How to Study
the Bible
Dr.
Student’s Study Guide
How the Bible Came into Being
Chapter 1
Revelation
Divine Revelation
Everybody knows the Bible has been and continues to be the world’s bestseller, but not
everybody knows just how this amazing book came down to us today. It could have happened this way. At some
early ecumenical “Scripture
session,” a group of prophets and priests got together in
We said it could
have happened that way. But of course it did not. God used three wonderful
methods as he carefully carved out that most blessed of all books, the Bible.
These three “tools of the Trinity” are
referred to as revelation, inspiration, and illumination. Each of the tools were use
beginning with revelation.
Sometime around 1400 BC God began to quietly call
forty men and women into his presence. He did not call them in all at once. In
fact it took Him nearly fifteen centuries to complete the job. God spoke the
burden of His great heart in simple but sublime language to those chosen forty.
With a holy hush they heard God tell of creation and corruption, of
condemnation, justification, sanctification, and glorification. Weighty words,
indeed. When God had finished, the first tool in carving out the Bible was set
aside. Revelation had occurred.
With the first step completed the God began to
carefully guide each of the chosen human vessels in his assigned writing task.
Each of the forty was dealt with individually. Job, a rich farmer, wrote
differently than Amos, a poor farmer. The words of the educated Paul were more
complicated on occasion than those of the uneducated John or Peter. But in the
end they all carried with them the divine approval of heaven itself. Finally,
the last scribe laid down his pen. The angels watched as their Creator laid
aside the second tool in the making of His manuscript. Inspiration has taken place.
Soon many thousands of men and women joined the
ranks of those original forty and begin their assigned task of taking God’s
story of grace and glory to the uttermost parts of the earth. As they did,
untold multitudes were stopped in their tracks, convinced in their hearts and
saved from their sins. The secret power that accomplished all of this is called
illumination. Illumination continues
to take place by the ministry of God the Holy. To summarize thus far, God used
three tools to produce the Bible.
· God used revelation,
which refers to the way the Scriptures
come to us from God. Man hears that which God wants written.
· God used inspiration,
which refers to the way man wrote down that which God wanted written.
· God used illumination
which refers to the way man receives the light of that which God has written so
there is proper understanding concerning the divine will.
The Process of Receiving the
Bible
With these three concepts in mind the process of
how the Bible came into existence can be considered in detail. We know God
spoke to man, but how did He speak? The answer is given in Hebrews 1:1-2. “God, who at sundry times and in divers
manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by
his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the
worlds.”
The Bible informs us God spoke to the fathers and
prophets in many ways. A careful examination of the Bible reveals at least
seven different modes of communication.
First,
God often spoke to men through angels.
· Angels reassured Abraham of the birth of Isaac
and later informed him of God’s decision to destroy
· Angels warned
· The angel Gabriel explained to Daniel the nature
of the judgement to come upon
· Gabriel informed Zacharias he would have a son
who would become the forerunner of Christ (Luke
· Gabriel informed Mary that God had chosen her as
His vessel for Christ’s birth (Luke
· Angels announced the birth of Christ to the
shepherds (Luke 2:8-14).
· An angel announced the resurrection of Christ to
some women (Matt. 28:5-7).
· An angel directed Philip to the seeking eunuch
(Acts
· An angel directed Peter out of a Roman prison
(Acts 12:7-10).
Second, as
God spoke to men through angels so He spoke through a loud audible voice.
·
God spoke
directly to Adam (Gen. 3:9-19).
·
God spoke
directly to Noah (Gen. 6:13-21).
·
God spoke
directly to Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3).
·
God spoke
directly to Moses (Ex. 20:1-17).
·
God spoke
directly to Joshua (Josh. 1:1-9).
·
God spoke
directly to Samuel (1 Sam. 3:1-14).
·
God spoke
directly to Nathan, about David (2 Sam. 7:4-16).
·
God spoke
directly to Elijah (1 Kings 17:2-4).
·
God spoke
directly to Jeremiah (Jer. 1:4, 5).
Third, God spoke to men through nature.
·
Psalms 19:1-3 The
heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2
Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3 There
is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.
Fourth, God once spoke to a man through the mouth
of a donkey.
·
Numbers 22:28 And the
LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done
unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?
Fifth, God spoke to men through dreams.
On a number of occasions God chose this method.
·
Jacob
received the confirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant in a dream (Gen. 28:12).
·
Solomon
received both wisdom and a warning in a dream (1 Kings 3:5; 9:2).
·
Joseph in
the New Testament received three
messages in three dreams to assure him of Mary’s purity (Matt.
· The wise
men were warned of Herod’s evil intentions in a dream (Matt.
Sixth, God spoke to men through visions. Unger’s
Bible Dictionary defines a vision as, “A
supernatural presentation of certain scenery or circumstances to the mind of a
person while awake.” It may be noted that many great truths in the
Scriptures were related to men through this unique method.
·
Jacob was
instructed in a vision to go to
·
David was
warned of judgment in a vision (1 Chron.
·
Isaiah saw
God’s holiness in a vision (Isa. 6:1-8).
·
Daniel saw
the great Gentile powers rise and fall in a vision (Dan. 7, 8).
·
Daniel saw
the glories of Christ in a vision (Dan. 10:5-9).
·
Daniel saw
the rise and fall of Alexander the Great in a vision (Dan. 8).
·
Ezekiel saw
the re-gathering of
·
Ananias was
ordered to minister to Saul in a vision (Acts
·
Cornelius
was instructed to send for Peter in a vision (Acts 10:3-6).
·
Peter was
ordered to minister to Cornelius in a vision (Acts
·
Paul was
ordered to
·
Paul was
comforted at
·
Paul was
comforted at
·
Paul viewed
the glories of the third heaven in a vision (2 Cor. 12:1-4).
·
The Apostle
John received the book of Revelation in a vision.
Seventh, God spoke to men through Christophanies. A Christophany is a pre-Bethlehem appearance of
Christ. Some theologians have seen a number of these appearances in the Old
Testament, believing that the term “the
Angel of the Lord,” is actually another name of Christ. If this is true,
the following examples of Christophany communication could be submitted.
·
The Angel of
the Lord wrestled with Jacob (Gen. 32:24-30).
·
The Angel of
the Lord redeemed Jacob from all evil (Gen. 48:16).
·
The Angel of
the Lord spoke to Moses from the burning bush (Ex. 3:2).
·
The Angel of
the Lord protected
·
The Angel of
the Lord prepared
·
The Angel of
the Lord commissioned Gideon (
·
The Angel of
the Lord ministered to Elijah (1 Kings 19:7).
·
The Angel of
the Lord reassured Joshua (Josh.
·
The Angel of
the Lord saved
·
The Angel of
the Lord preserved three Godly Hebrew men (Dan.
In summary it is the belief
of the Church that God has spoken to men. He communicated His revelation to at
least forty human authors over a period of 1,500 years in three languages
(Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek) and on three continents (
v
Angels
v
direct verbal communication
v
Nature
v
Animals
v
Dreams
v
Visions and
v
Christophanies.
~*~
Quiz
How the Bible Came into Being
Chapter 1
1. List the three tools of the Trinity in
bringing the Bible into existence.
Answer.
2. Define revelation.
Answer.
3. Define inspiration.
Answer.
4. Define illumination.
Answer.
5. List four of the seven modes of
communication by God to man.
Answer.
6. In which century did God begin the process
of having individuals write His Word?
Answer.
7. List the three languages God used to write
His Word.
Answer.
8. About how many authors did God use to write
His Word?
Answer.
9. About how long did it take for the Bible to
be written?
Answer.
10. Does
anyone have an angel story to share?
~*~
Scripture References
Chapter 1
· Hebrews 2:1-2
· Genesis 18
· Genesis 19
· Daniel 9:21-27
· Luke 1:11-20
· Luke 1:26-37
· Luke 2:8-14
· Matthew 28:5-7
·
Acts
· Acts 12:7-10
· Genesis 3:9-19
· Genesis 6:13-21
· Genesis 12:1-3
· Exodus 20:17
· Joshua 1:1-9
· 1 Samuel 3:1-14
· 2 Samuel 7:4-16
· 1 Kings 17:2-4
· Jeremiah 1:4,5
· Psalm 19:1-3
·
Number
· Genesis 28:12
· 1 Kings 3:5
· 1 Kings 9:2
· Matthew 1:20
· Matthew 2:13
· Matthew 2:19-22
· Matthew 2:12
· Genesis 46:2
·
1 Chronicles
· Isaiah 6:1-8
· Daniel 7,8
· Daniel 10:5-9
· Daniel 8
· Ezekiel 37
·
Acts
· Acs 10:3-6
· Acts 10:10-16
· Acts 16:9
· Acts 19:9
·
Acts
· 2 Corinthians 12:1-4
· Genesis 32:24-30
· Genesis 48:16
· Exodus 3:2
· Exodus 14:19
· Exodus 23:20-23
· Psalm 34:7
· Isaiah 63:9
· 1 Corinthians 10:1-4
·
Judges
· 1 Kings 19:7
· Joshua 5:13-15
· Isaiah 37:36
· Daniel 3:25
~*~
How the Bible Came into Being
Chapter 2
Divine Inspiration
Having discussed
various possibilities and ways God may have employed in the giving of His
revelation to the human authors attention can be turned to consideration of the
next major step, that of inspiration. The ears have heard the message, but how
will the fingers react? What is involved in transferring the voice of God into
the vocabulary of man? Five areas can be examined along this particular line.
But before we do this, let us define the word itself.
The term “inspiration” is found but once in the
New Testament. This occurs in 2
The Natural Theory. This theory argues that the Bible writers were
inspired in the same sense that William Shakespeare was inspired. In other
words, that spark of divine inspiration that
supposedly is in all men simply burned a little brighter in the hearts of the Bible writers.
This theory of
inspiration is totally rejected by the Apostle Paul in 2
Peter wrote, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the
scripture is of any private interpretation” (2 Pet.
The Mechanical Theory. This theory contends that God coldly and in a wood like manner dictated the Bible to His
writers as an office manager would dictate an impersonal letter to his
secretary. But that cannot be the case. The Bible
is the story of divine love, and God is anything but mechanical or cold
concerning this subject. The Holy Spirit did not violate the limits of the
writer’s vocabulary. This fact is reflected in the fact that the educated Paul
uses many specialized Greek words, while the less educated John employs more
common language. But God equally inspired both writings for “All Scripture is God-breathed” (2
“The Church has never held what has been
stigmatized as the mechanical theory of inspiration. The sacred writers were
not machines. Their self-consciousness was not suspended; nor were their intellectual powers superseded. Holy men spoke as
they were moved by the Holy Ghost. It was men not machines; not unconscious
instruments, but living, thinking, willing minds, whom the Spirit used as His
organs…The sacred writers impressed their peculiarities on their several
productions as plainly as though they were the subjects of no extraordinary
influence.” (Systematic Theology, Vol. I, p. 157).
The Content or Concept Theory. This theory maintains that only the main thought
of a paragraph or chapter is inspired. This theory is immediately refuted by
many biblical passages beginning with Matthew 5:18. “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one
tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”
Then there is 2 Samuel
23:1,2, which says,
“Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man
who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet
psalmist of Israel said, The Spirit of the Lord spake
by me, and his word was in my tongue.”
One reason for
embracing the content or concept theory is a fear that the Bible might be
proven to be in error on certain facts regarding geography, history or science.
But there is no need to worry about that. The Bible has never been proven to be
in error on any given point of substance.
The Partial Theory—that only certain parts of the
Bible are inspired. This of
course is the position of the liberal theologian who would cheerfully accept
those portions of the Bible which deal with love and brotherhood, but quickly
reject the passages dealing with sin, righteousness, and future judgment. But
let it be said that heaven and hell are like up and down—you can not have one
without the other. Paul refutes the partial theory in 2
In his textbook, A Dispensational
Theology, Dr. Charles F. Baker
writes: “A certain bishop is purported to
have said that he believed the Bible to have been inspired in spots. When asked
for his authority for such a statement, he quoted Hebrews 1:1, stating that
this meant that God spoke at various times in varying degrees. Thus, some spots
were fully inspired, others were only partially inspired, and still others were
not inspired at all. The bishop was embarrassed when a layman asked: ‘How do
you know that Hebrews 1:1, the one Scripture upon which you base your argument,
is one of those fully inspired spots?’” (p. 38). The whole Bible loses the confidence of the
reader if only select spots were inspired.
The Spiritual-Rule-Only Theory. This says the Bible may be regarded as our infallible rule of faith and
practice in all matters of religious, ethical, and spiritual value, but not in
other matters such as historical and scientific statements. This is pious
nonsense. Consider the following: Here is a pastor greatly beloved by his
congregation. How would this man of God feel if only his “moral” and “spiritual”
statements made in the pulpit were accepted by his members? How would he react
when the members would smile and take lightly any scientific or historical
statements he might make? The fallacy of the spiritual-rule-only theory is that
any book or man whose scientific or historical statements are open to question
can certainly not be trusted in matters of moral and spiritual pronouncements!
This theory is soundly refuted by Jesus himself in John 3:12. “If I have told you earthly things, and ye
believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?”
The Plenary-Verbal Theory. This theory insists that that all (plenary) the
very words (verbal) of the Bible are
inspired by God. This view alone
must be the correct one for the Christian Church to embrace. There are many Scriptural reasons to do so.
·
Matthew 4:4. “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by
every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”
·
2
·
John 17:8. “For I have given unto them the words
which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I
came out from thee and they have believed that thou didst send me.”
·
John 6:63. “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the
flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and
they are life.”
Concerning the issue
of inspiration the Scriptures are not
silent on the topic. The Bible strongly claims its writings are from God.
Compiling a few choice texts, we discover the following.
·
The prophet
thought up no Old Testament Scripture
himself. 2 Peter
·
The Holy
Spirit gave all Old Testament Scriptures
as he moved upon men. 2 Peter
·
This
Spirit-breathed inspiration was given in many ways. Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in
time past unto the fathers by the prophets.
·
Once it was
given, this inspired writing could not be broken or shaken down (John
·
John 10:35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and
the scripture cannot be broken.
· Matthew
5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one
tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
· 1 Peter
The Old
Testament writers did not always understand the nature of everything they wrote
about (Luke 10:23, 24; 1 Pet. 1:10-12). They did not completely understand the
details of Christ’s suffering. They did understand that the mysteries would be
clearer to a generation other than theirs.
Luke 10:23 And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: 24 For I tell you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
· 1 Peter
1:10-12 Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently,
who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11 Searching what, or
what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, minister
the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the
gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the
angels desire to look into. When it testified beforehand the sufferings of
Christ, and the glory that should follow. 12 Unto whom it was revealed, that
not unto themselves, but unto us they did,
· The four Gospels were given by inspiration of
God. Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times
and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets. 2
Peter 3:2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the
holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and
Saviour:
· Paul believed God inspired his writings. 1 Corinthians 2:4 And my speech and my
preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of
the Spirit and of power: 1 Corinthians
15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that
Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 For
this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the
word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as
it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that
believe. 1 Thessalonians
· Paul used the Holy Spirit’s words to explain the
Holy Spirit’s facts. 1 Corinthians 2:13
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but
which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
· Paul’s writings were received through a special
revelation from Christ. Galatians 1:11-12
But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was
preached of me is not after man. 12 For I neither
received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus
Christ.
· Paul’s writings were to be read by all. Colossians 4:6 Let your speech be alway with
grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every
man. 1 Thessalonians
· Peter believed God inspired his writings. 2 Peter 3:2 That ye
may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and
of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour.
