Weekly Q&A
How can the Bible, which was written 2,000 years ago, continue to be relevant today? In the millennia since, so much has changed. We’ve had the advent of technology, awakening for women’s rights, and so much more. How can a book written so long ago be relevant for this life today?
The question posed is a very relevant one. Some 40 writers with different calibres, living in varied circumstances, penned the Holy Bible across 1,500 years. Even the most recent writing in the volume is more than 1,900 years old now.
All the books comprising the Bible were written in times very different from now: a world sans printing presses, modern urban spaces, jet planes, the Internet, Covid-19, family break-ups — the list is unending.
Given the drastic change in lifestyles, can we still consider the Holy Bible to be the sole, trustworthy guide for our lives? In short, yes — for the following reasons.
Some 40 writers with different calibres, living in varied circumstances, penned the Holy Bible across 1,500 years
Though many human authors were involved in the making of the Scriptures, it is ultimately the Word of God. God Himself is its Author. The Bible says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).
It says that all Scripture is God-breathed. God is not confined by time or space. He is omniscient too. He knows the end from the beginning itself. Thus, the Word He has given us is for all of time. This cannot be told about any other book in the world because they are penned by mere human authors — all of whom are finite beings.
Notice the claims of the unchangeability of the Bible about itself: “Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89). In another passage, the psalmist says that it is “enduring forever” (Psalm 19:9).
Peter says that it is the imperishable, living and abiding word (1 Peter 1:23). And, in the last chapter of the Bible, it is emphatically stated that nothing should be added to or taken away from the Scriptures (Revelation 22:18-19).
These and many other passages all attribute eternal relevance to the Bible. People alter history books, and scientific books are updated according to advances in the field. But the Bible needs no additions or editions. Only something that loses its relevance calls for updating.
The Bible needs no additions or editions. Only something that loses its relevance calls for updating
In the Bible, we also see examples of the use of the various Scriptural portions. They, too, attest to the relevance of the Bible.
For example, when the Pharisees questioned Jesus about the permanence of marital relationships, Jesus quoted from the book of Genesis in His response. In essence, He was claiming that what Moses wrote 1,500 years prior to that was relevant even then. And if it were relevant in Jesus’ time, centuries after being written, it is relevant for all time.
Similarly, when Paul — and the other NT writers — instructs the believers, they quote the Old Testament extensively. Such examples imply the relevance of the Bible for all time.
Think about the range of subjects the Bible covers. It reveals God, talks about heaven and hell; about earth and its inhabitants; about the past, the present, and the future. It enlightens us about sin and suffering. It makes us wise unto salvation by presenting the need and the only Way of salvation. It offers comfort for any situation, whether in life or death.
The scope and efficacy of the Bible indicate its relevance to all times and people
The scope and efficacy of the Bible clearly indicate its relevance to all times and people. As someone said, “Along the miles of concrete I traverse every day, I have a guide, a beacon. It’s not in the form of a dead book, but it’s a living guide for the journey.”
Many have vowed — and tried — to confiscate all the copies of the Bible and destroy them. Their goal was to make the earth ‘Bible-free’. Voltaire, for instance, tried and failed in his lifetime. In fact, the house he lived in later became a distribution centre for Bibles.
The truths above underline the relevance of the Bible for all people across time. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). Blessed are those who walk in its light every day, in every way.
Thomson B Thomas is an evangelist and Bible teacher based in Mumbai, India. He has authored many books (mostly Christo-centric) and contributes regularly to Christian periodicals. He holds a Masters degree in philosophy and religion, and is keenly involved in ministering at conferences and churches, both in India and abroad.
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