Is the Bible relevant? Does this ancient book have any practical application to our lives today? Does it satisfy our needs as individuals and as a society? Or do we need something else? I believe a consideration of the following points will help to answer these questions and prove that the Bible is relevant today.

1. God Has Not Changed. “For I am the Lord, I do not change” (Malachi 3:6; see also Hebrews 13:8). A lot of time has passed since the Bible was written, but that does not mean God has changed. How do we know this? A lot of time passed while the Bible was being written (about 1,600 years), yet God is the same Person at the end of the Bible that He is at the beginning. Time has a way of changing man, but God exists outside of time, it does not have any affect upon Him. God has not grown any wiser through the centuries. He has not become tolerant of things that used to anger Him. God is the same Person for us today that He is in the Bible.

2. God’s Word Has Not Changed. “Forever, O Lord, your word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89). God’s standards of right and wrong have always existed, and will always exist, the way that they are found in the Bible. There is no need to update, change or revise these revealed standards. Some have the idea that because society now accepts things like living together, adultery, no-fault divorce, homosexuality, etc., that God now accepts them. This simply is not true. God’s thoughts and ways are not subject to our approval (Isaiah 55:8-9). It is a dangerous thing to be presumptuous about God.

3. The Needs of Society Have Not Changed. Society changes all the time, but the needs of society are still the same. People are still people, and have the same basic needs. Some may be surprised to find that the Bible both addresses and offers solutions to problems that we are dealing with today. Crime and punishment (Ecclesiastes 8:14), the role of civil government (Romans 13:1-6), welfare abuse (2 Thessalonians 3:10), prejudice (Acts 10:34; Matthew 22:35-40), teen pregnancy (1 Corinthians 6:18; Hebrews 13:4), drug and alcohol abuse (Galatians 5:19-21), family problems (Colossians 3:18-21), divorce (Malachi 2:16; Matthew 5:32), homosexuality and same-sex marriages (Romans 1:26-27; Matthew 19:4-5) and terrorism (Matthew 7:12) are all addressed in the Bible.

4. The Needs of Mankind Have Not Changed. The Bible offers answers to the most basic and fundamental questions that mankind has struggled with – Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? The apostle Paul answered all three of these questions in a sermon recorded in Acts 17. Where did I come from? “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands” (v. 24). Why am I here? “So that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us” (v. 27). Where am I going? “Because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead” (v. 31).

In addition to philosophical needs, man also has spiritual needs. Many people have serious problems dealing with guilt, depression, doubt, despair, hopelessness, and fear. Bookshelves and magazine racks are filled with material written in hopes of identifying and solving these problems. TV and radio programs offer pop-psychology and the latest self-help fads. However, the Bible is the one book which positively identifies the real problem with which man struggles: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). It is also the only book that offers the real solution to this problem: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). It answers the most important question of all – “What must I do to be saved?”

The Bible is not an out-dated relic of centuries past. It is not a book of ancient history or myths. It is not a charm to ward off evil. Neither is it a file cabinet for newspaper clippings, announcements, pictures, flowers, or other mementos from the past. It is the living Word of God. It offers the answers to our most important questions while providing the standards and guidance we need as individuals and as a society. The Bible not only shows us how to have the best life here on earth, it is the only book which can prepare us for eternal life.

“Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth”

2 Timothy 2:15

Context and associated passages are a must to consider when defining a Bible term or topic.  To examine the statement, “For by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that no of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory” (Ephesians 2:8-9) will certainly bring about the wrong conclusions without a basic understanding of context and associated passages.  The diligent student of God’s word will also consider “the law of equivalences” to determine the meaning of words and topics.  Remember, the Bible is its own best commentary!

Let me explain what I mean by the phrase, “law of equivalences.”  Divine revelation is often written by way of using synonymous terms that connect Bible principles together and thereby make the terms equivalent.  Consider these two examples.  The apostle Paul writes, “Wherefore I make known unto you that no man speaking in the Spirit of God saith Jesus is anathema; and no man can say, Jesus is Lord, but in the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3).  While this verse teaches that man would know nothing about the Lord Jesus Christ without divine revelation it also teaches through the law of equivalences.  Note the equivalent terms “Spirit of God” and “Holy Spirit.”  I know that when Paul speaks of the Spirit of God he is speaking of the Holy Spirit.  Another example is found at Isaiah 53:6.  Isaiah writes, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”  Again, we learn what “iniquity” is by using the law of equivalence.  The two equivalences are “iniquity” and “turning to one’s own way.”  When we do things that we want to do rather than what God wants us to do it is termed “iniquity” and this is against God’s laws (see 1 John 3:4).

A modern day example may be used to further illustrate the point.  Follow this line of thought in relationship to the law of equivalence. 

I bought a new motorcycle last week.  I plan to take my new bike on a road trip next week.  All my friends have been impressed with my new hog.

 The three equivalent terms are motorcycle, bike, and hog.  They are three different words but all three mean the same thing. 

 The value of equivalences is that it helps us to rightly divide the word of God rather than drawing faulty conclusions. 

 I know that I cannot separate Christ from divine revelation because of their analogous connection to one another.  Paul refers to the “word of God” as the “mystery” which is “Christ in you, the hope of glory: … even Christ” (see Colossians 1:25 – 2:2).  The value to acknowledging the equivalent terms in this text is that no one can lawfully separate the “man from the plan.”

Another equivalent text is found at Ephesians 1:7.  The apostle Paul, speaking of Christ, writes, “in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.”  Paul equates “redemption” with “forgiveness of trespasses” and God’s “rich grace.”  The three are inseparably connected by the Holy Spirit’s use of equivalent terms.  When I turn to Acts 2:38 and see that Peter inseparably connects baptism to the forgiveness of sins I draw the right and only conclusion.  God redeems the man who is baptized for the forgiveness of their sins.  The baptized man has tapped into the rich grace of God, through the blood of Jesus, when he complies with the Lord’s divine instructions (see Romans 5:1-4).  Now our example of misunderstanding Ephesians 2:8 is better understood.

There are many such equivalences in the Bible.  When you study God’s word be aware of these analogous terms and texts and rightly divide the word of truth.

The religious landscape of our nation is also changing. Basic truths of Christianity are constantly challenged and denied by so-called Christians. This change has had an impact upon some of our brethren. In recent years we have heard brethren make arguments for a figurative interpretation of the creation account in Genesis, question the inspiration of 2 Peter and Jude, and deny the eternal nature of Hell.

All this change going on in the world is enough to make one’s head swim. However, we must remember that we are not the first ones to have lived in a time of great moral decline. Things generally happen in cycles (consider the book of Judges), which should indicate to us that we are not living in the “worst of times.”

It is God’s plan and desire that we mature to the point that their faith is strong and stable. “That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” (Ephesians 4:14). Although we live in a world that is subject to change, there are some things that will never change. These eternal truths must be our foundation if our faith is going to survive these times of confusion and change.

God Does Not Change

“For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob” (Malachi 3:6).

People change. We make discoveries and grow in our knowledge. We gain wisdom by learning from our mistakes. Our levels of tolerance change as we are exposed to new ideas and trends. Time may have this effect upon man, but time does not have any effect upon God. He created time and exists outside of time. There is nothing for God to discover. He makes no mistakes. He has not grown any wiser or more tolerant over the passing of years.

In spite of this fact, many people believe that God has changed. They argue that the God we read of in the Bible has “mellowed” with age or has accommodated Himself to our time and our way of thinking. However, the God portrayed by our society is a far cry from the never-changing God that we read of in the Bible. Consider just a few of His attributes which are denied by our society today.

1. God is a God of Reason

“Come now, and let us reason together…” (Isaiah 1:18). To reason is “to think coherently and logically; draw inferences or conclusions from facts.” The fact that God calls upon man to reason with Him tells us that both God and man are capable of thinking logically. It also tells us that there must be a fixed standard upon which we can and must reason. Truth cannot be relative or subjective. This means that truth cannot be one thing for me, another thing for you, and another thing for God.

It has become a “sin” to claim to have the truth in our world today. No single group is “allowed” to have a monopoly on the truth. Without any standards of right and wrong, each person is encouraged to believe what he wants to believe, with the understanding that we all agree to disagree. The spirit of ecumenicism has captured the hearts of our age, insisting that all faiths are equally valid. Thus there is no need to evangelize or proselytize. Such actions are looked upon as unnecessary and even harmful.

However, truth is, by its very nature, exclusive. There is only one truth, and everything else is a lie. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Salvation is obtained by obeying “the truth” (1 Peter 1:22), not our version of the truth.

Since God is a God of reason, and invites us to reason with Him, we know that God cannot be the source of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). We live in a confusing time; with so many different churches, philosophies, and ideas about the Bible. However, this confusion is not God’s fault. God is a God of design, order, peace, and harmony. Confusion in our world is evidence that God’s wisdom is being rejected.

15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.

16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

James 3:15-18

2. God is Sovereign

The word sovereign means “above or superior to all others, supreme in power, rank, or authority.” This is a perfect description of God. He is Lord over all of His creation.

1 The LORD reigns; let the peoples tremble! He dwells between the cherubim; let the earth be moved!

2 The LORD is great in Zion, and He is high above all the peoples.

3 Let them praise Your great and awesome name – He is holy.

Psalm 99:1-3

God’s sovereignty is never subject to man’s approval. God’s judgments are in all the earth (Psalm 105:7), whether we acknowledge them or not! God has the right to tell us how to live. This right is His, not because we gave it to Him, but because He is our Creator. “But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ Does not the potter have power over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?” (Romans 9:20-21).

3. God is Righteous

We know that God is loving, patient, merciful, forgiving, etc. – but He is also a righteous God. “Clouds and darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne” (Psalm 97:2).

The English word “righteous” was originally spelt “rightwise.” This helps us to see that a righteous person is one who is “wise” concerning what is right and wrong. Such a person has an understanding of what is right and wrong. He does what is morally right, fair, and just. He also opposes that which is wrong, unjust, and unfair.

God cannot overlook sin. He hates sin and demands obedience. God’s love does not negate or cancel out His righteousness. Our God is still a consuming fire, and it is still a fearful thing to fall into His hands (Hebrews 10:31, 12:29). His judgment upon this world will be a righteous judgment (Acts 17:31, Romans 1:32, 2 Thessalonians 1:5-6).

Times may change and people may change, but God does not change. There is no reason for Christians to make concessions or compromises. There is no need for us to be ashamed of or to apologize for having the truth. The Lord God Omnipotent still reigns and His righteousness endures forever.

God’s Law Does Not Change

This fact is easily observed by looking unto God’s natural laws. These laws are established and govern our lives in this world. For instance, the sun always rises in the east and sets in the west. Gravity always works. If one touches a hot stove he will get burned. These observable facts are not relative. They are universal and constant.

God has set forth the boundaries for His physical creation, and He has also set forth the moral boundaries for mankind (Titus 2:11-12, Galatians 5:19-23). If we recognize the permanence of God’s law which governs the physical universe, upon what basis can we logically believe that God’s moral law is subject to change? God has not changed these moral standards. Neither has He given man the right to change these standards.

God pronounced a woe upon His people for changing His moral standards. “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5:20-21).

The people of Isaiah’s day were turning God’s standards upside-down because it was what was right in their own eyes. The same thing is happening today. For example, God calls homosexuality an abomination (Leviticus 18:22). Like all sin, it will cause one to lose his soul and be excluded from Heaven (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Yet, our society is celebrating and embracing homosexuality as a loving, alternate lifestyle. At the same time, this “tolerant” and “accepting” world vilifies Christians who stand by the teachings of the Bible. Homosexuality is portrayed as “love,” while preaching against this sin is labeled a “hate crime.” Thus, our society is calling that which is evil “good,” and that which is good “evil.”

The world may have changed, but God’s law regarding the sin of homosexuality has not changed. The churches of men can vote and approve of church membership and clergy positions for homosexuals, states can vote to approve of same-sex marriage, but none of this will ever change what God has said on the subject. We cannot out-vote or overrule God! Times may change, but God’s law and standards will never change. “Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar” (Romans 3:4).

God’s Word Does Not Change

“Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.” (Psalm 119:89). God’s word is not subject to the fluctuating whims of sinful men. It is settled – established, set in stone. It is settled forever – it will never be altered, amended, or canceled out. It is settled forever in heaven – out of man’s reach. No one can tamper with it. It is safe and preserved from those who seek to change it. Cutting verses out of one’s Bible cannot change what God’s word says about baptism. Church councils and conventions cannot change what God’s word says about homosexuality. Brotherhood papers, debates, books, and emotional pleas cannot change what God’s word says about divorce and remarriage.

God’s word is not ink on paper bound in leather. Books can be destroyed. God’s word is eternal truth which can never be destroyed (Matthew 24:35). The passing of time does not alter eternal truth. God’s word is just as relevant and just as applicable in our lives today as it was when it was first penned by the inspired writers.

God’s Promises Do Not Change

This is true because these promises come from a God who cannot lie and who does not change. God is faithful (1 Corinthians 1:9, 10:13). He keeps His word.

God promised that sin would bring death (Genesis 2:17), and it did. God then promised that the Seed of woman would crush the serpent, and He did (Genesis 3:15).

God promised Noah that He would destroy the world with water, and He did (Genesis 6-9). God has promised us that there will be a Day of Judgment (Acts 17:30-31, 2 Peter 3:5-9). He has also promised that there is a way for us to escape this judgment. We must repent (2 Peter 3:9) and obey the gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8). There is no other way for us to escape judgment. God cannot be fooled (Galatians 6:7-8). We are not the exception to the rule. We can either obey the gospel or die in our sins and go to Hell.

The promises of God give strength to the weary Christian. We can know that we are saved (Titus 1:2, 1 John 5:13). God has promised that He will be with us through this life if we remain faithful to Him (2 Corinthians 6:17-18). We can stand upon the promises of God because He has the ability to do what He said He will do. “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day” (2 Timothy 1:12).