· Peter believed Paul’s writings were inspired. 2 Peter 3:15-16 And account that the
longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also
according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16 As also in all
his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard
to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do
also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
· John believed his writings were inspired. John
warned that if anyone added to his words, God would add horrible plagues to him
and that if anyone subtracted from his words, God would remove his name from
the
What are the implications of inspiration?
As one carefully
considers the subject of inspiration the following nine conclusions can be
noted.
·
First, plenary-verbal inspiration does not teach
that all parts of the Bible are equally important, but only
those they are equally inspired. For example, Judges
·
Second, plenary-verbal inspiration does not
guarantee the inspiration of any modern or ancient translation of the Bible,
but deals only with the original Hebrew and Greek languages.
·
Third, plenary-verbal inspiration does not allow
for any false teaching, but it does on occasion record the lie of someone. For example, Satan distorts the truth and lies to
Eve (Gen. 3:4). Therefore we have an accurate record of the devil’s words. As
one reads the Bible, he must carefully distinguish between what God records and
what he sanctions. Thus, while lying, murder, adultery, and polygamy are to be
found in the Word of God, the God of the Word never approves them.
·
Fourth, plenary-verbal inspiration does not
permit any historical, scientific, or prophetical error whatsoever. While it is admitted that the Bible is not a
textbook on science, it is nevertheless held that every scientific statement in
the Scriptures is absolutely true.
·
Fifth, plenary-verbal inspiration does not
prohibit personal research. The
New Testament writer Luke begins his Gospel account with the following words: “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile
an account of the things accomplished among us, just as those who from the
beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the Word have handed them down to
us, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully
from the beginning, to write it out…” (Luke 1:1-3, nasb).
·
Sixth, plenary-verbal inspiration does not deny
the use of extra-biblical sources. Here several examples come to mind.
q
On at least
two occasions, Paul quotes from heathen authors. Acts 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and
have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also
his offspring. Titus 1:12 One of
themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The
Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
q
Jude quotes
from an ancient Hebrew book, one not included in the Bible. Jude 14-15 And Enoch also, the seventh from
Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands
of his saints, 15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are
ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly
committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken
against him.
·
Seventh, plenary-verbal inspiration does not
overwhelm the personality of the human author. The Bible writers experienced no coma-like trances as do some mediums
during a séance, but on the contrary, always retained their physical, mental,
and emotional powers. Various passages testify to this.
Isaiah 6:1-11 In the year that king
Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and
his train filled the
temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphims:
each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered
his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said,
Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. 4 And the
posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was
filled with smoke. 5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am
undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a
people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. 6
Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live
coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7 And
he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine
iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. 8 Also I heard the voice of the
Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for
us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. 9 And he said, Go, and tell this people,
Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 10
Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with
their heart, and convert, and be healed. 11 Then said
I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be
wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly
desolate (cf. Daniel 12).
· Eighth,
plenary-verbal inspiration does not exclude the usage of pictorial and symbolic
language. This is to say the
Holy Spirit does not demand we accept every word in the Bible in a wooden and
legalistic way. For example, a case could not be made that God has feathers
like a bird, by referring to Psalm 91:4. Here the thought is simply that the
persecuted believer can flee to his heavenly Father for protection and warmth.
·
Ninth,
plenary-verbal inspiration does not mean uniformity in all details given in
describing the same event. Here an Old Testament and a New Testament example
come to mind.
·
Old Testament example: The wicked reign of King Manasseh is vividly
described for us in two separate chapters. These are 2 Kings 21:1-18 and 2
Chronicles 33:1-20. In 2 Kings we read only of his sinful ways, but in 2
Chronicles we are told of his eventual prayers of forgiveness and subsequent
salvation.
The reason for this may be that God allowed the
author of 2 Kings to describe the reign of Manasseh from an earthly standpoint
(even though he inspired the pen of the author), while he guided the pen of the
author of 2 Chronicles to record Manasseh’s reign from a heavenly viewpoint.
God alone, of course, knows true repentance when he sees it coming from the
human heart.
· New
Testament example: There are
four different accounts concerning the superscription on the cross at
Matthew says, “This is Jesus the King of the
Jews” (Mt. 27:37).
Mark says, “The King of the Jews” (Mark
Luke says, “This
is the King of the Jews” (Luke
John says, “Jesus of
The entire title probably read, “This is Jesus of
·
Plenary-verbal inspiration assures us that God
included all the necessary things he wanted us to know, and excluded everything
else (2
What is the Importance
of inspiration?
Of the three tools involved in the making of our Bible,
inspiration is the most important. This is true because of the following.
· It is
possible to have inspiration without revelation. We have already seen how Luke carefully checked
out certain facts concerning the life of Christ and was then led to write them
on paper.
Luke 1:1-4 Forasmuch as many
have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which
are most surely believed among us, 2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which
from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; 3 It seemed
good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very
first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, 4 That thou
mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
1
John 1:1-4 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we
have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled,
of the Word of life; 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and
bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father,
and was manifested unto us;) 3 That which we have seen and heard declare we
unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is
with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we
unto you, that your joy may be full.
· It is
possible to have inspiration without illumination. Peter tells us the Old Testament prophets did
not always understand everything they wrote about (1 Pet.
Is Inspiration Still Going on Today?
Has God
inspired the writing (or will he someday) of a sixty-seventh book of the Bible?
For nearly twenty centuries now, evangelical Christians everywhere have held to
the belief that when John the apostle wrote Revelation
·
God could
have inspired the wicked writings of cult leaders (such as a Joseph Smith, or a
Mary Baker Eddy, or a Charles Russell, or a Herbert W. Armstrong).
·
Perhaps the
Church still does not possess all the details concerning the plan of salvation,
details vital to escape hell and enter heaven.
·
God has
allowed millions of devoted and faithful Christians to believe a horrible lie
for some 2000 years.
~*~
Quiz
How the Bible Came into Being
Chapter 2
Divine Inspiration
1. How many times is the term
inspiration used in the New Testament?
Answer.
2. Explain the Natural Theory
of inspiration.
Answer.
3. Explain the Mechanical
Theory of inspiration.
Answer.
4. Explain the Content or
Concept Theory of inspiration.
Answer.
5. Explain the Partial Theory
of Inspiration.
Answer.
6. Explain the
Spiritual-Rule-Only Theory of inspiration.
Answer.
7. The Plenary-Verbal Theory of
inspiration.
Answer.
8. True or false. The Bible
strongly claims its writings are from God?
Answer.
9. Did Paul believe his
writings were inspired?
Answer.
10. Did Peter believe Paul’s writings were
inspired?
Answer.
11. Did Peter believe his own
writings were inspired?
Answer.
12. True or false.
·
The Plenary-Verbal Inspiration Theory teaches that all parts of the
Bible are equally important.
Answer. False. They are inspired.
·
The Plenary-Verbal Inspiration Theory guarantees the inspiration of
every modern and ancient translation of the Bible.
Answer.
·
The Plenary-Verbal Inspiration Theory allows for false teaching.
Answer.
·
The
Plenary-Verbal Inspiration Theory permits historical, scientific, and prophetical
error.
Answer.
·
The
Plenary-Verbal Inspiration Theory does not prohibit personal research.
Answer.
·
The
Plenary-Verbal Inspiration Theory denies the use of extra-biblical sources.
Answer.
·
The Plenary-Verbal Inspiration Theory does not
overwhelm the personality of the human author.
Answer.
·
The Plenary-Verbal Inspiration Theory excludes
the usage of pictorial and symbolic language.
Answer.
· The Plenary-Verbal Inspiration Theory demands uniformity in all details given in describing the same event.
Answer.
· Plenary-verbal inspiration assures us that God included all the necessary things he wanted us to know, and excluded everything else.
Answer.
13. Is
inspiration important in Christian theology?
Answer.
14. Is inspiration still going on today?
Answer.
~*~
Quiz
How the Bible Came into Being
Student Handout
Chapter 2
Divine Inspiration
1. How many times is the term
inspiration used in the New Testament?
2. Explain the Natural Theory
of inspiration.
3. Explain the Mechanical
Theory of inspiration.
4. Explain the Content or
Concept Theory of inspiration.
5. Explain the Partial Theory
of Inspiration.
6. Explain the
Spiritual-Rule-Only Theory of inspiration.
7. The Plenary-Verbal Theory of
inspiration.
8. True or false. The Bible
strongly claims its writings are from God?
9. Did Paul believe his
writings were inspired?
10. Did Peter believe Paul’s writings were
inspired?
11. Did Peter believe his own
writings were inspired?
12. True or false.
·
The Plenary-Verbal Inspiration Theory teaches that all parts of the
Bible are equally important.
·
The Plenary-Verbal Inspiration Theory guarantees the inspiration of
every modern and ancient translation of the Bible.
·
The Plenary-Verbal Inspiration Theory allows for false teaching.
· The Plenary-Verbal Inspiration Theory permits
historical, scientific, and prophetical error.
· The Plenary-Verbal Inspiration Theory does not
prohibit personal research.
· The Plenary-Verbal Inspiration Theory denies the
use of extra-biblical sources.
· The Plenary-Verbal Inspiration Theory does not
overwhelm the personality of the human author.
· The Plenary-Verbal Inspiration Theory excludes the usage of pictorial and symbolic language.
· The Plenary-Verbal Inspiration Theory demands uniformity in all details given in describing the same event.
· Plenary-verbal inspiration assures us that God included all the necessary things he wanted us to know, and excluded everything else.
13. Is
inspiration important in Christian theology?
14. Is inspiration still going on today?
~*~
How the Bible Came into
Being
Chapter 3
Divine Illumination
Having
argued that without inspiration no Scripture ever would have been written it
can now be argued that without illumination, no sinner ever would ever be
saved! Illumination is that method used by the Holy Spirit to shed divine light
upon all seeking soul as they look into the Word
of God. Illumination is from the written word to the human heart. Why is
this third step of divine illumination necessary? Why cannot sinful man simply
read and heed the biblical message without divine aid?
·
Divine illumination is necessary because of
natural blindness. Paul writes, “But the natural man receiveth not the
things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he
know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor.
Our Lord
also commented on this during his earthly ministry: “And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art
the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath
not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (Mt.
·
It is necessary because of satanic blindness. Again we note the sober words of Paul: “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them
that are lost: In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them
which believe not…” (2 Cor. 4:3, 4).
· It is
necessary because of carnal blindness. Hebrews 5:12-14 For when for the
time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be
the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of
milk, and not of strong meat. 13 For every one that useth milk is unskillful in
the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14 But
strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of
use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
What are the practical results of illumination?
· Sinners are saved. Psalm 146:8 “The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind…” Psalm 119:130
“The entrance of thy words giveth light…”
· Christians are strengthened. 1 Peter 2:2 “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” 1 Corinthians 2:10 “But God
hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit…”
2 Corinthians 4:6 “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of
darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of knowledge…” Palm
119:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
The implications
of illumination are practical.
· Because the mind of the natural man is darkened
and blinded the Holy Spirit must first shine truth upon the heart.
·
Because the
mind of the converted man is sluggish he must pray and seek for spiritual
understanding. Illumination is not automatic. God has never promised to reveal
precious and profound biblical truths to any believer who will not search the
Scriptures for himself. Note the following admonitions. Matthew 4:4 “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” John
The
Holy Spirit often seeks out the aid of a believer in performing his task of
illuminating the hearts of others.
· The Holy Spirit used Philip
to speak to the Ethiopian eunuch. Acts 8:30,31,35
“And Philip ran hither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said,
Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How
can I, except some man should guide me…Then Philip opened his mouth, and began
at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.”
·
The Holy
Spirit used Paul to minister to the Jews at Thessalonica. Acts 17:2 “And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three
Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures.”
· Paul used
·
The Holy
Spirit used Apollos to minister to the Jews at
~*~
Quiz
How the Bible Came into Being
Chapter 3
Illumination
1. List three reasons why divine illumination is necessary.
Answer.
·
·
·
2. List two practical results of illumination.
Answer.
·
·
3. Why must the Holy Spirit first shine truth upon the heart?
Answer.
4. Is illumination automatic or something that is certain to happen?
Answer.
5. What does the Holy Spirit use in performing the task of illumination?
Answer.
~*~
How the Bible Came into
Being
Chapter 4
Different Views of the Bible
The
View of
In spite of her sin
and sorrows, Old Testament
The View of the Early Church
During the third, fourth, and fifth centuries the church held
no less than 184 councils, not to deal with civil rights, ecology problems, or
political ills, but to deal with any and all heresy that would dare tamper with
the pure Word of God.
The View of Agnosticism
In the book, A Guide
to the Religions of America,
Dr. Bertrand Russell makes the following statement: “An agnostic regards the Bible exactly as enlightened clerics regard
it. He does not think that it is divinely inspired; he thinks its early history
legendary, and no more exactly true than that in Homer; he thinks its moral
teaching sometimes good, but sometimes very bad. For example: Samuel ordered
Saul, in a war, to kill not only every man, woman, and child of the enemy, but
also all the sheep and cattle. Saul, however, let the sheep and cattle live,
and for this we are told to condemn him. I have never been able to admire
Elisha for cursing the children who laughed at him, or to believe (what the
Bible asserts) that a benevolent Deity would send two she-bears to kill the
children.”
The View of Liberalism
Probably the
most famous liberal of the twentieth century was the late Harry Emerson
Fosdick. He has written the following words which typify the liberal attitude: “When one moves back to the Scriptures with
a mind accustomed to work in modern ways he finds himself in a strange world.…Knowing modern astronomy he turns to the Bible to
find the sun and the moon standing still on the shadow retreating on a sundial.
Knowing modern biology he hears that when Elisha had been so long dead that
only his bones were left, another dead body, thrown into the cave where he was
buried, touched his skeleton and sprang to life again, or that after our Lord’s
resurrection many of the saints long deceased arose and appeared in Jerusalem. Knowing modern physics he
turns to the Bible to read that light was created three days before the sun and
that an axe-head floated when Elisha threw a stick into the water. Knowing
modern medicine he finds in the Scripture many familiar ailments, epilepsy,
deafness, dumbness, blindness, insanity, ascribed to the visitation of demons…We
live in a new world. We have not kept the forms of thought and categories of
explanation in astronomy, geology, biology, which the Bible contains. We have
definitely and irrevocably gotten new ones…”
The View of the Cults
In general it may be
said that the major cults and sects of Christianity give lip service to the
Bible; nevertheless they look upon the writings of their various founders as
equal if not superior to the Scriptures.
For example, the Christian Scientist was founded by Mary Baker Eddy;
1821-1910). George Channing, an international Christian Science lecturer and
practitioner, writes the following. “Each
person, of any religion, can find what is satisfying to him as the spiritual
meaning in the Bible. But Christian Scientists feel that Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy’s
Book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, offers the complete
spiritual meaning of the Bible. They believe that this full meaning would not
have been available to them without Mrs. Eddy’s discovery.”
The Jehovah’s Witnesses
was founded by Charles Taze Russell; 1851-1916. Mr. Russell calmly announces in
the opening pages of his Studies in the
Scriptures that it would be far
better to leave the Bible unread but read his comments on it than to omit his
writings and read the Bible.
Mormonism was founded
by Joseph Smith; 1805-1844. This cult teaches that the Book of Mormon, first printed in 1830, must be
regarded on an equal basis with the Bible.
The
View of Mysticism
Those holding this
view lean heavily upon that divine “inner
light” to reveal and guide them into all truth. Thus the personal
experiences, feelings, etc., of an individual are looked upon as vital to
discovering divine truth along with the Word of God itself.
