Basic Bible Lessons for Beginners

7/28/2019 Basic Bible Lessons for Beginners

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Basic Bible Lessons For Beginners

Let's start by offering a prayer.

Dear Lord, As we try to learn about You and Your commandments, may we seek the truth in

all things. May we look upon the word of the Bible as our authority that comes from you. May

our hearts be receptive to Your truth, and may we have the courage to change our lives when

we are shown the truth. May we be honest and sincere in this study. In the name of Jesus

Christ we pray, Amen.

We should always begin Bible Study with prayer. What we learn DOEShave an effect upon our souls.

This index page is designed to inform. Here, we will learn the basic truthsof God's word. We will answer several questions that most beginners

have and want answers to.

Many people get discouraged and quit Bible study because they do notunderstand the terminology. Hopefully we can open up your mind to

wisdom and knowledge.

What Do All Those Religious Words Mean?

Our souls eternal destiny is dependant upon our actions in this life.Nothing can be done after we die, therefore it is important and alsourgent that we learn as much about God and His Bible as we can in the

short time we have here on this earth.

Here are some things about the Bible we hope will help you.

1. Bible Authority

2. What About The Bible?

3. The Precious Bible

4. Where Did The Bible Come From?

5. How Do We Know We Have The Bible?

6. Why We Differ In Interpretation

7. How To Study The Bible

8. Some Rules For Bible Study

9. Inductive Bible Study

10.Basic Rules For Understanding The Bible Alike
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11.Helpful Hints For Bible Study And Understanding

12.Getting The Most Out Of Your Bible Study#1

13.Getting The Most Out Of Your Bible Study #2



16.The 15 Divisions Of The Bible

17.Bible Study

18.Bible Facts

19.More Bible Facts

20.How We Learn From The Bible Part One

21.How We Learn From The Bible Part Two

22.How We Learn From The Bible Part Three

23.How We Learn From The Bible Part Four

24.How We Learn From The Bible Part Five

25.The A,B,C's Of Bible Study

26.10 Reasons For Bible Study

27.Is The Bible Sufficient?

28.The Value Of Bible Study

29.Some Things You Should Know

Here are some simple Articles and Sermon Outlines that teach basic truths about the Bible and yourSalvation

God's Plan Of Salvation

What Must I Believe?

In Pursuit Of The Right Church

Has God Already Chosen The Saved?

Must I Do Anything To Be Saved?

What Is The Purpose Of The Church?
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Can I Believe In God?

Is My Faith Mine?

What Is A Christian?

Six Searching Questions

What Must I Do To Be Saved

Local Church Membership

Why Are They So Many Different Churches?

Bible Authority

Introduction

i. Attitudes among our denominational friends have shifted in recent decades. Thehamlets of America were once alive with religious debate and members of thechurches of Christ were always able to find sectarian preachers and members readyto defend their practices as scriptural. Today, when confronted with possiblereligious error, most will beg not to be judged and wonder aloud why Bible authority

for our actions should matter anyway.

ii. Thus, the question of Bible authority becomes as important to the Christian whowould share the gospel as "What must I do to be saved?".

iii. In this morning's lesson, we shall briefly study the subject of Bible authority withthe hope of establishing why it is important.

Discussion

I. What Is Bible Authority?

A. The Church Belongs to Christ

1. an often overlooked fact is that the church belongs to Christ, and as such,ownership gives Christ the prerogative to direct its affairs

a. Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:22-23 that Christ is the head of the church, whichplaces him in unquestioned authority and makes his will paramount in the body

b. he obtained this church, not by hostile takeover or inheritance, but by purchase,using his own shed blood to fund the buy
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c. you see, Jesus has something invested in the church as well as being its director

d. when the owner of a store or any kind of business walks in, there is usually animmediate change in the atmosphere of the placeeveryone tries a little harder tolook a little better, for they fear and respect the man who makes their livelihoodspossible

e. this is the kind of respect that is always due Jesus, for he is an owner who isalways present among us

2. in other illustrations, we see the church described in its kingdom role, with Jesussitting upon her throne as monarch

a. the redeemed are conveyed into this kingdom (Col. 1:13), which claims Christ asits blessed and only Potentate, King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Tim. 6:15)

b. again, this position defines his power, for "all authority has been given to [him] in

heaven and on Earth" (Matt. 28:18)

c. we are his subjects, the elders his delegates and we are bound to obey his willand forbidden to venture beyond it, under penalty of eternal loss: 2 John 7-11

3. in yet another illustration, we are redeemed slaves, bought back by Jesus fromservitude to the devil and sin, redeemed not to feign allegiance to Jesus whileexecuting our own will, but to glorify him as our Master: Rom. 6:15-19

a. as Jacob would surely have paid any price to redeem Joseph from the slavery

into which his brothers sold him, and as God did redeem all Israel from Egyptianbondage, so Jesus did come to Earth to lead captivity captiveout of the clutches ofthe devil and into the benevolent mastery of Christ

b. therefore, we owe Jesus a debt of gratitude, which can never fully be repaid, butwhich deserves constant devotion

c. trampling on his will as we substitute our opinions for his doctrines is like beggingto return to the leeks and onions of Egypt after one has tasted true freedom

B. Old Testament Bible Authority

1. under the Old Testament , men discovered divine authority in the law of Mosesand found that rebellion proved fatal

2. consider the matter of transporting the ark of the covenant, to be done lawfully byinserting two poles through portions of it and carrying it by hand: 2 Sam. 6:1-8

a. David failed his leadership by allowing that new cart to be used in place of theless convenient but more lawful poles

b. Uzzah was the unfortunate man whose intentions, while pious, were misguidedand actually a violation of God's spoken will


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c. this case well illustrates the condition of denominationalism today

1. men and women attempting to do good works through methods that go beyondGod's will

2. otherwise innocent people violating God's will despite having the best ofintentions

3. every good work that we desire to do can be done lawfully, if it is notcongregationally approved, it can likely be individually done

C. New Testament Bible Authority

1. Jesus set the tone for the expression of authority during his gospel ministry

a. understand that his followers were mainly Jews who were living under the law ofMoses and thus accustomed to looking to a religious code to direct their behavior

b. the Lord's teaching showed that the law of Moses would be fulfilled and that hisdoctrine would would reign (Matt. 5:17)

2. in the sermon on the mount, he established his doctrine on a wide variety of moralissues, exposing the error that was then taught and planning a removal of theMosaic allowance for divorce and remarriage for any cause

a. when he sat down, the people were astonished at his teaching, not necessarily forits eloquence or revolutionary concepts, but because he taught them as if he had

the authority vested in himself by himself, not delegated from God or the Sanhedrin(Matt. 7:28-29)

b. it is here that man begins to look past Moses to Christ

3. the passing of the torch continues on the Mount of Transfiguration: Matt. 17:1-8

a. Moses, representing the law, and Elijah, representing the prophets, appear withJesus to illustrate the fulfillment of the Old and establishment of the new

b. when all is said and done, the authority of the old will disappear and the power ofChrist will alone remain

4. his death and resurrection fulfilled the prophecies and nailed the law of Moses tohis cross; his ascension back into heaven placed him upon the throne of David overhis kingdom, the church of Christ

a. Ephesians and Colossians are parallel letters, covering much the same materialin slightly different language, and allowing each to serve as an inspired commentaryon the other: Eph. 2:14-16 and Col. 2:13-14

b. thus there is no doubt that Paul is describing the end of the Mosaic age and thelaw that ruled it

c. the age of Christ dawns with Jesus upon the throne of David: Acts 2:29-32


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d. when God talked about raising up the Christ to sit on David's throne, he wasdescribing in prophecy the resurrection of Jesus from Hadean Paradise and hisascension into heaven

e. as much as the law of Moses ruled in men's hearts before, so now must the law ofChrist reign in glory

