before answering. Your answer could affect your future.

Perhaps you have never considered the Bible or its contents. Possibly you think the Bible is merely a book of rules sometimes held up by extreme right-wing politicians trying to persuade you to listen to them. Maybe you own a Bible, but it is just there on a shelf somewhere.

But have you ever pondered the following:

Have you ever opened a Bible to study It? If you own a Bible [or two or three], do you read It? Is your Bible just a handy bookend?

Is your Bible a prop you carry to church [like an actress would carry a prop in a play]? Do you let the Bible speak into your life as you read It?

Do you consider the Bible relevant to your life or the problems society faces today? Or do you think the Bible is a collection of fables spun by superstitious men in the past to control people?

Do you consider the Bible a provocative but unattainable set of moral teachings?

Do you know why the Bible claims to be God's recorded words and will?

Now, if I asked if you liked ice cream, you might say that you loved ice cream, especially vanilla. However, if you said you hated ice cream, I might ask, Why? Did you find ice cream too cold or too sugary?

If you said yes to my question, I'd make you some pudding. However, if you replied, Oh, I've never tasted ice cream, I might ask how you could hate something you have never tasted.

If you told me you’d never tasted ice cream because you couldn't open the lid off the container, I would reply, Well, let me open the ice cream for you.

I wouldn’t want you to miss something special because you couldn’t open it!

This book of musings, meditations, or thoughts [whatever you want to label the following chapters] is my attempt to unlock the Bible for those who need help. I aim to reveal why you should let the Bible speak to you.

While these meditations build on each other, each chapter can stand alone, distinct from the others. Each chapter is short and provides a foundation for that specific chapter’s topic. As we journey through these chapters, I will also define and clarify some of the terms people use in speaking about the nature of the Scriptures without too much technicality.

I hope to convince you to read the Word of God with a curious, open attitude. If you do so, you will probably find that some books of the Bible seem to speak to you more than others. In addition, you will discover that each