The
Position of Neo-Orthodoxy
Neo-orthodoxy is a
view made popular by the German theologian Karl Barth in his Epistle to the Romans first published in 1918. This position
holds that the Bible may well contain
the Word of God, but that, until it
becomes such, it is as dead and uninspired as any other ancient or modern
historical book might be. Thus the Bible
is not to be viewed as objective, but subjective in nature. It is only the Word of God as it becomes the Word of God
to an individual.
Neo-orthodoxy would
thus view the first eleven chapters as
“religious myths.” This term is defined as a “conveyer of theological truth in a historical garb, but which
theological truth is not dependent upon the historicity of the garb itself for
its validity.”
In the latter part of
1957, one of the leaders of this position wrote the following: “The New Evangelicalism in the latest dress
of orthodoxy or Neo-orthodoxy is the latest expression of theological
liberalism. The New Evangelicalism differs from Fundamentalism in its
willingness to handle the social problems which Fundamentalism evaded. There
need be no dichotomy between the personal gospel and the social gospel…The New
Evangelicalism has changed its strategy from one of separation to one of
infiltration…The evangelical believes that Christianity is intellectually
defensible but the Christian cannot be obscurantist in scientific questions
pertaining to the Creation, the age of man, the Universality of the flood and
other moot biblical questions.”
This view holds that the Bible alone is the illuminated, inspired revelation of God and is
therefore the sole ground of authority for believers. Orthodoxy claims the Bible is objective in nature and
proclaims not a social gospel, but a sinner gospel. According to this view,
whenever there is a clear contradiction between the Bible and any assumed “fact”
of history or science, it is that “fact”
which must give way to the Bible, and not the reverse. This was the view of the
Old Testament writers concerning the Old Testament.
·
Moses. Exodus 4:10-12 And Moses said unto the LORD,
O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken
unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. 11 And the
LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? Or who
maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I the LORD? 12
Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt
say.
·
Samuel. 1 Samuel
·
Joshua. Joshua 23:14 And, behold, this day I am
going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your
souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD
your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing
hath failed thereof.
·
David. 2
Samuel 23:2-3 The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. 3 The God of
·
Isaiah. Isaiah 1:10 Hear the word of
the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of
It should be remembered that the Old Testament refers to itself as the Word of God some 3,808 times, which is why the New Testament writers were convinced the Old Testament was of
divine origin. The New Testament
writers refer to at least 161 Old
Testament events and quote from over 246 Old Testament passages. Some of these events and passages are as
follows:
·
Creation
(Gen. 1:1; Heb. 11:3)
·
Man made in
God’s image (Gen. 1:26; 1 Cor. 11:7)
·
God resting
(Gen. 2:2, 3; Heb. 4:4)
·
The
institution of marriage (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:4-6)
·
The fall
(Gen. 3:6-8; Rom.
·
the murder
of Abel (Gen. 4:8; 1 Jn.
·
Enoch’s
translation (Gen. 5:21-24; Heb. 11:5)
·
The ark of
Noah (Gen. 6:14-16; 7:1-12; Luke
·
The call of
Abraham (Gen. 12:1; Heb. 11:8)
·
The meeting
of Abraham and Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18-20; Heb. 7:1-4)
·
The
destruction of
·
Isaac’s
birth (Gen. 19:20; Gal.
·
The offering
up of Isaac (Gen. 22:10; Heb.
·
The burning
bush (Ex. 3:2; Luke
·
The Exodus
(Ex. 12-14; Acts
·
The giving
of manna (Ex.
·
The giving
of the law (Ex. 20; Gal.
·
The serpent
of brass (Num. 21:8, 9; John
·
Elijah and
the drought (1 Kings 17; Luke
·
The healing
of Naaman (2 Kings
·
Daniel in
the lion’s den (Dan.
·
Jonah in the
belly of the fish (Jonah
Some of the Old Testament
passages referred to in the New Testament
are as follows.
· Be ye holy, for I am holy (Lev.
· I will never leave thee nor forsake thee (Josh.
1:5; Heb. 13:5).
· Be ye angry and sin not (Ps. 4:4; Eph.
· There is none righteous, no not one (Ps. 14:1;
Rom.
· Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth (Prov.
· God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes
(Isa. 25:8; Rev. 21:4).
· Death is swallowed up in victory (Hosea
· I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh (Joel
· Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord
shall be saved (Joel
· The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof
(Ps. 24:1; 1 Cor.
· My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord
(Prov.
· Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord
(Ps. 118:26; Matt. 21:9).
· Charity covereth a multitude of sins (Prov.
· How beautiful are the feet of them that preach
the gospel (Isa. 52:7; Rom.
This was the
view of the New Testament writers concerning the New Testament.
·
Peter’s
testimony (2 Pet. 3:2).
·
Paul’s
testimony (1 Cor. 2:4, 13; 15:3; 1 Thess.
·
John’s
testimony (Rev. 22:18, 19).
·
James’
testimony (Jas.
·
Jude’s
testimony (Jude 3).
Certainly the Lord Jesus
Christ believed the Old Testament was the Word of God.
·
Our Lord
began his ministry by quoting from the Old Testament. Compare Matthew 4:4, 7,
10 with Deuteronomy 8:3;
· Our Lord ended his ministry by quoting from the
Old Testament. Five of his last seven statements on the cross were lifted from
the pages of the Old Testament. Compare:
q
Luke
q
Luke
q
Matthew 27:
46 with Psalms 22:1
q
John 19: 28
with Psalms 69:21
q
Luke 23: 46
with Psalms 31:5
· Our Lord preached one of his first public
messages from an Old Testament text. Luke
4:16-19 And he came to
· Our Lord informed the Pharisees they erred, “not knowing the scriptures.” Matthew
22:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures,
nor the power of God.
· Our Lord justified his own actions by referring
to the Old Testament:
q
When he ate
on the Sabbath (Matt. 12:1-8).
q
When he
healed on the Sabbath (Matt.
q
When he
cleansed the
q
When he
accepted the praise of the crowds at his triumphal entry (Matt.
· Our Lord believed in the history of the Old
Testament. He referred to—
q Creation (Mark 10:6).
q Noah’s ark (Matt. 24:38).
q
q Destruction of
q Jonah and the fish (Matt.
q The Queen of
q The repentance of
q Naaman the leper (Luke
q Elijah and the widow (Luke
q
Moses and
the serpent (John
q
The first
marriage (Matt. 19:5-7).
q
The blood of
Abel (Luke
q
Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob (Matt.
q
The burning
bush (Luke
q
The
wilderness manna (John
q
The murder
of Zacharias (Matt.
Our Lord said the law would be fulfilled (Matt.
~*~
Quiz
How the Bible Came into
Being
Chapter 4
Different Views of the Bible
1.
What view did
Answer.
2. Why did the early church hold councils?
Answer.
3. What is the view of agnosticism in regards to the Bible?
Answer.
4. What view does the liberal theologian have with respect to the Bible?
Answer.
5. Describe the view of the cults towards the Bible.
Answer.
6. How does the church of Rome treat the Scriptures?
Answer.
7. Describe the view of Mysticism in relationship to the Bible.
Answer.
8. What is the position of Neo-Orthodoxy in regard to Scripture?
Answer.
9. Is the view of neo-evangelicalism progressive in its gospel expression?
Answer.
10. Is the orthodox position of the Scriptures the most conservative of all the views?
Answer.
11. About how many times in the does the Bible refer to itself as the Word of God?
Answer.
A
Analogies of the Bible
Chapter 5
What the Bible is Like
The
Bible is called a mirror because it reflects the mind of God and the true
condition of man.
·
James 1:23-25 For if any be a hearer of the word,
and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24
For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what
manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and
continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this
man shall be blessed in his deed.
The
Bible is called a seed because, once properly planted, it brings forth life,
growth, and fruit.
·
1 Peter
1:2 3 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but
of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
·
James
·
Matthew
13:18-23 “Hear ye therefore the
parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and
understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which
was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. But he
that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word,
and anon with joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for
a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by
and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that
heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches,
choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the
good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also
beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some
thirty.”
The Bible
is called water because of its cleansing, quenching, and refreshing
qualities.
·
Psalms 42:1 As the hart
panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
·
Psalms 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man
cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to
thy word.
·
Proverbs 25:25 As cold
waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.
·
Isaiah 55:10 For as the rain cometh down, and the
snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh
it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the
eater.
·
Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, even
as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might
sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might
present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any
such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.”
·
Hebrews 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart
in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
·
Revelation 22:17 And the
Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him
that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life
freely.
The
Bible is called a lamp because it
shows us where we are now, it guides us in the next step, and it keeps us from
falling.
· Psalm
119:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”
· Proverbs
6:23 “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of
instruction are the way of life.”
· 2 Peter
1:19. “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye
take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn,
and the day star arise in your hearts.”
The
Bible is called a sword because of
its piercing ability, operating with equal; effectiveness upon sinners, saints,
and Satan. Of the various armor pieces mentioned in Ephesians 6:11-17, all to
be worn by the believer, the only offensive piece is the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
·
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and
powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing
asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of
the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).
·
Ephesians 6:17 “And take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
The Bible is referred
to as precious metals because of its desirability, its preciousness, its
beauty, and its value.
·
Psalm 119:27 “Therefore I love thy commandments
above gold; yea above fine gold.”
·
Psalm 12:6 “The words of the Lord are pure words:
as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.”
The Bible is referred to as nourishing food because of the
strength it imparts.
The Bible is like Milk
1 Peter 2:2 “As newborn babes,
desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.”
The Bible is like Meat
Hebrews 5:12-14 “For when for the time ye
ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first
principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and
not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of
righteousness; for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of
full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to
discern both good and evil.”
The Bible is like Bread
John 6:51 “I am the living
bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live
forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the
life of the world.”
The Bible is like Honey
Psalm 19:10 “More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold:
sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.”
The
Bible is Like a Hammer
The
Bible is referred to as a hammer because of its ability to both tear down and
build up.
·
Jeremiah 23:29 Is not my word like as a fire?
Saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
·
Acts 9:4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a
voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
·
Jude 20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves
on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.
~*~
Quiz
Analogies of the Bible
Chapter 5
What the Bible is Like
1.
Why is the Bible like a mirror?
Answer.
2.
In what way
is the Bible like a seed?
Answer.
3.
Why is the Bible called water? D
Answer.
4.
How is the Bible like a lamp?
Answer.
5.
In what way
is the Bible like a sword?
Answer.
6.
Why is the Bible likened to precious metals?
Answer.
7.
How is the Bible like nourishing food?
Answer.
8.
How is the
bible like a hammer.
Answer.
~*~
The Bible Invites the
Use of Human Reason
Chapter 6
God gave us our minds
and desires that we should use them! This is seen in two classic passages, one
directed to the unsaved, the other to the saved. Isaiah 1:18 says, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith
the Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” Paul said in Romans 12:1,2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,
acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to
this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may
prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
However,
there are times when God desires us to submit our human reasoning to Him. Note
the following admonition in Proverbs 3:5-7. “Trust
in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In
all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in
thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.”
Often our reasoning is as the thinking of Naaman,
who when asked to take a sevenfold bath in Jordan’s muddy waters, angrily
replied, “Behold, I thought, He will
surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and
strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper” (2 Kings 5:11).
But
Elisha did not do so. Often God’s ways are different from our ways. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your
thoughts” (Isa. 55:8, 9).
Christ: The Head of the Church
The
New Testament abounds with passages
that declare Christ the Head of the Church.
·
Ephesians 1:22 And hath put all things under his
feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
·
Ephesians 2:19-20 Now therefore ye are no more
strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the
household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
·
Ephesians 4:15-16 But speaking the truth in love,
may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16 From
whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every
joint supplieth, according to the effectual working
in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of
itself in love.
·
Ephesians 5:23-30 For the husband is the head of
the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of
the body. 24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives
be to their own husbands in every thing. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as
Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might
sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might
present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any
such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to
love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it,
even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and
of his bones.
·
Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body,
the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all
things he might have the preeminence.
·
Colossians 2:9 For in him dwelleth all the
fullness of the Godhead bodily.
The Savior, it must be remembered, gave birth
to the Church, and not the other way around (Matt. 16:18). Therefore the
Christian must look to the Bible and
not to any earthly religious structure for final instruction. Sometimes even
those local churches mentioned in the Bible
itself were grievously wrong. Note the following description of New Testament churches, some of which
were started by Paul himself.
The Church at Ephesus. “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee,
because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art
fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee
quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent”
(Rev. 2:4, 5).
The
Church at Pergamos. “But I have a few things against thee,
because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac
to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things
sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that
hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. Repent; or else I
will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my
mouth” (Rev. 2:14-16).
The Church at Thyatira. “Notwithstanding I have a few things against
thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a
prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to
eat things sacrificed unto idols” (Rev. 2:20).
The
Church at Sardis. “And unto the angel of the church in Sardis
write: These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven
stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.
Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: For
I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast
received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not
watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will
come upon thee” (Rev. 3:1-3).
The Church at Laodicea. “I know thy works, that thou art neither
cold nor hot. I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm,
and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou
sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and
knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and
naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be
rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy
nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest
see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent”
(Rev. 3:15-19).
Tradition
In this atomic and space age where change occurs
at rocket speed, many have come to appreciate some of our beautiful traditions
of the past. And rightly so! But traditions, like changes, can be wrong. If a
thing was in error when it began, it is still in error regardless of the
centuries that separate it from us today. Often in the past, hurtful “traditions of the fathers” had crept
into the church of the living God. Our Savior himself was grieved over some
harmful Jewish traditions. Note his words in Matthew 15:6, “ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.” Later Paul would warn also of this. “Beware lest any man spoil you through
philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of
the world, and not after Christ” (Col. 2:8).
Popes and Preachers
Even the godliest pastors are, after all, only finite men fully capable (apart from God’s grace) of the vilest sins. This is true of popes as well.
Feelings
and Experiences
At
times Christians fall into error because they “feel led” to do or say certain things. However, we must learn that
at times our feelings can be treacherous and totally untrustworthy. The
psalmist often spoke of this.
· Psalm
27:17 “I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.”
· Psalm
42:5 “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in me?
hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.”
·
Psalm 77:1-10 “I cried unto God with my voice,
even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me. In the day of my trouble
I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to
be comforted. I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit
was overwhelmed. Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. I call to
remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit
made diligent search. Will the Lord cast off for ever? And
will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? Doth his
promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger
shut up his tender mercies? And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will
remember the years of the right hand of the most High.”
·
Palm 116:11 “I said in my haste, All men are
liars.”
This is not only the case with our feelings, but also our experiences. One of Job’s three “friends,” Eliphaz, based all his advice to the suffering Job on experience (Job 4:12-16). He is later severely rebuked by God himself for doing this (Job 42:7). Thus, as valuable as personal experience may be, it is no substitute for the revealed Word of God. Listed are the various functions of this authoritative book called the Bible.
·
It upholds. Psalms 119:116 Uphold me according unto thy
word, that I may live: and let me not be ashamed of my hope.
·
It orders
steps. Psalms 119:133 Order my steps in
thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.
·
It produces
joy. Psalms 119:162 I rejoice at thy
word, as one that findeth great spoil.
·
It
strengthens. Psalms 119:28 My soul
melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word. 1 John 2:14
I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the
beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the
word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
·
It gives
hope. Psalms 119:74 They that fear thee
will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word.
·
It gives
light. Psalms 119:105 Thy word is a lamp
unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
·
It gives
understanding. Psalms 119:169 Let my cry
come near before thee, O LORD: give me understanding according to thy word.
·
It shows
God’s will. Isaiah 55:11 So shall my word
be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it
shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto
I sent it.
·
It builds
up. Acts 20:32 And now, brethren, I
commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you
up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.