II. Law and Love Demand It

A. Law Demands It

1. in Romans 6:14, Paul tells us that we are not under law, but grace in this age

a. some take this to mean that all law has been abolished and that every man cando what seems right in his own eyes

b. the context, however, argues against that conclusion: Rom. 6:1

1. for sin to be a possibility, there must be some law in existence: Rom. 4:15b

2. Paul then merely means that we are not under the law of Moses now, but thegrace of Christ, which has the components of lawcommandments, prohibitions,rewards and consequences

3. moreover, we are told to "fulfill the law of Christ" in Galatians 6:2 and that of theHoly Spirit in Romans 8:2

2. the potential to commit sin means that some law is in place and that law couldonly be communicated through the New Testament, for the Old Testament has beenruled obsolete (Heb. 8:13)

a. divine authority is not vested in this contradictory creeds of men or the oraltraditions of the oldest apostasy, but "if any man speak, let him speak as the oraclesof God" (1 Peter 4:11)

b. Col. 3:17

c. by his words will we be judged (John 12:48)

B. Love Demands It

1. John 14:15: "If you love me, keep my commandments."

2. not "glorify me by rejecting my words and the revelation of the Holy Spirit andgoing your own way" or by creating modern worship forms that please your sensesor by adopting more convenient ways of doing what you want to do

3. if you love me, obey me: 1 John 2:3-6

a. even a religious zeal and the best of intentions will not make up for going beyondthe doctrine of Christ in the New Testament


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b. if you love Jesus and know him, you will submit to him

C. How To Establish It

1. we establish divine authority for our individual or congregational actions the sameway we understand any authority

2. to illustrate: my mother used to drive me to the grocery store with a list of thingsshe wanted and a handful of coins

a. by that written decree, I had positive knowledge of what I was supposed to do

b. because I had seen her purchase things before, I had an example of ordering andpaying

c. and although she never specifically told me how to get from the deli counter to theregister, I would necessarily infer that I was allowed to walk between the two

d. I would not however feel authorized to purchase candy unless it was on the list

e. I would not feel authorized to steal, for I had no such example

3. we establish Bible authority not by some arbitrary rule but as Bible charactersdidthrough heeding commands or prohibitions, by being limited to approvedexamples like the one in Acts 20:7 and by making only those inferences that arenecessary to obeying the command, like having a meeting place in order toassemble (Heb. 10:25)

a. we object to the construction of family life centers and the like for they are withoutcommand or example and are not necessary to fulfill any command God gave thechurch

b. we object to the sponsoring church arrangement for it is without command,violates New Testament example and is an unnecessary inference

Conclusion

Bible authority is a subject we hope to say more about in the future, God willing, forit is clearly misunderstood today.

by J.S. Smith Fort Worth, Texas

WHAT ABOUT THE BIBLE?

"If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God." 1 Pet. 4:11.

The Bible is either a revelation from God or a monumental hoax, containing manypretentious claims and preposterous doctrines, by which multitudes of people havebeen deceived.


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That the Bible claims to be a divinely inspired revelation is readily seen by even itscasual reader. Throughout its pages, from beginning to end, we read statementssuch as these: "Thus saith the Lord;" "The mouth of the Lord has spoken;" "Have yenot read that which was spoken unto you by God?" In addition, we have suchexplanatory passages as these: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God", 2 Tim.3:16, and "The prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men ofGod spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost (Spirit)" 2 Pet. 1:;21.

That the Bible is truly a revelation from God is firmly believed by millions of peopleupon what they consider to be valid and convincing evidence. Some of this evidenceis here presented for the reader's consideration.

I. Unlike other creatures, man has moral and spiritual needs which must besupplied. This fundamental truth was noted by the prophet who said, "The way ofman is not in himself," and that he himself is unable to "direct his steps." Jer. 10:23.Experience has demonstrated that the principles of faith and conduct revealed in the

Bible effectively meet man's moral and spiritual needs, in every place under allcircumstances. Whenever and wherever these principles have been respected andapplied the welfare and well-being of men have improved. On the contrary,wherever they have been ignored or violated, then sorrow, sin, crime, disease anddeath follow. It has been well stated that men do not break the moral principles ofthe Bible, they rather break themselves upon them.

II. The unity of the Bible is another amazing characteristic of it, in view of thecircumstances under which it was produced. Consider: it was written by some fortymen over a period of more than 1500 years. These men were widely separated by

time, residence, culture, training, and language. Their occupations ranged frommilitary leaders, kings, shepherds, farmers, fishermen and a tax-collector. The firstpart of it was written by Moses about 1500 B.C. and was concluded by John theapostle, about 90 A.D. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and Aramaic; theNew Testament in koine Greek. Yet, when its 66 books are brought together there isa systematic unity and harmony between them, as readily discernable as the unityexisting between the chapters of a book written by a single author. Thus it isreasonable to assume that the ideas and principles recorded in the Bible originatedin one mind -- that "all scripture" was given "by the inspiration of God."

III. The time-lasting and constantly increasing popularity of the Bible indicates itssupernatural origin. Although it is the oldest book in the world, it retains a freshnesswhich appeals to every generation. It has been translated into some 1200 languagesor dialects. Year after year, it outsells any other book in print. No book has been sobitterly opposed and treated as has been the Bible. In medieval times its readerswere persecuted and jailed by its enemies, who also tried to burn it out of existence.Skeptics have endeavored to discredit the Bible in every century, but their effortshave been futile. Again and again, its doom has been predicted, but it has always

survived, only to rise again to greater influence upon the lives of men. Truly, as it iswritten: "All flesh is as grass, And all the glory thereof as the flower of grass. Thegrass withereth and the flower falleth: But the word of the Lord abideth forever." 1Pet. 1:24,25.


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IV. The enobling influence upon the characters of those who practice the teaching ofthe Bible supports its claim to being the word of God. Wherever it has been readand practiced, the ideals and morals of the people have been uplifted. It reveals astandard for inter-personal human relationships excelling anything ever offered inthe philosophies of the world. Its teaching on the "love of neighbor", and the "goldenrule" (by which each one would treat his fellow-man only as he himself would betreated) if universally practiced would usher us into a world of utopian tranquility.Truly, the Bible has provided the potential to embellish the earth with the beauty ofheaven. It has produced and will continue to produce of those who follow itsprinciples, better parents and better children, better husbands and better wives,better employers and better employees, better teachers and better students, betterleaders and better citizens. It has no equal! It is the only means by which the simpleprayer, "Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven," can ever be realized.

V. The harmony existing between the Bible and scientific truths (not theories),suggests that it is of divine origin. While the Bible does not propose to deal

specifically with science, it is scientifically accurate whenever it touches that field.Many of its statements recognized or implied scientific truth many centuries beforethey were understood or accepted by scientists. We here offer but a few examples.

Herbert Spencer's five "manifestations of unknowable." Time, Force, Action, Space,and Matter, are all implied in the first verse of Genesis -- "In the beginning Godcreated the heavens and the earth."

Gen. 1 also recognized the three kingdoms in creation, namely: Mineral, Vegetableand Animal, and in that very order.

That the earth is a sphere spinning in space, was certainly implied by Job when hesaid that God "hangeth the earth upon nothing" Job 26:7.

Medical scientists appreciate the simple statement which was written by Moses1500 years before Jesus was born: "The life of the flesh is in the blood." Lev. 17:11.

For these and many other reasons, we believe the Bible to be the word of God. Weurge you to consider carefully the evidence before you render a verdict against it.Surely you would not want to carelessly reject the only standard in all the world

which offers to you the "promise of the life which now is, and of that which is tocome." 1 Tim. 4:8.

By: Gordon J. Pennock

THE PRECIOUS BIBLE

One of the boldest statements Jesus ever made is that found in John 10:35, "TheScripture cannot be broken." Our steadfast faith in the sacred text is a definitebulwark of Christianity. As the prophet wrote long ago, "So shall my word be that

goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplishthat which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it" (Isa. 55:11).The great German thinker, Immanuel Kant, said, "The existence of the Bible as a


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book for the people is the greatest benefit the human race ever experienced. Everyattempt to belittle it or to do away with it entirely is a crime against humanity."