Conclusion

There is no doubt that we live in a world of change, but God is the one constant in this world. He is Creator of all, Lord of all, and Judge of all. Man’s departure from the truth and unwillingness to acknowledge the sovereignty of God does not change anything about God. God’s moral law is just as fixed as His natural law. He will judge us one day. Man may deny it, complain about it, protest it, ignore it, dismiss it, or run away from it; but no one can change truth.

It is easy for the faithful Christian to look around him and become discouraged. It is difficult to watch our society continue to decline morally. We listen to statements made by others who claim to be Christians and wonder if there is anyone who believes what we believe about the Bible. What has happened to God and what has happened to His truth?

The prophet Habakkuk lived in a troubling time. He wondered how long God was going to allow things to proceed. In essence, he asked where God had gone. God told this perplexed prophet that the just shall live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4).

The apparent vanishing of God and truth from our world can be compared to a mountain that is concealed by a mourning cloud. A pilot flying an aircraft cannot go by sight alone. If his charts indicate an elevated terrain, he cannot assume that the mountain has disappeared just because he cannot see it. He must act as if the mountain is there and adjust his flight path accordingly. To fail to do so will be disastrous to both himself and his passengers.

God’s truth may seem to have vanished, but it is still there. God is still ruling on His throne and His laws are still governing the universe. He still calls upon men to repent because He still plans on judging the world in righteousness. Our culture may have created a facade that attempts to hide the reality of God and silence any mention of His truth, but He is still there. The just will have to live by faith in this ever-changing world. “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10).

Internal Evidence of the Bible’s Authenticity  

The apostle Paul said “All scriptures is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness; that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work”  (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  The word “inspired” (Greek theopneustes) means “divinely inspired[1] (“to affect, guide, or arouse by divine influence… to be the cause or source of… to breath upon”).[2] (Moulton’s Analytical Greek Lexicon revised – 1978 Edition, pp. 193).  The Psalmist said “By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth” (Psalms 33:6).  Notice the “word of Jehovah” is equivalent to “the breath of his mouth.”  What that says is that God made known his will by spoken revelation (his breathing into) the apostles and prophets. The apostle Peter gives a commentary on the inspiration of the scriptures by saying “no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).  The word “moved” (Greek (phero) means “to produce, bring forward, cite… to bring one word, to tell, announce” (LS 858).  The apostles and prophets were speaking the mind of God being told what to announce by the Holy Spirit.  These divine words are what our Bibles are comprised of.  Never did a prophet, apostle, or truly inspired person write their own ideas, opinions, or personal convictions (see Galatians 1:11-12; Ephesians 3:2-5).  

The Old Testament tells of various authors who wrote, according to God’s instruction, so that future generations would have divine instruction.  There are a total of 39 inspired Old Testament books that are in our Bibles.  Consider these Old Testament authors:  

• Moses (Exodus 17:14; 24:4; 34:27; Deuteronomy 31:9,24).
• Priest (Numbers 5:23).
• Joshua (Joshua 8:32).
• Samuel (1 Samuel 10:25).
• Jeremiah (Jeremiah 30:2; 36:2).
• Ezekiel (Ezekiel 43:11).
• Habakkuk (Habakkuk 2:2).

The New Testament has authors as well (men who were moved by the Holy Spirit to write).  These men include Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John who wrote the books that bear their name.  Luke also wrote the book of Acts and John wrote 1, 2, and 3rd John in addition to the book of Revelation.  Paul is the main contributor to the divine New Testament standard.  The Apostle Paul wrote 15 books (if we consider the book of Hebrews his work).  Peter, James, and Jude also wrote books that bear their names.  There are a total of 27 inspired New Testament books that are in our Bibles.  

External Evidence of the Bible’s Authenticity  

Old Testament  

“Almost all of the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament are written in Hebrew.  Hebrew is of a large family of languages known as Semitic, and is akin to such languages as Aramaic, Syriac, Akkadian (Assyrian-Babylonian) and Arabic.”[3]  Many Hebrew Manuscripts (hand written copies or portions of text) have been discovered.  Attempts; However, to find original hand written Old Testament Hebrew documents will yield no results.  The Hebrew manuscript discoveries that do exist do not date back as far as the New Testament Greek manuscripts.  The scribes responsible for copying old and worn out manuscripts often destroyed the old and replaced them with newer ones.  They did this because they appended a since of holiness to the paper that it was written on.  There are three principle manuscripts of the Hebrew Old Testament:  

1.        Aleppo Codex dated AD 920  

2.        Leningrad Codex dated AD 1008   

3.        The Dead Sea Scrolls (discovered in 1948) dated around 200 – 300 BC.  Seven hundred scrolls and thousands of manuscript fragments have been discovered since the 1948 discovery.  The discovery site was the ruins of Qumran located on the northwest bank of the Dead Sea.  Scrolls of Old Testament scriptures dating back to 2^nd and 3^rdcentury BC have been located along with a manuscript of Isaiah dating back as far as 100 BC.  The importance of this discovery can not be overlooked.  When newer manuscripts of the OT, such as the 2 listed above, are compared with the older Dead Sea manuscripts, they are remarkably parallel.  This is proof that the scribes painstakingly and accurately copied the original manuscripts.  Therefore, we are confident that our OT scriptures are accurate and sure.  The above pic is Qumran cave 4, one of the caves in which the scrolls were found (Wikipedia).  

New Testament  

The language of the New Testament is Koine Greek (a commonly used language in the 4^th to 6^th century BC).  The Greek language is a precise language.  It is described by Britannica online as having a vocabulary of extraordinary richness, a syntax that is unmatched in other languages.  A. T. Robertson said, “These old Greek words in the New Testament are rich with meaning.  They speak to us out of the past and with lively images to those who have eyes to see.”[4] It has been said, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”  Due to its precise nature, it is no wonder that God, in his infinite wisdom, chose this language to construct His divine will to man.  Overall, the Bible was composed over a period of ~ 1,500 years.  The ravages of time, coupled with natural and unnatural disasters of fire and war took the original copies away forever. Though the pages of originals have decomposed with time, the words of our Lord will forever be indestructible. Jesus said, “heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).  

No other ancient text is more preserved than the New Testament Bible (5,400 complete or fragmented Greek manuscripts, 10,000 Latin, and 9,300 manuscripts in various other ancient languages including Syriac, Slavic, Gothic, Ethiopic, Coptice, and Armenian).  There were two styles of writing in the early koine Greek manuscripts.  First, there are the Uncials.  Uncials are a formal style of writing that resembles our capitalized letters.  Here is an example of an Uncial.  Picture taken from Frederic G. Kenyon, M.A., D.Litt. “Our Bible and the Ancient Manuscripts” page 136.  This is a page out of the Codex Vaticanus (4^th Century).  

The second style of writing found in Greek manuscripts is known as minuscules or cursives.  Minuscules or cursives are smaller more space efficient letters.  Here is a Picture taken from Frederic G. Kenyon, M.A., D.Litt. “Our Bible and the Ancient Manuscripts” page 148.  

There are three primary Greek Manuscripts of interest to this study.  

a.        Codex Sinaiticus (Codex Alpha; 4^thcentury AD), the only known complete copy of the Greek New Testament in uncial script.  Sinaiticus was discovered in 1844 by Constantine Tischendorf in the monastery of St. Catherine, at Mt. Sinai.  Tischendorf watched a monk use old paper for fuel in a furnace and decided to look at the papers.  To his surprise the paper was a codex of the Bible.    

b.        Vatican Manuscript (Codex B; 4^thcentury AD).  The Vatican Manuscript contains most of the Old and New Testament with much of Genesis and Psalms missing.  It was written in “small and delicate uncials, perfectly simple and unadorned.”[5]  The Vatican was discovered ~ 1471 in the Vatican Library of at Rome.    

c.        Alexandrian Manuscript (Codex A; 5^thcentury).  Much of the Alexandrian Manuscript is missing and does not have the quality of either the Vatican or Sinaiticus Codex.  The Alexandrian Manuscript was gift to James I of England in 1627.  “It includes all four books of the Maccabees”4 as well as the complete LXX (Greek Septuagint). 

Other New Testament manuscripts of importance are the Codex Bezae (400 AD / comprised of the four gospels and Acts), The Textus Receptus (the “received text” / 1516), Vetus Latina (Old Latin Bible / 382-405 AD), and the Vulgate (Jerome’s revision of the Vetus Latina 5^th century AD). 

The Canon of Scripture 

The word canon has a very interesting history of etymology.  It was a word that originally “denoted a straight rod…of which the idea of straightness is manifest.  Besides being straight, for other uses the canon had to be incapable of bending.”[6] The words “criterion” and “standard” were derivatives of canon. Little by little the word ‘canon’ came to be used as a standard, rule, or concrete thing.  Eventually the word came to be used to refer to the list of books regarded as authoritative or inspired.  The Bible itself gives strong testimony to its function as a standard in passages such as Isaiah 28:17.  

The very first use of the word ‘canon’ was by Athanasius in his “Decrees of the Synod of Nicaea” written about 350 AD.  “In AD 367 Athanasius identified which books are in fact the canonical books in opposition to the apocrypha; this is the earliest listing of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament”[7]   

Let us note; however, that God’s inspired word had been completed far before Athanasius declared it so in 367 AD.  Consider these Bible facts: 

The Word of God is complete (2 Peter 1:3; Jude 3). 

• The Word of God is pure and perfect (Psalms 12:6-7).
• The Word of God alone is man’s spiritual standard (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
• The Word of God will stand for ever (Isaaiah 40:7-8; Luke 21:33; 1 Peter 1:23-25).
• The Word of God will be the standard that judges man (John 12:48).

A History of Bible TranslationAccording to the United Bible Society, as of December 31, 2007, translations of the full Bible were available for 438 languages, translations of one of the two testaments in 1,168 additional languages, and portions of the text existed in 848 additional languages. This means that partial or full translations of the Bible exist in a total of 2,454 languages.  One of these 2,454 languages is English.  Within the English language alone there are approximately 450 versions.  To examine each one of these versions would be beyond the scope of this study.  We will; however, examine the approaches used in interpreting these English Bibles and look to a few examples.     

• Septuigent (LXX)(70 – indicates the number of translators that worked on the translation) The Hebrew scriptures translated from Hebrew to Greek at 3 BC (a formal / paraphrase text).  The oldest surviving completed text are found in the Sinaiticus and Vaticanus manuscripts.
• Vetus Latina (Old Latin Bible) – from the LXX to 382 AD (translated from the LXX rather than the original Hebrew manuscripts).  Not one single Bible but a multitude of copies from various translators that varied in their translations. 
• Latin Vulgate(382 AD by Jerome under Pope Damascus I).  Hebrew / Greek to Latin (the de facto (practiced) language of Rome).  Known as the official Bible of the Roman Catholic Church.  Translated directly from Hebrew and Greek Manuscripts.  The pic to the right is an artist rendition of Jerome in his study (wikipedia.com).
• The Synod of Hippo (393 AD):  for the first time a council of bishops listed and approved a canon of Sacred Scripture that corresponds to the modern Roman Catholic canon, including the deuterocanonical books classed by Protestants as “Apocrypha“.
• Wycliffe’s AD 1384 English Bible (Latin to English using the Latin Vulgate).  Only the educated of this time were able to read Latin.  The common man depended upon oral reading of the Latin Vulgate to have any knowledge of scripture.  These oral readings were often skewed and biased toward personal convictions.  Wycliffe was thereby motivated to write an English version of the Bible so that the common man could study it himself.  The text would be read rather than one’s interpretation. 
• Textus Receptus:  “The story of the ‘Textus Receptus’ begins in 1514. The Polyglot Bible was to be the first printed Greek text.  However it was not without competition.  Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam actually published and put to market the first Greek NT.  Sensing the public was ready for a Greek text, Erasmus did all he could to produce such a work in a short amount of time with limited resources.  In one years time he had produced a Bible and sent it to the market loaded with typographical errors.  The manuscripts he used were inferior, at times he used Jeromes’ Latin Vulgate to fill in the blanks and was even known to add his own text when others were not available to him.  Despite the lack of scholarship, Erasmus’ text was well received.  Soon other Greek versions were produced by others which only served to seal the reputation of Erasmus’ text being the ‘received text.’  One such work was produced by a man named Beza who had at his disposal far more reliable manuscripts than did Erasmus yet he did not deviate much from the ‘received text’ in fear that his work would not be accepted by the public.  It was not till 1633 that the phrase ‘the text received by all’ was used.  It was actually an advertisement found in the preface of a bible that was translated from an earlier Beza bible (1565).  From this point on, the official designation for the received text was the ‘Textus Receptus’ (The received text).  The Textus Receptus “lies at the basis of the King James Version…So superstitious has been the reverence accorded the Textus Receptus that in some cases attempts to criticize or emend it have been regarded as akin to sacrilege. Yet its textual basis is essentially a handful  of late and haphazardly collected minuscule manuscripts, and in a dozen passages its reading is supported by no known Greek witness”  (The Text of the New Testament by Bruce Metzger pg. 106).
• Tyndale’s Bible1526 AD: First English interpretation from original Greek and Hebrew manuscripts as well as an examination of the Latin Vulgate.  First Bible mass produced due to advances in printing technology.  Tyndale was inspired to write an English version Bible primarily because of the work of Martin Luther’s german translation (The Luther Bible).  Tyndale’s version was rejected and banned by the Catholic church of England because it used the word “congregation” in place of the word “church.”  The Catholic church felt challenged by Tyndale and so banned the version.  The Catholic church viewed the priest and clergy as those who comprised the church rather than all baptized believers.  Tyndale’s translation of presbuter into elder rather than the “priests” again challenged the Catholic doctrine of separation of lay members and clergy.  The whole of Catholisism was challenged by Tyndale and Luther’s translations.  A photo of William Tyndale taken from wikipedia.com.
• Luther Bible of 1534:  Luther translated the NT Greek Erasmus text into the German language.  During this period (1500’s) the Reformation movement developed a Sola Scriptura(i.e., Latin for Scripture Alone) appraoch to interpretation.  Sola scriptura is the teaching that the Bible is the only inspired and authoritative Word of God, is the only source for Christian doctrine, and is accessible to all — that is, it is perspicuous and self-interpreting. That the Bible requires no interpretation outside of itself is an idea directly opposed to the teaching of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Coptic, Anglican, and Roman Catholic faiths, which teach that the Bible can be authentically interpreted only by Apostolic Tradition and the ecumenical church councils.  Martin “Luther said, ‘a simple layman armed with Scripture is greater than the mightiest pope without it’. The intention of the Reformation was to correct the perceived errors of the Catholic Church by appeal to the uniqueness of the Bible’s authority and to reject what Catholicsconsidered to be Apostolic Tradition as a source of original authority alongside of the Bible, wherever Tradition did not have biblical support or where it supposedly contradicted Scripture” (Wikipedia.com).
• The Great Bible(1539 by Myles Coverdale) – Known for its GIANT print (was to be placed in the church for all to read).
• Council of Trent (1546):  This council meeting was to be the Catholic response to the strong prodestant reformation movement.  Its purpose was two fold:  First, to condemn the prodestant reformation movement and secondly, and more important for this study, was that the church’s (Catholic) interpretation of the Bible was final. Any Christian who substituted his or her own interpretation was a heretic. Also, the Bible and Church Tradition (not mere customs but the ancient Tradition that made up part of the Catholic faith) were equally authoritative.  The Latin Vulgate was reaffirmed as the sole authoritative Bible (Catholic Church’s Bible).  Above is a pic of the 1546 Council of Trent (wikipedia.com).
• Geneva Bible(1560) – first Bible to divide the text into verses… Prodestant believers were persecuted by the Queen of England and fled to Geneva Switerland.  There, they made their own translation of the Bible.  The Geneva Bible was Calvinistic and prodestant in character and thereby disliked by the Catholic church.
• The Bishop’s Bible (1568):  The thorough Calvinism of the Geneva Bible offended the high-church party of the Church of England, to which almost all of its bishopssubscribed. They associated Calvinism with Presbyterianism, which sought to replace government of the church by bishops (Episcopalian) with government by lay elders. However, they were aware that the Great Bible of 1539 – which was the only version then legally authorized for use in Anglican worship – was severely deficient; in that much of the Old Testament was translated from the Latin Vulgate, rather than from the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. In an attempt to replace the objectionable Geneva translation, they circulated one of their own, which became known as the Bishops’ Bible.
• Sistine Vulgate (1590) a standard Vulgate Text.
• Sixto-Clementine Vulgate(1592) remained the official Roman Catholic Bible until 1979.  Pic. taken from wikipedia.com.
• King James Version Bible (1611) – original version was intended to replace the Bishop’s Bible as the official “English” Bible of the Church of England (Catholic) and so originally included the uninspired apocyriphal books.  The translators of the King James Version were instructed to take the 1602 edition of the Bishops’ Bible as their basis, although several other existing translations were taken into account. After it was published in 1611, the King James Versionsoon took the Bishops’ Bible’s place as the de facto standard of the Church of England (see notes on Textus Receptus above).