·
It produces
fruit. John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and
my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto
you.
·
It convicts
of sin. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God
is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to
the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
·
It converts
the soul. James 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we
should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. 1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of
corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and
abideth for ever.
·
It cleanses
the conscience. John 15:3 Now ye are
clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
·
It
consecrates life. John 17:17 Sanctify
them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
·
It corrects
the wrong. 2
·
It confirms
the right. John 8:31 Then said Jesus to
those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my
disciples indeed.
·
It comforts
the heart. Psalms 119:50 This is my
comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.
Because of this, the child of God is to respond to
this authoritative book in the following ways.
·
Read it. Deuteronomy 31:11 When all Israel is come to
appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt
read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 1 Thessalonians 5:27 I charge you by the Lord
that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren.
·
Heed it. Psalms 119:9 Wherewithal shall a young man
cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. 1
·
Share it. Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have
commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
Amen.
·
Desire it. 1 Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the
sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
·
Preach it. 2
·
Rightly
divide it. 2
·
Live by it. Matthew 4:4 But he answered and said, It is
written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of God.
·
Use it. Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of
salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
·
Suffer for
it, and if need be, die for it. Revelation
1:9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the
kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos,
for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
In
summary, the child of God is to know
His word in his head, stow it in his
heart, show it in his life, and sow it in the world.
~*~
Quiz
The Bible Invites the
Use of Human Reason
Chapter 6
1.
List
seventeen functions of the Bible?
·
It upholds. Psalm 119:116
·
It order
steps. Psalm 119:133
·
It produces
joy. Psalm 119:162
·
It
strengthens. Psalm
119:28
·
It gives
hope. Psalm 119:74
·
It gives
light. Psalm 119:105
·
It gives
understanding. Psalm 119:169
·
It shows
God’s will. Isaiah 55:11
·
It builds
up. Acts 20:32
·
It produces
fruit. John 15:7
·
It convicts
of sin. Hebrews 4:12
·
It converts
the soul. James 1:18
·
It cleanses
the conscience. John 15:3
·
It
consecrates the life. John 17:17
·
It corrects
the wrong. 2
·
It confirms
the right. John 8:31
·
It comforts
the heart. Psalm 119:50
2.
List nine
ways the child of God can respond to the Bible.
·
Read it. Deuteronomy 31:11
·
Heed it. Psalm 119:9
·
Share it. Matthew 28:19-20
·
Desire it. 1 Peter 2:2
·
Preach it. 2
·
Rightly
divide it. 2
·
Live by it. Matthew 4:4
·
Use it. Ephesians 6:17
·
Suffer for
it. Revelation 1:9
~*~
Proofs that the Bible
is the Word of God
Chapter 7
Part 1
That the
Bible is a unity is a fact no honest reader can deny. In the preface of most
Bibles, the thirty-nine Old Testament and twenty-seven New Testament books are
listed in two parallel columns down the page. But a more accurate way would be
to place the entire sixty-six collection in a clock-like circle, with Genesis
occupying the first minute past twelve, Exodus the second, Leviticus the third,
and so on. Finally, the book of Revelation would be placed on the number
twelve, right next to Genesis. It is simply thrilling how these two books,
Genesis the first and Revelation the last, perfectly dovetail together in a
unity only God could create. For example:
· In Genesis we read: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Gen. 1:1).
In
Revelation we read: “I saw a new heaven
and a new earth” (Rev. 21:1).
· In Genesis we see described the first Adam and his wife Eve in the Garden of Eden, reigning over the earth (1:27, 28).
In Revelation we see described the last Adam and his wife, the Church, in the City of God, reigning over the entire universe (21:9).
·
In Genesis, we are told: “and the gathering of the waters called the seas” (1:10). In
Revelation we are told: “and there was no
more sea” (21:1).
·
In Genesis God created the day and the night,
the sun and moon (1:5, 16).
In
Revelation “there shall be no night
there” (22:5). “And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to
shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light
thereof” (21:23).
·
In Genesis the tree of life is denied to sinful
man (3:22).
In
Revelation the tree of life “yielded her
fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the
nations” (22:2).
·
In Genesis man hears God say: “Cursed is the ground for thy sake” (3:17).
In Revelation man will hear God say: “and
there shall be no more curse” (22:3).
· In Genesis Satan appears to torment man (3:1).
· In Revelation Satan disappears, himself to be tormented forever (20:10).
· Genesis the old earth was punished through a flood (7:12).
· In Revelation the new earth shall be purified through a fire (2 Pet. 3:6-12; Rev. 21:1).
· In Genesis, man’s early home was beside a river (2:10).
· In
Revelation, man’s eternal home will be beside a river— “and he shewed me a
pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of
God and of the Lamb” (22:1).
· In Genesis the patriarch Abraham weeps for Sarah (23:2).
In Revelation the children of Abraham will have God himself wipe away all tears from their eyes (21:4).
·
In Genesis
God destroys an earthly city, wicked Sodom, from the sands (ch. 19).
In Revelation God presents a heavenly city, New
Jerusalem, from the skies (21:1).
·
Genesis ends
with a believer in Egypt, lying in a coffin (50:1-3).
·
Revelation
ends with all believers in eternity, reigning forever (21:4).
This
unity is achieved in spite of the long period of time involved in its writing.
More than fifteen centuries elapsed between the writing of Genesis and
Revelation. Nearly 400 years elapsed between the writing of Malachi and Matthew.
This unity is achieved in spite of the many authors (some forty) and their
various occupations (approximately nineteen). “The Lord gave the Word: great was the company of those who published
it” (Ps. 68:11).
·
Moses was an
Egyptian prince.
·
Joshua was a
soldier.
·
Samuel was a
priest.
·
David was a
king.
·
Esther was a
queen.
·
Ruth was a
housewife.
·
Job was a
rich farmer.
·
Amos was a
poor farmer.
·
Ezra was a
scribe.
·
Isaiah was a
prophet.
·
Daniel was a
prime minister.
·
Nehemiah was
a cupbearer.
·
Matthew was
a tax collector.
·
Mark was an
evangelist.
·
Luke was a
physician.
·
John was a
wealthy fisherman.
·
Peter was a
poor fisherman.
·
Jude and
James probably were carpenters.
·
Paul was a
tentmaker.
This unity is achieved in spite of the different geographical places where the Bible was written.
·
In the
desert (Ex. 17).
· On Mt. Sinai (Ex. 20).
·
In Palestine
(most).
·
In Egypt
(Jeremiah?).
·
On the Isle
of Patmos (Revelation).
·
In Babylon
(Daniel).
·
In Persia
(Esther).
·
In Corinth
(1 and 2 Thessalonians).
·
In Ephesus
(Galatians?).
·
In Caesarea (Luke?).
·
From Rome (2
This
unity is achieved in spite of the many different styles of its writing.
·
As history.
·
As prophecy.
·
As
biography.
·
As
autobiography.
·
As poetry.
·
As law.
·
In letter
form.
·
In symbolic
form.
·
In proverb
form.
·
In doctrinal
form.
Let us imagine a
religious novel of sixty-six chapters which was begun by a single writer around
the sixth century AD. After the
author has completed but five chapters, he suddenly dies. But during the next
1000 years, up to the sixteenth century, around thirty amateur “free-lance” writers feel constrained to
contribute to this unfinished religious novel. Few of these authors share
anything in common. They speak different languages, live at different times in
different countries, have totally different backgrounds and occupations, and
write in different styles.
Let us furthermore
imagine that at the completion of the thirty-ninth chapter, the writing for
some reason suddenly stops. Not one word is therefore added from the sixteenth
until the twentieth century. After this long delay it begins once again when
eight new authors add the final twenty-seven chapters.
With all this in
mind, what would be the chances of this religious novel becoming a moral,
scientific, prophetic, and historical unity? The answer is obvious—not one in a
million. And yet this is the story of the Bible.
Its Indestructibility. The story is
told of a visitor who toured a blacksmith shop. Viewing heaps of discarded
hammers but only one huge anvil, he asked: “How
often do you replace your anvil?” With a smile the owner replied, “Never! It is the anvil that wears out the
hammers, you know!”
So it is with the Word of God. The hammers of
persecution, ridicule, higher criticism, liberalism, and atheism have for
centuries pounded out their vicious blows upon the divine anvil, but all to no
avail. There they lie, in rusting piles, while the mighty anvil of the
Scriptures stands unbroken, unshaken, and unchipped.
Its indestructibility in spite of political
persecutions (from the Roman Emperors). In AD 303, Emperor Diocletian
thought he had destroyed every hated Bible. After many tireless years of
ruthless slaughter and destruction, he erected a column of victory over the
embers of a burned Bible. The title on the column read: “Extinct is the Name of Christian.” Twenty years later, the new
Emperor Constantine offered a reward for any remaining Bibles. Within
twenty-four hours no less than fifty copies were brought out of hiding and
presented to the king.
Its indestructibility in spite of religious
persecutions. As seen through the persecutions by Roman Catholic popes.
Almost without exception, the early popes opposed the reading and translating
of the Bible. In 1199, Pope Innocent III ordered the burning of all Bibles.
As
seen through the persecutions leveled against John Wycliffe and William
Tyndale. Of all the heroes in church history, no two other names are so closely
associated with the Word of God as the names of Wycliffe and Tyndale. The very
mention of these two men was no doubt sufficient to turn the devil livid with
rage. It is therefore no surprise to read of the vicious attacks leveled
against them.
John Wycliffe (c.1330-1384).
Wycliffe lived at a time (the early part of
the fourteenth century) when the burning question was: Who shall rule England,
the king or the pope? Wycliffe believed the best way to break the grievous yoke
of Romanism would be to place the Bible into the hands of the common people.
This he did by translating (for the first time in history) the complete Bible
into English. He then organized and sent forth a group of preachers (called the
Lollards) to teach the Word of God all across
England.
On
December 28,1384, while conducting a service in the Lutterworth Church, he was
suddenly stricken with paralysis and died three days later. After his death,
those who hated his Bible translation activities said the following things
about Wycliffe:
“‘John Wycliffe, the organ of the devil, the enemy of the Church, the confusion
of the common people, the idol of heretics, the looking glass of hypocrites,
the encourager of schism, the sower of hatred, the storehouse of lies, the sink
of flattery, was suddenly struck by the judgment of God… that mouth which was
to speak huge things against God and against His Saints or holy church, was
miserably drawn aside… showing plainly that the curse which God had thundered
forth against Cain was also inflicted upon him.’ [From the mouth of a Monk]
‘That pestilent wretch John
Wycliffe, the son of the old serpent, the forerunner of Antichrist, who had
completed his iniquity by inverting a new translation of the Scriptures.’” (H.
S. Miller, Biblical Introduction, p. 329)
One would almost conclude the Savior had this in
mind when he spoke the following words: “These
things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put
you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you
will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you,
because they have not known the Father, nor me” (Jn.
16:1-3).
One final quotation
from Miller’s book seems appropriate here: “In
1415, the Council of Constance which consigned John Hus and Jerome of Prague to
a cruel death, demanded that the bones of the notorious heretic Wycliffe…be
taken out of the consecrated ground and scattered at a distance from the
sepulchre. Thirteen years later (1428), 44 years after his death, Pope Clement
VIII, ordered no further delay; the grave was torn up, the coffin and skeleton
borne down to the bank of the River
Swift, a fire was kindled, the bones were burned, and the ashes thrown into the
river. In the words of Thomas Fuller, so often quoted: ‘The Swift conveyed them
into the Avon, the Avon into the Severn, the Severn into the narrow seas; they
into the main ocean; and thus the ashes of Wycliffe are the emblem of his
doctrine, which is now dispersed all the world over.’” (pp. 329, 330)
William Tyndale (1484-1536). Tyndale was one of the greatest translators of God’s Word who ever
lived. He was born in England, and so skilled in seven languages (Hebrew,
Greek, Latin, Italian, Spanish, English, and Dutch), that whichever he might be
speaking one would believe that language was his native tongue. Our own King
James Version is practically a fifth revision of Tyndale’s, and it retains many
of the words and much of the character, form, and style of his version. In
1525, he printed the first copy ever produced of the New Testament in English.
His overall goal in life was perhaps best expressed through a statement he made
in 1521: “I defy the Pope and all his
laws; if God spares my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the
plough shall know…the Scripture.”
In 1529, an amusing and thrilling
event happened in England and Europe concerning the Word of God. Tyndale had been driven from England and had fled to
Germany, but had continued producing New Testaments and slipping them back into
England. One day, the Bishop of London (Bishop Tunstall) mentioned to a British
merchant, a man named Packington and a secret friend of Tyndale, his desire to
buy up all copies of the New Testament.
Said Packington, ‘My Lord, if it be your
pleasure, I can buy them, for I know where they are sold, if it be in your
Lord’s pleasure to pay for them. I will then assure you to have every book of
them that is imprinted.’
Said the Bishop, ‘Gentle master Packington, do your diligence
and get them; and with all my heart I will pay for them whatsoever they cost
you, for the books are erroneous…and I intend to destroy them all, and burn
them at St. Paul’s Cross.’
Packington then came to Tyndale and said, ‘William, I know that thou art a poor man,
and hast a heap of New Testaments and books by thee, by the which thou hast
endangered thy friends and beggared thyself; and I have now gotten thee a
merchant, which with ready money shall dispatch thee of all that thou hast, if
you think it so profitable to thyself.’
‘Who is the merchant?’
asked Tyndale.
‘The Bishop of London,’
answered Packington.
‘Oh, that is because he will burn them.’
‘Yes, marry, but what of that? The Bishop will burn them anyhow, and it
is best that you should have the money for enabling you to imprint others
instead.’
‘I shall do this,’ said
Tyndale, ‘for these two benefits shall
come thereof: First, I shall get money to bring myself out of debt, and the
whole world will cry out against the burning of God’s Word; and Second, the overplus of the money that shall remain to me shall make me
more studious to correct the said New Testament, and so newly to imprint the
same once again, and I trust the second will be much better than ever was the
first.’
So the bargain was made. The bishop
had the books, Packington had the thanks, and Tyndale had the money. Later, a
man named Constantine was being tried as a heretic, and the judge promised him
favor if he would tell how Tyndale received so much help in printing so many
Testaments. He replied, ‘My Lord, I will
tell you truly: It is the Bishop of London that hath helped, for he hath
bestowed among us a great deal of money upon the New Testaments to burn them,
and that hath been, and yet is, our chief help and comfort.’” (Biblical
Introduction, p. 334)
Again, to quote from Miller’s
textbook: “On Friday, October 6, 1536,
Tyndale was executed. By the Emperor’s laws, only Anabaptists were burned
alive, so he escaped that fate. He was led out and permitted to engage in a few
moments of prayer. With fervent zeal and a loud voice he cried, ‘Lord, open the
King of England’s eyes!’ Then his feet were bound to the stake, the iron chain
was fastened around his neck, with a hemp rope loosely tied in a noose, and
fagots and straw were heaped around him. At a given signal the rope was
tightened, and Tyndale was strangled to death. Then the torch was applied, and
the body was quickly consumed.” (Pp. 338, 339)
Its indestructibility in spite of philosophical
persecution. Here several cases
come to mind:
Voltaire (1694-1788). He once said,
“Another century and there will be not a Bible on the earth.” The century
is gone, and the circulation of the Bible is one of the marvels of the age.
After he died, his old printing press and the very house where he lived was
purchased by the Geneva Bible Society and made a depot for Bibles. On December
24, 1933, the British Government bought the valuable Codex Sinaiticus from the
Russians for half a million dollars. On that same day, a first edition of
Voltaire’s work sold for eleven cents in Paris bookshops.
