I wasn’t sure about including this article in my 100 per cent or nothing series, but as I’ve thought about it, and drafted parts, I am comfortable with my stance that the Bible is 100 per cent true.

I originally based my piece on a CS Lewis quote, “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, but if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.”

For ages I thought that if I said the Bible was 100 per cent right or all wrong, it would mean that I have to justify every single word of Scripture. But I know I can’t. No one can. So using this principle if I can’t verify 100 per cent of it, it must all be false, right? Wrong.

The Bible is not a single book, it is a collection of stories, history, facts, songs, poems, parables, letters, dreams, and many other genres. And it is written by humans, people like you and me, and over hundreds of years. The Bible is more like a person than a book.

Because the Bible is more like a person than a book, we need to be skilled readers. We can’t say a person has no sporting ability after seeing them run, they might be an amazing snooker player. Likewise we cannot say God hates everyone because he banished Adam and Eve from Eden. We must look at the full picture to reach the right conclusion.

Context is the most important thing you need when reading the Bible. People say that the Bible doesn’t have any importance in today’s context, that it’s out-dated. But what if it’s the other way around? What if today distorts the Bible? Is it possible that how we live today makes the Bible something very difficult to understand fully?

Context helps us make sense of what we read. It helps us understand and take meaning from the text.

Context is more than knowing the author and date they wrote it. It’s more than knowing why they wrote it and the style they wrote it in. It includes language, tradition, social standing, previous experiences, understanding and more.

At the start of Part I and Part II I included a description of how I treated assignments. In Part II I mentioned that I would aim for perfection, lining up with my early belief that I had to be perfect. But once I learnt that I was always 100 per cent perfect in God’s eyes, I dropped my expectations. Because of this I was happy with 57 per cent in Part I.

My point in saying this is author understanding. It is part of context. In Acts 10, Peter’s understanding changed. This new understanding allowed him to share the Gospel with Cornelius and many Gentiles.

Over time my understanding of Jesus Christ has changed. I don’t have a complete understanding of Jesus right now, and I will only have a full understanding when I reach Heaven. But as my understanding grows, my thoughts and behaviours will change.

Paul, author of many New Testament books wouldn’t have started his ministry with a complete understanding of God, it would have deepened over time, reflected in his writing.

But that’s not the most important context that needs to be factored in, the most important context is Jesus.

I said before that the Bible was more like a person than a book, that person is Jesus.

Jesus is the Word of God. He is the whole point of the Bible, the Old Testament points to something greater, while the New Testament is about something greater. Sometimes you need contrast to make the light brighter.

Understanding Jesus is understanding the Bible.

And because we know that Jesus was 100 per cent true, we can say that the Bible is 100 per cent true.

Jesus Chris is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. The Way to God, the Truth of his Word, and the Life he gives.

So arm yourself with the Word of God, but remember that that Word is Jesus.

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