Methods of Translating and Modern Bible Versio  

There are two methods of translating the original Bible language to a more modern language.   First, is to translate the Bible by means of the “Dynamic Equivalence” method.  A Dynamic Equivalence text is formed by taking the original language such as Hebrew, Arabic, and Greek and translating the thought by paraphrasing the meaning rather than translating the exact words and meanings.  Consider these Dynamic Equivalence texts:

A.     The 1971 “Living Bible” – is a paraphrase of the 1901 American Standard Version Bible.

B.     Good News Bible(1976) a “Dynamic Equivalence” text.  Unlike most other versions because it contains pictures to illustrate text. The thoughts coveyed by this version regarding the virgin birth and deity of Christ are perverted.  This version changes the idea of the inspiration of scriptures and the atonement of sins through the blood of Christ too.  Consider Acts 20:7, “On Saturday evening we gathered together for the fellowship meal.  Paul spoke to the people and kept on speaking until midnight, since he was goint to leave the next day” (Good News Bible).  The original Greek stated that this event took place on the “first day of the week” not “Saturday evening.”

C.     New International Version Bible (First eddition 1978) – Combination of Formal and Dynamic Equivalence text.  The core translation group of 15 scholars and 100 additional participants rangeing over twenty different denominations such as Baptists, Evangelicals, Methodists, Lutherans, Anglicans, and others. 

D.    New Living Translation Bible (2004) – a Dynamic Equivalence text (87 translators).  This Bible is a revision of the paraphrased “Living Bible.”

E.     The Message Bible (2002) – a paraphrase by Eugene H. Peterson a Presbyterian pastor.  Consider Romans 10:8-10, “The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest.’ It’s the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—”Jesus is my Master”—embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That’s it. You’re not “doing” anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That’s salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: “God has set everything right between him and me!””  Please do read a formal equivalence text now to get the original meaning and you will see the dangers associated with a dynamic equivalent text.

Secondly, some Bibles are the product of a “Formal Equivalence.”  The Formal Equivalence  method of translating Bible text into another language is the idea of taking the exact words and moving them over to the target language without concerns over continuity and fluidity of reading.  This is a literal translation or a word for word translation of God’s word.  Please consider the following formal equivalence texts: 

A.     Young’s Literal Translation (YLT) 1862 – a “extreme literal version” (i.e., word for word).  Reading Young’s Translation is difficult but the reader is not left guessing regarding the meaning of the text.

B.     The Revised Version(1885 – a tranlation of the KJV with more modern manuscript discoveries).  Recognized as a “literal translation.” 

C.     1901 American Standard Version (ASV) – a derivative of the 1885 Revised Version and recognized as a “formal equivalence” version.  Because the language of the ASV was limited to Elizabethan English (that is, the use of archaic type writing such as “thee and thou”), as well as because of what some perceived to be its excessive literalism, it never achieved wide popularity, and the King James Version would remain the primary translation for most American Protestant Christians until the publication of the Revised Standard Version in 1952.    The divine name of the Almighty (the Tetragrammaton) is consistently rendered Jehovah in the ASV Old Testament, rather than LORD as it appears in the King James Bible. The reason for this change, as the Committee explained in the preface of the 1901 ASV, was that “…the American Revisers…were brought to the unanimous conviction that a Jewish superstition, which regarded the Divine Name as too sacred to be uttered, ought no longer to dominate in the English or any other version of the Old Testament…”  The word Greek word Tetragrammaton means ‘four-letter [word]‘, (Encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com) and are usually transliterated JHWH in German, and either YHWH, YHVH, JHWH or JHVH in English.

D.    New American Standard Bible (1971) and the updated NASB at 1995.  Recognized as a formal equivalence as it is translated from the 1901 ASV without all the archaic words.

E.     New King James Version Bible (NKJV) completed 1982 and written on a junior high school level.  The text is recognized as a “formal equivalence” text.

F.      Other Formal Equivalence Text:  The English Standard Version (2001) and the 1997 ASV (World English Bible [still being translated]) 

Bible Recommendation   

A good “Formal (literal) Equivalence” text should be used for your studies (i.e., the ASV, KJV, NKJV, NASV, English Standard Version, and Young’s Literal Translation).  Be very cautious when using a “Dynamic Equivalence” text because they often do not convey the accurate original meaning God intended (see examples above where the dynamic version completely changed the original meaning).   

Conclusion  

No doubt the Bible is an inspired book.  There will be no valid excuse accepted by God on the day of judgment for the man or woman who lived their lives rejecting its truths (see Romans 1:18-23).  

[2] American Heritage Dictionary; pp. 666  

[3]Lightfoot, N. R.  How We Got The Bible;  page 31  

[4] Robertson, A. T.  Word Pictures in the NT; Vol. 1, pg. X  

[5]Lightfoot, N. R.  How We Got The Bible;  pg. 47  

[6] Kenyon, F. G.  Our Bible and the Ancient Manuscripts; pg. 60  

[7] Ibid. Pg. 292

However, there are certain observations that we can make to spur you on to further study and consideration. First, you should know that the Bible claims inspiration for itself. For example, Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3, verse 16, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God.” The word “inspiration” in this text comes from the greek term “theo-pneustos”. “Theo” means God, and “pneustos” has reference to breathing. Our English words pneumatic and pneumonia, having to do with breathing or air, come from this term. So, the word inspiration means “God-breathed.” Paul is confirming that all scripture is “God breathed”. Ultimately, God is the author rather than man.

It is obvious that the New Testament is to be included in that claim of inspiration. Jesus Himself stated that after He left, He would send them the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, who would “guide [them] into all truth” (John 16:13). Paul affirmed that what he preached came directly from God, telling the Thessalonians, “it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). Peter equated Paul’s writings to the rest of the scriptures in 2 Peter 3:16.

I bring this up because though I realize many do not believe the Bible at all, and reject these claims of inspiration, there are some who claim to be Christians, and yet continually deny the inspiration of that book that is, in fact, the basis of their faith. With such friends, who needs enemies.

I believe the Bible to be inspired because I look at the prophecies found in the book, and see them uniformly fulfilled as predicted. I believe the Bible to be inspired because of the confirmation of the word through the miracles performed in New Testament times that are recorded in its pages. I believe the Bible to be inspired because the uniformity in purpose and doctrine that it shows throughout the entirety of the book.

In addition to these internal evidences, I believe the Bible to be inspired because of the corroboration given by secular history and archaeology. I contend that within its pages are revealed the mind of God, His will for man and mankind.

Now, when I say the Bible, I am contending for the original autographs. The actual documents that were penned by the writers of the Old and New Testaments. I do not believe any translation such as the King James Version is inspired. However, having an understanding of how we have obtained the present text, both of the Old Testament and the New, and trusting in the providence of the Almighty God of Heaven, I accept by faith that what we have is an accurate copy of those original writings, and have had preserved for us the voice of God.

You may not believe as I do, but I plead with you to examine the evidence supporting the claims of inspiration. Truth does not need to fear examination. I am confident, that should you do so, you will agree with me when I say, “Yes, the Bible is the Inspired word of God!

We are not going to be able to rely on our smooth words or lavish looks when it comes to entering into heaven, it is going to be how well we followed God’s commandments for us. Obedience to the things God has spoken is an absolute must! Jesus would say in His conclusion to the sermon on the mount, “Therefore whoever hears these saying of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock, and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” Now who does this reckon to? It is the person who hears of the things of God and obeys them. Now listen to what Jesus says of the disobedient. “But everyone who hears these saying of Mine and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand, and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, and it fell. And great was its fall” (Matthew 7:24-27). To all those who do not adhere to what the bible says, there will be no room for them in the kingdom of God.

God’s word in this country has become something that can be compared to what the Athenians of old used to take hobby in. To them, everything was discussion and philosophy. When Paul spoke boldly at the Areopagus in Athens, preaching the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the reaction to his sermon was one of mockery and unimportance. They wanted to take Paul’s words and discuss them, think to themselves what kind of doctrine this was, and assign a philosophy to it. Such was their nature being Epicureans and Stoics. (Acts 17:18) For them there was no conviction within Paul’s words, no necessity to obey these things, just another doctrine to philosophy about. Yet this attitude towards God’s word remains even today. More and more are falling into the trap that the bible is discussible, and we are all able to reach different conclusions on it. Such is not the way we should ever approach the instructions of the Almighty God! The prophet Isaiah reads, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are My ways your ways, says the Lord.” We as human beings are on a totally different level than God, for the prophet goes on to say, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways.” When we take on the attitude that the bible is something that is discussible in such a way that we can all have differing views on it, putting our own human intuition into it, we bring the Lord and the things He has commanded us and bring them down to our level. We make ourselves equal with God when we think we need to change what He has said, or take on a disrespectful attitude with the scriptures, turning it into theology and not authoritative commands. That is not our place! Nor has it ever been, it remains with God’s word as Peter once told Simon concerning spiritual gifts, “you have neither part nor portion in this matter.”

When we take the bible and turn it into a common book of this world, we have sinned and not given the proper recognition to God. Jesus says, “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He come in the glory of His Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38). Taking a look at the bible and breaking it up into sections of what we want to follow and what we want to steer clear of puts one into the category of those who are ashamed of Jesus. We have in our modern bibles two colors of font. For the words of Jesus, a red font is used, and for everything else the standard black font is used. But there are those that want to have the red words be more authoritative than the black words. They take the words of Christ and say we have to agree on those, but everything else is up for discussion. They turn parts of the bible into theology and not the written word of God! Yet, Paul states that all scripture is given by inspiration, and also that all scripture is profitable. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Therefore, our attitude toward towards the scriptures must always remain in such a way where our deep respect for God’s authoritative word never turns into something where human intuition enters into the picture. Let us all take on the attitude of Samuel, who was called by God at night, and when called for a fourth time, Samuel answered, “Speak, for Your servant hears.” Samuel was ready and willing to do all that the Lord commanded him, let us strive to have the same thought in our lives.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (vs. 16-17)

The Greek word used in verse 16, translated “inspiration of God” is found nowhere else in scripture.  It is the term theopneustos. Vine gives the etymology of the word: (Theos, God, pneu, to breathe) and says that it, “is used in 2 Tim. 3:16, of the Scriptures as distinct from non-inspired writings” (Vines, Volume II, page 263).

In my view, this term is poetic.  God Breathed.  The document that we call the Bible is not the product of men, but of the Almighty.  As such it should be recognized as unique in the world, and worthy of our undying respect and careful scrutiny.

It may be that familiarity breeds contempt.  The Bible is ubiquitous.  You can find a copy in every motel room.  It is found on coffee tables or in bookshelves of most households in the United States.  It is believed that up to 6 billion copies of the Bible have been printed, making it the most widely distributed book of all time.  The Bible is available to 98% of the world’s population in a language with which they are fluent.  It was the first major work printed by Johannes Gutenberg on his newly invented mechanical printing press, in 1455.

