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Ultimate Purpose and Goal of the Bible

The ultimate purpose and goal of the Bible, as understood within various Christian traditions, centers on revealing God's redemptive plan for humanity and guiding believers toward His will. The Bible is considered a singular revelation from God to humanity, despite being composed of sixty-six books, because it possesses one author, one overarching purpose, and one unified plan for the redemption of humankind [4]. This divine purpose is eternal, unchangeable, and sovereign, encompassing all things that have been or will be [3, 6].

One primary goal of the Bible is to reveal God's will and purpose for salvation. The Torrey's Topical Textbook states that salvation is "of God," "of the purpose of God," and "of the appointment of God" [2]. This salvation is accomplished through Christ alone [2]. The Bible announces this plan of salvation as early as Genesis 3:15, following the fall of humanity, and it is fully revealed in the Gospel [2]. John 6:40 articulates this purpose: "This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day" [5]. Charles Hodge emphasizes that the Gospel is God's method of saving sinners, and the Bible systematically demonstrates that all people, both Jews and Gentiles, are under sin, thus necessitating the Gospel [7].

The Bible also serves to make known God's eternal decrees and counsels. These decrees are described as "eternal, unchangeable, holy, wise, and sovereign purpose, comprehending at once all things that ever were or will be" [3]. These divine counsels are characterized as great, wonderful, immutable, sovereign, and eternal, and they are guaranteed to be performed [6]. The sufferings and death of Christ, for instance, were in accordance with these divine purposes [6]. Similarly, the calling and salvation of saints are "according to God's purpose" [6, 10]. The Anglican Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion define "Predestination to Life" as "the everlasting purpose of God, whereby (before the foundations of the world were laid) he hath constantly decreed by his counsel secret to us, to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind, and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation" [10]. This highlights the Bible's role in revealing God's predetermined plan for those who will receive salvation.

Furthermore, the Bible aims to guide believers in living a life that is pleasing to God. Hebrews 13:21 expresses a desire for God to "perfect you in every good work, in order to do His will, doing in you that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ" [1]. This suggests that the Bible's instruction is intended to equip individuals for righteous living. The Jamieson, Fausset & Brown commentary on Luke 1:74-75 notes that the purpose of redemption is "that we should serve Him... in holiness and righteousness before Him," implying that the Bible's teachings are meant to cultivate a life of devoted service to God, free from fear [12].

The scope of God's redemptive purpose, as revealed in the Bible, extends beyond a select group to include both Jews and Gentiles. Paul, in his epistles, particularly Romans and Ephesians, dedicates significant portions to explaining God's intention to bring Gentiles into His Church, making them "equally with the Jews partakers of the redemption of Christ" [8]. This universal scope of the Gospel is further emphasized in Revelation 14:6, which speaks of the Gospel being preached "for a witness unto all nations" before the end, providing an opportunity for all to decide for or against Christ [11]. While some passages might use general terms like "all men," Charles Hodge clarifies that the "all" who are to be united in Christ must be understood within the context of those who are the objects of redemption, as taught by the general teaching of Scripture [9].

The Bible also addresses the ultimate consummation of God's plan, often referred to as "the end." John Gill, commenting on 1 Corinthians 15:23, describes "the end" as the close of the thousand years, when the wicked dead will be raised, and the final state of all humanity will be established. For the righteous, this means "everlasting joy, and an uninterrupted communion with Christ, and enjoyment of life eternal, of the ultimate glory, and consummate happiness in soul and body" [13]. This eschatological vision underscores the Bible's role in revealing the final outcome of God's redemptive work.

