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The Bible Standard

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 16, 1875

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 46, No. 11.

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The Bible Standard.

By M. Wood

“SEARCH the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me.” John 5: 39. There is a class of individuals who, when one talks to them on the subject of religion, and especially the prophecies relating to the second advent, say that the Bible is a sealed book, a book of contradictions, and inconsistencies; and others who profess to take the Bible as the standard of faith and practice claim that the prophecies of Daniel and John are portions of Scripture which cannot be understood. Such statements conflict very materially with the testimony of Jesus, and with that of the prophets and apostles.
Jesus has told us to search the Scriptures, without any qualification; for they testify of him. And in 2 Peter 1:20, 21, the apostle informs us that “no prophecy of the 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 of the Holy Ghost.”
The book of Revelation cannot possibly be called a book of mysteries, as the first verse declares it to be “the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass.” Add to this the testimony of Paul in 2 Tim. 3:15, and we learn that even a child can understand the Scriptures.
If all who profess to take the Bible as the standard of faith and practice would follow the instruction given by our divine Lord, and would search the Scriptures for themselves, the word of God would not appear so dark and mysterious, but would be to them, as it was to the psalmist, a lamp unto their feet, and a light unto their path. Ps. 119:105.
Again, Paul gives us the assurance that “whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” Rom. 15:4. We need at the present time the combined light and strength which may be derived from the various portions of the Bible. The Bible not only warns us of the time of trouble which is just before us but it gives us courage to prepare for the coming perils, and confidence as to their results. It fortifies us against the wiles of the enemy. It tells us our true position in this life, and will, if its teachings are practically carried out, guide us safely to the city of God.
As the Bible is God’s word, and one special means by which he holds communion with us, it should be constantly, carefully, and prayerfully read. We should read every part of God’s word, and we should pray over every portion we read; for only the Spirit that inspired it can fully explain and apply it. We are not to raise our standard and bring the Bible to it, as is too frequently done, but we should be willing to let the truths of the Bible have their plain and common-sense meaning.
In reading the Scriptures we should always watch for Jesus, for they testify of him. In one place he is revealed to us by types or figures; in another, he is clearly set before us. The Scriptures without Christ would be like the world without the sun, or like paradise without the tree of life. They testify of the glory of his person, the nature, magnitude, and perfection of his works, the depth and constancy, of his unfathomable love for a race of rebels, his spotless character, his bright and blessed example, and his glorious offices as prophet, priest, and king. They tell us of his first advent, that he was made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, and make reconciliation for the sins of the people. Heb. 2:17. They reveal him entering upon his priestly work in the heavenly sanctuary. Heb. 8:1, 2; 9:24. They describe his second advent when he shall come to earth in the glory of his Father and attended by all the holy angels to awaken his sleeping saints, to change the righteous living from mortal to immortal, and to take his people to those mansions which he has gone to prepare for them. John 14:1-3.
The spiritual minded find, in reading the Scriptures, so much in those sacred pages to feed the mind and delight the soul that they have no time for doubts or complaints. Such persons will find Christ in all parts of the word, but the carnal mind will scarcely discover Him who is the chiefest among ten thousand anywhere.
Let the word of God, then, be our study daily, the rule of our lives, and the weapon of our defense. Let us read it devoutly, examine it carefully, and make use of it constantly as a detector of sin. Let us prove all things by it, as it is the only standard of genuine holiness. May the sweet and tender Spirit of God unfold the Scriptures to our minds and apply them to our hearts.
M. WOOD.