The Bible is God’s divinely inspired revelation and is complete, consisting of 66 books. Unfortunately, there is a great danger, which comes with a heavy warning, when men try to either add or subtract from the already complete revelation of God. (Revelation 22:18-19) gives us the warning: “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” Erwin Lutzer puts it this way: “There is no such thing as a harmless addition to the gospel.”1
God in His infinite wisdom understood that mankind, being finite, could only understand just so much of His nature and ways, and as a result left the “secret things” out of His Word, for we read: “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 29:29).
In addition, I believe, not only did God know that finite man could never completely understand His infinite nature and ways, but God left certain things unknowable because He wanted man to just ponder His awesome greatness and just reflect on what eternal life with Jesus would be like.
I believe one of the ways that we know the Bible is a supernatural book is that it is full of mysteries and paradoxes that no man can completely fathom. For example, how could Jesus be 100% man and 100% God. Or can anyone fully describe and comprehend the Trinity? And can anyone reconcile the sovereignty of God with human responsibility. No one could ever invent or conceive of the uniqueness of Jesus except our supreme God.
And in the final analysis why would an imperfect and finite man ever try to add to or subtract from an already perfect book – the Holy Bible. It is simply the height of arrogance for someone to think of changing the perfect and complete Word of God. The Bible already has everything we need to live a peaceful, joyous, and meaningful life, as well as enough mystery to let our minds ponder and contemplate how majestic our God is, and what our eternal state will be like.
I for one am thankful for the complete inspired Word of God. It has everything I need to lead a rich and rewarding life. And the minute I, a fallible human being, try to add or subtract from the perfect Word of God, you guessed it, the Bible becomes imperfect!
1 Erwin Lutzer – There is no such thing as a harmless addition to…