God's word is true from the beginning (Psa. 119:160) and will still enthrall us whenthe earth has been cast aside as an old garment (Matt. 24:25; Heb. 1:12). Thepsalmist makes this point so powerfully: "For ever, O Jehovah, Thy word is settled inheaven" (Psa. 119:89). Sir Walter Scott said of it: Within this powerful volume lies

The mystery of mysteries, Happiest he of human race To whom God has givengrace; To read, to fear, to hope, to pray. To lift the latch and learn the way But betterhad he never been born Who reads to doubt or reads to scorn.

The Bible can transform character, change hearts and point men to heaven. Christhas "the words of eternal life" (Jno. 6:68) and the entrance of God's word gives light(Psa. 119:130). The dynamic results of Scripture in our daily conduct is piercing,pungent and provoking (Heb. 4:12). We will never be the same, once we open ourhearts and our minds to the revelation of God's truth! When Paul bade farewell to

the elders of the Ephesian church, these were his noble words of departure: "Andnow I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build youup, and to give you the inheritance among all them that are sanctified" (Acts 20:32).The word of the Lord will judge us one day (Jno. 12:48), and it cannot be bound (2Tim. 2: 9). When we live in harmony with its precepts, our lives are richer, fuller andblessed indeed. As the prophet wrote, "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; butthe word of our God shall stand forever" (Isa. 40:8).

As to the inspiration of the Bible, these passages stand out in clarity and richness: 2Sam. 23:2; 2 Pet. 1:;21; 1 Cor. 2:13; 1 Thes. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:16,17; Jer. 1:9; Jno.

16:13; 17:17; 8:31,32. In a compelling summation, these verses tell us that the HolySpirit inspired some forty men to write sixty-six Bible books that contain the veryWORDS (not just the ideas, the notions, advice or concepts) that the Almighty Godwanted mankind to clearly know. Holy men of God spoke as they were moved bythe Holy Spirit. It was truly the word of God, not the word of men. Not only so, butthese passages reveal that the Bible contains ALL of the will of our Maker. The all-sufficient Scriptures rule out latter-day revelations and latter-day prophets. In ablasphemous excerpt from the Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 29:6, we read that a manis a fool who says we have a Bible and need no more Bible! The foolish one is the

one who goes beyond the message of the New Testament.

The Scripture cannot be broken, according to Jno. 10:35. Through the centuries, evilmen have tried to destroy the Bible, but still it stands because truth never dies.Earthly leaders have desparately tried to destroy heaven's message through meansof persecution, inquisition, torture and by burning volumes of the Bible by thousandsof copies, but still the Book of books circles the earth and blesses millions. The greatinfluence of the Bible upon soiety is still seen through the actions of Presidents,Kings and courts of law. At weddings, and funerals and anniversaries, millions turn

to it for comfort (Rom. 15:4). It is still a "light unto our path" (Psa. 119:105). TheBible is a joy (Psa. 119:97) as we meditate upon it day and night (Psa. 1:2). Soprecious is this Book that, during the "Dark Ages," when few copies were available,


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villages blessed with a rare copy would chain it to the pulpit, so that each familywould have access to it.

The indestructable nature of the Bible, by God's providence, speaks of its divineorigin and protection. Since "the law of the Lord is perfect" (Psa. 19:7), we shouldnot be ashamed to speak of it before kings (Psa. 119:46). Preaching the oracles ofGod should be a delight for faithful and loyal soldiers of Christ (1 Pet. 4:11; Eph. 6:

17). Jehovah has been gracious to allow us the honor to boldly tell men Hismarvelous message.

Someone has well stated that "the Bible is the perfect anatomy of the soul." Sinceour Creator is its Author (Psa. 33:9), no one knows us better. Jehovah has revealedHis will and way to us in understandable tones and terms (1 Cor. 14:33). Not only isthe Bible God's revelation to man, it is truly an infallible guide that maintains andsustains us as we travel through this pilgrim land on our way to glory. The psalmistspoke accurately and eloquently in Psa. 119:105 of that rich book: "Thy word is a

lamp unto my feet, And light unto my path." Paul reminded the Ephesian elders thatthe sacred Scriptures had the ability to provide an eternal inheritance for them (Acts20:32).

The Bible, in sixty-six powerful and precious books, is a map that guides us safelyand effectively through life and then on to mansions above in the presence of theredeemed (Matt. 8:11). All of these beautiful building blocks of spiritual endeavorpoint us to Christ, who is the heart of Scripture (Rev. 19:10). No other book hasheaven's message of redemption and no other message has the guidancenecessary for our fruitful sojourn on earth. Because the Bible is its own best witness,

WE are on trial, not the BIBLE.

By - Johnny Ramsey

Where Did The Bible Come From?

This question is very important because it establishes a foundation for our belief. Byanswering the question we will begin to have confidence that the Bible is from Godand is the only source of authority in religious matters today.

I wish that more people would seek out confirmation of the authenticity of God'sbook known as "The Holy Bible".

This question is really answered by what we call apologetics. Many people haveanswered these questions and many have addressed all of the criticisms of theBible. Sadly, the greatest enemy of Jesus and the Scriptures is not the athiest or theagnostic or even the critic, but the people who claim to be the friends of God thatopenly deny the inspiration and authority of His word, and replace God's truth withman's thoughts.

A very deplorable situation exist when we have so many people that have spent agreat effort to PROVE the Bible actually comes from God, and that Scripture is themessage of God to mankind today. Then they turn around and teach doctrines andprecepts of men that are contrary to the words of God. How strange to prove a book


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infallible (without error), and fully sufficient to provide everything man needs (2 Peter1:3) to know to be pleasing to God, then disregard the same. No wonder that somany intelligent people are confused by such matters. The simple answer to ourquestion is: God wrote the Bible

Deity (The Godhead) used His influence to motivate selected men to write Hismessage. Everyone one of them knew what they were doing when they wrote to

others. What they probably did not realize at the time was the fact that the holy Spirithelped to guide them in their thoughts and on some occasions, their very words.God used these men to instruct,discipline, reprove everyone that needs God'smessage. Some writers wrote to encourage people to obey the laws of God andsome wrote to warn those who were disobedient to the Laws of God.

"For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest wedrift away from it. For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, andevery transgression and disobedience received a just recompense, how shall we

escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at the first spoken through theLord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also bearing witness withthem, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the HolySpirit according to His own will."(Hebrews 2:1-4)

God also instructed these writers to request that their message be spreadeverywhere. Most of the Bible was written in such a way that everyone could benefitfrom a message, even if that message was intended for a specific person.

Now the fact that God wrote through these men many years ago in languages

known to them, but foreign to us required that the message be interpreted.

Since God intended that everyone receive His message, it only makes sense thatGod would somehow oversee the process by which we received the Bible in ourown language. Many men have sought to bring the original words of God forward toan understandable way.

"And they read from the book from the law of God, translating to give the sense sothat they understood the reading. (Nehemiah 8:8)

We must accept by faith that God has not deprived us of anything necessary for oursalvation. We must also accept His word as His law, and we must submit to theprecepts and teachings of God through that book as we recognize that the bookcomes from God Himself.

We are warned about adding or taking away or even changing the things that Godhas given us. Acceptance of the Grand book as INSPIRED actually obligates us toobedience of His laws.

Not only must we accept the Bible as being inspired, but our teaching must always

reflect the truths found in the book. For that reason a very noble goal of any teacherof the word is to speak as it were the oracles of God (1 Peter 4:11). In other words,when we are teaching God's will, we must speak only those things that He hasrevealed unto us.


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Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that does not need to beashamed, handling accurately the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

By Carey Scott

HOW DO WE KNOW WE HAVE THE BIBLE?

