If the Bible is the authoritative Word of God, what should we expect to find in it? Should it give us all the information we might ever find useful? Should we disregard all other books and consider the Bible the only reliable source of knowledge on every subject? Some have viewed the Bible in this light, thinking of it as the complete source of all important knowledge, an exhaustive textbook or encyclopaedia. The Bible, however, makes no such claim. It is largely silent on thousands of topics. A well-rounded education should include the study of many subjects—health, business, economics, the sciences and history—that are not detailed in the Bible. God’s Word does not discuss every aspect of human knowledge. It does, however, excel in the spiritual realm.
The Bible makes no claim to be an exhaustive encyclopaedia of all knowledge. It is, however, the only book that can reveal the purpose for human existence.
Significant human discoveries Able and talented people through the ages—believers of the Bible as well as skeptics—have gained expertise and understanding in many disciplines. Some have conducted scientific experiments. Others have recorded what man has learned through trial and error. Through simple observation many have discovered, or recognized the existence of, the natural laws that govern the universe. Their research has helped us understand our world.
For example, researchers have discovered the existence of principles of health that govern the functioning of our bodies. They have added enormously to the body of knowledge and to human longevity.
The written works of men are useful, but we need to realize that the Bible fills a void that no other book can fill—it reveals the purpose for which human beings have been created. Although many other books contain kernels of wisdom, this book reveals as no other the wisdom and understanding inspired from the mind of God Himself.
This book contains eternal truths we could not discover on our own. When we understand the Bible’s true spiritual significance, all other books pale before it. By reading and applying its revealed knowledge, we can reap immeasurable benefits both now and forever. “Godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).
The Bible is God’s gift to mankind, the absolute authority and ultimate judge of human behavior and morality. It reveals the way mankind should walk (Psalm 119:105), as taught by the Being who created man (Genesis 1:26-27).
It discloses the way of life that brings happiness. As King David, the author of many of the Psalms, wrote: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly . . . but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night . . . Whatever he does shall prosper” (Psalm 1:1-3). Here David refers to God’s law as revealed in the Bible as the proper way to live.
When we understand the Bible’s spiritual significance, all other books pale before it. By reading and applying its revealed knowledge, we can reap immeasurable benefits both now and forever