Yet, most are ignorant of its contents.  They either have only a superficial knowledge of God’s word, or they lack the ability to “rightly divide” it (cf. 2 Timothy 2:15).  Occasionally I have watched the game show Jeopardy!, when the Bible was used as one of its categories.  It is always interesting to note that these contestants, who are chosen because they have shown an aptitude for answering questions on a wide variety of subjects, consistently are thwarted by the simplest of Bible queries.

While an abject ignorance of God’s word is the norm in our society today, it certainly ought not to be so among God’s people.  It seems inconceivable that those who claim to be disciples (learners) of Christ have little awareness of or interest in His philosophies, desires, objectives or will for them.

The nation of Israel was likewise, in its history, cursed by an ignorance of God’s word.  The people of Hosea’s time were guilty of disregarding His instructions.  God described their abject state and gave them a severe admonition, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children” (Hosea 4:6).  The prophet Isaiah records a similar description, “Therefore my people have gone into captivity, Because they have no knowledge; Their honorable men are famished, And their multitude dried up with thirst” (Isaiah 5:13).

Though infrequent, there were times of great zeal in Israel’s history.  It is interesting that one characteristic of this zeal was their respect for and interest in the word of God.  For example, when Joshua read the law of Moses to the people at Mt. Ebal, (Joshua 8:30-35), and when Ezra read the Law to the remnant who had returned from Babylonian captivity (Nehemiah 8:1-8).

During the reign of Josiah in Judah, the young king led such a renewal.  Apparently, the law of God had been lost completely.  The people were ignorant of God’s word, and had been led into ungodliness by Josiah’s father, Amon, and his grandfather, Manasseh.  But Josiah “…did what was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the ways of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left” (2 Kings 22:2).

When Josiah was 26 years old, while the Temple was being repaired at his command, the high priest Hilkiah reported that the Law had been found.  Josiah was immediately aware of the significance of the find, and grieved that the Law had once been lost.  He said, “…great is the wrath of the LORD that is aroused against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us” (2 Kings 22:13).

Consider what the young king did next:

“The king went up to the house of the LORD with all the men of Judah, and with him all the inhabitants of Jerusalem-the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great. And he read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant which had been found in the house of the LORD.  Then the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people took a stand for the covenant”  (2 Kings 23:2-3).

Because of the influence of this good young king, the people “took a stand.” During the rule of Josiah, it is recorded that “…All his days they did not depart from following the LORD God of their fathers” (2 Chronicles 34:33).

From his example we can learn two important things:

1. God’s law must be respected. The veneration shown for the book of the law by King Josiah is wonderful.  These were not the words of men, but the words of God.  The people listened intently to His commands, and were moved to obedience.  May we have the same attitude toward God’s word as that expressed by the Psalmist, “Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2).
2. God’s law must be studied. It is not enough to venerate His word.  In order for us to please God we must obey His word.  In order to obey His word, we must be familiar with it.  The Hebrew writer criticized his readers for being slack in their study of God’s word.  He described them as having become “dull of hearing”, and admonished them, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.  But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Hebrews 5:12-14).

The Bible contains the words and will of the Almighty God of heaven.  It is the product of inspiration, being literally, “God breathed.”  We are so blessed that God has expressed Himself to us.  It is through this we know what He expects of us, and also of the reward He has promised to those who “obey Him.” (cf. Hebrews 5:9).

What about you?  What is your attitude toward the Bible.  Have you looked at it as a dusty old book filled with ancient stories written in antiquated English?  Has it served more as a repository of family memories (cards, letters and pressed flowers) than as a daily guide for you in your life?  Or, do you count it as precious, and study and meditate on it daily.  Consider the words of the prophet Jeremiah:

“O LORD, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jeremiah 10:23).

We must know God’s will to prosper in this life, and in the one to come.  How privileged we are to have access to the mind of God, revealed in His holy Scriptures!

In addition, we should follow God’s Powerful Standard. Just as the GPS has to make choices as to which road to go on, we also make decisions as to our eternal destination. God has created us in His image without sin when we are born, but at some point in our youth we choose to sin (Ezekiel 18:20; Jeremiah 3:25; James 1:13-16; Romans 3:23; 1 John 3:4). When we make choices based upon our feelings without divine revelation, the GPS tells us that it will eventually lead to eternal condemnation (Proverbs 14:12; Revelation 21:8). We cannot guide our own footsteps in righteousness (Jeremiah 10:23). Thankfully, through the power of His blood and resurrection from the dead, we can be born again to a living hope through the reliable standard of the Scriptures (John 11:25-26; 1 Peter 1:3-5, 19, 22-25). If you are not on the right road that leads to heaven (through God’s Powerful Standard), you will not escape the righteous judgment of God (Hebrews 4:12-13).

We must also avoid the Great Prowling Schemer (Satan). Realizing God’s Powerful Sight and following God’s Powerful Standard will put us on the right road, but through our journey, we will encounter many traffic snares, construction delays, and road blocks that we must detour around or persevere through. We also can be honestly and sincerely thinking we’re going the right way but still be wrong. An example of this is following a man made GPS and taking the wrong turn. Satan disguises himself as an angel of light and uses those who appear to be righteous in order to deceive others (2 Corinthians 11:14-15).

Even though he appears innocent, we must not let our guard down, because the Bible describes Satan as a roaring lion seeking to devour souls (1 Peter 5:8). Satan is always scheming in order to get people to curse God and disobey Him (Job 1:11). But how does he get people to do that?

Satan can use families.

Satan took away everything Job had but allowed his wife to live so that she would do Satan’s bidding when she told Job to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9). What if your loved one told you to quit serving God when you were suffering through trials? Would you do it? Job overcame the great prowling schemer and did not curse God (Job 1:22; 2:10). You must love Jesus more than any other family member and not give in when they tell you to sin; discourage you from doing what is right; or become your enemy; otherwise you are not worthy of Him (Matthew 10:34ff; Luke 6:46). Will you put on the whole armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm and overcome the schemes of Satan (Ephesians 6:10ff)?

Satan can use friendships.

The Bible warns about bad company corrupting good morals (1 Corinthians 15:33). But in an attempt to be popular, or get along with others in order to avoid persecution, many will decide to hang out with the wrong crowd. If you do this and continue to be their friends, ultimately, you will think, talk, dress and act like them. But if you delight in God’s word, you will overcome the GPS (Satan) by saying no to their enticements to sin (Psalms 1:1ff; Proverbs 1:10ff). Even if you have faithful friends, Satan can use them to lead you astray. They may judge you by appearance, traditions, or assumptions (Job 4:8; 8:8; 11:5-6; 19:14; 32:3; 42:7). Will you say no when your friends entice you to sin or will you give in to the great prowling schemer?

Satan can use ministers.

Satan disguises himself as a minister of righteousness so that he can deceive people into believing a lie. “No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). Satan can use his ministers to tell people… that “all roads lead to heaven”; “just accept Christ as your personal Savior and you will be saved” ;“once you’re saved, you’re always saved”; “it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are honest and sincere”; etc. We must not think of any man above that which is written (1 Corinthians 4:6), and we must test the spirits to see whether they are from God (1 John 4:1) so that we will not fall victim to the deceptions of the Great Prowling Schemer.

Finally, we must obey God’s Plan of Salvation. With the man-made GPS, the mileage will change as you get closer to your destination. Even though there are different answers along the way, it is still accurate (unless it has malfunctioned). It is the same way concerning God’s plan of salvation. In the book of Acts, different answers are given to people depending on where they are at spiritually. They are not told everything they need to do at one time. Remember that the sum of God’s word is truth. (Psalms 119:160)

An unbeliever should examine the facts of the gospel so that he might believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God or he will die in his sins (John 20:30-31; 8:24). The only way anyone can have faith is by hearing God’s Powerful Standard (Romans 10:17), not by a vision, miracle, feeling, or strong conviction.

A person who believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God must have the conviction to obey everything Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:19-20; John 14:15; Hebrews 5:8). A person who does not obey God’s plan of salvation will be punished forever in torment (2 Thessalonians 1:7ff).

The Ethiopian eunuch heard preaching about Jesus and asked what hindered him from being baptized. He was told if he believed with all his heart he could. Then he said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:37). This was in accordance with Jesus’ command to believe and be baptized in order to be saved (Mark 16:15-16).

Those who were pricked in their heart that Jesus is Christ and Lord on the Day of Pentecost were told to repent and be baptized. Why? So that they could have the forgiveness of sins. (Acts 2:38) A penitent believer was told to “arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). Why was he baptized? So that his sins would be washed away. Then a Christian is told to learn to obey everything Jesus commanded and grow in the grace and knowledge of His will (Matthew 28:20; 2 Peter 3:18).

In conclusion, you will need to use your spiritual GPS (God’s Powerful Standard) everyday of your life so that you will be able to overcome the Great Prowling Schemer and obey God’s Plan of Salvation so that you can eventually go to heaven. Satan is trying to deceive people into believing that the way to heaven is broad and easy and many will go there. Do not be deceived! God’s Powerful Standard is narrow, difficult, and few will actually go to heaven. “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

Though she seemed sincere, I did not decide to abandon Bible study and begin searching the night sky for a heavenly spaceship, nor did I launch out in pursuit of an intelligent looking frog. I seriously doubt any of those reading this article would suggest such methods for determining God’s will either. Why? Because we recognize that God does not deliver His truth through a holy cow, but through the Holy Scriptures (2 Timothy 2:14-17). It is just that simple.

Why do people not use the same simple logic when trying to determine if the teaching they hear in the religious world is the truth of God’s will? When a man behind a microphone or a television camera purports to speak for God, why do otherwise rational people blindly accept his word rather than comparing his teaching to the known source of God’s will — the Scripture? Denominational preachers and other teachers of error are characterized by diverting a hearer’s attention away from the fact that their teaching is at odds with the plain statements of God’s word. They tell the hearer that people cannot understand the Bible alike and that it was never intended as the source for unity. Thus, the modern pulpits and airwaves are filled with preachers asking us to trust them to guide us to God’s will. They would have us cease efforts to eliminate error and promote truth by depending on the Bible. How does God declare His will?

Factors Essential to Understanding God’s Speech to Man

Paul’s instruction in 2 Timothy 2:15 will help us to answer our questions about what God expects of us and how we can know His will. The Bible says:

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

The word translated “rightly dividing” refers to teaching accurately or expounding soundly. Thus, God teaches us something through the Bible and we are to accurately determine what that message is. Unlike the teaching done by many in the denominational world, the Bible says that we can understand the will of God. We are told, “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17). Other passages confirm that we can and must come to a knowledge of God’s truth (2 Peter 1:1-4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; John 7:17; Matthew 7:7-8).

This end can only be reached as one is “diligent” in using God’s word. The King James version uses the word “study” to translate the word rendered “be diligent” in most other English versions of the Bible. The original word carried the sense of “making every effort” to do a thing. This does not suggest a lackadaisical and indolent approach to Bible study. One is not diligent in the use of the Bible when he casually looks at it for a few moments two or three times a week or less. Diligence demands a systematic and thorough examination of God’s word every day of one’s life. It requires an intense effort and an exhaustive search of all that God has said within His word. It is never satisfied with learning only part of God’s will, but searches for all that He has said on any subject. If people studied a subject in school or in their jobs as they study Bible subjects, confusion and contradiction would predominate in those areas, too. Understanding the subject and reaching proper conclusions takes extra effort in all areas of life.

Suppose you took a course in Shakespearean literature and spent only 30 minutes reading one part of one play before throwing the book down and saying that Shakespeare cannot be understood. Would such a brief attempt to understand the literature justify the conclusion? Would you expect to get a passing grade in the course after such a brief attempt at understanding? How many hours of diligent study would be necessary to comprehend it? We would surely employ various aids and much time trying to understand the meaning.

We know the same thing is true of seeking knowledge in any area of study, but many expect knowledge of God’s truth to be handed to them with little or no effort on their part. A recent study showed that over 80% of Americans professing “Christianity” spend less than 30 minutes each year reading their Bibles! How can one expect to understand the Bible with that little effort? One cannot “be diligent” in rightly dividing the word by spending only 30 minutes a day on understanding God’s word, much less 30 minutes a year. How much time and effort do we spend reading and studying our Bible?

If we are to please God, we must do as Paul commanded Timothy:

Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you (1 Timothy 4:15-16).

Are these words a fair and accurate description of our habits in Bible study and spiritual growth? The meditation on God’s will here stated to be necessary is that which the psalmist declared a “day and night” process (Psalm 1:2). The great psalm on God’s word associates diligent effort to the meditation of those who truly seek to serve the Lord (Psalm 119:15-16, 23-24, 97, 147-148). Do these verses characterize you and me? Have we given ourselves “entirely” to the word of God? That description suggests that one must have the pursuit of truth as the preeminent and defining characteristic of his life (cf. Matthew 6:33; Philippians 3:8-14). When one gives himself “entirely” to knowing and obeying the will of God, it is apparent to all around him. Is that how our friends and family would describe you and me?

In order to meet the requirements of this passage, we must “take heed” to ourselves. This would necessitate a careful inspection of self to assure that our lives are parallel to God’s word (2 Corinthians 13:5). We are also required to “take heed” to our doctrine. When is the last time we sat down and carefully thought about the doctrine we believe?

This commitment of our entire being to God’s commands is not just a one time obligation, but we are to “continue in them.” Are we truly exemplifying this passage in our lives?

We must be as the Bereans of old. The Bible says of them, “Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). We need to emulate the nobility of the Bereans by searching the Scriptures every day in our quest to know and obey God’s will.

