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Why are other people’s words in the Bible if we are not supposed to add to God’s word?

My husband and I had a question. If no one is to add to God’s word why are King Solomons words in the Bible? Thank you for letting us ask!

From Christy: For clarity, I am not saying that we are free to add to or take away from any book in the Bible. What I am saying is that the other authors in the Bible did not add to or take away from the word in their inspired writings. This is in answer to the question posed at the start of this article: “My husband and I had a question. If no one is to add to God’s word why are King Solomon’s words in the Bible?” 

This is such an important question, thank you for asking.  In Deuteronomy 4 we read Deut-4-1: 

And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you. – Deut 4:1-2

When the Father is speaking of adding or taking away, He is referring to His words, His commandments and instructions on how we are to live. We find these established for us where He audibly speaks them in the first five books of the Bible (the Torah in Hebrew or Pentateuch in Greek).

The rest of the books were written at a later date and give us examples of people living by and teaching from the Father’s words. His instructions (found in the Torah/Pentateuch) are the foundation, that is what we are not to add to or take away from. Solomon’s writings, David’s writings in the Psalms, Esther (in which God is not even mentioned), etc all of these books would be disqualified if we only allowed YHWH’s words in the Bible. The Father, in His wisdom, knew we’d need examples of others living out His word and applying them to our lives, so in His grace He gave us the Bible we have now.

It is also important to note that when Messiah admonished the Pharisees in Mark 7, it was for adding their own rules to the Father’s commandments, while ignoring the commandments of the Father that didn’t suit them. They had established a tradition of ritually washing their hands before a meal. When Messiah did not carry out their ritual, they called Him out on it. He, in turn, called them out on teaching people that they were justified in not using their resources to help care for their parents if they gave to the temple priests instead.

 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!  For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)—  then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother,  thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” – Mark 7: 9-13

Messiah pointed out the hypocrisy in encouraging believers to break the fifth commandment and His words are both heartbreaking and convicting to read even to this day.

“‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me,
    teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ -Mark 8:6-7

Essentially, they were picking and choosing what they wanted to obey and requiring others to obey their manmade commandments as if they were as important as the Father’s. Unfortunately, this history of holding up our own commandments while picking and choosing from the Father’s has remained very much alive and well in our time. 

The Father’s instructions on how we are to live, his commandments (which are summed up in the “Big Ten”), are found in the first five books of the Bible. These books are our foundation. The remaining books, especially the example we see of our Messiah in the Gospels, rest atop that foundation to teach us how to carry out His teachings in Grace and Truth. 

For clarity: I am not saying that we are free to add to or take away from any book in the Bible. What I am saying is that the other authors in the Bible did not add to or take away from the word in their inspired writings. This is in answer to the question posed at the start of this article: “My husband and I had a question. If no one is to add to God’s word why are King Solomon’s words in the Bible?” 

Gratefully, 

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About the Seeking Scripture Team: We are a group of believers from all walks of the faith, saved by grace alone through faith in our Messiah. While we are of one accord in many things, we are all works in progress and lifelong learners. Therefore the opinions of one may not always represent the opinions of all.