Thomas Paine (1737-1809). He once said, “I have gone through the Bible as a man would go through a forest with
an axe to fell trees. I have cut down tree after tree; here they lie. They will
never grow again.” Tom Paine thought he had demolished the Bible, but since he crawled into a
drunkard’s grave in 1809, the Bible
has leaped forward as never before.
Joseph Stalin (1879-1953). This bloody butcher took over all of Russia at
the death of Lenin in the late twenties. From this point on until his death in
the fifties, Stalin instituted a “ban the
Bible” purge from the USSR such as had never been witnessed before. This
miserable man literally attempted to wipe the Word of God and the God of the Word from the Russian minds. Did he
succeed? A recent poll taken in Russia shows that today more people than ever
believe in God and his Word.
~*~
Proofs that the
Bible is
the Word of God
Chapter 7
Part 1
1. How many books are in the OT and how many are in the NT?
Answer.
2. List 10 authors of the Bible and what each did.
3. List 5 geographical places where the Bible was written.
4. List 5 styles of writing found in the Bible.
5. How has the Bible proven to be indestructible?
6. What did John Wycliffe believe was the best way
to break the grievous yoke of Romanism?
Answer.
7. In 1525 what did William Tyndale accomplish?
Answer.
8. What is the French infidel Voltaire famous for
saying?
Answer.
9. How did Thomas Paine die?
Answer.
10. Did Stalin
succeed in purging Russia of the Bible?
Answer.
~*~
Proofs that the Bible is
the Word of God
Chapter 8
Part 2
Its Historical Accuracy
Less
than a century ago, the agnostic took great glee in sneeringly referring to the
“hundreds of historical mistakes” in
the Bible. But then came the science of archaeology and with each shovel full
of dirt the sneers have become less visible, until today they scarcely can be
seen. When one thinks of historical scholarship and the Bible, three brilliant
scholars come to mind. These three are:
Sir William Ramsey (b. 1851—). For many
years Ramsey was professor of humanity at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.
He was, in his time, the world’s most eminent authority on the geography and
history of ancient Asia Minor (Turkey today). In his zeal to study every
available early document concerning that period and area, he undertook an
intensive research of the New Testament
book of Acts and also the Gospel of Luke. This study, however, was
approached with much skepticism. At that time he penned the following
description of the book of Acts: “…a
highly imaginative and carefully colored account of primitive Christianity.”
But after many years
of intensive study, this scholar, who began an unbeliever, became a staunch
defender of the Word of God. The
absolute historical accuracy of Luke’s writings, even in the minutest details,
captured first his brain and then his heart. Ramsey authored many books, but
one of his better known is entitled: The
Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament.
Ramsey’s overall opinion of the Bible is perhaps best seen in the following
quote: “I take the view that Luke’s
history is unsurpassed in regard to its trustworthiness…you may press the words
of Luke in a degree beyond any other historian’s and they stand the keenest
scrutiny and the hardest treatment.”
William F. Albright (1891-1971). One of the greatest and most respected oriental
scholars who ever lived was William F. Albright. He writes the following
concerning the Bible and his
historical findings: “The reader may rest
assured: nothing has been found to disturb a reasonable faith, and nothing has
been discovered which can disprove a single theological doctrine…We no longer
trouble ourselves with attempts to ‘harmonize’ religion and science, or to
‘prove’ the Bible. The Bible can stand for itself.” (Robert Young, Young’s
Analytical Concordance to the Bible, p. 51)
Robert Dick Wilson (b. 1856). Probably the most qualified Old Testament linguist of all time was
Robert Dick Wilson. He was born in 1856 and took his undergraduate work at
Princeton University, graduating in 1876. He then completed both the MA and the
Ph.D. After this, he spent two years at the University of Berlin in further
postgraduate studies. Wilson taught Old Testament courses at Western
Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh and returned to Princeton where he received
international fame as a Hebrew scholar without peer. He was perfectly at home
in over forty ancient Semitic languages. Dr. Wilson writes the following about
himself:
“If a man is called an expert, the first thing to
be done is to establish the fact that he is such. One expert may be worth more
than a million other witnesses that are not experts. Before a man has the right
to speak about the history and the language…of the Old Testament, the Christian
Church has the right to demand that a man should establish his ability to do
so. For forty-five years continuously, since I left college, I have devoted
myself to the one great study of the Old Testament, in all its languages, in
all its archaeology, in all its translations, and as far as possible in
everything bearing upon its text and history. I tell you this so that you may
see why I can and do speak as an expert. I may add that the result of my
forty-five years of study of the Bible has led me all the time to a firmer
faith that in the Old Testament we have a true historical account of the
history of the Israelite people; and I have a right to commend this to some of
those bright men and women who think that they can laugh at the old-time
Christian and believer in the Word of God…I have claimed to be an expert. Have
I the right to do so? Well, when I was in the Seminary I used to read my New
Testament in nine different languages. I learned my Hebrew by heart, so that I
could recite it without the intermission of a syllable…as soon as I graduated
from the Seminary, I became a teacher of Hebrew for a year and then I went to
Germany. When I got to Heidelburg, I made a decision.
I decided—and did it with prayer—to consecrate my life to the study of the Old
Testament. I was twenty-five then; and I judged from the life of my ancestors
that I should live to be seventy; so that I should have forty-five years to
work. I divided the period into three parts. The first fifteen years I would
devote to the study of the languages necessary. For the second fifteen I was
going to devote myself to the study of the text of the Old Testament; and I
reserved the last fifteen years for the work of writing the results of my
previous studies and investigations, so as to give them to the world. And the
Lord has enabled me to carry out that plan almost to a year” (David Otis
Fuller, Which Bible? pp. 40, 41).
Authenticated by Archaeology
Halley’s Bible Handbook lists some 112 examples. Unger’s Bible Handbook lists 96. A summary of both
these lists would include the following, all given to prove the historical
accuracy of the Bible.
·
The Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:8-14). Archaeology has long established that the lower
Tigris-Euphrates Valley in Mesopotamia (where Eden was located) was the cradle
of civilization.
·
The Fall of man (Gen. 3:1-24). Many non-Hebrew cultures record this event. It
is found in the Babylonian tablet called the Temptation Seal, in the Assyrian
Archives, referred to as the Adam and Eve Seal, and in the Egyptian Library of
Amenhotep III.
·
The longevity of early mankind (Gen. 5:1-32). The oldest known outline of world history is the
Weld-Blumdell Prism, written around 2170 BC. This outline includes a list of
eight pre-flood rulers. The shortest reign was said to have been 18,600 years,
while the longest covered a period of 43,200 years. Of course this was gross
exaggeration, but the point is that the historical root for all this may be
found in the Genesis account which does accurately state that Methuselah did
indeed live to be 969 years of age. A common objection to this and other
so-called legends would claim that early mankind simply invented myths of their
ancestors doing things they wished they could have done. But the fallacy of
this argument may be demonstrated by the fact that there is no ancient legend
of a nation or tribe of flying men, in spite of the fact that all men
everywhere have always longed to soar into the skies.
·
The universal flood (Gen. 6:1–9:29). There is so much evidence concerning the flood
in Noah’s day that one scarcely knows where to start. It can be demonstrated
that, without exception, every major human culture has a flood tradition.
Especially is this true in the ancient Babylonian civilization, as seen by
their Epic of Gilgamesh. If the author may be allowed a personal illustration
here, I am acquainted with a New Tribes missionary named Rod Wallin. Some years
ago Rod began his work among a primitive people in the highlands of New Guinea.
He was the first white man ever to set foot in that area. Many years were spent
learning their difficult language. He then discovered to his astonishment that
these natives had a detailed flood tradition.
·
The Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1-9). Over two dozen ancient temple towers in
Mesopotamia called ziggurats have been excavated.
·
Abraham’s birthplace (Gen. 11:27-31). World-famous archaeologist C. L. Wooley’s
excavation in 1922-34 in Mesopotamia has made Ur of the Chaldees one of, the
best-known ancient sites of all times. When Abraham left Ur in 2000 b.c. the city
was at the height of its splendor as a commercial and religious center. (See
also Josh. 24:2.)
·
Abraham’s visit to Egypt (Gen. 12:10-20). Due to space problems, many of the following Old Testament events which have been
authenticated by archaeology will simply be alluded to and not expanded upon.
·
Abraham’s battle with the kings in Genesis 14.
·
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen.
18-19). William Albright found
at the Southeast corner of the Dead Sea great quantities of relics of a period dating
between 2500 and 2000 BC., with evidence of a dense population which for some
reason ceased abruptly around 2000 BC. The evidence indicated an earthquake and
an explosion.
·
Joseph and Potiphar’s wife (Gen. 39). There is an Egyptian story entitled “A Tale of Two Brothers” which may have
for its foundation the events related in Genesis 39.
·
The
Seven-year famine (Gen. 41:46-57).
·
Israel’s
entrance into Egypt (Ex. 1:1-6).
·
The episode
of the bricks without straw (Ex. 1:11; 5:7-19).
·
Moses’ birth
(Ex. 2:10).
·
The death of
Pharaoh’s firstborn (Ex. 12:29).
· The Exodus (Ex.
12:1–14:31).
·
The fact of
Rahab’s house located on Jericho’s wall (Josh. 2:15).
·
The fall of Jericho (Josh. 6:1-27). The archaeologist Garstang found
evidence that Jericho was destroyed about 1400 BC. (about the date given to
Joshua) and that the walls had fallen flat, outward, and down the hillside.
This was extremely unusual, for had the city been captured the usual way, its
walls would have been pushed inward by the ramming weapons of that day. He also
found the layer of ashes left by Joshua’s fire. Joshua 6:24 And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was
therein: only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron,
they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.
·
Deborah’s
victory of the Canaanites (Judges 4:23, 24; 5:19).
·
Saul’s reign
(1 Sam. 9:1–31:13).
·
David’s
conquests (2 Sam. 1:1–24:25).
·
Solomon’s
gold (1 Kings 14:25, 26).
·
Solomon’s
stables (1 Kings 9:19; 10:26-29). The Oriental Institute has found the ruins of
his stables with their stone hitching-poles and mangers.
·
Solomon’s
copper furnaces (1 Kings 7).
·
Solomon’s
navy (1 Kings 9).
·
Jeroboam’s
calves (1 Kings 12:25-33).
·
The Egyptian
Shishak and his invasion (1 Kings 14:25-28).
·
The building
of Samaria by Omri (1 Kings 16:24).
·
The
rebuilding of Jericho (1 Kings 16:34).
·
Ahab’s house
of ivory (1 Kings 22:39).
·
Jezebel’s
cosmetic box (2 Kings 9:30). The actual saucers in which she mixed her
cosmetics have been found in Samaria among the ruins of Ahab’s ivory house.
·
The Assyrian
captivity of northern Israel (2 Kings 15:29).
·
The tunnel
of Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:20; 2 Chron. 32:3, 4).
·
Manasseh’s
reign (2 Kings 21:1-15).
· Esther’s palace
(Est. 1:2).
·
The
Babylonian captivity of Judah (2 Kings 25).
·
The reign of
Belshazzar (Dan. 5).
·
The fall of
Babylon (Dan. 5).
·
The edict of
Cyrus (Ezra 1:2, 3; 2 Chron. 36:22, 23).
·
The
repentance of Nineveh in Jonah’s day (Jonah 4). History has shown that during
the reign of Shalmaneser II (the King of Nineveh in Jonah’s time), there was a
sudden religious movement which resulted in a change from the worship of many
gods to that of one God whom they called Nebo. Nebo was probably the Assyrian
name for the Hebrew Elohim (Gen.
1:1). It would seem that in earlier days he had been worshiped as the supreme
and only God. To the worship of this God the nation now returned.
Its Scientific Accuracy
It has previously been discussed in this study that although the Bible is primarily a spiritual message from God and not specifically a scientific textbook, all scientific statements found in the Scriptures must nevertheless be taken literally and at face value. Actually the Bible contains far more specific scientific statements than one might realize. Some of these precepts would include the following.
·
The fact
that the earth is spherical. Some seven centuries bc the Hebrew prophet Isaiah wrote: “It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth…” (Isa. 40:22).
While it is true that a few Greek philosophers did postulate this as early as
540 bc, the common man held the
earth to be flat until the introduction of the compass and the
fifteenth-century voyages of Columbus and Magellan.
·
The fact
that the earth is suspended in space. The book of Job is thought to be one of
the oldest in the Bible, written perhaps earlier than 1500 b.c. At this time one of the most
advanced “scientific” theories concerning the earth was that our planet was
flat and rested securely upon the back of a gigantic turtle who was slowly
plodding through a cosmic sea of some sort. But note the refreshing (and
accurate) words of Job: “He stretcheth
out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing” (Job
26:7). All this was not known by the scientists of the world until the
writings of Sir Isaac Newton in ad
1687.
·
The fact
that the stars are innumerable. Nearly twenty centuries bc, God spoke to Abraham one night and said: “Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars,
if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be” (Gen.
15:5). Abraham must have at first wondered about this. God was promising
him to be the founder of a nation whose descendants would be as uncountable as
the stars. But Abraham could count the stars. There they were—a little under
1200 visible to the naked eye. Was his future nation to be limited to this
number? Although we are not told so, he must have reasoned that perhaps there
were “a few more” up there that he
couldn’t see. And he would not be disappointed, for today scientists tell us
there are probably as many stars in the heavens as there are grains of sand on
all the sea shores of the world. In fact, in a previous conversation with
Abraham, God used this very comparison: “And
I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the
dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered” (Gen. 13:16). Thus
does the Bible describe the heavens. (See also Jer. 33:22; Heb. 11:12.) But
what about the scientific opinion of that day? As late as ad. 150 the famous astronomer Ptolemy dogmatically
declared the number of the stars to be exactly 1,056.
·
The fact
that there are mountains and canyons in the sea. As recently as a century or so
ago, the ocean’s volume and size was viewed as a watery bowl, which sloped from
the coastline gently downward toward the middle, where it was deepest. It then
was thought to proceed upward to the other side. Of course we now know this to
be totally untrue. Some of the highest mountains and deepest canyons are
located on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. In fact, the deepest hole yet found
is the Marianas Trench, just off the Philippines; it is over seven miles deep.
But long before ocean science discovered this, the Bible graphically described
it. During one of his songs of deliverance, David spoke of the canyons of the
sea (2 Sam. 22:16), and a backslidden prophet described the submerged mountains
during the world’s first submarine trip. (See Jonah 2:6.)
·
The fact
that there are springs and fountains in the sea. Shortly after World War II,
research ships discovered many underwater volcanoes. The number is estimated
today to be at least 10,000. Further research by Dr. William W. Rubey of the U.S. Geological Survey has shown the present
rate of water increase from underwater volcanic outlets to be 430 million tons
each year. The earth’s heat drives the entrapped water from underground molten
rock and forces it out through one of these natural openings. This interesting
fact is vividly described in at least three Old Testament passages. (See Gen.
7:11; 8:2; Prov. 8:28.)
Genesis 7:11 In the six hundredth
year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the
same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of
heaven were opened.
Genesis 8:2 The fountains also of the deep and
the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained.
Proverbs 8:28
When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the
deep.
·
The fact
that there are watery paths (ocean currents) in the sea. In his booklet Has God
Spoken? author A. O. Schnabel writes
the following: “David said in Psalms 8:8
that God had subjected all things to men, including: ‘Whatsoever passeth
through the paths of the sea.’ The Hebrew word ‘paths’ carries the literal
meaning of ‘customary roads.’
