According to the Scriptures

Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.           I Corinthians 15:1-4

 

In this passage, Paul speaks of the gospel on which we have taken our stand. The first thing he addresses about the gospel is its foundation, i.e. the Biblical revelations concerning the person and life of Jesus Christ. The facts are these: 1) Christ died for our sins, 2) Christ was buried, and 3) Christ rose from the dead. Each of these facts was prophesied in the Old Testament (Is. 53:5-6, Ps. 16:8-11).

 

Every Christian saved throughout history has believed and received these tenants of our faith. This is an awesome reality to reflect upon. Christianity was not founded upon one man’s vision or on one single manuscript. On the contrary, the reality of Jesus Christ has been revealed to mankind throughout human history as evidenced by the multiple authors and books compiled in the Old and New Testaments.

 

In his letter to Timothy, Paul confirms the authority of the Bible.

 

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.                    

II Timothy 3:16

 

It is to this sacred Scripture and the gospel it reveals that we must hold firmly and not waver. As the old hymn says,

 

On Christ the solid rock I stand

All other ground is sinking sand

All other ground is sinking sand

 

The Solid Rock by William B. Bradbury