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Bible Reliability / Answer across Scripture
The Gospels portray Jesus using Israel's Scriptures as authoritative witness, temptation-resisting truth, and the story fulfilled in him.
Study theme
Bible Reliability
Yes. The Gospels portray Jesus as trusting and using Israel's Scriptures. He answers temptation with Deuteronomy, teaches from the Law and Prophets, and after his resurrection explains his mission from Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. That does not mean every later question about interpretation is solved instantly, but it does mean Christian trust in the Old Testament is shaped by Jesus' own use of Scripture.
In the wilderness, Jesus answers temptation with Scripture, and after the resurrection he opens the Scriptures to his disciples. The question belongs in the story of Jesus receiving, obeying, and explaining the Old Testament as God's word.
Matthew 4 shows Jesus answering temptation with Scripture. Luke 24 shows Jesus teaching his followers to understand the Scriptures in relation to his suffering, resurrection, and mission.
Key passages
1Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
2When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward.
3The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread."
4But he answered, "It is written, `Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.`"
5Then the devil took him into the holy city. He set him on the pinnacle of the temple,
6and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, `He will give his angels charge concerning you.` and, `On their hands they will bear you up, So that you don`t dash your foot against a stone.`"
7Jesus said to him, "Again, it is written, `You shall not test the Lord, your God.`"
8Again, the devil took him to an exceedingly high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory.
9He said to him, "I will give you all of these things, if you will fall down and worship me."
10Then Jesus said to him, "Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, `You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.`"
11Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and ministered to him.
36As they said these things, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace be to you."
37But they were terrified and filled with fear, and supposed that they saw a spirit.
38He said to them, "Why are you troubled? Why do questionings arise in your hearts?
39See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, for a spirit doesn`t have flesh and bones, as you see that I have."
40When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.
41While they still didn`t believe for joy, and wondered, he said to them, "Do you have anything here to eat?"
42They gave him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb.
43He took it, and ate in front of them.
44He said to them, "This is what I told you, while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me."
45Then he opened their minds, that they might understand the scriptures.
46He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,
47and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48You are witnesses of these things.
49Behold, I send forth the promise of my Father on you. But wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high."
One mistake is using Jesus' trust in Scripture as a shortcut that ignores interpretation. Another mistake is separating Jesus from the Scriptures he received, quoted, and fulfilled.