It is a matter altogether of uncertainty to us whether such of the writings as nowappear under the name of the Old and New Testaments are in the same state inwhich those collectors say they found them, or whether they added, altered,abridged, or dressed them up.... they decided by vote which of the books out of thecollection they had made should be the word of God, and which shouldnot."(Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason. 18)

Unbelievers have always denied the authority of the Bible. Besides rejecting the factthe apostles and prophets were inspired of God, they also deny that we have anyway of knowing how the Bible should read.

There are two separate questions we must answer to be sure we do indeed havethe Bible. First, we must know the canon of Scripture. "Canon," from the Greek word"kanon," meaning "rule" (cf. Galatians 6:16), refers to the list of books which areauthoritative, in other words, are inspired of God. The problem of canonicity is todetermine which books actually belong in the Bible.

The other problem area is textual criticism. The word "criticism" does not mean adenial of Scripture. It means the attempt to determine the proper text of the books ofthe Bible. It is the study that tries to determine what the original manuscripts (theactual inspired documents that came from the apostles and prophets, known as"autographs") really said.

So we have one overall inquiry to solve: Do we really have the inspired Scriptures inour present Bibles? But this greater question is answered by solving two smaller butvery important matters. What is the canon of Scripture? In other words, what booksreally belong in the Bible? And, what is the text of the Scriptures? Can we know thatthe words in our present Bibles represent the words the apostles and prophetsactually wrote?

Canon

Let's study canonicity first. This study naturally divides itself into two categories: OldTestament canon and New Testament canon.

Old Testament

We will first study the Old Testament canon. How do we know that the thirty-ninebooks in our Old Testament really belong there and are the only books that belong

there?

If we accept that Jesus is the Son of God, then whatever He says about any subjectsettles the matter. Although Jesus rejected most of the traditions of the Jews


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(Matthew 15:5-9), He accepted as the "commandment of God" the Scriptures theJews recognized as comprising the Old Testament (Matthew 15:1-4). The Masterbroke the Scriptures in the Jewish Bible into three sections: "the Law of Moses andthe Prophets and the Psalms" (Luke 24:44), the very threefold division of the OldTestament the Jews recognized, which included the same thirty-nine books we havein our Old Testaments.

Catholic Bibles today include several books not found in our Bibles. They are calledthe "Apocryphal" books. "Apocryphal" means "of doubtful authorship and authority."These books were never accepted as a part of the canon of Scripture by the Jews,none of them claim to be inspired of God, and they were even rejected by the greatscholar Jerome, whose Latin translation of the Bible, the Vulgate, is the basis forCatholic versions of the Bible.

There is no reasonable basis for doubting that we have the inspired Scriptures andall the inspired Scriptures that preceded the New Testament in our Old Testament.

New Testament

What about the New Testament? Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to Hisapostles to "guide" them "into all truth" (John 16:13-15). They did receive the HolySpirit (Acts 2:1-4), and had "the treasure" of the inspired word of God "in earthenvessels." (2 Corinthians 4:7) In other words, the inspired Word was in inspired men.

But the apostles and prophets of the New Testament wrote this inspired message inbooks for the disciples to read (Ephesians 3:1-7). What the apostles and prophets

wrote "is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe"(1 Thessalonians 2:13) The apostle Peter promised that "the word of God," "thegospel," is "incorruptible" and "lives and abides forever" (1 Peter 1:22-25).

Thus, even while the apostles were yet alive, their books were being circulated andsaved (cf. Colossians 4:16) and were recognized as "Scripture" (2 Peter 3:14-16),that is, God's Word in written form.

By the end of the second century a list of inspired books, in other words a NewTestament canon, had been drawn up by Irenaeus, who was a student of Polycarp,

who was a student of the apostle John. The Muratorian fragment, from about thesame date, likewise lists the New Testament canon. Origen in the third century andEusebius and Athanasius in the fourth century provide lists of those books whichwere accepted as inspired of God.

Often people say the church gave us the Bible. This is not true. The Old Testamentwas complete four hundred years before the church was established. The NewTestament was given to us by the apostles and prophets. The church simplyrecognized the New Testament in the same way a child recognizes its mother (cf.

Galatians 4:21-31).The twenty-seven books which comprise our New Testament stand with the thirty-nine Old Testament books to complete the canon of Scripture. Whereas the inspiredWord of God was once in inspired men, it is now in an inspired book, the Bible.


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Conclusion

Do we have the actual books that belong in the Bible and all those books? Without adoubt! The Bible was written a very long time ago.How do we know its text has remained uncorrupted through the centuries, so thatwhat we have is really accurate?

Old Testament

First, consider the Old Testament. The very attitude of Jesus toward the OldTestament settles the matter, so far as its transmission to his day.

But what about to our day? Two facts, the almost fanatical devotion of the Jewishscribes and the abundance of manuscript evidence, give us unswerving confidencein the textual integrity of the Old Testament.

Dr. Neil R. Lightfoot, in his book How We Got the Bible, describes the incredible,

meticulous care with which the Jewish scribes (copyists) made sure that theyaccurately passed on from generation to generation the inspired text (pages 69-76).Probably no other copyists in history have been as devoted to accurately preservinga document.

Furthermore, consider the abundance and value of manuscript evidence.Manuscripts are handwritten copies of documents. All ancient writing comes down tous in manuscript form, and the text of these documents is determined by thesemanuscripts. Various rules determine which manuscripts are most valuable indetermining what the text of an ancient document really is, but probably the mostimportant measure of a manuscript's value is its age. How close to the originaldocument is it in age? Obviously, the older the manuscript the better.

Our Old Testaments are translations of the Massoretic Text, a standard Hebrew texthanded down by some very careful scribes known as Massoretes. The oldestmanuscripts of this text date to about 1000 AD. But there are manuscripts oftranslations of this Hebrew text into other languages that date back to about thefourth or fifth century after Christ. Furthermore, since the discovery of the Dead SeaScrolls, ancient Hebrew manuscripts found in caves close to the Dead Sea in 1948,

we have Hebrew manuscripts of portions of the Old Testament that were writtenbefore the time Jesus walked on the earth. For example, there is a manuscript of thebook of Isaiah that dates to about 200 BC. Thus, there is overwhelming proof of theaccuracy of the Old Testament text.

The New Testament

The New Testament has even stronger confirmation. Codex Sinaiticus, whichcontains all the New Testament books in Greek, was written less than two hundredfifty years after the last apostle died. The Codex Vaticanus, which contains most of

both the Old and New Testaments in Greek, was written only about two hundred totwo hundred fifty years after the deaths of the apostles. The Codex Alexandrinusdates to about three hundred years after the first century.


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There are now more than 5,300 known Greek manuscripts of the New Testament.Add over 10,000 Latin Vulgate and at least 9,300 other early versions (MSS) and wehave more than 24,000 manuscript copies of portions of the New Testament inexistence today." (Josh McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict, 39)

There is now even a fragment of the Gospel of John that dates to the beginning ofthe Second Century, just a few years after the Apostle John died and a century

earlier than unfriendly critics of the Bible claimed the book was written!

How good is our New Testament text?

For Caesar's Gallic War (composed between 58 and 50 B.C.) there are severalextant MSS (manuscripts - K.S.), but only nine or ten are good, and the oldest issome 900 years later than Caesar's day. (F.F. Bruce, The New TestamentDocuments: Are They Reliable?, 16). If scholars accept the text of Caesar's GallicWars, and they do, how reasonable is it to reject the text of the New Testament?

But what about variant (differing) readings between the many manuscripts?

"The proportion of words virtually accepted on all hands as raised above doubt isvery great, not less, on a rough computation, than seven-eighths of the whole. Theremaining eighth therefore, formed in great part by changes of order and othercomparative trivialities, constitutes the whole area of criticism. . . .the amount ofwhat can in any sense be called substantial variation is but a small fraction of theresiduary variation, and can hardly form more than a thousandth part of the entiretext" (B.F. Westcott and F.J.A. Hort, The New Testament in the Original Greek,

pages 2-3). And Westcott and Hort, scholars of the last part of the nineteenthcentury, are generally considered to be among the toughest critics of the biblicaltext.