Matthew Fountaine Maury is called ‘The Pathfinder of the Seas.’ This
American is the father of today’s oceanography and responsible for the
establishment of Annapolis Academy. A statue of Maury stands in Richmond,
Virginia—charts of the sea in one hand, and Bible in the other. Until Maury’s
efforts there were no charts or sailing lanes. One day during a temporary
illness, his eldest son was reading to him from the Bible, and read Psalms 8:8.
“The fowl of the air, and the fish of the
sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. “
Maury stopped him and said, ‘Read that again.’ After hearing it again, he exclaimed, ‘It is enough—if the Word of God says there
are paths in the sea, they must be there, and I am going to find them.’
Within a few years he had charted the sea-lanes and currents. His Physical Geography of the Sea
was the first textbook of modern oceanography.” (p. 38)
· The fact of the hydrologic cycle. This would include precipitation, evaporation, cloud construction, movements of moisture by wind circuits, etc.
Job 26:8 He
bindeth up the waters in his thick clouds; and the cloud is not rent under
them.
Job 36:27-28 For he maketh small the drops of
water: they pour down rain according to the vapour thereof:
28 Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly.
Job 37:16 Dost
thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of him which is
perfect in knowledge?
Job 38:25-27 Who
hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the
lightning of thunder; 26 To cause it to rain on the earth, where no man is; on
the wilderness, wherein there is no man; 27 To satisfy the desolate and waste
ground; and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?
Psalms 135:7 He causeth the vapours
to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he
bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.
Ecclesiastes 1:6-7 The wind goeth
toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually,
and the wind returneth again according to his circuits. 7 All the rivers run
into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers
come, thither they return again.
·
The fact
that all living things are reproduced after their own kind. Genesis 1:21
“And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the
waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after
his kind: and God saw that it was good.” Genesis 6:19 “And of every living
thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep
them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.”
For hundreds of years scientists followed the spontaneous
generation theory of Aristotle (350 BC).
They believed eggs of all lower animals (insects, etc.) were formed out of
rotting substance. Frogs and other small sea life, they thought, had their
origin in slime pools. In fact, it was not until 1862 that Louis Pasteur proved
once for all that there was no such thing as spontaneous generation. Then, in
1865, a monk named Johann Mendel demonstrated even more forcibly the rigid laws
of heredity. But one could learn all this in the first few chapters of the
Bible.
The facts involved in health and sanitation. Moses gave the
great law in the Bible, of course,
who established hundreds of rules to govern health and sanitation. Moses grew
up in the court of Pharaoh, spending the first forty years of his life there.
About this time a famous ancient medical book called The Papyrus Ebers was being written in Egypt. Because of Egypt’s role in the
world at that time, this work soon achieved fame as the official standard for
its day. Actually it was filled with quack cures, old wives’ tales, and
practically every false superstition of its day. In his book None of
These Diseases, author S. McMillen writes:
“Several hundred remedies
for diseases are advised in the Papyrus Ebers. The drugs include ‘lizard’s
blood, swine’s teeth, putrid meat, stinking fat, moisture from pig’s ears, milk
goose grease, asses’ hoofs, animal fats from various sources, excreta from
animals, including human beings, donkeys, antelopes, dogs, cats, and even
flies.’” (p. 11)
The point of all the above is
simply this—Moses was well acquainted with all the medical knowledge of his
day. Yet in all his writings and proven remedies concerning health and
sanitation, he never once even indirectly refers to the false “cures” found in
the Papyrus Ebers. Let us now
examine what he did prescribe for the health of marching Israel.
1.
Concerning
sickness. Moses gave comprehensive laws concerning sickness. These included
laws for those having leprosy or cases with open sores. He thus laid down rules
for the recognition of infected individuals, for quarantine or isolation, and
concerning the uncleanness of anything touched by these people. In other words,
Moses recorded laws comparable to modern health and sanitation practice in most
civilized countries today. Again, to quote from None of These Diseases:
“For
many hundreds of years the dreaded disease leprosy had killed countless
millions of people in Europe. The extent of the horrible malady among Europeans
is given by Dr. George Rosen, Columbia University professor of Public Health:
‘Leprosy cast the greatest blight that threw its shadow over the daily life of
medieval humanity. Not even the Black Death in the fourteenth century…produced
a similar state of fright.…’
What did
the physicians offer to stop the ever-increasing ravages of leprosy? Some
taught that it was brought on by eating hot food, pepper, garlic and the meat
of diseased hogs. Other physicians said it was caused by malign conjunctions of
the planets. Naturally, their suggestions for prevention were utterly
worthless…What [finally] brought the major plagues of the Dark Ages under
control? George Rosen gives us the answer: ‘Leadership was taken by the church,
as the physicians had nothing to offer.
The
church took as its guiding principle the concept of contagion as embodied in
the Old Testament…This idea and its practical consequences are defined with
great clarity in the book of Leviticus… once the condition of leprosy had been
established, the patient was to be segregated and excluded from the community.
Following the precepts laid down in Leviticus the church undertook the task of
combating leprosy…It accomplished the first great feat…in methodical
eradication of disease.’” (p. 13)
2. Concerning sanitation. Two quotes from Dr.
McMillen are helpful here: “Up to the close of the eighteenth century,
hygienic provisions, even in the great capitals, were quite primitive. It was
the rule for excrement to be dumped into the streets which were unpaved and
filthy. Powerful stenches gripped villages and cities. It was a heyday for
flies as they bred in the filth and spread intestinal disease that killed
millions.
Such
waste of human lives that could have been saved if people had only taken
seriously God’s provision for freeing man of diseases! With one sentence the
Book of books pointed the way to deliverance from the deadly epidemics of
typhoid, cholera, and dysentery: ‘You shall set off a place outside the camp
and, when you go out to use it, you must carry a spade among your gear and dig
a hole, have easement, and turn to cover the excrement’ (Deut. 23:12, 13,
Berkeley).” (p. 15)
Dr.
McMillen goes on to say that until the beginning of this century there was a
frightful mortality rate in the hospitals of the world due to infection caused
by doctors not washing their hands. In the maternity ward alone of the
world-famous Vienna Medical Center Hospital, one out of every six women died
due to infection. McMillen then writes:
“Such mortality would not have occurred if
surgeons had only followed the method God gave to Moses regarding the
meticulous method of hand washing and changing of clothes after contact with
infectious diseases…The Scriptural method specified not merely washing in a
basin, but repeated washings in running water, with time intervals allowed for
drying and exposure to sun to kill bacteria not washed off.” (pp. 17, 18)
3. Concerning circumcision. Some final thoughts from
McMillen are extremely appropriate here. In the third chapter of his book he
discusses the astonishing scarcity of cervical cancer among Jewish women.
Medical science has now attributed this blessing to the rite of circumcision
practiced by Jewish males. This simple operation prevents the growth of cancer
producing Smegma bacillus which during physical relations can be transferred
from the uncircumcised male to the female. McMillen then writes:
“There is one final but remarkably
unique fact about the matter of circumcision. In November, 1946, an article in
The Journal of The American Medical Association listed the reasons why
circumcision of the newborn male is advisable. Three months later a letter from
another specialist appeared in the same journal. He agreed heartily with the
writer of the article on the advantages of circumcision, but he criticized him
for failing to mention the safest time to perform the operation. This is a
point well taken. L. Emmett Holt and Rustin Mcintosh
report that a newborn infant has a peculiar susceptibility to bleeding
between the second and fifth days of life.…It is felt that the tendency to
hemorrhage is due to the fact that the important blood-clotting element,
Vitamin K, is not formed until the fifth to the seventh day.…A second element
which is also necessary for the normal clotting of blood is prothrombin.…It
appears (based on data from the science of Pediatrics) that an eight-day old
baby has more available prothrombin than on any other day in its entire life.
Thus one observes that from a consideration of Vitamin K and prothrombin
determinations the perfect day to perform a circumcision is the eighth day.”
(pp. 21-23)
Keeping all this in mind, one simply marvels at the accuracy of the Book
when the following passage is read: “And
God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy
seed after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep,
between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be
circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall
be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old
shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is
born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy
seed” (Gen. 17:9-12).
~*~
Proofs that the Bible is
the Word of God
Chapter 8
Part 2
1. What did Sir William Ramsey conclude about the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts after many years of study?
Answer.
2. List at least five Biblical events confirmed by
archaeology.
3. List five scientific facts found in the Bible.
Answer.
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
·
4. Describe your reaction to discovering the
historical and scientific accuracy of the Bible.
~*~
Proofs that the Bible is
the Word of God
Chapter 9
Part 3
Prophecies Dealing with the Nation Israel Prove
the Bible to be True
·
Israel
would become a great nation. Genesis 12:1-3 Now the LORD had said unto
Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's
house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 2 And I will make of thee a great
nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a
blessing: 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth
thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
· Her kings would come out of the tribes of Judah. Genesis
49:10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his
feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
· She would spend 400 years in Egypt. Genesis
15:13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a
stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall
afflict them four hundred years.
· The nation would suffer a civil war. 1 Kings
11:31 And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD,
the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon,
and will give ten tribes to thee.
· The nation would spend seventy years in Babylon. Jeremiah
25:11 And this whole land shall be a desolation, and an astonishment; and these
nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. 29:10 For thus saith the LORD, That after
seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good
word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.
· She would return (in part) to Jerusalem after the
seventy years. Daniel 9:1-2 In the first year of Darius the
son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm
of the Chaldeans; 2 In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books
the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the
prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of
Jerusalem.
· Israel would eventually be scattered among the
nations of the world. Deuteronomy
28:25 The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt
go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be
removed into all the kingdoms of the earth. Deuteronomy 28:64 And
the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth
even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou
nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone. Leviticus 26:33 And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will
draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities
waste.
· Israel would become a byword among these nations. Deuteronomy
28:37 And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all
nations whither the LORD shall lead thee.
· Israel would loan to many nations, but borrow
from none. Deuteronomy 28:12 The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the
heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work
of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not
borrow.
· Israel would be hounded and persecuted. Deuteronomy
28:65-67 And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the
sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling
heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind: 66 And thy life shall hang in
doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none
assurance of thy life: 67 In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were
even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of
thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which
thou shalt see.
· Israel would nevertheless retain her identity. Leviticus
26:44 And yet for all that, when they be in the land of their enemies, I will
not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to
break my covenant with them: for I am the LORD their God. Jeremiah 46:28 Fear thou not, O Jacob my
servant, saith the LORD: for I am with thee; for I will make a full end of all
the nations whither I have driven thee: but I will not make a full end of thee,
but correct thee in measure; yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished.
· Israel would reject her Messiah (Isa. 53).
·
Because
of this, her enemies would dwell in her land. Leviticus 26:32 And I will bring
the land into desolation: and your enemies which dwell therein shall be
astonished at it. Luke 21:24 And they
shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all
nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times
of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
·
Jerusalem
would be destroyed. Luke 19:41-44 And when he was come near, he
beheld the city, and wept over it, 42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou,
at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they
are hid from thine eyes. 43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine
enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee
in on every side, 44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children
within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because
thou knewest not the time of thy visitation. Luke 21:20 And when ye shall see
Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
·
Edom. Esau, Jacob’s brother, was the founder of the nation Edom (see Gen. 36).
Years after his death, Edom refused to help Israel, the nation founded by Jacob
(see Num. 20) and actually delighted in persecuting God’s people. Because of
this, God pronounced doom upon Edom. According to various biblical prophecies: their
commerce was to cease, their race was to become extinct and their land was to
be desolate.
Jeremiah 49:17-18
Also Edom shall be a desolation: every one that goeth by it shall be
astonished, and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof.18 As in the overthrow of
Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD, no man
shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.
Ezekiel 35:3-7
And say unto it, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O mount Seir, I am against
thee, and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most
desolate. 4 I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou
shalt know that I am the LORD. 5 Because thou hast had a perpetual
hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the
sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an
end: 6 Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will prepare thee unto
blood, and blood shall pursue thee: sith thou hast not hated blood, even blood
shall pursue thee. 7 Thus will I make mount Seir most desolate, and cut off
from it him that passeth out and him that returneth.
Obadiah The vision
of Obadiah. Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning Edom; We have heard a rumor from
the LORD, and an ambassador is sent among the heathen, Arise ye, and let us
rise up against her in battle. 2 Behold, I have made thee small among the
heathen: thou art greatly despised. 3 The pride of thine heart hath deceived
thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high;
that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? 4 Though thou
exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars,
thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD. 5 If thieves came to thee, if robbers
by night, (how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had
enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would
they not leave some grapes? 6 How are the things of Esau searched out! how are
his hidden things sought up! 7 All the men of thy confederacy have brought thee
even to the border: the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee,
and prevailed against thee; they that eat thy bread have laid a wound under
thee: there is none understanding in him. 8 Shall I not in that day, saith the
LORD, even destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of the mount
of Esau? 9 And thy mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that
every one of the mount of Esau may be cut off by slaughter. 10 For thy violence
against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off
forever. 11 In the day that thou stoodest on the other side, in the day that
the strangers carried away captive his forces, and foreigners entered into his
gates, and cast lots upon Jerusalem, even thou wast as one of them. 12 But thou
shouldest not have looked on the day of thy brother in the day that he became a
stranger; neither shouldest thou have rejoiced over the children of Judah in
the day of their destruction; neither shouldest thou have spoken proudly in the
day of distress. 13 Thou shouldest not have entered into the gate of my people
in the day of their calamity; yea, thou shouldest not have looked on their
affliction in the day of their calamity, nor have laid hands on their substance
in the day of their calamity; 14 Neither shouldest thou have stood in the
crossway, to cut off those of his that did escape; neither shouldest thou have
delivered up those of his that did remain in the day of distress. 15 For the
day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be
done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head. 16 For as ye have
drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the heathen drink continually, yea,
they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they
had not been. 17 But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be
holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. 18 And the
house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house
of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there
shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it.
19 And they of the south shall possess the mount of Esau; and they of the plain
the Philistines: and they shall possess the fields of Ephraim, and the fields
of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead. 20 And the captivity of this
host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto
Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess
the cities of the south. 21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge
the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD's.
Malachi 1:4 Whereas Edom
saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places;
thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they
shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the
LORD hath indignation for ever.
All this
has taken place in spite of her unbelievably strong fortified capital, Petra.
In a.d. 636 Petra was captured by
Mohammed, and shortly after this Petra and Edom drop from the pages of history.
· Babylon. Babylon was the first of four world powers
mentioned in Daniel 2:31-43 and 7:1-8. Daniel prophesied the demise of mighty
Babylon, as did Isaiah (13:17-19) and Jeremiah (51:11). This literally happened
on the night of October 13, 539 BC, when Darius the Median captured the city by
diverting the course of the Euphrates River which had flowed under the walls of
the city. (See Dan. 5.)
· Media-Persia. One of the most remarkable passages on prophecy
is found in Daniel 8:1-7, 20, 21, written beside a river in 551 BC. In a vision
Daniel is told of a series of battles that would not take place until some 217
years later. Here the prophet describes for us the crushing defeats of Darius
III (here pictured as a ram) by the Greek Alexander the Great (symbolized as a
he-goat). This took place in three derisive battles—Granicus, in 334 BC.; Issus,
in 333 BC; and Gaugamela, in 331 BC.
· Greece. In this same chapter, Daniel predicts the
dissolution of the Greek empire (upon the death of Alexander) into four smaller
and separate powers, each ruled over by one of his generals (Dan. 7:6; 8:8, 20,
21). This happened in exact detail in 301 BC. after Alexander died of a raging
fever at the age of thirty-three in Babylon.