Conclusion

Just as it takes work to study and properly understand a subject in school, it takes work to study and properly understand Bible subjects as well. There is no shortcut that negates the need for diligence. If we are to unite in the proper understanding of God’s word, it will require a diligent effort in discerning His truth from the revealed word. It does not just suddenly come to us from a spaceship or a frog.

We must “be diligent to present ourselves approved to God, as workers who do not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Let us never abuse God’s word by improper handling. Instead, we must deeply respect, thoroughly study and properly use it each day of our lives.

When viewed in terms of the present reality of their severe persecution, the obvious concern existed as to the ability of evil men to take away their hope by killing them (1 Thessalonians 1:6). After all, martyrdom was a present fact in the first century (Acts 7:59-60; 12:1-2; et. al.). In the midst of affliction, the saints in Thessalonica needed strength and comfort to help them live with joy and hope. Where could they find the real, lasting and substantive encouragement they needed? What could be the source for such?

A Look at 1 Thessalonians 4

The end of the fourth chapter contains the answer to our question as well as a lesson concerning how we can be encouraged. Think about these words:

But we would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them that fall asleep; that ye sorrow not, even as the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also that are fallen asleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we that are alive, that are left unto the coming of the Lord, shall in no wise precede them that are fallen asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven, with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we that are alive, that are left, shall together with them be caught up in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

In the last verse of the above text, the New International and the New Revised Standard versions read, “Therefore encourage each other with these words.” The word translated “comfort” or “encourage” in this verse is the same one translated “exhort” in 1 Thessalonians 4:1 and many other passages. The Greek word parakaleo is a combination of two words: to call plus along side of, by, or near. The literal sense of the word is found in the father’s calling of the elder brother aside entreating him to join the feast for the prodigal who had returned (Luke 15:28). When a father calls his son aside, the reason for the separation is to impart instruction, information or correction. The emphasis is not on the manner of approach, but the effect of the approach. In its general use, the Greek word parakaleo has the same connotation. The effect of being encouraged was seen as the result of the message given.

Now back to our text, notice how these discouraged and depressed Christians were to be encouraged. Paul told them to “encourage each other with these words.” He answered their feeling of discouragement with the revelation of God’s will. It was not by Paul’s style that they were encouraged, but by truth. It was not by a change in atmosphere or setting that they were encouraged, but by coming to correctly understand God’s will. As long as they had erroneous views, they could not receive true encouragement. True encouragement had to come from correction of that false idea and replacing it with truth. Hence, true encouragement came from God’s will.

Encouragement Based on Bible Instruction

This same point is found throughout this context and others inspired by God. The saints were encouraged or exhorted (parakaleo) to live properly (1 Thessalonians 4:1). How? Paul said it was “as ye received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God.” The word was the source of the encouragement. Paul prayed for all that they might be comforted in their hope (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17). How? He said it would take place “in every good work and word.” Without the word and its application in their lives, there could be no real or lasting encouragement. Elders must be able to exhort or encourage the flock (Titus 1:9). How? God told them to do it “in the sound doctrine,” adding the instruction to “convict the gainsayer” as a necessary part of the process. As they came to see the eternal truth of the God they sought to serve, they had the encouragement needed. No person, style or setting could match that given by God’s will.

A Parallel on True Encouragement

While in school, I played football in South Texas. We practiced long hours in hot weather. Our coaches drilled and instructed us hour upon hour. When we were not being instructed on specific skills used as a lineman, we lifted weights over and over. After we were tired from exhausting workouts, we ran one wind sprint after another. All of that was done to prepare us to play the game. On the day of the game, our school gathered for a pep rally. It was held in an air conditioned gym where we heard enthusiastic cheers from the students while we smiled, all dressed in clean game jerseys. The pep rally was intended to encourage us and I liked it. But at game time, I was usually faced with a big, strong, mean guy on the other side of the line that I had to block. When the fourth quarter came and I was hot, tired and bruised, it was not the pep rally with its enthusiastic atmosphere that encouraged me to block that guy I faced. It was the preparation of a coach that drilled and drilled techniques, strength and correction day after day that encouraged me to know I could do it. I knew I could do it because I had been taught properly and had done it repeatedly.

Conclusion

What is the point? We often see Christians seeking for externals to give them encouragement when they need to seek the true source. Some say they could be more encouraged by a different speaker or a different style or a different setting. They seek the spiritual equivalent of a pep rally. The simple fact is this — Christians are brought to real and lasting encouragement in and through the truth of God. It is not accomplished by pop psychology, an enthusiastic style of speech or artificial changes in atmosphere. Such trappings may make one feel more enthused for the moment, but the feeling will not last. True encouragement comes from God’s word. When we fail to study and learn and grow, we are weak and depressed. When we let the word dwell within us richly, it will show in our speech and actions (Colossians 3:16-17). No externals can match the encouragement in the gospel of a Savior who was crucified for us.

Need some encouragement? Pick up your Bible and study. Go to an meeting nearby and hear a lesson of truth which will point you to God’s will and correct you from wrong. Find a sinner and teach him. Look for a brother or sister to serve. You will find true encouragement and impart it rather than blaming others for a problem caused by self.

This call to correct or restore the one caught in sin is in fulfillment of our responsibilities under Christ’s law. This law can be encapsulated in the command to love. If I truly love my brother, when I see his soul in jeopardy I will seek to warn and correct him.

James revealed the value of such correction while instructing brethren in this responsibility. He wrote, “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20). Surely all agree that “save (-ing) a soul from death and cover (-ing) a multitude of sins” is a laudable and important work.

There is value in correction for the simple reason that truth is better than error. Righteousness is to be preferred over sin. The teaching of error and the commission of sin can have dire consequences that are eternal in nature.

We can see this through a simple illustration. Consider the teacher who instructs your children. An important part of her work is correcting papers. If she were to cease making corrections, accepting any answer no matter its validity, she would be doing a disservice to her students. You can’t learn without correction!

Too often as of late brethren seem not to understand this truth. A dramatic instance of this can be seen in the present controversy over whether the “days” of creation are literal and serial 24 hour periods of time. The defense being presently made by some associated with Florida College regarding the controversy is arresting. Shane Scott has publicly advocated the position that the days of creation are not to be taken as literal. Naturally, as Scott teaches on the subject at Florida College, brethren have asked, “What is he teaching in our children?” In answering his critics, Shane Scott defended himself on the basis of his not expressing preference for one position above another in his lectures and exams. Scott wrote:

“In my one lecture I present at FC on Genesis 1, I present four basic interpretations and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each. This is exactly how I was taught when I was at FC. I only tell the students which view I prefer if I am directly asked…” (emp. his)

“On the exam in which I test the students over the material in Genesis 1, the questions (sic) I ask is this: ‘Choose one of the four interpretations of Genesis 1 and defend it.’ I do not ask my students what view I (sic) take, and I do not test my students over things I don’t present in class. Further, they are not graded on the basis of which view they choose. They are graded on their ability to defend their own view.”

(A Response to the Open Letter)

Objections to Shane Scott’s method of teaching will be noted momentarily. However, first note that such methodology is considered appropriate in the classrooms at Florida College, and is defended by both the Bible Chair and the College President.

First, Ferrell Jenkins, head of Biblical Studies at Florida College:

“The view presented by Shane Scott has been held continuously by one or more teachers at Florida College since at least before I enrolled as a student in 1953. Some of these teachers openly taught the view as their preferred understanding of the biblical text. Several of the signers of the Open Letter were students during that time and some had these teachers. Do they know of anyone whose faith was shattered as a result of this? Was yours? None of the men mentioned here were naturalistic or theistic evolutionists. Neither is Shane Scott.”

(The Creation Controversy and Florida College)

Next, C.G. “Colly” Caldwell, President of Florida College.

“While it is understandable that without some of this background one would see brother Scott as dogmatic about this topic, he is not…”

“As all our Bible teachers have done for many years in studying Genesis 1, he feels that the responsibility in a college classroom is to inform students of the several positions identifying strengths and weaknesses of each position. Because of that, the bibliography in his course syllabus contains references to the writings of men on all sides of these issues; as would the biliographies in other college courses on other subjects. This particular discussion is done as a part of only one lecture on one day in one course. …he does not present a conclusion in class and does not discuss it publicly…”

“While I do not concur with all his reasoning and/or personal conclusions, this teacher has a humble spirit, a tender heart, and a sincere desire to know and teach only the truth of God. Shane has great potential for good in the kingdom of God. He has a commitment to the Word that cherishes both the content and spirit of Truth. He has not, to my knowledge, taught error in the classroom of Florida College.”

 

(“The Days of Creation” – Some Things to Consider)

Can Truth Be Established?

It is interesting that Scott defended himself by stating that he does not reveal his preference as he presents the four views to students. Caldwell states that this is a common practice in college classrooms, where “the responsibility in the college classroom is to inform students of the several positions identifying strengths and weakness of each position.” Perhaps this reveals a fundamental flaw in attempting to teach Bible to Christian young people in such an academic setting. The Bible with its various teachings is not just another college subject, and can not be treated in the same way.

While I have no problem with a college professor debating the strengths and weaknesses of “Supply and Demand” economic principles versus some other model, or Parliamentary Government versus a Representative Republic, I do have problems with the Word of God being treated in the same way. Some truths are established and are not to be questioned. Divine Revelation must certainly be characterized as such.

In discussing the current controversy, one defender of Shane Scott wrote, “I support and applaud Florida College for allowing academic and religious freedom in its classes and at the lectureship. You label academic freedom and religious freedom ‘false teaching’ and ‘false views.’ However, I must insist that during Florida College’s ‘golden age’ of intolerance and indoctrination, it taught error and false doctrine. In order to protect the students of the college from the imposition of a religious creed and indoctrination, it is absolutely essential that Florida College allow religious and education (sic) freedom, as well as freedom of speech.”

(David Matthews, email correspondence)

No doubt brothers Caldwell and Jenkins are not willing to go as far as Matthews, but it is disturbing nevertheless to see the change in attitudes toward the way the word of God is handled in the classroom at Florida College. Contrast brother Caldwell’s quote with an excerpt from a letter written by James R. Cope (FC’s first President) in the infancy of Florida College’s existence:

Caldwell:

“The responsibility in the college classroom is to inform students of the several positions identifying strengths and weakness of each position.”

Cope:

“(5) Point of emphasis. Florida Christian College proposes to not only declare emphasis on the Bible but it intends to make that declaration true. Either the Bible penetrates every fibre of school life or it merely takes its place as just another study in our curriculum. God being our helper, we do not intend the latter to happen now or later. Every student must receive at least one lesson in God’s word every regular school day. Not only so, but we aim to make the Bible the chief consideration in every activity. If we fail in this, we shall fail in the purpose for which the school was founded. (6) Preacher training. While we expect to have academic work accepted as readily by other educational institutions, we make no apology to anybody for placing emphasis on the teaching of young men desiring to preach the gospel and others desirous of doing religious work. We believe that the safety, security, and soundness of the church depend upon the kind and amount of teaching and preaching done. Those who take the lead in this matter are elders and preachers, and unless they are thoroughly grounded in the faith, innovations, errors, and inertia will abound; hence, we expect to have a Bible Department second to none. Our students will be taught the issues and how to meet them. It is inevitable that some hobbyists will come our way and in such event we hope to sober them; however, we sincerely desire and expect that none shall become a radical or hobbyist because he has attended Florida Christian College. (7) Academic ambitions. We have no objections to any institution’s desire to improve it’s educational standing by seeking entrance into any recognized accrediting organization or agency. In fact, in the future we would like to be so honored, but let the following be once for all known and understood: if Florida Christian College must surrender any principle prompting its founding and existence in order to obtain entrance into any secular or educational accrediting organization, those organizations can go their way and we shall go our own. We do not propose to sell principle for popularity even if it means the closing of our doors never to open again.”

 

(Letter to Gospel Guardian, published June, 1949)

Brother Cope recognized the danger of placing the pursuit of academic standing over the faithful teaching of God’s word. Further, he noted the need to teach the truth so that students would be able to “meet” the issues. Rather than putting out various theories and inviting the student to pick the one he wants, Cope intended that truth be defended and error exposed.

It is readily accepted that brethren now and in the past have differed on what is taught in Genesis 1. The fact that sincere brethren differ, and that a man has “a humble spirit, a tender heart, and a sincere desire to know and teach only the truth of God”, does not validate a “believe what you want” mentality. The Bible says, “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it” (Exodus 20:11). It is our place to accept that passage, not to place it side by side with three other theories which deny its literal truth.

Some Parallels

The problem with such an attitude can be seen when taken to its ultimate end. A few examples will suffice.

1. Various theories are espoused on the subject of Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage. False teachers abound who advocate theories that deny the plain scripture stated by Matthew 19:9. Would it be appropriate for a professor at Florida College to present the various conflicting theories to students without refuting those theories which are false? Are we to tell our children to choose the view we like best, and be prepared to defend it? Are we going to grade them not on what the Bible teaches, but on their ability to defend their false position? If a professor did such a thing could brother Caldwell write a letter in defense of him saying, “He has not, to my knowledge, taught error in the classroom of Florida College.” ?
2. Many theories abound regarding eschatology. Premillinial thought is endemic to denominationalism. Some brethren have taken a false position coined as “Realized Eschatology.” Should a Florida College professor present each position to the student without a value judgment? Should the student be given free reign to choose the position they wish to hold, grading only on their ability to defend their position?
3. How about an issue that addresses the salvation of any soul. There are several positions regarding the necessity of baptism in securing the salvation of man. Others disagree on the method of baptism, some advocating a substitution of sprinkling or pouring for immersion. Again, (hopefully not trying the reader’s patience too severely by repetition ), we ask: Is it appropriate to present each position without a value judgment? Are we to show the “strengths and weaknesses” of each position? Are we to allow each child to believe as they wish, only grading on their ability, in effect, to spout the human sophistry that accompanies those who advocate such error?

