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The Bible |
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Your Bible is your most precious possession. It is the Word of God! Understand that it does not just contain the Word of God, but it is the Word of God. It is the most direct communication which God has for you. It instructs you in the ways of truth and holiness. By the Word you have been saved. By the Word direction for your life is given. It leads you into the paths of righteousness. It tells you what God considers to be sin and righteous. Almost every question you will ever have is answered in the Bible. There will times in your life when you must make personal decisions and your answer will come by the recourse of prayer. But any answer to your prayers will always be in accordance and agreement with the principles of God’s written word.
There is no substitute for the study of your Bible. God has commanded you to study his Word, to be a student of it. If you do not study the Bible, you are subject to every kind of error by which men may deceive you. When you learn the Bible you learn the truth! This truth makes you free. It will keep you free from any bondage that men may try to impose on you in the name of God. All teachings and practices that you may encounter must be compared with those in the Word of God. The Bible is the standard by which all other things are to be compared. If there is any disagreement, inconsistency, or variance with the Word of truth, then those things are false and are to be discarded, avoided, and not debated. Accept this fact: The Bible is THE book of authority and it stands alone. God has given no other standard by which you may judge things, or by which you will be judged. All that you do will be compared to what is in it, and it alone. God has presented you with truth and it is your duty to learn it.
The Bible is a collection of many books written over many centuries. All these books were written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the author of the entire Bible. Every page, every word was written by Him through inspiration. While we do not have the original pages, which were penned by the men who wrote, there are manuscripts, which were made from them. They are ancient documents, handed down through the centuries, which while are not exact duplicates or hand-written reproductions of the originals, they nevertheless provide enough documentation to provide a trustworthy record of God’s Word. The study of these documents is rich and rewarding.
The original text of the Bible is Hebrew and Chaldee of the Old Testament and Greek of the New Testament. The English Bibles, which we study, are translations from these ancient languages. While there are excellent translations some are not exact and should be avoided. Seek help in making your decision as to which version you chose. I personally would recommend the King James Version as a reading Bible and “The Emphasized Version” by Rotherham for your study Bible.
You may hear from some that the Bible has been lost, or that over the centuries it has become impure and tainted with man’s corruption. The Scriptures, which we have today, have not been corrupted and they certainly are not lost. People who say such things have very little regard for God or His power and ability. Consider this, If God has written His Word (and He has), and wants men to know that Word (and He does), don’t you think that He is able to preserve that Word pure and uncorrupt? It is an affront to God to say that He wasn’t capable or concerned enough to make sure His Word would stand throughout the ages. If God can’t preserve His own Word could we trust Him the preserving of our souls? Be at rest, God has preserved His Word and will continue to preserve until all is fulfilled (Mat. 24:35) Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
What does the Bible contain? The Bible has two parts, The Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is a collection of the books, which were written before Christ. The New Testament is a collection of the books about the life of Christ and afterward. The word “Testament” means covenant or contract. These Testaments are the ways in which God dealt with men in various ages or times. They concern the method of worship and His commandments to men. There is a great difference between the Old and New Testaments; however the way of salvation has never changed, that is, salvation by grace through the blood sacrifice of His Son. The Old Testament folks looked forward to their Savior, Messiah, and today we look back at our Savior, Christ.
What does the Old Testament contain, and is it useful for you today? The Old Testament gives history, prophecies, and the old law. It tells how God dealt with men, how He created, and how He was to be worshiped. It tells of the old temple, priesthood and sacrifices. We see His dealings with such men as Abraham and the Nation of Israel. It shows how men were directed toward the Salvation of God. It shows how men could be holy and what holiness was. The list of what can be learned from the Old Testament about God is almost endless. You can gain much insight into His personality and attributes from the Old Testament. God revealed Himself in the Old Testament, and He revealed much of His will for the future. Prophecies are given on the coming Messiah, about various nations then and as well in the future, and of times beyond our earthly existence. It is a rich storehouse of man’s past and God. We have books of praise, books of dictum on godly living, and books containing God’s multitude of promises. Not all that is in the Old Testament applies to you today, for your practice of faith and worship is in this Church age. But the Old Testament is given for you to study and grow thereby.
The New Testament is for you today. There are four basic divisions of the New Testament: the Gospels, the Acts, the Epistles and the Book or Revelation. The Gospels are an account of the life of Christ while He was here on earth. They tell of His birth, His works, His death, and His resurrection. They show how He began His church, the institution of a new way of worship and of new doctrines. Christ bought an end, or fulfillment, of the Old Testament and began His New Testament. Nearly everything in the New Testament is new. There is a new temple, a new priesthood, a new High Priest, a new sacrifice and a new grace. Salvation is the same, and God’s condemnation of sin and judgment are the same. But as a child of God, it is critical that you learn how to acceptably serve and worship God. These instructions are in the New Testament. In the Gospels you find Christ establishing the Church and giving instructions for the Church. In the book of Acts, you observe the Church in practice. The epistles display and demonstrate the instructions in practice. The Book of Revelation is a book of prophecy concerning the end of this age. It speaks of the great tribulation, the antichrist, the second coming of Christ, the millennial age, the final judgment, and the great eternal age. It tells of the final destines of the saved and lost.
How to approach the Bible in your study. Think of it as coming to a class. To approach your study, you need to bring your Bible, an open mind, reverence, and a desire to learn. In this class, you are going to learn about doctrine and conduct. You will also learn about happiness, blessings, promises and bearing fruit. Now, you encounter something absolutely astounding: the teacher is the author, the Holy Spirit. Be very respectful of what you study and what you learn. Some folks study the Bible without ever really wanting to learn form it. They desire to make it prove what they already believe. This is wrong. It is backward. If you did this in a school class you would surely fail the course. God has much to teach you, and if you won’t learn you won’t advance. You are to grow in the Word and in the Lord, but to grow you must learn, and learn the truth. Your attitude toward your study, your textbook, and your teacher will determine how much you will get out of your study. The Holy Spirit knows you intimately, and He knows how to teach you. He knows how quickly you learn and where you need help. You never finish your studies, as you can learn every day of your life. The best approach to Bible study is to first begin with prayer. Ask God to teach you, express your desire for His Word, your hunger for the truth, and ask Him to give you an open mind. Next, prepare yourself to accept the truth. In other words, let the Word teach you, and don’t approach your study with preconceived ideas of what you think truth is or what ought to be truth. Humble yourself and become a disciple of Christ. Finally be teachable! Do you best to know what you believe and believe what you know!
God’s word will do many things for you and to you. It can comfort you in your deepest hour of grief. It can correct you and instruct you. It admonishes you and is profitable for you. It is a book of faith, hope and love. Consider what Jesus told Satan (Mat. 4:4) But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
(1 Peter 2:2) As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
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This page last updated January 18, 2005 at 10:10am
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