By: Mark Catlin, Theologian and Bible Professor
Have you ever wondered why we have the Bible and what role it’s meant to play in our lives? In my experience, we often talk about the fact that the Bible is God’s word but we don’t spend a lot of time reflecting the implications. So, over the next few days, we’ll be exploring the rich purposes behind God’s Word, beginning with its most foundational role: to call people to salvation by faith. As we dive into Scriptures like 2 Timothy 3:15 and hear Jesus’ words in John 5, we’ll uncover how the Bible isn’t just a collection of ancient writings—it’s an invitation to know Christ personally and experience the salvation he offers. Let’s take a closer look at how God uses his Word to open our eyes to this life-changing truth.
In a previous post about understanding the Bible as “God’s word,” I mentioned that we would explore the multifaceted purpose of God’s word. In other words, what role does God want the Bible to play in the world and our lives? In this article, we will explore one of those purposes: to call people to salvation by faith.
In 2 Timothy 3:15, Paul writes, “You know that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom and for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” Jesus hints at something similar in John 5. Jesus, speaking with those who are challenging the authenticity and authority of his ministry, says, “You pore over the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, and yet they testify about me. But you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life” (John 5:39–40). Jesus confirms that we can find eternal life in God’s word, but only if we see that they testify about him, the giver of life (see John 1:1–5).
If we read these two texts together, we can see that God’s word makes us wise for salvation because it reveals the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. Indeed, according to Jesus, we don’t properly understand the Scriptures until we see that the Bible leads to him, and we respond in faith.
In Luke 24:13, Jesus meets up with Cleopas and another person while walking to a town called Emmaus. Although this might not seem like an extraordinary occasion, remember that Jesus had just risen from the dead earlier that same day. The two people do not initially recognize Jesus, and Jesus does not immediately reveal his identity. Instead, he asks them what they are talking about. They are talking about him, but they are talking about him with disappointment in their voices. They tell Jesus, “They crucified him [Jesus]. But we were hoping that he was the one who was about to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:21). They think the death of Jesus was the end of the story. They’ve lost hope for God’s redemption.
Here's how Jesus responds, “‘How foolish and slow you are to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory?’ Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24:25–27).
Notice the importance that Jesus puts on trusting the Scriptures for understanding his life, death, and resurrection. They were disappointed because they didn’t believe all that the prophets had spoken. In other words, because they misunderstood the Bible, they missed Jesus, and because they missed Jesus, they were missing out on the joy of salvation. Instead, they were disappointed in Jesus’s ministry! Jesus then corrects this misunderstanding and seeks to restore their joy by walking them through the Bible to show how it points to him.
In light of their disappointment, why does Jesus walk them through the Bible? Because he knows that God’s word can make them wise for salvation, if only they can see that it all leads to him, the one who was crucified only to overcome sin and death in his resurrection.
By the time we get to the end of Luke 24, Jesus again mentions that all Scripture points to him, and then he connects his disciples to that story. Jesus tells them, “This is what is written: The Messiah would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day” (Luke 24:46). At this point, this is old news. In fact, Jesus has been telling them this his entire ministry (Luke 9:21–22, 43–45; 18:31–34). But now Jesus tells them how they are connected to the Old Testament story. So, Jesus tells them that the Bible is about him and that “repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47–49). Luke follows up his Gospel with the book of Acts to show how forgiveness and repentance of sins would be proclaimed in the name of Jesus, so that salvation would spread to the ends of the earth, beginning at Jerusalem.
The truth that the Bible reveals about Jesus is not mere information to be cataloged on a spreadsheet somewhere, used to show our superior Bible knowledge, or just to be shrugged off as simply another ancient story. The good news about Jesus calls for a response. First, it calls us to salvation by faith in Jesus as we repent of our sin and trust in our savior. Second, the Bible calls us to respond by sharing this news with others, calling others to repent and receive forgiveness in the name of Jesus. How can you live in light of the purpose of Scripture today? Do you have any sin that you need to repent of so that you can receive forgiveness in Christ? Go to him in prayer, for he is faithful and just to forgive (1 John 1:9). Is there someone you know who needs to hear the good news of Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection? Share the good news of God’s word, trusting that the gospel is the power of salvation for all who believe (Romans 1:16–17).