by James Coffman edited by Bobby Price
In John 10:35, Jesus makes the sidenote, “Scripture cannot be broken.”
What does this mean? It means that the Bible is inspired. It identifies the Old Testament as scripture in the fullest sense. It means that Jesus believed the Bible. It means that the Bible is an infallible book, the one judge and jury before which all men and their deeds shall at last be tried. It means that the sacred scriptures are as immutable as God’s other laws, such as those of gravity, etc.
Many have not believed this text. Those who sought here to stone Jesus did not believe it. The rulers of this world’s darkness, such as Herod Agrippa, Felix, Festus, Nero, Caligula, and countless others, did not believe it. The apostate church did not believe it. Faithless Christians of all ages have not believed it. So-called “modernists” who explain away the scriptures do not believe it. The world does not believe it (John 3:19).
And yet the text is true. For generations, men believed the earth was flat, but their belief did not alter the truth; and so it is with the unbreakable word of God. If every man on earth disbelieved and repudiated the Bible, it would make no difference, except in regard to the destiny of them that disbelieved. Absolutely nothing can break the word of God. Time cannot break it. Disobedience cannot break it, as witnessed by such examples as Pharaoh, Sennacherib, Judas, and Demas. Neglectful disciples cannot break it. The advance of knowledge cannot break it. Satan cannot break it. Death and the grave cannot break it.
Even when it seems that the scripture is broken, it remains yet unbroken. Pilate condemned Jesus; but no, it was Pilate who was condemned to perpetual infamy. Judas sold Jesus, at least that is what he and the Pharisees thought; but it was Judas who was sold to a suicide’s death. Herod placed the apostles in jail; but they were released, and Herod was eaten with worms. Millions of men fancy they have broken the scripture, and even churches have denied and broken the scripture, so they thought; but, of all who do so, it is they who are broken. The earth’s kings and captains, the mighty and the proud, have broken the scripture in the sense of ignoring and disobeying the word of God; but wait. Stand at the judgment and behold who is really broken:
And they say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand? (Rev 6:16, 17).
Let no man dare to believe that the scripture can be broken. If one shall so believe, Christ has made him a liar by this text.
O Word of God, secure, unshaken,
Foiling evil’s every art,
Bringing peace to man’s misshapen
Life and broken heart.
O Word, eternally abiding,
While millennia roll,
Thou art the only place of hiding
For the ransomed soul.
with a PRICE 