What has happened to the attitude brethren have always had that error is indefensible? Is human sophistry now to be euphemized as “strengths and weaknesses”? Can we know the truth? Is it appropriate to defend the truth and refute error in the college classroom? If not, can we truly say that the Bible should be taught to our children in that setting? Do you want your kids to get their Bible instruction in such an academic setting?

By the way, if Shane Scott takes the position that one of the views he espouses in the lecture is truth, how is it he can state that truth has strengths and weaknesses? Truth has no weakness! It is assailed by human sophistry, and is sometimes misunderstood, but the perception is not the reality. The fact that brothers Scott, Jenkins and Caldwell would couch the issue in such terms is in itself a cause for alarm.

These Issues Addressed in the Church

When these issues are addressed from the pulpit and in classes in the local church, all of the positions are examined. However, in so doing the truth is extolled, and the error is refuted. Brethren need to hear about all of the theories espoused regarding the creation account, and the truth of Exodus 20:11 needs to be affirmed. Brethren need to hear the false positions taken regarding Divorce and Remarriage, and the truth of Matthew 19:9 and Romans 7:1-3 needs to be affirmed. Brethren need to hear the false positions taken regarding the end time, and the truth of such passages as 2 Peter 3:7-13 needs to be upheld. Error taught on the subject of Baptism needs to be examined and refuted, and passages such as Mark 16:16; Romans 6; and 1 Peter 3:21 need to be defended. To treat the word of God in any other way is without defense, no matter the setting.

Shattered Faith

At Florida College error has been put on equal footing with truth. It has been presented side by side, and impressionable young minds have been exposed without guidance or protection. This is a concern, but it is inevitable that it happens. After all, you can’t know someone is going to teach error until it happens.

What is of greater concern is the response of the college to such teaching, and the response of those who blindly defend the college against criticism.

Brother Jenkins dismisses the importance of the issue by stating that no student has had his faith “shattered” as a result of such teaching. I can almost imagine the Judaizing teacher of Paul’s time telling Paul, “What’s the big deal about our teaching on circumcision? After all, nobody’s faith has been shattered by believing the Gentile must be circumcised!” But Paul said, “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:6-8).

No other doctrine is more fundamental to our faith than the belief in the biblical account of creation. Despite repeated claims to the contrary, a denial of the literal account of creation serves to weaken the efforts being made to combat evolutionary theory. The fact that theistic evolutionists and even pure evolutionists have been avidly defending Florida College in this recent controversy serves as anecdotal evidence of this assertion.

Also alarming is brother Caldwell’s quote, “He has not, to my knowledge, taught error in the classroom of Florida College.” Arguments have already been made showing the fallacy of this contention. Four different positions were advocated, without a preference being shown. It is axiomatic that only one of these constitutes truth. Is it not true, therefore, that the other positions are by definition error? Is it appropriate for any teacher of the Bible to present what he believes to be error, without refutation?

Most alarming, however, is the defense of the college being made by alumni, and other Christians. In many cases there is the admission that errors and mistakes have been made but an unwillingness to be critical. There is also a decided intolerance of those who have exposed the error propagated. Note as an example the following excerpt from an email criticizing this author’s writings on the subject: “Errors have been made at FC and Shane is wrong in his beliefs…your website and articles regarding this, flame the fire and spread national rumors… they do not help…”

Conclusion

As Christians we are exhorted to defend the truth and refute error. Jude wrote, “I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

If it is not ethical or possible to teach our children the truth without compromise in the halls of academia, then the Bible should not be taught there. Parents need to consider this carefully before sending their children to such institutions where their Bible education will be coming in large part from college professors instead of preachers, teachers and elders in the local church.

2. Making a translation fit the country where it will be used. Many of the things we translate are, rightly, tested and tried works with which we have become familiar in our native English. It is this writer’s conviction that this is the best course to follow. However, one should be aware of the challenges such translations present. For example, sometimes examples, illustrations, or terms the author uses are, understandably, ones common to America. However, these are often foreign to those in other countries. Such things should be noted and changed so as to make the tract more understandable to its prospective readers. In Lithuania we call this “Lithuanianizing” a piece of literature. We once changed a reference to a popular American food item in a tract to a popular Russian food item in a Russian translation. A further hurdle comes from the fact that English is a very rich language in terms of vocabulary. We have sometimes had to invent words in Lithuania and define them for the reader in order to produce the equivalent meaning of the original English word. Something else we have encountered in Lithuania may be worth mentioning for others laboring in former Communist countries: The former authorities suppressed the use of Lithuanian. As a result of this, many Lithuanians do not speak their own language correctly. (This should surprise no one who has heard the various forms of American English!) Grammar is the casualty cases.

“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:3-4).

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (8:14).

“But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law” (Gal. 5:18).

Friend, it is no less the Holy Spirit in action when his word is used non-miraculously than when the Holy Spirit operated miraculously as in Acts 2. Please note that the result is the same! In Acts 2, a miracle occurred when the apostles were empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak in tongues. What they taught that converted the lost in Acts 2 is what we use today to convert the lost. Those converted in Acts 2 were baptized into Christ; those converted today by the written word are baptized into Christ. It is the Holy Spirit today no less than it was the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, though non-miraculous.

• Acknowledge Jesus – 1 Corinthians 12:3
• Sing and Pray in the spirit – 1 Corinthians 14:15
• Show the Fruit of the Spirit – Galatians 5:22ff
• Test the spirits – 1 John 4:1
• Heed the warnings of the Spirit – 1 Timothy 4:1
• Keep the Unity of the Spirit – Ephesians 4:1-6
• Hear the Apostles – 1 John 4:2-6
• Acknowledge Scripture – 1 Corinthians 14:37
• Walk in the Spirit – Gal. 5:25
• Use the Sword of the Spirit – Ephesians 6:17
• Be born of the Spirit – John 3:1-5; Romans 6:177; 1 Peter 1:22-23

Let us never apologize for our dependence upon the Bible for our contact with God. Let us never back away from acknowledging that the Holy Spirit is active in our lives today. Yes, we are led by the Spirit of God and we rejoice that we have the living word of God, the sword of the Spirit, in our lives every day.

An example of this is the Jesus Seminar; a group of liberal, modernistic theologians who, in effect, sit around a table and vote on what words and actions of our Lord, recorded in the gospels, are actually genuine. Predictably, they deny the veracity of recorded miracles, as well as any judgmental language, seeing fit only to accept the gentle and loving side of Jesus nature. In doing so, they seek to remake Jesus in their own image, and do violence to the historical Jesus revealed in the inspired Word.

Contrast this denial of inspiration and general loose attitudes toward the Bible with the words of Jesus and his followers. Jesus promised the disciples in John 14:26, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.” Concerning these “things” delivered by the Holy Spirit, Paul said to the Thessalonians, “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

Further, the Apostle Peter asserts, “knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21).

To make the claim that the Bible is the work of man is to call Peter, Paul, even the Lord liars. Either liars, or deluded, or superstitious, or some other unacceptable contention. This is something you might would expect from the enemies of the cross, but it is unconscionable that those who profess a friendship with Christ would make such contentions.

Another attack on God’s word has come in the form of certain modern day, English translations of the Bible. The American Bible Society recently released their Contemporary English Bible, which they trumpet as, “the eternal truths of God’s Word in clear, understandable English” (ABS Advertisement). In reality it is a blasphemous attack against the Bible. Imagine the thousands of people who will be buying into this perversion of the gospel of Christ, all the while thinking they are getting a faithful, accurate translation of the original languages. Satan is working rabidly to bring harm to those God would save!

Let the American Bible Society, the Jesus Seminar, and the other enemies of the cross rail against the Bible. When all of their “hammering” is done, and all their “hammers” are strewn over the ground, the eternal and steadfast anvil that is God’s word will remain unscathed. As Paul said, in Romans 3:3-4, “For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar…”

We mentioned Paul’s proclamation in Romans 3, “For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar…” It should not surprise us that many would serve as minions of Satan and attack the inspiration of God’s word. It also should not overly concern us! Their lack of faith does not change the fact that God revealed Himself to us!

The Bible claims inspiration for itself. Both Old Testament scripture and the New Testament writings are included in this claim. For example, Paul in referring to the Old Testament canon, said, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (II Timothy 3:16-17). In recognizing the inspiration of Old Testament writings, Paul claimed the same for his own writings. He told the Corinthians in I Corinthians 14:37, “If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.” A careful study of the New Testament reveals that the letters written by the Apostles were received by the first century Christians as inspired. “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe” (I Thessalonians 2:13).

This last scripture is, I believe, very significant. Paul very clearly ties our final salvation in with faith in God’s word. The fashionable rejection of Bible inspiration is not without consequence. It “effectively works” only in those who are willing to accept that it is, in truth, “the word of God.” It is easy to set aside the Bible’s condemnation of homosexuality, adultery and drunkenness; to disregard the Book’s instructions regarding the place of the woman in the home, the raising of children, and the benevolence due one another; to reject as outdated it’s instructions regarding church work, worship and structure; when one looks at the writings of Paul, Peter, John and the others are merely the words of men.

When it is the Holy Spirit that says those who practice sin “will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (cf. Gal. 5:21); or that “…I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.” (cf. 1 Tim. 2:12); or that we are to “speak (-ing) to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart ot the Lord.” (cf. Eph. 5:19); it is much more difficult to disregard the instructions.

These modern day enemies of the Bible show their hypocrisy in claiming their adoration of men such as Peter, Paul and John and at the same time rejecting their claims of inspiration. As Neil Lightfoot put it in his fine volume, How We Got the Bible, “It is assumed, however, that the men who wrote the Bible were honest men and were of a sound mind. If they were sane and sound-minded, they would not be susceptible to fanciful visions and hallucinations; if they were honest, they would not intentionally deceive” (pg. 119).

There are many compelling arguments which contend it was given us by inspiration. In effect, the words are from God, not men.

One very interesting line of reasoning deals with the influence of the Bible over world culture. Though it may not be the most technical of arguments, it is nevertheless strong, and compelling.

Batsell Barrett Baxter, in his book I Believe Because…, states this argument very clearly. Note this paragraph from page 175 of his book.

“Henry Rogers wrote a book, The Eclipse of Faith, in which he imagined that some powerful hand had wiped the influence of Christ out of civilization, as a hand might wipe the chalk writing from a chalkboard in a schoolroom. He dreamed that he went into his library and found many of his law books with blank paragraphs, that he went into his picture gallery and found many of his finest pictures with blank canvases in their frames, and that he examined many of the great anthologies of poetry only to find blank pages where some of the world’s finest poetry had been before. He dreamed that in driving downtown he found great gaping holes where buildings had vanished. There had been on these locations such institutions as schools, hospitals, orphanages, old peoples’ homes and the like. But now, with the influence of Christ removed from the world, all were gone. Then, this lawyer cried out, “I would not want to live at all in world where Christ were not.” We think that Henry Rogers had a very forceful way of conveying an idea which is absolutely true. We would borrow his idea and say that the same can be said for the Bible. Without its great influence for good, our world would be a tragic place in which to live.”

We are living in a time of great unrest, despair, and ungodliness. Men have truly forgotten God, and rejected his missives. If they would only begin to apply the principles of love for God and neighbor, the decay of our civilization would reverse.

When God’s principles, as revealed in Scripture are followed, society always prospers. Now, I realize that much harm has been done “in the name of religion”. Wars, the abuses of the Catholic church, and the sectarian divisions that exist are good examples of this. More recently, the abuse of women, and the bombing of abortion clinics have been in the news as well. But all of these evil things have come from a distortion of what is true, not from the will of God as revealed in the Bible text.

James asked the question, “Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh” (James 3:12). The point is simple. Whenever the principles of morality and law as found in the Bible are followed, society is uplifted. The fruits borne by an application of the Word reveal its origin. As Jesus said, “By their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:16). The Bible is known as the Word of God because of the influence it has on humankind. In fact, its influence shows it could only have come from God Himself.

As Baxter states on pages 175-176 of his book, “…the influence of the Scriptures is of such a nature that it can indicate only that the source from which this influence came was good. If the Bible had been a great hoax or deception, it could not have had the influence toward the uplifting of civilization that it has had…(this is why) I believe the Bible to be a book uniquely given by God.”

One of the reasons we can have confidence in this assertion is that the Bible is continually validated both historically and geographically by archaeological discoveries. I thought it would be interesting to share a few of these with you. All quotations will be taken from a book entitled The New Testament Documents – Are They Reliable? by F.F. Bruce.

“The pool of Bethesda, described in John 5:2, has been located in the north-east quarter of the old city of Jerusalem, the quarter which was called Bezetha, or ‘New Town’ in the first century AD. In 1888 excavations near St. Anne’s Church, in that quarter, revealed the remains of an ancient church building. Beneath this lay a crypt, with its north wall divided into five compartments in imitation of arches; on this wall there could also be distinguished traces of an old fresco representing the angel troubling the water. Clearly those who built this structure believed that it marked the site of the pool of Bethesda. And subsequent excavations below the crypt showed that they were right; a flight of steps was uncovered leading down to a pool with five shallow porticoes on its north side, directly underneath the five imitation arches on the north wall of the crypt. There are few sites in Jerusalem, mentioned in the Gospels, which can be identified so confidently” (pg. 94).

These are just a few, relatively minor examples of archaeological discoveries which confirm the veracity of God’s word. Many others could be cited, but these suffice to show that the New Testament is an accurate historical and geographical document. There is no documented inconsistency or mistake to be found anywhere in the New Testament. There are many today who assault the word of God, claiming it to be the work of fallible men. Their feeble attempts fall uselessly upon the anvil of truth. Our faith is based upon unassailable evidence. The Bible is the inspired word of God!

First, logic demands the intervening hand of God’s providence. It stands to reason that if God revealed Himself to man, He would have a hand in the preservation of that will. We have touched on this previously.

