Why came the Bible? Our Creator God has a desire to communicate with us. He made us. He loves us. And He wants to have a relationship with us just like every mother and father wants an intimate relationship with their own children. But we must have a relationship with God on His terms–not ours; for we were created for God’s pleasure (Revelation 4:11). Parents have rules and guidelines for their children to follow. Why is it so odd to consider that God would also have prepared a life’s Handbook for His creation to follow!
God started off talking with Adam and Eve just like we now talk with one another. But after they failed that great test of obedience by believing the lie of the devil-possessed serpent (Genesis 3:1-24), humanity became separated from God. Our Creator is holy in a way we cannot begin to comprehend. Adam and Eve’s disobedience drove them from their once eternal unity with God. He simply cannot have intimacy with sin-tainted people. He spoke less and less to individual people, and began to reveal Himself, His Word, and His Will through specific individuals that He chose to be His spokesmen to humanity.
These specially chosen people were generally given the title of “prophet” during the Old Testament Period. When the New Testament began after Jesus died and rose again from the dead, Christ’s witnesses and spokesmen were known as “apostles”. The prophets and apostles are simply God's messengers, and they delivered the Bible to us from the very hand of God.
The Bible states that the saints of God are "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:19,20, EMTV) God has revealed and given proof of His Word through the prophets and apostles in order to lead a lost civilization back to Himself.
In fact, the people that God called to be the transmitters of His Word to humanity were so moved by the power of our Creator that they simply could not help but release the words which God had given them to speak.
Jeremiah said, “But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not.” (Jeremiah 20:9, NKJV). Jeremiah had become a little fed up with being a prophet of God because no one would listen to him. But even though he was tired of speaking for God, he just couldn’t keep it in. The proof of God's power was upon Him, so He had to prophesy whatever God had commanded him, no matter how people would react to him.
The prophet Amos stated, “The lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken; who can but prophesy?" (Amos 3:8, ESV). Amos was irresistibly driven to reveal the words God gave him to speak to people out of a reverent fear of the Lord.
The apostles Peter and John walked with Jesus, talked with Jesus, ate with Jesus, and slept with Jesus during His earthly ministry. They were eye witnesses. They said, “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20, KJV)
Finally, Paul the apostle stated, “an obligation is placed on me. And woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (I Corinthians 9:16, HCSB)
Those are just a few examples from the testimonies of both prophets and apostles, the proof that they were not only called to be God’s mouthpieces…but that they were so motivated by the Holy Spirit, they couldn’t help but reveal whatever God had spoken to them.
Now available: Why Believe the Bible II, God reveals events before they happen
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