This is a simple question. The Bible's answer to it is also simple and straight forward: No! God has spoken in His revealed Word, that Word is Truth, and it can be known with certainty. This is true whether we speak of doctrine or life.

By way of further explanation, there are three elements which need to be pointed out.

The scriptures were given in time and history by God. While that word was ministered, spoken, and written by means of men, God is sovereign over the whole of life, sovereign over the time, place, and circumstances in which the scriptures were written. He ordained the men by whom He gave His word, the issues they addressed, and the words they spoke. This is called the doctrine of organic inspiration of the scriptures.

This is the expicit teaching of the Bible. The God Who is so comprehensive in His sovereign government that not a sparrow can fall to the ground, nor a hair of our head (Matthew 10:29,30) gave His word by men in such away that,

"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation. for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." II Peter 1:20,21.

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God," II Timothy 3:16

This truth of inspiration extends to the very words of scripture, which must be accurately translated (not paraphrased)

"The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth." Ecclesiastes 12:10.

The Bible repeatedly makes the claim that what it contains in all its parts is truth. It does not simply contain ideas of truth, expereinces of truth, but it is in all it addresses, whether in history, in doctrine, or in morality, truth.

"Thy word is truth." John 17:17

This is, in fact, as the text just quoted from John 17:17 illustrates, Jesus' own declaration. Not only this, but Jesus speaks of the scriptures as "thy word," that is, it is essentially one Word of God. It is a unity. The words of Scripture in all their diversity "are given from one Shepherd." Ecclesiastes 12:11. They come from the "Spirit of Truth" (John 14:17,26; John 15:26). The Old and New Testaments, related as promise and fulfilment, are one Word of God to one people.

As God is the author of the Word so also He, by the Spirit of truth, is the only interpreter. The notion is often found that while the scriptures are God's Word, their interpretation is a matter of opinion. This notion is false. There is sound interpretation and there is false interpretation. There is right and wrong. The interpretation of scripture is also not a matter of opinion. The reason for this is that the Holy Spirit explains what He means. This also is the teaching of the Bible. The promise of Jesus is:

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth," John 16:13.

The way in which the Spirit, dwelling in belivers and in the church, Christ's body, does this is also set forth in the scriptures. It is the way of comparing scripture with scripture, word with word, spiritual thing with spiritual thing. Thus we read,

"Which things also we speak, not in words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost; comparing spiritual things with spiritual." I Corinthians 2:13.

It is thus the Bereans tried or tested the preaching of the gospel,

"...they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." Acts 17:11.

These truths, the unity of the word, the verbal inspiration of it, and the work of the Spirit of truth in believers leads to truth not opinion. While there are difficult things in scripture, and the scriptures warn us of this (II Peter 3:16) and while one who approaches scripture in unbelief, unwilling to hear, cannot understand it ( I Corinthians 2:14), prayerful study of the word leads to certainty and truth. For in it, and in us by the Spirit "...we have the mind of Christ." I Corinthians 2:16.

The English Translation of Holy Scripture

The King James Version of the Bible

KJV? or NIV?


Modern Bible Versions