How accurate is the text of our Bibles? Our century has seen no greater authority inthis field of New Testament criticism than Sir Frederic Kenyon, who died in August1952, and we may take his words to heart with confidence:

"It is reassuring at the end to find that the general result of all these discoveries andall this study is to strengthen the proof of the authenticity of the Scriptures, and our

conviction that we have in our hands, in substantial integrity, the verifiable Word ofGod."

And again:

"The interval then between the dates of the original composition and the earliestextant evidence becomes so small as to be in fact negligible, and the last foundationfor any doubt that the Scriptures have come down to us substantially as they werewritten has now been removed. Both the authenticity and the general integrity of thebooks of the New Testament may be regarded as finally established."'(F.F. Bruce,

The Books and the Parchments, 189-190).

Conclusion


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Is the text of our Bible accurate? Definitely!

Do we really have the inspired Scriptures in our present Bibles? The answer mustbe a resounding, "Yes!"

The Lord through His divine providence has kept His promise and has preserved HisWord for us in the Bible. When you read your Bible from a good, standard, English

translation, rest assured you are reading the Scriptures, the inspired Word of God.You can and should have confidence in your Bible.

"All flesh is as grass,And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass.The grass withers,And its flower falls away,But the word of the Lord endures forever."Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. (1 Peter 1:22-23)

By - Keith Sharp, via Think on These Things

Why We Differ In Interpretation

For hundreds of years, men have struggled to understand the bible alike. But manythings have prevented them from seeing the bible alike. Various factors can, andmost often do, enter the process so that each man comes away with a differentinterpretation. Some of these factors are:

1. Previous teaching efforts by others often leaves a residual effect so that each

man comes to the study with preconceived ideas. We often refer to this astheological prejudice. It comes from different sources.

A. One is family. Families have traditionally taught their children in their faith andsubsequent generations continue on in this doctrine. How often I have heard, "Well,if such-and-such was good enough for my folks, then it's good enough for me." Whatthey fail to realize is that if their folks were lost, so also are they. Ignorance of thelaw is no excuse (Acts 17:30).

B. Another is a close friend. Young minds are easily bent or swayed by thecamaraderie of a close friend. I know that, in my own life, some doctrines weretempting because they were practiced by some of my closest friends. Job had asevere problem with his three friends and his wife. She advised him to just "curseGod and die." His friends falsely told him that God had punished him for somegrievous sin. All four were wrong.

2. A third form of prejudice comes from being overpowered by a deceiving person.Today's television "evangelists" preach and practice so many diverse doctrines thata novice is soon overwhelmed by the ideology of each. The apostle Paul warned us

that, "such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves intothe apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into anangel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be


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transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be accordingto their works." (2 Cor 11:13-15, KJV).

3. Biblical Ignorance is a fourth problem. Many people are either too disinterested tostudy or simply too lazy to devote the right kind of study to God's word. Many wantto be "bible scholars" but are not willing to devote the time necessary to do the kindof job that God demands. Paul told young Timothy, "Study to show thyself

approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividingthe word of God." (2 Timothy 2:15, KJV)

Such a task is a demanding one and deserves full consideration of what God hassaid. Those who are interested in the bible often fail to understand it because theydo not have a systematic approach to study. For this reason, we need to acceptseveral rules that need to be emphasized. In our next lesson, we will be addressingthese basic rules for understanding the bible alike.

Submitted by Howard Justice

HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE(2 Pet. 3:18; Acts 17:11-12; 2 Tim. 2:15)

Introduction: Studying the Bible is one of the most profitable activities one can beengaged in IF he/she is determined to understand and then apply the teachings!There are some basic factors one must take into consideration to understand.

First one needs to study with the idea/understanding that ALL SCRIPTURE isinspired of God (2 Tim. 3:16-17). However, as one studied he/she must understandthat what is recorded is NOT ALL Gods will, but some others!

The following factors needs to be seen as some basic rules for Bible Study!

1. Who is speaking (Job. 2:5, 9; Gen. 3:5; 14:1). In these passages we see that theserpent is speaking to Eve, accusing Gods good intention to her. Satan is accusingJob to God, claiming that if He take away the hedge (good life) from him that he

would curse God. How wrong was he in other cases. Also, we find Jobs wife givingsome foolish advice. The fool is speaking in Psalm 14. So, we need to SEE who isreally speaking. God had recorded their words, so we can see the tactics of evil!

2. To Whom (Gen. 22:2). Abraham was commanded to offer his son, but we are notgiven that command to do the same. But God has recorded that for our learning --tosee how FAITH acts.

3. When -- what dispensation (Age) Is something given! (Eph. 3:1-5; Acts 15:1; Gen.17:11-13; 1 Cor. 9:21). We are not under the Law of Moses. We do have LAW, but it

is Christ law, the New Testament scriptures constitute the rules and regulations weare governed by! Let us understand and keep that in mind, please, as we study theBible!


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4. Context --Before and After -(Matt. 24:17). This passages is speaking of thedestruction of Jerusalem, which occurred in AD 70. Many have tried to apply it formodern day events, and have drawn wrong conclusions.

5. What is really said?1). Literal or figurative language (Jn. 15:5; Lk. 3:4-5; Phil. 3:2)2). Common Sense (Jn, 3:3,5) -- an old man?

3). Law of harmony (Matt. 4:7; Acts 16:31; Jas. 2:24-26; Matt. 27:5; Lk. 10:37; 13:27)4). Historical Order (1 Cor..; 2 Cor.; 1st; 2rd, 3rd John;

6. Titles --what is indicated by?1). Genesis --Beginning2). Exodus --Departure3). Joshua Main leader, person in book4). Judges --type of Judgment, or different person ruling at different Times.

5). Matthew, Mark, Luke, John --writer6). Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians, Etc.. People to whom written

7. Purpose "study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needethnot to be ashamed, rightly divided the word of God." (2 Tim. 2:15; Jn. 5.39) Acts17:11 "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received theword with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether thosethings were so."

Conclusion: Friends. We urge all to make this a daily activity. Having the same aim

as those noblemen of Berea --to see if what is being accepted and practiced is SO,TRUE, from God!

1. There are reading schedule -- reading so much each day, etc. One can choosethe way or manner in which one is to be so engaged, but it needs to be a dailyactivity!

2. There can be a topical study Church, Baptism, etc. This is where one searchedout all that is said on one particular subject. A Concordance is helpful in doing this

3. There can be systematic as in times periods, etc. This, too, can be a profitabletype of study!

4. Book study -- take a book, as Isaiah, Jeremiah, one of the Gospels --Matthew,Mark, Luke, or John.

5. Biographical -- Persons, Kingdoms, etc. This can be an interesting and profitablestudy.

Beloved, whatever approach you use, do it! You owe it to yourself!

By - William C. Sexton


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SOME RULES FOR BIBLE STUDY.

1. Realize that the Bible must be studied and rightly divided. (2 Tim. 2:15).

2. Realize that the Bible contains the mind and will of God. (2 Pet. 1:21).

3. Approach the Bible reverently and humbly. (1 Thes. 2:13).

4. Have profound faith in ALL it says. One cannot accept only a part of the Bible asbeing inspired. We must accept it all or reject it all.

5. Let the Bible speak to you--not you to it.

6. Study for profit and with an earnest desire to know more of God's will, and not justto argue or endeavor to justify yourself.

7. Be willing to obey implicitly what God commands of you. (Matt. 7:21; Lk. 6:46).

8. Use common sense in your study. For example, some contend that the word"water" in Jno. 3:5 does not mean water, but common sense will convince us that itdoes. The letters w-a-t-e-r spell water in any other book, and there is nothing toindicate that it is used figuratively in this passage.