Sources

  1. Hebrews “Hebrews 13:21 (LITV) — perfect you in every good work, in order to do His will, doing in you that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
  2. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Salvation — Is of God -- Ps 3:8; 37:39; Jer 3:23. Is of the purpose of God -- 2Ti 1:9. Is of the appointment of God -- 1Th 5:9. God is willing to give -- 1Ti 2:4. Is by Christ -- Isa 63:9; Eph 5:23. Is by Christ alone -- Isa 45:21,22; 59:16; Ac 4:12. Announced after the fall -- Ge 3:15. Of Israel, predicted -- Isa 35:4; 45:17; Zec 9:16; Ro 11:26. Of the Gentiles, predicted -- Isa 45:22; 49:6; 52:10. Revealed in the gospel -- Eph 1:13; 2Ti 1:10. Came to the Gentiles through the fall of the Jews -- Ro 11:11. Christ The Captain of. -- Heb 2:10. The Author of. -- Heb 5:9”
  3. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Decrees of God — "The decrees of God are his eternal, unchangeable, holy, wise, and sovereign purpose, comprehending at once all things that ever were or will be in their causes, conditions, successions, and relations, and determining their certain futurition. The several contents of this one eternal purpose are, because of the limitation of our faculties, necessarily conceived of by us in partial aspects, and in logical relations, and are therefore styled Decrees." The decree being the act of an infinite, absolute, eternal, unchangeable, and sovereign Person, compre”
  4. Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Bible — The Bible is the name given to the revelation of God to man contained in sixty-six books or pamphlets, bound together and forming one book and only one, for it has in reality one author and one purpose and plan, and is the development of one scheme of the redemption of man. I. ITS [301]Names.-- (1) The Bible, i.e. The Book, from the Greek "ta biblia," the books. The word is derived from a root designating the inner bark of the linden tree, on which the ancients wrote their books. It is the book as being superior to all other books. But the application of the w”
  5. John “This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” -- John 6:40”
  6. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Counsels and Purposes of God, The — Are great -- Jer 32:19. Are wonderful -- Isa 28:29. Are immutable -- Ps 33:11; Pr 19:21; Jer 4:28; Ro 9:11; Heb 6:17. Are sovereign -- Isa 40:13,14; Da 4:35. Are eternal -- Eph 3:11. Are faithfulness and truth -- Isa 25:1. None can disannul -- Isa 14:27. Shall be performed -- Isa 14:24; 46:11. The sufferings and death of Christ were according to -- Ac 2:23; 4:28. Saints called and save according to -- Ro 8:28; 2Ti 1:9. The union of all saints in Christ, is according to -- Eph 1:9,10. The works of God according to -- Eph 1:11. Shoul”
  7. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 50: The Apostle, especially in his Epistle to the Romans, begins with a regular process of proof, that all, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under sin. Until this fact is admitted and acknowledged, there is no place for and no need of the Gospel, which is God’s method of saving sinners. Paul therefore begins by asserting God’s purpose to punish all sin. He then shows that the Gentiles are universally chargeable with the sin of impiety; that although knowing God, they neither worship him as God, nor are thankful. The natural, judicial, and theref”
  8. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 87: 15 .) Paul magnified his office: he thanked God for giving him the grace to be the Apostle of the Gentiles. He said that he was under obligation to preach the Gospel both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians, to the wise and to the unwise. He devotes no small portion of his Epistle to the Romans and the greater portion of the doctrinal part of that to the Ephesians, to setting forth the purpose of God to bring the Gentiles into his Church, and to make them equally with the Jews partakers of 803 the redemption of Christ. He teaches that the”
  9. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 107: these passages as teaching the salvation of all men, if by all in this connection we must understand all human beings. But why limit the word to all men? Why not include angels and even irrational creatures? The answer is, because the Bible teaches that Christ came to save men, and neither angels nor irrational animals. This is only saying that all must be limited to the objects of redemption. Who they are is to be learned not from these general terms, but from the general teaching of Scripture. The all who are to he united in one harmon”
  10. Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Anglican) “Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Anglican, 1571), Section 241: Predestination to Life is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby (before the foundations of the world were laid) he hath constantly decreed by his counsel secret to us, to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind, and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation, as vessels made to honour. Wherefore, they which be endued with so excellent a benefit of God be called according to God's purpose by his Spirit working in due season: they through Grace obey the calling: they be justified f”
  11. Revelation (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Revelation 14:6: Here begins the portion relating to the Gentile world, as the former portion related to Israel. Before the end the Gospel is to be preached for a WITNESS unto all nations: not that all nations shall be converted, but all nations shall have had the opportunity given them of deciding whether they will be for, or against, Christ. Those thus preached to are "they that dwell (so A, Coptic, and Syriac read. But B, C, ORIGEN, Vulgate, CYPRIAN, 312, read, 'SIT,' compare Mat 4:16; Luk 1:79, having their settled home) on the earth," being of earth earthy: th”
  12. Luke (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Luke 1:74: That he would grant us, &c.--How comprehensive is the view here given! (1) The purpose of all redemption--"that we should serve Him"--that is, "the Lord God of Israel" (Luk 1:68). The word signifies religious service distinctively--"the priesthood of the New Testament" [BENGEL]. (2) The nature of this service--"in holiness and righteousness before Him" (Luk 1:75) --or, as in His presence (compare Psa 56:13). (3) Its freedom--"being delivered out of the hand of our enemies." (4) Its fearlessness--"might serve Him without fear." (5) Its duration--"all the ”
  13. 1 Corinthians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Corinthians 15:23: Then cometh the end,.... Or "after that the end", the end of all things; either at the close of the thousand years, when the wicked dead will be raised last, and the final state of all men will openly take place; the end of the righteous will be peace and everlasting joy, and an uninterrupted communion with Christ, and enjoyment of life eternal, of the ultimate glory, and consummate happiness in soul and body; and the end of the wicked will be destruction and death, everlasting punishment in hell, where will be weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth for everm”
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