How much can people know about God without the Bible? Do we need to have a Bible or just have someone tell us what the Bible says in order to know that God exists? Do we need the Bible to tell us we are sinners needing to be saved? Do we need the Bible to know how to find salvation?
The necessity of the Bible may be defined as follows: The necessity of Scripture means that the Bible is necessary for knowing the gospel, for maintaining spiritual life, and for knowing God’s will, but it is not necessary for knowing that God exists or for knowing something about God’s character and moral laws.
In Romans 10:13 – 17 Paul says:
For “Whoever will call on the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on Him in who they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring the good news of good things!” However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Here is Paul’s line of reasoning:
1. It first assumes that one must call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. The Lord is Jesus Christ.
2. People can only call upon the name of Christ if they believe in Him, that He is a Savior worthy to be calling.
3. People cannot believe in Christ unless they have heard of him.
4. They cannot hear of Christ unless there is someone to tell them about Him.
5. The conclusion then must be that saving faith comes by hearing, and this hearing of the gospel message comes about through the preaching of Christ.
The Bible is necessary for salvation in this sense: one must either read the gospel message in the Bible of oneself, or hear it from another person. Even those believe who came to salvation in the old covenant did so by trusting in the words of God that promised a Savior to come.
As the history of the Old Testament progressed, God’s words of promise became more and more specific, and the forward-looking faith of God’s people accordingly became more and more definite.
The Bible is also necessary for maintaining spiritual life. Jesus said in Matthew 4:4. “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word the proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Jesus is telling us that our spiritual life is maintained by daily nourishment with the Word of God. To neglect regular reading of God’s Word is as detrimental to the health of our souls as the neglect of physical food is detrimental to the health of our bodies.
The Bible is also necessary for certain knowledge of God’s will. If there were no written Word of God, we could not gain certainty about God’s will through other means such as conscience, advise from others, an internal witness of the Holy Spirit, changed circumstances, and the use of sanctified reasoning and common sense. These all might give an approximation of God’s will in more or less reliable ways, but from these means alone no certainty about God’s will could ever be attained, at least in a fallen world where sin distorts our perception of right and wrong, brings faulty reasoning into our thinking process, and causes us to suppress from time to time the testimony of our consciences.
However, the Bible is not necessary for knowing that God exists. Psalms 19:1 tells us: The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and the expanse is declaring the work of His hands.
To look at the sky is to see evidence of the infinity power, wisdom, and beauty of God. Even those who by their wickedness suppress the truth cannot avoid the evidences of God’s existence and nature in the created order:
Because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. (Romans 1:19-21 NASB)
Here Paul says not only that creation gives evidence of God’s existence and character, but also that even wicked men recognize that evidence. This passage allows us to say that all persons, even the most wicked, have some internal knowledge or perception that God exists and that He is a powerful Creator.
Do you know of anyone who ever became a Christian without ever reading the Bible or hearing someone telling them about what the Bible said? Have you taken the time today to nourish your own soul with the Word of God? If you have not begun feeding yourself with His Word, when it is time for you to tell another about God, you will be too weak. The Word of God is to strengthen you, so you can be that help to another when that time comes. Be ready!