9. Observe who is speaking. All of the Bible was written by inspiration but that doesnot mean that all the statements recorded therein are true or were spoken byinspired persons. For example: Job 2:9; Psalms 14:1.

10. Observe to whom each statement is addressed. Whether to the alien sinner,Christian, unfaithful, etc.

11. Observe why each book was written. For example, the first four books of theNew Testament were written to produce faith in Jesus as the Son of God, the bookof Acts records the cases of conversion of the apostolic age and a history of theearly church, the next twenty-one letters are instructions to Christians, and the bookof Revelation is a book of symbolic teaching showing primarily things that are tocome shortly, and offering encouragement to the early Christians under severepersecution.

12. Study and interpret each passage in light of its context or setting. Failing to dothis, some have argued that Paul teaches in 1 Cor. 1:17 that baptism is notessential, but the context shows that he did baptize some, and the reason he wasglad he hadn't baptized more was "lest any man should say that ye were baptizedinto my name."

13. Realize that there have been three distinct dispensations of religion -- thePATRIARCHAL (from creation to Sinai), (I would have to differ with that and suggestthat it lasted from creation to the cross among the Gentiles, JWS) The JEWISH

(from Sinai to the cross), and the CHRISTIAN (from Pentecost of Acts 2 until thecoming of Christ). The New Testament is our guide in this dispensation.

14. Study the meaning of the titles of the books of the Bible.


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15. Consider the history and chronology of the events of each book in the Bible.

16. Do not interpret one passage of scripture so as to contradict the teaching ofanother. For example, one cannot correctly interpret Rom. 5:1 or Acts 16:31 to teachsalvation by faith only for that would contradict Jas. 2:24 and Gal. 5:6.

17. Determine if the language is literal or figurative. Take all passages as literal

unless the context forces a figurative interpretation. To illustrate, it is clear that the"water" of Jno. 3:23 is literal, while the context and wording shows that "water" ofRev. 22:17 is figurative.

18. Don't read something into the text which is not there. Be content with taking onlywhat it says.

19. Harmonize the Scriptures, taking ALL God says on any subject, letting allobscure passages be understood in light of the plain.

20. Have the proper attitude toward the Bible and how it teaches.

Produce the Scripture for ALL you do in religion, and don't appeal to the SILENCEof the Bible for authority for anything. The Bible furnishes us completely (2 Tim.3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:3). We must not pervert it (Gal. 1:6-9). We must not go beyondthat which is written (1 Cor. 4:6). We must not add to or subtract from its teaching(Rev. 22: 18,19).

Arranged by Eugene Britnell.

Inductive Bible Study

These were more noble-minded that those in Thessalonica, in that they receivedthe word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily to find outwhether these things were so, Acts 17:11.

It is likely that your personal Bible reading and study could be identified asinductive though you may not be familiar with this use of the term. The wordinductive has a mathematical, electrical, scientific, philosophical and legal usage.As applied to Bible reading and study it simply means you engage yourself with

the specific details of the text of Scripture. You do this yourself. The opposite of thisis, to blindly accept the deductions of men and impose those into the text ofScripture.

I use the word inductive to describe the approach I believe we ought to take, whenreading and studying the Bible. To me it simply means, you engage yourselfpersonally with the text, careful to let the text determine what you believe, teach andpractice.

Consider the opposite. If you decide (out of tradition, family or peer influence) whatyou want to believe, teach and practice and then read the Bible in search forpassages that sound like they confirm what you have already decided, that is notinductive and not objective. If you have been trained at the feet of sound Bible


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students, the non-inductive approach may not yield a steady stream of error. But itisnt the best approach for the best results in your personal faith and practice.

1. Inductive Bible Study Begins With The Text. What the Bible says is yourstarting place; your first step! Out of that reading and study, your beliefs are formedand your behavior determined. You observe for yourself what the text of Scripturesays; you read it in narrative order, watch for all contextual information, compare

related passages, and move from the specifics of the text to sound conclusions. Sothen faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, (Rom. 10:17).

2. Inductive Bible Study Requires Mental Effort. It is often noted, we live in theage of visual literacy. Television, Drama and PowerPoint is preferred over individualreading and study. Modern methods of communication often take their place ofprominence above the message. In some cases, the audience knows how it wassaid but do not recall what was said. Personal inductive Bible study calls forindividual involvement with the text. One-on-one You and your Bible alone! You

read it. Then read it again. As you do the individual work, the promise is: whenyou read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, (Eph. 3:4).

3. Inductive Bible Study Must Attend To Context. Context is simply the totalliterary setting of a word or phrase. Context takes into account: the time, the writer,the culture, the occasion, the original recipients, the immediate theme and all otherBiblical information relevant to the matter at hand. When engaged in Inductive BibleStudy, you must not be content to let someone dictate what the context is. Youdiscover context yourself as you read the verse within the paragraph, within theepistle or book you have read and all of this in the framework of your familiarity

with the entire Biblical setting.

4. Inductive Bible Study Finds Its Intended End in Godly Behavior. Theimmediate purpose is to have a personal understanding of the Scriptures as aproduct of your own work with the text. The practical purpose is to know what youought to believe, teach and practice. As a result of Inductive Bible Study, you areable to say: This is what I believe; Ive read it and studied it myself. This is what Iknow God said, because Ive read it myself. This is different than saying, This iswhat our church teaches, or this is what my preacher says. Hopefully, your local

church teaches and practices the Scriptural pattern and the preachers you hearpropose nothing for your belief but the Word of God. But your individual faith oughtto be grounded in your individual reading and study. So that your life is led from dayto day by your direct contact with the Word of God. Kay Arthur writes, "InductiveBible study draws you into personal interaction with the Scripture and thus with theGod of the Scriptures so that your beliefs are based on a prayerful understandingand legitimate interpretation of Scripture - truth that transforms you when you live byit." Once meaning is discovered in the text, the next step is self-inquiry: What doesthis mean to me today?

Warning:If you let someone teach you an Inductive Bible Study Method, you maydefeat the whole purpose. The purpose is for you (the student) to read and study thetext, leading to your conclusions and ultimately your behavior before God.


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By Warren E. Berkley

Basic Rules For Understanding The Bible Alike

Several rules are necessary for each bible student to accept in order to arrive at thetruth when studying God's word. Here are several. Most of these come from D. R.Dungan's book entitled "Hermeneutics." Printed in 1901, it is a valuable text that the

sincere bible student should have in his/her library. It is not an arbitrary listing ofman-made rules. Instead, it is a collection of those conclusions which have beendrawn from God's word; conclusions that serve us as practical rules forunderstanding the bible alike. I commend it to your study. Here is what God's wordconcludes:

1. The bible should be treated and studied like any other book. Whether one studiesChemistry, Zoology, Botany, English or Mathematics, he must study the book toreceive the information contained therein. It requires effort (2 Timothy 2:15-16).

2. One needs to recognize that the weakness in understanding the bible lies at thefeet of man. He must lay aside ALL preconceived ideas about God's word. Onlyafter doing so can he insure a reasonable understanding of what God's wordreveals.

3. God does not inspire the interpretation, only the revelation. Some claim that Godgives them a "word of knowledge" about the bible. Such teaching is contrary toGod's word. God inspired the writers with the knowledge to write the bible and eachwriter put it down in his own style. Therefore, man must study it in order to receive

the knowledge contained in it.

4. Divine wisdom has adopted the word-method of revelation. God chose to speak interms that we can understand. We must remember that the "secret things" belong toGod but we are given to understand what He has revealed. It simply requires study.

5. Common sense is a major requirement. God has spoken so that we mayunderstand but if we place an unreasonable interpretation upon His revelation, wedo it a severe injustice and will miss the mark. Paul told the Thessalonianbrethren. "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they

should believe a lie" (2Thessalonians 2:11, KJV). Forcing an interpretation is asure way to miss the mark and misunderstand God's word.

