At some point, the United States ejected from the Bible as several things:  evidence, truth, history, science, facts, objective moral reality, and authority.  Some might consider the Bible an authority for a church, but not anywhere else.  Even churches now find the Bible as passé or at least lacking in relevance as an authority.  At least true believers need to use scripture with confidence, trusting it as absolute truth.  It is absolute truth and believers need to talk that way.

Very often interlocutors will attempt to rely on peer reviewed research papers, statistics, apparent observations of the animal world, government studies, cultural and historical writings, and anecdotes.  If they even believe the Bible, they at least stay away from it, because it counts as equal to or perhaps something less than opinion.  However, as the song goes, the Bible stands:

The Bible stands like a rock undaunted ‘Mid the raging storms of time; Its pages burn with the truth eternal, And they glow with a light sublime. . . . The Bible stands like a mountain tow’ring Far above the works of man; Its truth by none ever was refuted, And destroy it they never can. . . . The Bible stands every test we give it, For its Author is divine.

Bible Final Authority

Not only is the Bible truth, like Jesus said (John 17:17), but it is the final and supreme authority for truth.  It doesn’t matter what other people say about the Bible and its authority, because it also stands over them as an authority.

The Bible is not the only authority.  There are others, but it is the final authority.  People can refer to other sources of truth, but the Bible is still superior to all those as an authority.  I’m saying that professing believers need to either start or continue relying on and then using the Bible in public forums like school classrooms, interviews, debates, podcasts, papers, books, speeches, and government assemblies, conferences, or congresses.  They shouldn’t budge when someone questions their reliance on and usage of scripture as a source for their presentation.

Foundational to Western Civilization

Law and Human Rights

The Bible has played a foundational role in shaping Western civilization, influencing its legal systems, moral values, cultural practices, and social structures. The roots of Western Civilization trace back to ancient Greece and Rome, but Christianity, which proceeds from its sacred text, significantly transformed these foundations.  Concepts such as “the rule of law,” asserting that no one is above the law arises from biblical teachings.

Deuteronomy 17:18-20 emphasize that kings must adhere to the law, promoting equality before it.  Leviticus 19:15 advocates for equal treatment under the law for both rich and poor individuals. These principles echo in foundational documents like the Magna Carta and the U.S. Constitution.  Belief in human dignity as created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26-27) established a foundation for human rights concepts that are integral to modern democratic societies.

Culture and Science

The Bible shaped Western culture through literature, art, music, and philosophy.  Artists and composers drew inspiration from biblical narratives.  The literary canon resulted from biblical themes as seen in works by authors such as John Milton and William Shakespeare, who reflected deep engagement with biblical texts.

Christian theology was the impetus for scientific inquiry.  Belief in a rational Creator who designed an orderly universe encouraged early scientists to explore natural laws through observation and experimentation.  A predominant scientist such as Isaac Newton exemplified this connection between faith and science; he viewed his scientific work as a means to understand God’s creation better.

Crucial to Meaning

The meaning of words in the English language spring from the King James Version of the Bible, where they first appear.  When someone says “love,” “mercy,” and “hope” among many other vital words, the Bible was the lingua franca for the culture.  The United States should revert back to the idea of a melting pot, where new citizens assimilate into a national identity.  The Bible was the centerpiece of that national identity.  Professing believers today should talk like that is true and not apologize.

Scripture provides the right view of history with its Old and New Testaments.  American society at least should keep that structure, if not everybody and every nation.  God created time and history revolves around redemption.  Mankind moves toward an irrepressible ending in the kingdom of Jesus Christ.  He is the most important figure in history and professing believers should keep Him there.

More to Come