Is the Bible Enough?
Scripture Reading — Luke 16:19-31
“If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”
One day, after I had led a funeral service, someone said he wished that a family member who had died would send a text or email to let him know that everything the Bible said about life after death was really true. Only then would he be convinced, he said. In his own way he was saying that the Bible is not enough.
In the parable we have read today from Luke 16, Jesus was speaking to people who had not really believed what God had taught them in the Scriptures, which were also called “Moses and Prophets.” These people were stubborn, and they were often attracted to the idea of having great wealth. But Jesus said, “You cannot serve both God and Money” (Luke 16:13). And he told them this parable to illustrate that truth.
For the rich man in this parable, Moses and the Prophets were not enough. He thought that if only someone from beyond the grave had warned him, he would not be in hell, the place of torment. But Jesus made clear that if someone did not listen to Scripture, they would not be convinced even if someone rose from the dead.
In 2 Timothy 3:14-17 the apostle Paul reminds us that the Bible is “God-breathed” and is able to teach us about salvation in Jesus Christ. If you have questions, turn to the Bible. It tells you everything you need to know about how to live and how to find the amazing gift of eternal life through Jesus.
Dear God, help us to listen to the Bible. Take away our doubts and unbelief, we pray. In Jesus, Amen.
About the author — Arthur J. Schoonveld
Rev. Art Schoonveld is a retired minister in the Christian Reformed Church. Before retiring in 2001, he served churches in California, Illinois, and Michigan. Since his retirement he has worked part-time for the denomination and has served as an interim pastor. Art and his wife, Anita, have four children and nine grandchildren.
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