6. We must accept the bible as the "inspired word" of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Theword "inspire" simply means "God breathed." It was the voice of God that the writersheard. And because it contains many sayings of mere men (as in the rebuke of Jobby his three friends), one must understand that the revelation is true but not everystatement is the truth. Only the context will demonstrate the truth.

7. Spiritual purity is necessary in order to accept what God has to say, especially

about righteousness. One cannot live a devil-may-care life and accept the truth.Only if he is willing to live for God can he accept the will of God. One's mind must beattuned to the will of God else he will compromise God's word and fail to understandthe truth.


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8. A good knowledge of contemporaneous history is helpful. Knowing about thecustoms of different nations, knowing when and how long biblical nations existedand understanding their effect on those who would serve God in the bible will greatlyhelp one to understand the bible correctly. Understanding biblical geography is alsohelpful. A good set of biblical maps is also a good investment in bible study.

9. One should never use the bible to prove any preconceived doctrine. Far too often,

men have conceived certain teachings in their minds but in an effort to "prove" theirdoctrine, they wrest the scriptures and do violence to the bible. Only after a carefulstudy of the bible can one determine what IS the doctrine of God.

10. One should never view the bible as a book of mysteries. It is not. Though thereare certain books of the bible that use a great deal of metaphorical language or"word pictures" to introduce prophecy, one should never believe that the bible is toodifficult to understand. One should always expect to be able to understand the bible.

11. One should never read only favorite passages. Doing so induces one to neglectthe remainder. The entire bible is important to us all. One must love, respect andstudy ALL the word of God in order to accept it properly.

12. One should never study the bible with a personal agenda. This is one of themain reasons for misunderstanding God's word. One must approach the bible froma systematic study, not one of duty but of love. Over the centuries, personal agendahas given way to denominational teachings and the formation of many differentsects. It was what certain people wanted rather than what God has wanted that hasbeen uppermost in destroying the "unity" of God's word (Ephesians 4:2-6).

13. One should never study God's word in an effort to make it harmonize withscientific theory. Doing destroys the omnipotence of God. Only after we accept thatGod is the omnipotent Creator for all that exists, can we fully understand the biblealike. The bible is not a work of science. It is the miraculous revelation of God. Itcontains those words necessary for deliverance from sin, how to live a righteous lifebefore God (and man) and to insure our deliverance to Heaven after this life (1Timothy 6:11).

14. Context always regulates the central thought of any passage. It also determines

the definition of a word. Some words have a spiritual meaning while other passagesmay use the same word in a literal or physical way. Only context can determine thedefinition of such a word.

15. Certain methods of proof are used by God's word. Basically, they are DirectCommand, Approved Example, and Necessary Inference. These are the basicmethods that good bible scholars recognize and use to determine what God wantsus to do today. It is the same method of proof used by the early Christians.

16. Finally, one must understand that any law is dispensational. That is to say, ineach of the three dispensations of man, God has given a set of rules for people tolive by. From Adam to Moses, man was under the law often referred to as thepatriarchal law. From Moses until Pentecost, the Jewish people were under the Law


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of Moses. All others (Gentiles) remained under the patriarchal law (Romans 2:14).Today, ALL are under the "new covenant;" the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2; Hebrews9:11).

In closing, let me add this. All must realize that the only way to Heaven is that whichis found in God's word. Without that valuable information, one cannot be saved norcan he look to a life of rejoicing in the presence of God throughout eternity

(Ephesians 4:2-6; Hebrews 11:6).

I bid you all a good study. In Him: Howard Justice

Helpful Hints For Bible Study And Understanding

The Bible is the greatest book in the world. More books have been written about itthan any other piece of literature on earth. It consistently leads the list of "bestsellers" and has been the greatest inspiration to poets and painters, novelists andnarrators in composing the greatest works of the ages. To the down-trodden and

outcast of earth it offers hope, to the philosopher and sage it imparts wisdom, to theindustrialist and farmer it teaches patience, to youth and young manhood it inspirescourage, and to lives broken by sin and marred by transgression it points the way ofsalvation. Hated by the atheist, scorned by the agnostic, and betrayed by themodernist, it has nevertheless been the greatest influence in the development ofcivilization and its severest critics have never been able to produce any work ofhigher moral precepts or ethical influence. No psychiatrist has been able topenetrate the human heart to greater depth and reveal the emotions, ambitions, orweaknesses of men with more clarity nor has any sociologist been able to offer

more practical and abiding remedies for the ills of a sick society than those affordedby this unique volume.

Yet even by its professed friends it is frequently abused because it is misuse? Theapostle Paul tells us that we should "handle aright the word of truth." This being truewe need to study diligently that we divide it properly and make the application of itthe Holy Spirit intended when He revealed the mind of God in it. Christians acceptthe Old Testament as inspired of God and applicable to the people to whom it wasrevealed and for whom it was intended. Consisting of five books of law Genesis

through Deuteronomy 17 books of history and poetry Joshua through Songs ofSolomon and 17 books of prophecy Isaiah through Malachi, this division of theBible abounds with examples which Christians can use in teaching the blessings ofobedience and the disastrous effects of disobedience to God. Therein we prove theclaims of Christ and the inspiration of the New Testament. But we cannot expect tofind there what Jehovah tells men now to do to be saved, for the scriptures set forththat mankind is now subject to the gospel or law of Christ.

Thus the New Testament with the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Johnwas written primarily to convince men that Jesus was the Son of God. The one book

of Acts makes known the establishment and history of the church of Christ as itoperated under apostolic direction in carrying the message of salvation to benightednon. sage of salvation to benighted men. The remaining 22 books of the NewTestament consist of epistles written to individuals, congregations, and groups of


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Christians impressing them with the life the newly established church should live,the worship it should render, and the work it should do. Included in these epistles isthe will of God toward false doctrines and the teachers of them doctrines andteachers which would then and will till this day destroy the identity of the Lord'schurch.

In the light of these general considerations concerning the word of God, let us think

about how we may study it more effectively. While the Bible claims inspiration foritself and bears marks of its divinity on every page, we should not forget that manhas been left to make his own investigation of its contents and apply its righteousprinciples to his own life and conduct.

Needed: An Honest Heart

(1) We should approach the study of God's word with honest hearts. This simplymeans that our minds will be open to an unprejudiced consideration of anything andeverything about which the Bible speaks. It is very difficult to be completelyunbiased in any matter. ]Especially, it seems, is this cue when men considerreligious matters. The fact that our souls and their eternal destiny are involved,however, should stir us to be unusually careful that we seek to know simply and onlywhat God's will is that we may do it acceptably.

We are prone to develop our own religious concepts in the light of past training andexperience. If we have been taught that it makes no difference what one believes aslong as he is sincere the tendency is to allow this sentiment to color all our thinking.Yet a very casual appraisal of this state of mind reveals the folly of such thinking. If it

makes no difference what one believes as long as he is sincere in that belief then itlogically follows that it actually makes no difference whether or not one believesanything the Bible reveals. The Bible declares that God is, that Jesus Christ is Hisonly begotten Son, that men are sinners and cannot be saved apart from Christ andthe plan of salvation God has provided through Him. The Son himself has declared,"if ye believe not that I am he ye shall die in your sins" (John 8:24).... and "whither Igo ye cannot come" (Jno. 8:21). If it makes no difference what one believes, thenthese statements of Jesus are nonsense. The writer of Hebrews says, "He thatcometh to God must believe that He is" (Heb. 11:6), but if it makes no difference

what one believes then the man who believes that there is no God is as well offspiritually as the person who confidently affirms the existence of Jehovah. Byreducing this popular notion to an absurdity we can see its fallacy. The reason itmakes a difference what one believes is because what one believes determineswhat he will be and do.

Again, we may have our thinking clouded by parental influence to the extent that weare unwilling to think for ourselves for fear that we will reflect unfavorably upon thereligious faith and practice of our parents. Some reason thus: "Whatever was goodenough for my father and mother is good enough for me." This is a popular saying.