Second, Jesus and his disciples labored under the same type of circumstances as we do with regard to copies and translations of the scriptures. And yet on numerous occasions our Lord quoted Old Testament, Hebrew scripture from a Greek translation, the Septuagint. And did so authoritatively, thus affirming that these were the words of God. One example is found in Matthew 15:7-9, where Jesus said to the Pharisees and Scribes, “Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ “

Finally, to say that because there are no known existing original letters there can be no surety of the inspired message is to ignore the abundance of copies of these manuscripts that exist. Any student of textual criticism knows that the Bible is the most well documented of all ancient books. There are literally thousands of copies, some complete, some partial, of scripture. There are quotations that can be gleaned from the “church fathers”. Some of these copies of the scripture are very ancient. And, any mistakes that might have been made by a particular copyist on any particular copy can be winnowed out with very little difficulty by the volume, as well as the quality, of the remainder of witnesses.

As new discoveries are made, they bear out the accuracy of the text we have received. One example of such a discovery I relay to you in a quote from Neil Lightfoot’s book, How We Got the Bible:

5. John Rylands Fragment (P52). This is only a fragment (3.5 X 2.5 inches) and would hardly deserve mention except for the fact that it is the oldest known manuscript of any part of the New Testament. Written on both sides, it contains a few verses of the Gospel of John (John 18:31-33, 37, 38). It was originally obtained in 1920 by the famous papyrologist Dr. B. P. Grenfell, but it was sometime later before Mr. C.H. Roberts made positive identification of it. Acquired for the John Rylands Library of Manchester, England, it remains there today. As to its date, it is confidently assigned to the first half of the second century. How it could be wished that we had more than a fragment; yet it gives undeniable evidence on the circulation of John’s Gospel in Egypt, where it was found, only a few years after it was written. It forevermore answers the view once held that John’s Gospel was not written until the middle of the second century. Also, it is important to note that although this papyrus piece contains only a few verses, these verses from the second century are precisely like our text 1800 years later.

This is just one small, but telling example of many that could be offered. It is not our intention here to explain the intricacies of textual criticism. However, the three points made are sufficient to give us confidence in the Bible text as we have it today. What we have, in truth, is the Word of God!

“The English word canon goes back to the Greek word kanon and then to the Hebrew qaneh. Its basic meaning is reed, our English word cane being derived from it. Since a reed was sometimes used as a measuring rod, the word kanon came to mean a standard or rule. It was also used to refer to a list or index, and when so applied to the bible denotes the list of books which are received as Holy Scripture. Thus if one speaks of the canonical writings, he is speaking of those books which are regarded as having divine authority and which comprise our Bible. (pg. 81)”

Most people do not understand how the canon of scripture was set. Let it be understood that the books of the Bible are received as canonical based upon the authority inherent within them as inspired messages from God. They do not receive their canonicity by the decree of the Catholic church, as is erroneously believed by many.

An illustration helps here. A child confidently identifies his mother by recognizing certain characteristics that set her apart. However, this identification does not make her his mother. If he were to mistakenly identify another, or fail to identify her, it does not invalidate the fact that she is his mother. The same is true with our Bible.

God set the canon of scripture. Old Testament Scripture was recognized in the time of Jesus to consist of the same 39 books we have in our Old Testaments. The historian Josephus records in his writings that the books Jews received as “Scripture” were the same as we have in our Bibles today. Additionally, the Gospels, and writings of the apostles were received as having divine authority. As Paul instructed in I Corinthians 14:37, “If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.” It was a gradual process, but as the New Testament writings were shared and spread among the churches, they became universally recognized as inspired and authoritative. As Lightfoot states, “The books of the bible possess their own authority and indeed had this authority long before there were any councils of the church. The teachings of the Roman Catholic Church completely ignore this important point” (pg. 82).

There are certain other writings, called the Apocrypha, that the Catholic church regards as canonical as well. The greek word apocrypha literally means secretive or concealed, and originally referred to a book whose origin was doubtful or unknown. In April of 1546, the Catholic church decreed that 12 of these apocryphal books were canonical, and authoritative.

The list of apocryphal books accepted as canonical by the Roman Catholic Church:

1. Tobit
2. Judith
3. The Additions to the Book of Esther
4. The Wisdom of Solomon
5. Ecclesiasticus
6. Baruch
7. The Letter of Jeremiah
8. The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Young Men
9. Susanna
10. Bel and the Dragon
11. 1 Maccabees
12. 2 Maccabees

These twelve books were written in the period between the close of the Old Testament (Malachi), and the earliest New Testament writings. They are vastly inferior works, and save for 1 Maccabees, which is a fairly accurate historical work covering Jewish history in the second century B.C., they have little value. It must be understood that a dictatorial decree by an Apostate church does not confer upon these books any canonicity, and that they were universally rejected from the canon by early Jewish and Christian writers. Additionally, although Jesus and his disciples liberally quoted from Old Testament books, and referred to events which were recorded in them, they nowhere quote from the Apocrypha as scripture.

Again, as we place our confidence in the Bible we have received as the inspired Word of God, we call upon logic to bolster our faith. As Christians we are confident that the same God who has determined to reveal Himself to us will providentially guide the hands of men to keep that will pure and complete. The Bible is whole, unadulterated, and the authoritative Word of God!

(Author’s Note: The material below was initially written in a casual, almost haphazard fashion in response to a request from a brother in Christ. I have “doctored” it up a little, but it retains the flow of a “typing out loud” article. Now, I have been asked to submit it as part of a special study in this issue of Watchman. Fearing that it will lack the polish of other articles in this issue, I make this little apology with a not so subtle appeal for sympathy for its shortcomings.)

I am afraid I am not much help here, but let me venture a few remarks for your study and reflection. The assigned title (purposely so submitted, I imagine), needs work. Someone must convince me that natural revelation is a revelation of God’s “will.” That it manifests his glory, greatness, grandeur, and Godhood, I doubt not, but does it make known his will? “I trow not.”

One must “search the Scriptures daily,” “proving and explaining” from the text in order to learn the “will of God” (Acts 17:2, 3; 11, 12; 28:23,24; Eph. 3:4; 2 Tim. 2:15; Titus 1:9–”as he hath been taught;” Cf. Jn. 6:44, 45; 2 Tim. 2:2; 3:14). However, the heavens themselves, by their very existence, declare the glory and handiwork of God, his eternal power and Godhead. As Whiteside observed, one may learn from nature that there is a sublime, supreme being of eternal power and Deity, but one cannot tell if he exists in a million persons or if he hates or loves or even cares about man. Such knowledge can only come from what is termed, “special revelation.” I call it, “the Bible.”

One may study the intricacies and complexities of a blade of grass or life in a drop of water. From them, “natural revelation,” he may “clearly” see and “understand” that a divine being created them. However, apart from special revelation, he can never know what is the mind or will of God with respect to him (1 Cor. 2:1-13). He cannot know either sin or salvation by dissecting a frog or entering into the “treasures of the snow.”

One may appeal, as the Psalmist and Paul did, to natural revelation, but let us examine Psalm 19 and Romans 1 a little more. Certainly, as noted, we may rightly make the appeal of Psalm 19:1-4 and Romans 1:18f. But that is not all:

First, note Psalm 19:1-4, then proceed with 19:7-10–”the law…the testimony of the Lord….The statutes…the commandment of the Lord…the judgments of the Lord.” Sounds to me like the Psalmist did not rely solely on nature to make his case. If one takes verses 1-4 for support of his actions, must he not also apply verses 7-10? The conclusion, the benefits and blessings of the word of the Lord are summed up in verses 11, 12. Verses 13, 14 are a prayer that by knowing God through his creation and his word (19:1-10), that he might then be free of iniquity in word and deed and that his every word and thought would be approved of God (Cf. 2 Tim. 2:15 with Psalm 19:13, 14). Perhaps that is the supreme, sublime “model” of all faithful preaching–the God who is shown; the God who is known; the God who is obeyed (Jn. 8:31, 32; 1 Jn. 2:3-5).

Hence, I would be slow to separate Psalm 19:1-4 from Psalm 19:7-10 (“All Scripture…” 2 Tim. 3:16, 17).

Second, Romans 1:18f. The conclusion of Paul’s model is not that one has a choice to make as to which model he shall select for his philosophy of religion, but that the case is so self evident that “they are without excuse.” He does not say, “I offer you two models, and I think mine makes more sense.” Rather, he says rejecting what is obvious leaves you facing the righteous wrath and judgment of God because you have no excuse for your rejection of the truth on this matter (“model”)!

(Was Jefferson using, in principle, Paul’s line of thought when, in the Declaration Of Independence, he said, “We hold these truths to be self evident”? That is, they need no argument to sustain them. They need no text book to teach them. They are “self evident,” hence, obvious, apparent. So argues Paul and Jefferson. In other words, they require no study to learn and “to come to the knowledge of (their) truth,” for they are “self evident.”)

Observe that Paul does not begin with a clinical, hands off, “I’m not here to attack your philosophy” approach. No, he initiates the proceedings with a statement that sounds like it might destroy someone’s mood while denigrating and desecrating their model–”For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold (suppress–NASB) the truth in unrighteousness.” How’s that for being open minded about whose “model” is the truth?! Should we be less militant and direct than was Paul (2 Cor. 10:3-5)? Do we have better methods, models, and manners than the apostles?

We see various forms of behavior condemned in this same context and connection in Romans 1:21-32. Upon whose model, or whose standard, was such conduct declared vile and unseemly? Too, I wonder what is alluded to in the reference to “the ordinance of God.” These infidels are charged with knowing it (v. 32). Perhaps someone could enlighten us along that line. Remember, this is part of Paul’s “model,” or his “modus operandi,” if you will. It does not sound like it is a very “balanced” presentation of models, if you ask me! He tells them they are ignorant, but they know it, having willfully rejected the truth in order to justify themselves and to allow themselves the right to live unrighteous lives; and that, therefore, a just wrath awaits them (Cf. Rom. 2:5).

In the same context, it is not possible to separate Romans 1:14-17 from verses 18-32. To whom did Paul declare himself to be a “debtor”? To both Jew and Gentile alike, to the wise and the unwise, Paul said he was ready to do what? To preach the gospel. Now, Paul, why are you ready to preach the gospel to both the Jews and the unbelieving Gentiles? Well, first of all, I am not ashamed of it because it is the power of God unto salvation; and, second, it is in the gospel that God’s plan to make men righteous is revealed (Rom. 1:17; 10:3, 16). “For…” and then he goes into verses 18-32.

Since God’s wrath is to be revealed from heaven, Paul is ready to preach the gospel to Jew and Gentile. He is debtor to both classes to do that, since it is God’s power to save and to make righteous. He also wants to preach the gospel to them because God’s wrath is coming upon them and they are absolutely and positively “without excuse.” But, again, why are they “without excuse”? They are devoid of excuse because certain things are “clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made.”

If Romans 1:18f. is devoid of the appeal of the gospel, I am terribly confused. I do not deny that reference is made to the “instruction,” if you will, of natural revelation, but it cannot be divorced from the gospel, particularly because of verses 14-17. Since I must accept verses 20 and 21, must I not also accept verses 14 and 15 as part of the divine model and method of approach and appeal?

Third, if one is met with Acts 14:15-17, Romans 1:14-32 shows us what such people are to be taught; namely, the gospel. In fact, when he referred back to such preaching tours as that in Lystra recorded in Acts 14, he said, “I have fully preached the gospel of Christ” (Rom. 15:19; Cf. Acts 15:36). Though he appealed to it, his emphasis was not upon natural revelation but upon the gospel. God did not leave himself “without witness.” His goodness, as seen in his giving of “rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons,” shows that your idol gods are lying “vanities” and that he is the only true and living God. This is “clearly seen” and easily “understood by the things that are made;” therefore, you must hear and heed the gospel!

Fourth, the “model” of Acts 17 is rooted in the Old Testament from lift off to touch down. See 1 Kings 8:27; 2 Chronicles 2:6; Psalm 50:9-14 with Acts 17:24, 25. Compare Jeremiah 10:1-16 on the nature of the true God in contrast with (Athenian styled) idols and relate that text to Acts 17:29. Acts 17:29 is a summary of Jeremiah 10. Since I accept Acts 17 as a “model” for approach and appeal, must I not employ Scripture as the glue for my model? I haven’t the time today to run all the O.T. connections to Acts 17:22f., but wherever God spoke about men falsely thinking he was altogether like they are in his essential nature, you have another Scripture woven into the fiber and fabric of Acts 17.

These thoughts, if they are not relevant to your discussion, at least have the benefit of being an appeal to the text. You know me and my computer ineptitude, but if possible, I will try to send a copy of this to others. If I don’t get it done, perhaps you can do it for me, if you think what has been said will be of any use. Maintain your poise; be calm in your soul; keep bringing any discussion back to the Bible. Larry

Let us start with God’s judgment. This is one of the areas where folks most often insist that the God of the New Testament is different than the God of the Old Testament. The claim is that the God of the New Testament is a God of love and mercy, whereas the God of the Old Testament is a God of wrath and justice. (Keep in mind that “justice” means “fairness”; a judge who is just, therefore, must acquit the innocent and punish the guilty.) Let us now turn to the Bible, and see whether there is indeed a difference between the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament, in regard to judgment.

If we start in the book of Genesis, we see that Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden of Eden and condemned to death because of their sin (Genesis 3:22-24). In the time of Noah, the entire earth was destroyed by a flood, because mankind had become so completely sinful (Genesis 6:5, 7:23-24). The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of their utter sinfulness (Genesis 19:1-24). God is consistently just throughout the Old Testament. Solomon sums it up this way:

A good man obtains favor from the Lord, but a man of wicked intentions He will condemn. (Proverbs 12:2)

There is no question but that the God of the Old Testament is a just God, and therefore He punishes those who do evil.

But, what about the God of the New Testament? Is He different? Well, Ananias and Sapphira probably don’t think so: they were struck dead instantly for lying to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:1-11). King Herod was struck dead because he did not correct those who called him a god (Acts 12:20-24). Elymas the sorcerer was struck with blindness for opposing the teaching of the gospel (Acts 13:8-11). Throughout the book of Revelation, there are promises of God’s wrath upon those who reject Him:

But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Revelation 21:8)

The New Testament tells us that our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).

