The Bible
- God, in His direct inspiration and providential control of history, caused His Word to be put into writing. Consequently, Christians believe that "all Scripture is God-breathed." (1 Timothy 3:16)
- Christians believe that God's Word is something tangible, written down ink and paper, accessible and objective.
- Lutherans and other Christians agree, then, that the Bible is authoritative. It is the source and test, the touchstone, of all valid theology.
- Lutherans and other Christians agree that the Bible gives us accurate information about God's action in history.
- Lutherans, however, see something else happening when we read or hear the Bible. It is a means of grace. God is literally and objectively present and working, inscribing in our hearts the gift of faith.
- The content of God's Word is Law and Gospel. The Bible reveals God's holiness, His will, His demands, and His judgments. The Bible also reveals His love, His grace, and His promises -- how God constantly rescued His children from their sin-caused slavery, how Christ offered Himself as the expiation for our sins.
- To read the Bible as a spiritual venture is to be confroned, in the most personal terms, with God Himself.