Will it stand the test of straight thinking, however? If all our ancestors had taken thissame attitude toward the religious practices of their forebears most of us would yetbe worshipping idols. This is no ridiculous conclusion. Most Americans are ofGentile descent. Before Christ came the entire Gentile world was as heathen in its


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religious concepts and practices as the peoples of earth today who have notreceived the spiritual enlightenment which comes only from the gospel of JesusChrist. Somebody's parents changed their concepts and convictions. If they had notchanged we who are their children and like wise our children after us would bebowing before the shrine of some graven image. Saul of Tarsus changed from anardent advocate of the Jewish religion to a simple follower and servant of JesusChrist. He loved his parents but he loved Christ more. Every apostle of Jesus onceespoused the religious faith of his fathers but all of them gave it up to serve Christ.

An honest man will always accept truth regardless of where he finds it. The story istold of a young man who succeeded his father in the operation of a generalmercantile store. A government inspector called on him to check the accuracy of hisscales and the yard stick with which he measured cloth. When the inspector appliedthe government's standard measuring yard stick to the stick of the young merchanthe found that the young man's stick was not a yard long. It measured only 35inches. When the young merchant's attention was called to his defective stick he

became enraged and began to abuse the inspector. Said he, "My old father soldgoods here for fifty years. He was an honest man and he used this same stick foryears before he died. When you say this stick is only 35 inches you are reflectingupon the integrity of my father. He was not a shyster. He was an honest man!" Theinspector quietly replied, "I am sure that you are telling the truth about the honesty ofyour father, young man. I have no reason to think your father ever intended to sellanybody less than 36 inches for a yard. But let me ask you something: Since yourfather was an honest man, as an honest man if he had learned that his measuringstick was an inch short of standard, what would he have done?" The young man

cooled off. He saw the point. "He would have given up the old stick, sir, andobtained one that measured 36 inches," the young merchant replied. So it is withevery person who is interested in truth. The honest man will not seek to hide behindeither the ignorance or shortcomings of his parents' religion once he learns theirknowledge and practice did not conform to the requirements of God's word. Thehonest heart is open to the truth of God and will espouse it regardless of the costinvolved.

Too many people form their own notions as to how things ought to be religiouslywithout regard to divine authority. The person who assumes that one church is as

good as another and disregards what the Bible teaches about the church is closinghis mind to the word of God. The man who assumes that sprinkling and pouring arebaptism by heaven's authority without studying the Bible to learn God's will istreating the Bible with contempt. He who wears a human religious name, insists onmechanical instrumental music in the worship, accepts majority rule in a church,thinks the church should sponsor athletic activities and furnish recreation for youngand Ad, and advocates a host of other things as religious activities andresponsibilities of the church, needs to examine his own heart and see if it is beingruled by his own personal will or is subject to the authority of Christ. To assume that

everything is to be practiced in the name of Christ without first determining what thewill of Christ is in such matter is to be basically presumptuous concerning one's ownimportance. Actually this process of thinking and acting makes the will of God bow


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to the will of man. The honest person will seek to know God's will first and thenendeavor to make his own will harmonize.

By James R. Cope 1954

Getting The Most Out Of Your Bible Study #1

I am thoroughly convinced one of the great shortcomings within local congregationsacross this country is our Bible study. Does that surprise you? Most people to whomI have said this misunderstand what I am saying; I heartily agree that we are notdoing enough, as individuals, but I also believe that the method of Bible study is alsopart of the problem. Most Bible studies conducted within the walls of our churchesare either a verse-by-verse study or a fill-in-the-blank book that, in all likelihood,does not challenge the majority of the participants and leaves them bored with theBible classes. That boredom leads to disinterest, and the lack of interest leads toless and less study. Less study leads to ignorance, and ignorance leads to our owndestruction (cf. Hosea 4:6). Surely this is not our goal!

So what do we do to remedy this? Some have recognized that our brethren arebored with the current setup and have decided the only way to make it less boring isto put on some sort of dramatic presentations and puppet shows [for the youngercrowd], and some are even going for "mood music" to set the tone of the class.Some are forgoing Bible study altogether and are studying books of uninspired menand their classes resemble some sort of "Oprah's Book Club" group review. Someare opting to use denominational material [printed and visual] that teacheserroneous doctrines. Some have disbanded the Bible classes altogether [at least for

the adults] because they can see no other choice. Surely there is a better way!

There is a better way, but it seems that very few churches know it. Still others haveat least recognized that there is a better way but do not implement it for fear ofchanging things; they would much rather listen to those who say, "But we've alwaysdone it this way." Right. And what happens when you keep doing the same thingyou've always done? You keep getting the same thing you've always got: Christiansof all ages who do not know the word of God as thoroughly as they could. Whywould anyone refuse to change if it is for our own spiritual good? That I cannot

answer. But I believe we should question those who do not seem to want to growspiritually especially those leaders within our congregations who do notdemonstrate any interest in the spiritual growth of their flock! Why don't they justhand the sheep over to the wolves and get it over with?

If this seems a little blunt it is. But I believe we are at a point where someoneneeds to be blunt and say what needs to be said: There are far too many Christiansout there who do not have an adequate grasp of the Scriptures, and far too manyteachers, elders, leaders, and evangelists doing nothing about it. The apostle Paulhas told us that Jesus Christ established certain people within His church for the

equipping of the saints for the work of ministry (Eph. 4:11, 12). Those apostles,prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers are there for that very reason:equipping the saints. We must give our brethren the right equipment if we everexpect them to grow up in the faith.


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One of the best ways we can properly equip our brethren is to give them the wordsof their Master, Jesus Christ. Within those words, we will find the answers to dailyliving, daily questions, daily trials and temptations, and daily problems. Lackingthose words, we will fail at giving an answer for the hope that is within us (1 Pet.3:15), we will fail to answer with an It is written, and we will fail to find the way ofescape our Father provides for every temptation (1 Cor. 10:13). It is essential we getthe babe in Christ involved in daily Bible reading and regular Bible study. It is just asessential to get older Christians more involved in the same things. Do not assumethat just because someone was converted 'x' number of years ago that they have anadequate grasp of the Scriptures. In many cases, individuals have endured manyyears of verse-by-verse studies and fill-in-the-blank books with questions that arealmost insulting to a mature Christians' knowledge, and the result is a generation ofChristians bored with Bible classes and who have a hard time being motivated topick up their Bibles to cover [once again!] the same old tired methods and sufferthrough more regurgitated lectures from teachers who haven't even begun toscratch the surface of God's word.

By now, I am sure some of you are saying, "Okay, Mister Know-It-All, what's thesolution?!?" Please take my word for it that I do not know it all, but I do know a betterway than what most of us have endured for many years. The first thing to do is stopdoing verse-by-verse studies. There is a proper time for such a study, but if youbegin with that type of study, you are not considering the entire context of the bookor letter you are studying. Only after you are familiar with the book's main message,and only after you understand the thought of each portion of the book or letter[paragraphs and/or chapters] can you get down to the sentences or partial

sentences [which is what many verses are]. Imagine opening a book and readingonly half of a sentence. Would you be able to properly interpret the writer'smessage, or even that partial sentence? Of course not! So why start a Bible study inthat way?

The first thing to do when beginning a Bible study is start at the top, so to speak.Instead of beginning with a verse, start with the entire book! Do a survey study ofthe book and get a grasp of the writer's audience and his intended message. Writedown a short title for the book that conveys the writer's intended message. Then,once that is clear, consider a chapter at a time or if you're motivated enough to do

so a paragraph at a time. Make sure you understand the thought of eachparagraph and write it down somewhere you will be able to refer to later. Then and only then can we begin looking at a verse, or portion of a verse and see it inits proper context. [Think of an inverted pyramid as the method of studying eachbook.]

Once the study has begun, how do we go about it? Here may be the most importantpart of the study. If we study in the wrong way, we will miss the message entirely,misint

Basic Bible Lessons for Beginners

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