· Rome. In Daniel 2:40, 41 we read: “And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as
iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and
bruise. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potter’s clay, and
part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided…”
Here Daniel rightly predicted that Rome, the
fourth kingdom (which would come into power between the times of Nebuchadnezzar
and Christ) should be “as strong as iron.”
And so Rome was. By 300 BC. Rome had become a
major power in the Mediterranean world. By 200 BC, she had conquered Carthage,
her archenemy. In 63 BC, the Roman general Pompey entered Jerusalem. Daniel noted
in his prophecy, however, that, “The
kingdom shall be divided.” This, of course, happened in AD 364.
·
Egypt. Some 600 years before Christ, the prophet Ezekiel wrote: “…The word of the Lord came unto me, saying…
set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and
against all Egypt. It shall be the basest of the kingdoms; neither shall it
exalt itself any more above the nations: for I will diminish them, that they
shall no more rule over the nations” (Ezek. 29:1, 2, 15).
The history of Egypt is, of
course, one of the oldest in recorded Western civilization. The country was
united into a single kingdom about 3200 BC and was ruled by a succession of
dynasties down to the time of Alexander the Great, who conquered Egypt in 332
BC. We note that Ezekiel does not predict the disappearance of Egypt, as he did
concerning Edom (35:3-7), but simply the demise of Egypt. The prophecy was that
Egypt would be cut short and never again become a world power. This prophecy
has been fulfilled to the last letter.
· Tyre. Ezekiel’s prophecy in chapter 26 concerning the
city of Tyre is surely one of the greatest in the entire Bible. Tyre was
actually two cities, one on the coastline, some sixty miles northwest from
Jerusalem, and the other on an island, a half-mile out in the Mediterranean
Sea. In this prophecy, Ezekiel predicts:
q
The
Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, was to capture the city.
q
Other
nations would later participate in Tyre’s
destruction.
q
The city was
to be scrapped and made flat, like the top of a rock.
q
It was to
become a place for the spreading of nets.
q
Its stones
and timber were to be laid in the sea (Zech. 9:3, 4).
q
The city was
never to be rebuilt.
Has all this taken place? Consider the following historical
facts: Ezekiel wrote all this around 590 BC. Some four years later, 586 BC,
Nebuchadnezzar surrounded the city of Tyre. The siege lasted thirteen years and
in 573 BC the coastal city was destroyed. But he could not capture the island
city. During the next 241 years the island city of Tyre dwelt in safety and
would have doubtless ridiculed Ezekiel’s prophecy concerning total destruction.
But in 332 BC Alexander the Great arrived upon the scene and
the island city was doomed. Alexander built a bridge leading from the coastline
to the island by throwing the debris of the old city into the water. In doing
this he literally scraped the coastline clean. (Some years ago an American
archaeologist named Edward Robinson discovered forty or fifty marble columns
beneath the water along the shores of ancient Tyre.)
After a seven-month siege, Alexander took the Island City and
destroyed it. From this point on, the surrounding coastal area has been used by
local fishermen to spread and dry their nets.
Tyre has never been rebuilt in spite of the well-known nearby
freshwater springs of Roselain, which yield some 10,000 gallons of water daily.
· Jericho. In the sixth chapter of Joshua we see described
the fall of Jericho’s walls and the subsequent destruction of the city.
Immediately after this, Joshua makes an amazing threefold prophecy about this
fallen city:
q
that
Jericho would be rebuilt again by one man;
q
that the
builder’s oldest son would die when the work on the city had begun.
q
and that the
builder’s youngest son would die when the work was completed. Joshua
6:26 And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the
LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation
thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of
it.
Joshua uttered those words around 1450 BC. Did all this happen?
Some five centuries after this, in 930 BC, we are told: That a man named Hiel from Bethel rebuilt Jericho. That as he laid the
foundations, his oldest son, Abiram, died. That when he completed the gates,
his youngest son, Segub, died. (See 1 Ki. 16:34.)
·
Nineveh (Nahum 1-3). During the time of Jonah, God had spared the
wicked city of Nineveh by using that Hebrew prophet (after an unpleasant
submarine trip) to preach repentance. But the city had soon returned to its
evil ways. So around 650 BC another prophet, Nahum, predicted the complete
overthrow of Nineveh.
At the time of this prophecy, Nineveh appeared to be
impregnable; her walls were one hundred feet high and broad enough for chariots
to drive upon. The city had a circumference of sixty miles and was adorned by
more than 1,000 strong towers.
In spite of all this, the city fell, less than forty years
after Nahum’s prophecy. An alliance of Medes and Babylonians broke through her
walls during August of 612 BC, after a two-month siege. The victory was due in
part to the releasing of the city’s water supply by traitors within. The
destruction was so total that Alexander the Great marched his troops over the
desolate ground which had once given support to her mighty buildings, and never
knew there had once been a city there.
· Jerusalem (Mt. 24:1, 2; Lk.
19:41-44; 21:20-24). Jesus himself uttered these sad words. He predicted
Jerusalem would be destroyed, her citizens would be slaughtered, and her Temple
would be completely wrecked, with not one stone left upon another.
This all literally happened less than forty years later. In
February of a.d. 70, the Roman
general Titus surrounded Jerusalem with 80,000 men to crush a revolt that had
begun some five years back. In April of that year he began the siege in
earnest. Conditions soon became desperate within the city walls. Women ate
their own children, and grown men fought to the death over a piece of bird’s
dung for food! Finally, in September of the same year, the walls were battered
down and the slaughter began. When the smoke had cleared, over a half-million
Jews lay dead. A number of these had been crucified by Titus. Eventually the
Temple was leveled and the ground under it plowed up, just as our Lord had
predicted.
· Josiah. The following incident concerns a wicked
Israelite king named Jeroboam: “As
Jeroboam approached the altar to burn incense to the golden calf-idol, a
prophet of the Lord from Judah walked up to him. Then, at the Lord’s command,
the prophet shouted, ‘O altar, the Lord says that a child named Josiah shall be
born into the family line of David, and he shall sacrifice upon you the priests
from the shrines on the hills who come here to burn incense; and men’s bones
shall be burned upon you’” (1 Kings 13:1, 2, TLB).
This all
took place in 975 BC. Some 350 years went by; then in 624 BC, we are told of
the actions of a new king of Israel: “He also tore down the altar and shrine at
Bethel which Jeroboam I had made when he led Israel into sin. He crushed the
stones to dust and burned the shameful idol of Asherah. As Josiah was looking
around, he noticed several graves in the side of the mountain. He ordered his
men to bring out the bones in them and to burn them there upon the altar at
Bethel to defile it, just as the Lord’s prophet had declared would happen to
Jeroboam’s altar” (2 Ki. 2.3:15, 16, TLB).
·
Cyrus. Perhaps the greatest Old Testament prophet was Isaiah. For some
sixty-two years this eloquent and godly man wrote and preached. But even though
Jerusalem was at rest when he ministered, Isaiah predicted her captivity (as
did also Jeremiah; see Jer. 25:12; 29:10) and subsequent restoration. “That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and
shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built;
and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid” (Isa. 44:28).
Isaiah penned these words around 712 BC. By 606
BC, Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king, had captured Jerusalem and had led
many captive Jews (see Ps. 137) into his capital. For seventy long years they
remained here. This was all predicted, of course, by Jeremiah (Jer. 25:12;
29:10). Then, in 536 BC, the miracle happened. The prophet Ezra tells us: “…that the Word of the Lord…might be
fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus…that he made a proclamation
throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith
Cyrus…The Lord God of heaven hath… charged me to build an house at Jerusalem,
which is in Judah” (Ezra 1:1, 2). So
then, Isaiah rightly predicted that Cyrus would allow the Jews to return and
rebuild their Temple in Jerusalem 176 years before it happened.
· Alexander
the Great. Although Daniel does
not refer to him by name, there seems little doubt that Alexander is the “he-goat”
mentioned in Daniel 8:3-8.
Alexander was the first real world conqueror. He crossed the
Hellespont in the spring of 334 BC and soon met and crushed the Persian troops
at the battle of Issus in 333 BC. Josephus, the Jewish historian, tells us that
when Alexander approached Jerusalem, he was met at the gates by the high
priest, who thereupon proceeded to show him that his victories over the
Persians had all been prophesied by Daniel in 553, some 220 years in advance.
The Greek warrior was reportedly so impressed at all this that he worshiped the
high priest and spared Jerusalem.
·
Antiochus Epiphanes. Like Alexander, Antiochus is not mentioned by
name, but is surely referred to in Daniel 8:9-14. Antiochus was a bloodthirsty,
Jew-hating Syrian general who conquered Palestine in 167 BC. He then entered
the Temple Holy of Holies and horribly desecrated it by slaughtering a hog on
the altar! Daniel foresaw this terrible event some 386 years before it
happened.
·
John the Baptist. In Isaiah 40:3-5, the prophet correctly
describes the future message of John the Baptist 700 years in advance. (See
also Mt. 3:1-3.)
In the Old Testament there are some thirty-seven
basic prophecies concerning the earthly ministry of the anticipated Savior.
While upon this earth, Jesus Christ fulfilled every single prediction. Consider
the following texts:
1. He would be born of a virgin (cf. Isa. 7:14 with
Mt. 1:22, 23).
2. He would be given the throne of David (cf. 2 Sam.
7:12, 13 with Lk. 1:31).
3. He would be called Emmanuel (cf. Isa. 7:14 with
Mt. 1:23).
4. He would be rejected by his own (cf. Isa. 53:3
with Jn. 1:11; 7:5).
5. He would have a forerunner (cf. Isa. 40:3-5; Mal.
3:1 with Mt. 3:1-3; Lk. 1:76-78; 3:3-6).
6. He would be born in Bethlehem (cf. Micah 5:2, 3
with Mt. 2:5, 6).
7. He would be visited by the magi and presented
with gifts (cf. Isa. 60:3, 6, 9 with Mt. 2:11).
8. He would be in Egypt for a season (cf. Hosea 11:1
with Mt. 2:15).
9. His birthplace would suffer a massacre of infants
(cf. Jer. 31:5 with Mt. 2:17, 18).
10. He would be called a Nazarene (cf. Isa. 11:1 with
Mt. 2:23).
11. He would be zealous for his father (cf. Ps. 69:9
with Jn. 2:13-17).
12. He would be filled with God’s Spirit (cf. Isa.
61:1-3; 11:2 with Lk. 4:18, 19).
13. He would be a light to the Gentiles (cf. Isa.
42:1-3, 6, 7 with Mt. 4:13-16; 12:18-21).
14. He would heal many (cf. Isa. 53:4 with Mt. 8:16,
17).
15.
16. He would deal gently with the Gentiles (cf. Isa.
9:1, 2; 42:1-3 with Mt. 12:17-21).
17. He would speak in parables (cf. Isa. 6:9, 10 with
Mt. 13:10-15).
18. He would make a triumphal entry into Jerusalem
(cf. Zech. 9:9 with Mt. 21:4, 5).
19. He would be praised by little children (cf. Ps.
8:2 with Mt. 21:16).
20. He would be the rejected cornerstone (cf. Ps.
118:22, 23 with Mt. 21:42).
21. His miracles would not be believed (cf. Isa. 53:1
with Jn. 12:37, 38).
22. His friend would betray him for thirty pieces of
silver (cf. Ps. 41:9; 55:12-14; Zech. 11:12, 13 with Mt. 26:14-16, 21-25).
23. He would be a man of sorrows (cf. Isa. 53:3 with
Mt. 26:37, 38).
24. He would be forsaken by his disciples (cf. Zech.
13:7 with Mt. 26:31, 56).
25. He would be scourged and spat upon (cf. Isa. 50:6
with Mt. 26:67; 27:26).
26. His price money would be used to buy a potter’s
field (cf. Jer. 18:1-4; 19:1-3; Zech. 11:12, 13 with Mt. 27:9, 10).
27. He would be crucified between two thieves (cf.
Isa. 53:12 with Mt. 27:38; Mk. 15:27, 28; Lk. 22:37).
28. He would be given vinegar to drink (cf. Ps. 69:21
with Mt. 27:34, 48).
29. He would suffer the piercing of his hands and
feet (cf. Ps. 22:16; Zech. 12:10 with Mk. 15:25; Jn.
19:34, 37; 20:25-27).
30. His garments would be parted and gambled for (cf.
Ps. 22:18 with Lk. 23:34; Jn.
19:23, 24).
31. He would be surrounded and ridiculed by his
enemies (cf. Ps. 22:7, 8 with Mt. 27:39-44; Mk. 15:29-32).
32. He would thirst (cf. Ps. 22:15 with Jn. 19:28).
33. He would commend his spirit to the Father (cf.
Ps. 31:5 with Lk. 23:46).
34. His bones would not be broken (cf. Ex. 12:46;
Num. 9:12; Ps. 34:20 with Jn. 19:33-36).
35. He would be stared at in death (cf. Zech. 12:10
with Mt. 27:36; Jn. 19:37).
36. He would be buried with the rich (cf. Isa. 59:9
with Mt. 27:57-60).
37. He would be raised from the dead (cf. Ps. 16:10
with Mt. 28:2-7).
38. 37. He would ascend (cf. Ps. 24:7-10 with Mk. 16:19; Lk. 24:50).
The
Bible is Proven by its Universal Influence Upon Civilization
·
Western
civilization is founded directly upon the Bible and its teachings. Its very
manner of life had its origin in Acts 16:9, when Paul, obedient to his heavenly
vision, directed his second missionary journey toward Europe instead of Asia
and the East.
·
The world’s
calendar and most of its holidays stem from the Bible.
·
It was the
Bible, which elevated the blood-drinking savages of the British Isles to
decency.
·
The Bible
has influenced, if not directed, the advancement of all fine arts.
q
Literature. The poet Milton’s greatest works are rooted in the Word of God, as are
Shakespeare’s and those of others.
q
q
Music. The Bible has produced more inspiring music than all other combined
books in the world. Bach—History has concluded that Johann Sebastian Bach
“anticipated every important [musical] idea that has been born since his day.
He is the inspiration of the pianist, the organist, and the composer.” Bach was a zealous Lutheran who devoted most
of his genius to church-centered music. Also consider Mendelssohn—author of
“St. Paul, Elijah” Brahms—“Requiem” Beethoven—“Mt. of Olives,” “Samson and
Delilah” Handel—“Messiah” (he quotes from fifteen books of the Bible)
Haydn—“The Creation”
q
The Bible
has produced the law of the Western world. Early attempts of governing forms
such as the English common law, the Bill of Rights, the Magna Carta, and our
own Constitution are all rooted in God’s gift to Moses on Mt. Sinai, the Ten
Commandments.
~*~
Quiz
Proofs that the Bible is the Word of God
Chapter 9
1. List five prophecies dealing with the nation of Israel.
Answer.
2. List five nations spoken of in the Bible in a prophetic way.
Answer.
·
·
·
·
·
3. List four cities spoken of in the Bible in a prophetic manner.
Answer.
·
·
·
·
4. Name at least five people spoken of in the Bible prophetically.
Answer.
·
·
·
·
·
5. How many basic prophecies are found in Christ to be fulfilled?
Answer.
6. Write a paragraph of 6-8 sentences telling what influence the Bible has had upon your culture.
~*~
Part 4
Chapter 10
No book
in history has been copied as many times with as much care as has been the Word
of God. The Talmud lists the following rules for copying the Old
Testament.
1. The parchment had to be made from the skin of a
clean animal, prepared by a Jew only, and was to be fastened by strings from
clean animals.
2. Each column must have no less than forty-eight or
more than sixty lines.
3. The ink must be of no other color than black, and
had to be prepared according to a special recipe.
