Session 1: The Doctrine of the Bible

June 3, 2025
Bethany Leadership Podcast
Bethany Leadership Podcast
Session 1: The Doctrine of the Bible
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Theme: Why the Bible is Foundational for Faith and Leadership

  1. Personal Beginnings with Scripture
    • Both pastors shared their early encounters with the Bible—Ritch through family devotionals and Josh through his parents’ faith awakening at Bethany. These moments shaped their view of the Bible as not just a book, but God’s living Word.
  2. Why Start with the Bible in Theology?
    • Although systematic theology might begin with God, we only know God because He speaks—and He speaks through Scripture. So, the Bible is the essential foundation for understanding everything else about God and life.
  3. How Do We Know the Bible is God’s Word?
    • The Bible claims to be God’s Word and functions with power in those who receive it by faith.
    • Its self-authenticating nature, life-giving power, and God-centered message all affirm its divine origin.
  4. Inerrancy: Are There Errors in the Bible?
    • The Bible is “God-breathed” (2 Tim 3:16) and therefore, without error in the original manuscripts.
    • Human authors were guided like a ship moved by wind—their personality remained, but the content was divinely directed.
  5. Sufficiency: Is the Bible Enough?
    • Scripture contains everything necessary for salvation, godly living, and ministry.
    • It’s sufficient—not exclusive of helpful insights—but no outside source can hold equal authority with it.
  6. Practical Implications for Leaders
    • Leaders must be rooted in Scripture to navigate culture, disciple others, and resist error.
    • There’s a warning against making too little—or even too much—of outside wisdom disconnected from biblical truth.

Memorable Quotes

  • “To disbelieve or disobey any word of Scripture is to disbelieve or disobey God.” – Quoting Grudem on authority
  • “The Bible is either totally worthless or totally true.” – Ritch Boerckel
  • “The Holy Spirit confirms in us: this is the Word of God. I can’t live apart from it anymore.”
  • “I believe God doesn’t have bad breath.” – A pastor’s witty answer about inerrancy
  • “It’s impossible to have too much Jesus, and impossible to have too much of God’s Word in us.”
  • “Jesus and the Scriptures aren’t in conflict. The only way to hear the living Word is through the written Word.”
  • “The Bible is disturbingly God-centered. It doesn’t let us hold the center—it places us in humble submission.”
  • “The blessed life is the one who meditates on God’s Word day and night.”
  • “Jesus said, ‘Have you not read?’—implying the answers are there, and we are responsible to seek them.”
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