The Bible – It Never Grows Old!

(Isaiah 40:8) says: “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” Not only does the Bible stand forever, but it is always relevant across all cultures and all time periods. Pastor John MacArthur states the case well: “Even though the Bible is an ancient document, every person in every situation in every society that’s ever existed can find in this book things that endure forever. Here’s a book that never needs another edition. It never needs to be edited, never has to be updated, is never out of date or obsolete. It speaks to us as pointedly and directly as it ever has to anyone in any century since it was written. It’s so pure that it lasts forever.”1

Most books present their readers with a theme, some story information, perhaps entertainment, and a conclusion. These books are read, but after a while fade into our distant memories. But the Bible is not called the “book of books” for nothing. It is totally multidimensional in its scope. It’s a mirror. As we read it, we constantly see ourselves reflected in the lives of the biblical characters. It’s a treasure hunt. As we travel through its pages, we are guaranteed to find nuggets of wisdom of incomparable value. (Proverbs 3:13-15) declares: “Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.”

The Bible is a first-rate history book. Archeology has proven the Bible historically accurate literally hundreds of times. The Bible is full of poetry. The Book of Psalms is world-renowned for its literary style and excellence of composition. It’s philosophy. The Holy Scriptures have more to say about human nature and what life is all about than Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Confucius and Freud combined. It’s science. Not only does the Bible talk authoritatively on many areas in the scientific realm, but it has been the indispensable mentor of many of the greatest scientific men of all time.

It’s inspirational. Jesus’ teachings on the Sermon on the Mount, the Psalms, the Ten Commandments and the continuous love of God for mankind have down through the centuries been the pillars on which millions have anchored their faith. No book can generate more comfort, encouragement and purpose for life than the Bible. So many great masterpieces of art, literature, music and film have been created by people touched with the message of God that our world would be deprived of much of its very heart and soul if it were deprived of this one book.

Sadly, critics of the Scriptures are plentiful. Take for example the field of psychology. Many contend that psychology has replaced the need to read the Bible. These critics maintain that how can a 2,000 year-old book still be relevant today? The American psychiatrist, J. T. Fisher shared why psychiatry can only serve to supplement the distilled wisdom of the Bible when he said:

“If you were to take the sum total of all authoritative articles ever written by the most qualified of psychologists and psychiatrists on the subject of mental hygiene, if you were to combine them and refine them and cleave out the excess verbiage, if you were to take the whole of the meat and none of the parsley, and if you were to have these unadulterated bits of pure scientific knowledge concisely expressed by the most capable of living poets, you would have an awkward and an incomplete summary of the Sermon on the Mount. And it would suffer immeasurably through comparison. For nearly two thousand years the Christian world has been holding in its hands the complete answer to its restless and fruitless yearning. Here rests the blueprint for successful human life, with optimum mental health and contentment.”2

My friends not only does the Bible never grow old but it has been providing fresh daily manna for thousands of years to all who wisely choose to read its timeless words. Far from being out of date and irrelevant the Word of God has been providing its readers, no matter where or when they were born with everything they need to lead a rich and rewarding life. So why not pick up a copy of the Bible today? You just may find yourself embarking on a scenic tour into a world you never dreamed could exist.

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1 Inspirational Quotes by John MacArthur – page 5

2 J. T. Fisher and L. S. Hawley, A Few Buttons Missing. (Philadelphia: Lippincott, 1951).