Furthermore, consider Jesus’ words to those who heard His preaching but did not repent:

Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you. (Matthew 11:21-24)

The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here. (Matthew 12:41)

Finally, consider the judgment scene which Jesus describes in Matthew 25:31-46. In the last verse of this passage, Jesus says that those who did not serve Him would go away into everlasting punishment. Clearly, the God of the New Testament is One who punishes evildoers, just as surely as the God of the Old Testament is.

In this regard, then, there is no difference. The Bible is consistent in its portrayal of a just God. If the Bible is a purely human invention, then we would expect to see the identity of its God develop over time. The God of the oldest books (Genesis through Deuteronomy) should be the most primitive. The God of the later Old Testament books should become more fully defined, more sophisticated, and the God of the New Testament should be even more refined. However, we have seen that, in terms of His justice in judgment, God remains unchanged from Genesis through Revelation. This leads to the conclusion that God revealed Himself to the writers of the Bible, rather than the notion that the writers described God according to their own understanding.

Now let us look at the other side of the coin: God’s love and mercy. Let us go back to the beginning. In the first chapter of Genesis, we see the account of creation laid out for us in order. In this account, we find only one creature made in the image of God: man. Moreover, it becomes evident that everything else was created for the man. Even the heavenly bodies were created for mankind:

Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons and days and years (Genesis 1:14).

What other creature besides man uses the sun, moon, and stars to gauge time? What other creature uses the heavenly bodies as signs for navigation? If God created something as vast and magnificent as the heavens for mankind, then surely this is evidence that He loves us.

As we noted last month, Adam and Eve were punished for their sin. We did not take time to consider, however, the fact that God allowed them to live for some time. He did not obliterate them on the spot; He gave them opportunity to learn from their error, and change their ways. In fact, their punishments seem to be calculated to teach them (Genesis 3:16-19). This shows mercy.

Several generations later, we find that mankind had become so utterly wicked that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Genesis 6:5). Again, God does not destroy mankind instantly, but gives him 120 years to repent. Moreover, there is a man named Noah, who found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8). God tells Noah that He will be destroying the earth by means of a flood, and instructs Noah to build the ark for his family and a large group of animals. Noah’s response shows that he believed God:

Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did. (Genesis 6:22)

Noah, a man who believed in God, and demonstrated his faith through obedience, was saved by God. It is not that Noah was himself sinless; on the contrary, we find him in a drunken stupor after the flood (Genesis 9:21). Therefore, God would have been justified in destroying Noah along with the rest of mankind. However, God had mercy upon him.

Again, in the case of Abraham, we see incidents where he exhibited striking dishonesty and cowardice (Genesis 12:10-20, 20:1-13). On the other hand, we also see that whenever God told Abraham to do something, he obeyed: even to the point of sacrificing his son (Genesis 22:1-13). For His part, God bestowed very special blessings upon Abraham. God’s criterion for doing so appears to be summed up in this verse:

And [Abraham] believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. (Genesis 15:6)

In spite of Abraham’s failings, he was faithful – believed in – God, and for this very reason God considered Abraham righteous. In other words, Abraham’s sins were forgiven because of his faithfulness.

We can see, then, that the God of Genesis is a God of love and mercy. Truly, He only extends mercy on His own terms: but this is what we would expect from a God who is just. In a court of law, we might expect a judge to extend some leniency toward a criminal who expresses deep regret for his actions, and who promises not to repeat his offense; on the other hand, we see that the judge is justified in “throwing the book at” the criminal who shows no signs of remorse whatsoever. Mercy is tempered by justice.

Throughout the Old Testament, God’s character does not vary on this point: there are numerous examples of God’s love and mercy, and yet He never loses sight of justice. And when we get to the New Testament, we find that God is still concerned with justice; He does not ignore the problem of sin. In fact, it is because of the seriousness of sin, that He pays such a high price to punish it. On the other hand, in His loving mercy, God formulated a way to punish the sin while simultaneously offering forgiveness to the sinner – although forgiveness is still on God’s terms:

He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (Mark 16:16)

God’s terms have not changed. He still offers forgiveness and eternal salvation to any and all who will be faithful to Him.

Have you made that commitment to be faithful to God? Have you been baptized into Christ for the remission of your sins? If not, why are you waiting (Acts 22:16)?

In order to answer this question, we will let the atheists have a crack at showing some contradictions. The following passages are cited on an “American Atheist” website as an example of a biblical contradiction:

“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8)

 

One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. (Romans 14:5)

It should be evident that, if God has ordained a specific day as holy, then it would not fall under the category of Romans chapter 14. For example, such things as birthdays and secular holidays would fall under the category of “days” in Romans 14, because God has not spoken for or against them. On the other hand, any thinking person will realize that I cannot do something which is described by God as sinful, and try to justify it on the basis of Romans 14 by saying “It doesn’t matter what day it is!”, or, “I was just observing the day!” No, we are not even close to a contradiction here. If the atheists wanted a contradiction to the Sabbath ordinance of Exodus 20:8, they should have gone for this:

So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. (Colossians 2:16,17)

Now that sounds like a contradiction! Of course, the answer to whether it really is a contradiction, is found a few verses earlier, where Paul tells us that the Law of Moses was nailed to Jesus’ cross (Colossians 2:11-14). Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament law and prophets, and established a new covenant in His own blood (Hebrews 10:1-10, et al.). That being the case, we are not terribly surprised if some of the specific rules of the old covenant are different from what we find under the new. No, we don’t celebrate the Sabbath today, because it was a provision under the Law of Moses, and not of the new covenant. This is the same reason we no longer sacrifice animals or burn incense. So then, there is no contradiction here.

Let us look at another example of supposed contradictions:

…the earth abides forever. (Ecclesistes 1:4)

…the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. (II Peter 3:10)

At least this time it sounds like a contradiction. In this present case, it will help us to look at the context of the phrase cited in Ecclesiastes:

You will note that this passage is poetry. You may recall learning in grammar school that poetry is often full of figurative language, and that we need to be careful about taking it too literally. You have heard the phrase, “poetic license”. As it happens, the bulk of the book of Ecclesiastes is written with the perspective of one who dwells under the sun: that is to say, it is written from a man-centered, rather than God-centered, perspective. The lesson of the book is that when we look at the course of things in this earth without taking God’s plans into account, everything appears empty and useless:

I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind. (1:14)

And, from an earth-bound perspective, the earth certainly appears to last forever! So, in the context in which it appears, this expression should not surprise us.

 Moreover, it is appropriate to note that the Hebrew word rendered “forever” in Ecclesiastes 1:4 simply means “of long duration”, and not “eternity”. The same word is used of the Law of Moses in such passages as Exodus 31:16-17, Leviticus 24:8, and Numbers 18:19 – and we have already noted that the Law of Moses did have an end. So, even if we take the passage in Ecclesiastes literally, we still have no contradiction with II Peter 3:10. The earth will come to an end, at a time appointed by God.

So far, then, the atheists are 0 for 2. Let us look at another “contradiction”:

“For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” (Genesis 32:30)

No one has seen God at any time. (John 1:18)

Here again, we simply need to look at the context of the passage cited. The passage in Genesis is a familiar one. It is the record of God – or perhaps an angel of God – appearing to Jacob and wrestling with him. If you look in your Bible, you will see that what Jacob saw was a man. God appeared to Jacob in the form of a man, just as He did to Abraham in Genesis 18:1-2. Jacob did not see God on this occasion, because God is not flesh but spirit (John 4:24). Jacob saw a manifestation of or from God. The fact that Jacob, in his excitement, shouted that he had seen God, does not make it so. The Bible does not tell us that Jacob was correct in saying this; it merely records the fact that he said it. And, the Bible consistently describes the shortcomings of its characters, along with their strengths. But let me ask you to put yourself in Jacob’s shoes for a moment. Imagine that God appeared to you in some form, and spent the night with you, and then blessed you before He left. Would you not be emotionally charged? Would you not likely come out with some excited comments? Would it be out of line to suppose that you might say something which, though not literally true, described how you felt? Once again, we need to lift the sentence out of its context, and misrepresent its intent, in order to get a contradiction.

These examples are typical of the “contradictions” found in scripture. They clearly show how desperate the unbelievers become in their attempts to disprove God’s word. (The expression “grasping at straws” comes to mind.) In order to make an apparent contradiction, they need to lift two unrelated passages out of their respective contexts, and put them side by side. And, all we need to do to take the contradiction away, is to put the passages back in their original contexts, and understand their intended meaning. Once again, we see that in spite of the innumerable attacks against it, the Bible stands firm.

In this instance, bible study has to be the foundation of our growing. We need it to learn about God and His will. Today, we have the priviledge of almost everyone being able to read. There are also enough copies of the Bible around that every person can own one. This is a tremendous advantage from times past. They did not have bibles available and most people could not read. When times called for better education, it was usually begun by bible reading. Few books were written that were considered to mass publish. We have a definite advantage. We can read. We can understand. We can see it for ourselves. We do not have to rely upon someone to tell us the words or meanings.

There have been many suggestions for personal bible study. Which method depends on you. Some people read it for literary content, others for the spiritual benefits.

See how the people listened to God’s word in Nehemiah’s day.

Nehemiah 8:3, “Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. “

Imagine that. An all day bible study. That would be too much to bear on some today. They were also attentive. They had a desire to learn.

Psalms 119:18, “Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law. “

We should begin bible study with prayer. As the psalmist wrote in his prayer, there is a window of opportunity by reading God’s word. “God is speaking to me”. This is how I should look at this opportunity. To see if I can serve God better by learning His will better and more accurately.

Exodus 24:3, “So Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the judgments. And all the people answered with one voice and said, ‘All the words which the LORD has said we will do.’”

We should read the Bible thoughtfully so as to understand. We should read it carefully making note of who is talking and the events going on. We need to read it repeatedly. It always amazes me that as often that I read a passage, there is always more I can learn from it. We should read it extensively. To see the context will help us understand better the events and reasons for actions. We need to read the Bible regularly and faithfully. Last, we must read the Bible with an open heart. We must be ready to obey. We must be ready to repent when we are convicted of sin. We must be ready to go when He sends. We must do “All the words which the LORD has said….”

We also need to memorize God’s word. We need to keep His word in our hearts. Memory will help us do this. Some people commit to memorize lots of scripture, others memorize scriptures that have special meaning. Either way you go, it helps in life if God’s word is written on your heart.

Job 22:22, “Receive, please, instruction from His mouth, And lay up His words in your heart.” Psalms 119:11, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You! “

Psalms 119:52, “I remembered Your judgments of old, O LORD, And have comforted myself.”

Psalms 119:92, “Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction.”

Psalms 43:3, “Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your tabernacle.”

Deuteronomy 8:3, “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.”

Proverbs 6:20-23, “My son, keep your father’s command, And do not forsake the law of your mother. Bind them continually upon your heart; Tie them around your neck. When you roam, they will lead you; When you sleep, they will keep you; And when you awake, they will speak with you. For the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life.”

Deuteronomy 6:6-7, “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. ‘You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. ‘”

Bible memorizing helps you in many ways. It keeps you from sinning. When you know God’s word, you do not want to violate His laws. It gives you comfort. You will have to experience this to really understand it. It keeps your mind on God and directs you toward living the Christian life. It keeps you going on your way. You go with confidence. The scriptures can give you guidance. Keeping them in your heart will make it easier to make decisions in this life. It is also good that children learn and memorize scriptures. It teaches them that scripture is important to us, and should be for them.

Meditation is also another part of bible study that is important. Not only to read, but to consider what we read. Sometimes you might read a passage in the morning and think about it all day. If you do think about it, you can view it from different viewpoints. You can draw conclusions about it. You can ask yourself why. You can ask if there is a reason. You can see if there is a way that you are affected. You may have to make some decisions to change your life. Joshua was told the reason to meditate and the benefits of a proper application in his life.

Joshua 1:8, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”

The most important way to read the Bible is obediently. If we have no desire to improve our relationship with diety, then bible reading is done in vain. We have to be ready to make changes if called for. We may have to examine our faith and the doctrine we practice. If something we practice is different than what God gives us in His word, we must change. Remember, God will not change for us; we have to change for God.

Look at all of these reasons for our obedience. Notice the reasons for obedience.

Deuteronomy 31:12, “Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the LORD your God and carefully observe all the words of this law.” Exodus 19:5, “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.”

Psalms 119:2, “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart!”

Psalms 119:4-6, “You have commanded us To keep Your precepts diligently. {5} Oh, that my ways were directed To keep Your statutes! Then I would not be ashamed, When I look into all Your commandments.”

Psalms 119:100, “I understand more than the ancients, Because I keep Your precepts.”

Psalms 119:101, “I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word.”

Psalms 119:105, “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”

Proverbs 1:33, “But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil.”

Proverbs 19:16, “He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, But he who is careless of his ways will die.”

Ezekiel 18:19-20, “Yet you say, ‘Why should the son not bear the guilt of the father?’ Because the son has done what is lawful and right, and has kept all My statutes and observed them, he shall surely live. The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.”

John 8:51, “Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.”

Matthew 13:23, “But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

Isaiah 1:19, “If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land.”

Matthew 5:19, “Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

John 14:23, “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.’”

2 John 1:9, “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.”

1 John 2:5, “But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.”

John 15:10, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”

Romans 6:17, “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.”

1 John 2:3, “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.”

1 John 2:17, “And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”

1 John 3:24, “Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.”

1 John 5:2, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.”

Revelation 22:7, “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”

We are looking forward to eternity. We wait for the Lord to come. Until that time, we must prepare. The Bible has the pattern. The Bible has the words of life written in its pages. The Bible shows us the way. The Bible gives us hope.

Do not take bible study lightly. Your soul depends on it.