God’s Word Is True

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. -Proverbs 30:5, KJV

Scripture reminds us time and again that it is the very word of God, and He does not lie nor change. Therefore, we can know that what we read (when faithfully translated for us!) is trustworthy and true.

If it is not pure, it is not true. You may come across passages and verses that are difficult to understand or seem contradictory. We must remember a few things:

1. We typically are separated by culture and thousands of years of time from when they were written. There may be:
   • euphamisms and figures of speech we no longer use,
   • historical references that seem out of place, or are practices that only make sense when seen/experienced, or
   • descriptions that seem odd to us;
2. Concepts are beyond our understanding (like the Trinity or free will with God’s sovereignty);
3. Authors frequently seemed to play loose with details, but it was to make a specific point (such as the gospel writers putting orders of events in slightly different ways to highlight different details);
4. Other portions of Scripture help fill in details not apparent in other portions (Why does God say “we/us/our” in Genesis? Jesus helps us see the unity of the Trinity of Father, Son, and Spirit).

Jesus helps us see the truth and reliability of Scripture, because His life, death, and resurrection verify it. If any part is untrue, the entire thing falls apart. But He has shown us that He and His Word are trustworthy for the salvation of our souls.