Bible Question:

I have three questions: 1) How can you say that the Bible is the Word of God when it was written by men long after - over 100 years - Jesus left this world? More over, God spoke to Jesus in the Aramaic language. So God's word must be in Aramaic. In any other language, it is NOT God's word. 2) If Jesus is God, he should NOT have died. Only men die not God. Obviously Jesus is a man, like any other man the only difference being that he was closer to God like Abraham, Moses and other prophets. 3) George Bush has claimed that God has spoken to him. Can this be accepted?

Bible Answer:

The answer to your second question can be found in a response to a previous question titled, “How could the Son of Man die?” We encourage you to click on the link and read the response.

The response to your third question is that President Bush was probably speaking in general terms just as most Christians do. That is, when most Christians say that God spoke to them, they do not mean that God spoke to them in an audible voice, but that God had impressed upon their hearts and minds that they were to take certain action or to go in a specific direction. The choice of words can be confusing.

The answer to your first question begins with the fact that the Old Testament portion of the Bible was written by men before Jesus Christ was born. The Dead Sea scrolls are proof of the statement. We know that the scrolls were created by at least 135 B.C. and the Greek Septuagint, a Greek version of the Old Testament, was written some time between 400 B.C to 165 B.C. according to liberal scholars. These documents contain all of the Old Testament. Most of the New Testament was written between the period immediately after Jesus’ death and A.D. 90. Only the book of Revelation was written at or after A.D. 90. For more information about the Bible we would encourage you to read “What is the Bible?

We do not know if God spoke to Jesus in Aramaic, Greek, or some other language. The method of communication is the reason we call the Bible the Word of God. The expression “Word of God” means that the words in the Bible are the words spoken by God. Sometimes men were moved by the Holy Spirit to speak for God. The books of the Bible record words that God spoke or words that God wanted recorded; therefore, it is called the Word of God. That is the message of the Bible itself. Here are some verses to think about,

But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. (NASB) 2 Pet. 1:20

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; (NASB) 2 Tim. 3:16

The oracle of him who hears the words of God, and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down, yet having his eyes uncovered. (NASB) Num. 24:16

Conclusion:

God’s words were spoken and also recorded. It does not matter in what language the Bible was originally written, but was it translated correctly from one language to another. How else can one understand? Otherwise, we all need to learn Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. The original books of the Old Testament were written in Hebrew and Aramaic as far as we know. The original books of the New Testament were written only in Greek. The Word of God is the message that God wants you and me to hear. It does not contain the Word of God. It is the words of God.

Suggested Links:

What is the Bible?
How Could The Son of Man Die?
How did we get the Bible?