4. No word nor letter could be written from memory;
the scribe must have an authentic copy before him, and he had to read and
pronounce aloud each word before writing it.
5. He had to reverently wipe his pen each time
before writing the Word of God, and had to wash his whole body before writing
the sacred name Jehovah.
6. One mistake on a sheet condemned the sheet; if
three mistakes were found on any page, the entire manuscript was condemned.
7. Every word and every letter was counted, and if a
letter were omitted, an extra letter inserted, or if one letter touched
another, the manuscript was condemned and destroyed at once.
The old rabbi gave the solemn warning to each young scribe: “Take heed how thou dost do thy work, for
thy work is the work of heaven; lest thou drop or add a letter of a manuscript
and so become a destroyer of the world!” The scribe was also told that while he was
writing if even a king would enter the room and speak with him, the scribe was
to ignore him until he finished the page he was working on, lest he make a
mistake. In fact, some texts were actually annotated—that is, each letter was
individually counted. Thus in copying the Old Testament they would note that
the letter aleph (first letter in the
Hebrew alphabet) occurred 42,377 times, and so on.
According
to Greek scholars Westcott and Hort, the points in which we cannot be sure of
the original words are insignificant in proportion to the bulk of the whole,
some 1/1000. Thus only one letter out of 1,580 in the Old Testament is open to
question, and none of these uncertainties would change in the slightest any
doctrinal teaching. Today there are
almost 5,000 ancient Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. This perhaps does
not seem like many, until one considers that fifteen hundred years after
Herodotus wrote his history there was only one copy in the entire world. Twelve
hundred years after Plato wrote his classic, there was only one
manuscript. Today there exist but a few
manuscripts of Sophocles, Euripedes, Virgil, and Cicero.
·
Because of
the bad things God writes about some of his friends. Here five men immediately
come to mind. Most of these individuals are mentioned in the Faith Hall of Fame
(Hebrews 11).
1. Noah—indeed a man of God. He walked with God, he
was a just man (Gen. 6:9), and he obeyed God (Heb. 11:7). Yet after the flood
this great hero of the faith gets dead drunk and exposes his nakedness and
shame to his entire family (Gen. 9:20-24). Surely a mere human author would not
have written all this.
2. Moses—the meekest man in all the earth during his
time (Num. 12:3), and a leader who single-handedly led an entire nation of
enslaved Hebrews out of captivity in Egypt. But en route to Palestine we read
of his anger and direct disobedience to the clearly revealed Word of God. (See
Num. 20:7-12.) Surely man would have eliminated this part of Moses’ record.
3. David—without exception the grandest human king
who ever sat upon a throne. God himself would testify that here was a man after
his own heart. (See 1 Sam. 13:14; 16:7, 12, 13.) David’s fearlessness (1 Sam.
17:34-36, 49), love for God (Ps. 18, 103, etc.), and kindness (1 Sam. 24:6, 7)
were universally known. But in 2 Samuel 11 this same king is accurately accused
of lust, adultery, lying, and cold-blooded murder. Who but God would write in
such a manner?
4. Elijah—few other Old Testament prophets are as
colorful and exciting as Elijah the Tishbite. In 1 Kings 18, he champions the
cause of God against 450 priests of Satan, but in the very next chapter he is
pictured as running for his very life from a mere woman.
5. Peter—self-appointed
spokesman for Christ who so confidently assured the Savior that, “Though all
men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended” (Mt.
26:33). But in the hour of Jesus’ great need we read of Peter: “Then began he
to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man” (Mt. 26:74).
·
Because of
the good things God writes about some of his enemies. As we have already seen,
on many occasions God records bad things about his friends, and he often
mentions good things about his enemies. This can be seen in the accounts of
Esau (Gen. 33);
·
Because of
certain doctrines repugnant to the natural mind. Many examples could be listed
here, but the following three will demonstrate this:
1. The doctrine of eternal hell. Revelation 14:10-11 The same shall drink of
the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup
of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the
presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11 And the smoke
of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor
night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of
his name.
2. The doctrine of man’s total helplessness. Romans
7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for
to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find
not. Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye
saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not
of works, lest any man should boast.
3. The doctrine of final judgment upon saved and
unsaved. 1 Corinthians 3:9-15 For we are
labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. 10
According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder,
I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man
take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11 For other foundation can no man lay than
that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this
foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man's
work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be
revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a
reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he
himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
Revelation 20:11-15 And I saw a
great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the
heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead,
small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book
was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those
things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the
sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead
which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the
lake of fire.
The Bible is Proven by its
Life-Transforming Power
According to an ancient proverb—“The proof of the pudding is in the
eating.” So it is. Undoubtedly the greatest proof of all that the Bible is
indeed God’s Word is its amazing ability to change corrupt humanity. The Bible
is a beautiful palace built of sixty-six blocks of solid marble—the sixty-six
books. In the first chapter of Genesis we enter the vestibule, filled with the
mighty acts of creation.
The vestibule gives access to the law courts—the
five books of Moses—passing through which we come to the picture gallery of the
historical books. Here we find hung upon the walls scenes of battlefields,
representations of heroic deeds, and portraits of eminent men belonging to the
early days of the world’s history.
Beyond the picture gallery we find the
philosopher’s chamber—the book of Job—passing through which we enter the music
room—the book of Psalms—where we listen to the grandest strains that ever fell
on human ears.
Then we come to the business office—the book of
Proverbs—where right in the center of the room, stands facing us the motto, “Righteousness
exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.”
From the business office we pass into the
chapel—Ecclesiastes, or the Song of Solomon with the rose of sharon and the lily of the valley, and all manner of fine
perfume and fruit and flowers and singing birds.
Finally we reach the observatory—the prophets,
with their telescopes fixed on near and distant stars, and all directed toward “the
Bright and Morning Star,” that was soon to arise.
Crossing the court we come to the audience
chamber of the King—the Gospels—where we find four vivid lifelike portraits of
the King himself. Next we enter the workroom of the Holy Spirit—the Acts of the
Apostles—and beyond that the correspondence room—the epistles—where we see Paul
and Peter and James and John and Jude busy at their desks.
Before leaving we stand a moment in the outside
gallery-the Revelation—where we look upon some striking pictures of the
judgments to come, and the glories to be revealed, concluding with an
awe-inspiring picture of the throne room of the King.
~*~
Part 4
1. List the seven rules for copying the Old Testament.
2. About how many Greek manuscripts of the New Testament exist?
Answer.
3. What is mean by the statement, “The Bible is not a book that man could write if he would, or would write if he could.”
4. What does Revelation 14:10-11 teach about hell?
5. What does Romans 7:18 teach about man’s total helplessness?
6. What does 1 Corinthians 3:9-15 and Revelation 20:11-15 teach about the final judgment?
7. If the Bible has changed you life in a definite way tell how.
~*~
· Deductive approach. The type of study, which begins with a premise and then looks for the facts (Bible verses) to support that premise is called the deductive approach. Care has to be taken not to make the Bible mean whatever one wants it to mean. The deductive approach goes from the general to the specific. With this method the study of the Bible can become very subjective and almost any meaning can be derived.
A man and his
wife were having an argument about who should brew the coffee each morning. The
wife said, "You should do it,
because you get up first, and then we don't have to wait as long to get our
coffee." The husband said, "You are in charge of the cooking around
here and you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my
coffee" Wife replies, "No
you should do it, and besides it is in the Bible that the man should do the
coffee." Husband replies, " I can't believe that, show me."
So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and shows him at the top
of several pages, that it indeed says ... "HE-BREWS"
· Inductive approach. The type of study, which first observes all of the relevant pieces of information and then interprets those observations, is called the inductive approach. With the inductive method there is movement from the particular to the general.
· Inductive Bible study. Our objective, hopefully, will be to focus upon the inductive Bible method which first observes the text to be studied, interprets those observations, and then applies the truths learned to one's own life and to others
The Purpose of Bible Study
Bible study develops out of the belief that God has
spoken (Heb. 1: 1‑2) and that a portion of what He has said is contained in the
Scriptures (2
God has spoken. Hebrews
1:1-2 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto
the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his
Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the
worlds.
God has spoken
through the Scriptures. 2
God has spoken
for the benefit of mankind. 2
· to understand what was written
and why and
· to apply this understanding
to our daily walk with the Lord.
Two Dimensions to Bible Study
At this point one might ask, "How does one understand what a writer said and why, so that he may apply it?" Two dimensions of Bible study will help us to answer this question.
· First, there is the spiritual dimension
· and second there is the human dimension.
The Spiritual Dimension
By spiritual dimension we mean the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit. Illumination is a theological term that informs us that God's message, sent through His human instruments, is understandable. It is understandable because the Holy Spirit clarifies and brings understanding of the written Word to the mind of the believing Christian.
·
John 16:12-15 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot
bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide
you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall
hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall
glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. 15 All
things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of
mine, and shall shew it unto you.
·
1 Corinthians 2:9-3:2 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear
heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath
prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his
Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11
For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in
him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we
have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God;
that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which
things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which
the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are
foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually
discerned. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is
judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct
him? But we have the mind of Christ.
·
1 Cor 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual,
but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk,
and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now
are ye able.
In other words,
the Bible is a spiritual book 2 Peter
1:21 “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of
as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. It is God's revelation to man, and
man needs the attending work of the Holy Spirit to help him understand it. As
the psalmist said in his prayer,
"Open my eyes, that I may, behold wonderful things from Thy law"
(Psa. 119:18).
The Human Dimension
Coupled with
the spiritual aspect of understanding is the human aspect that demands effort
not an effort which is detached from the illuminating aspect of the Holy Spirit
but an effort that is interdependent with the Spirit's work. Ezra 7:10 For
Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to
teach in Israel statutes and judgments. 1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have
received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we
might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
According to the concept of inspiration, human authors were moved by the Holy Spirit to write what God spoke, without any violation of their human personality. In other words, inspiration means that human instruments wrote in a manner suited to their personality and style. Consequently, the Bible can be studied from a human perspective as would other forms of human communication. In this course we will be trying to teach you an approach for doing just this.
Two Approaches to Bible Study: The Deductive Method vs. the Inductive
Method
Ezra 7: 10
says, "For Ezra had set his heart to
study the law of the LORD, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and
ordinances in Israel." Paul wrote to
While it is sometimes easy to read a portion of Scripture several times and write down a few truths, or consult a commentary or two to hear what others say about a passage, there is no substitute for the joy one receives when the Holy Spirit grants insight and wisdom through the diligent work of personal study. Also, nothing helps us communicate more effectively or enthusiastically than when we share a truth or insight that the Holy Spirit has personally given to us in our study. But how does one do this?
When Paul wrote to the church of Corinth, he told them, "Let all things be done properly and in an orderly manner" (I Cor. 14:40). In the same chapter he wrote, "For God is not a God of confusion but of peace" (I Cor. 14:33). When we look further at the nature and works of God, we see that there is order in the Godhead (I Cor. 11:3), in creation (Gen. 1), in the church (I Cor. 14:33), and in relationships (1 Cor. 11:3; Eph. 5). There is order even in the natural life of man. As the farmer follows methodical steps when he plants his crops, so a cook follows a definite sequence when she prepares dough for bread and batter for cake. Such order in the works of God and man forms a strong exhortation to us to have order in our Bible study. Let us look at two common approaches of Bible study that provide an orderly framework. They are deductive study and inductive study.
Deductive Bible Study
By deduction is the process of reasoning from a known principle to an unknown, from the general to the specific, or from a premise to a logical conclusion. In Bible study, deduction starts with a premise and uses the Bible to support this premise. For example, one may start with the premise that God is love. He then opens his Bible and seeks to demonstrate that God is love. Since the deductive method calls for us to select and make an assertion about a topic, it is not the best method to use when doing general Bible study.
First, the premise may be wrong. We may believe that a passage says something when in reality it says something quite different. It is possible to hear something taught, the Scriptures alluded to and then, when the Bible is read to “see” what was being communicated. For example. As a child I was taught that Russia is to be found in Ezekiel 38 – 39. But when the Scriptures are read in context there is nothing at all about Russia in the Bible.
Second, because our goal is to discover what an author says, we do not want to presume anything until our research is complete. Another approach is needed.
Induction is the opposite of deduction. It is reasoning from particular facts or individual cases to a general conclusion. When applied to Bible study, induction means we study Scripture first and then make a conclusion. For example, one might ask, "What should I believe about salvation?" Then he would study as many references to salvation as possible before drawing any conclusions. Since induction forces us to come to grips with what a writer says without first presuming what we think he said, it is the method we will use in our Bible study course. The inductive approach allows us to study a book, a passage, or a topic. Such studies are called synthetic, analytical, and topical, respectively.
· The synthetic approach studies a book to discover the purpose of the entire book.
· The analytical approach focuses on passages or individual parts of a passage to understand how this part is used in relation to the whole.
· The topical approach seeks to understand what Scripture says concerning any given topic.
~*~
1. Formulate in three sentences or less what your current purpose is for Bible study.
Answer.
2. Does your purpose agree or differ with the inductive approach to Bible study?
Answer.
3. Define the deductive method of Bible study.
Answer.
4. Define the inductive method of Bible study.
Answer.
5. What dangers are inherent in the deductive method of Bible study?
Answer.
6. Are there any dangers in the inductive method of Bible study?
Answer.
7. Define the term “illumination.”
Regardless of whether the inductive method is applied to a book, a
passage, or a topic, induction always has two parts—
· observation
· and interpretation.
If one reverses this order or fails to observe it at all, his inductive Bible study will become deductive, subjective and open to error. The inductive Bible study method can be diagrammed.
The inductive method is a product of analysis and synthesis. Whether one is observing or interpreting, he first investigates or studies before drawing any conclusions. Once accurate conclusions and interpretations are reached, the third and final stage can be accomplished which is applying the truths to our lives. We call this third step "Application."
These three
steps of observation, interpretation,
and application complete the cycle of inductive Bible study. Bible study
is complete when an application is made first to ourselves, then to others. James 1:22 “But be ye doers of the word, and
not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
While application is last in the process, this does not imply that it is last in importance; it simply points out its relationship to the process of Bible study. What we believe the Bible says by way of observation and interpretation touches our lives by personal application in the same way that a seal leaves its imprint on wax. If the “seal” or our understanding of Bible truth is defective through lack of Bible study then the imprint on our lives will be proportionately defective.
Furthermore, even a perfect seal will never leave its imprint if it is not applied to the wax. Diligent Bible study that leads to perfect understanding is still just theory until it is applied to our lives.
Note: While we have divided
the process of Bible study into separate steps‑observation, interpretation, and
application‑we recognize that the way we normally think, combined with the
illumination of the Spirit, will not exclude deductive thinking nor prohibit the
overlap or simultaneous outworking of the individual steps. Our purpose in this
course is simply to establish the process in a logical manner so that you may
learn it. Once learned, you should shorten or modify these steps in accordance
with your proficiency.
~*~
Studying a Passage
In this study we will only be teaching you how to
study a passage of Scripture. Book
and topical studies can be dealt with at another time. Let us begin with a
short exercise to find out how you currently study a passage.
Step One: Reading the Text
Suppose you
wanted to study Matthew 28:16‑20. How would you begin to study it? First of
course you would read the passage so let us do that together. Matt 28:16 “Then the eleven disciples went
away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. 17 And when
they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and
spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto
the end of the world. Amen.”
Step Two: Observing the Text
Having read the text the next step is to observe what has been written.
Question. “What five observations would you make just on verses 16-17 of this passage?” While the answers might very at least these five thoughts can be stated.
· Eleven of the twelve disciples were gathered together following the death and burial of Christ.
· One a particular occasion the disciples gathered somewhere in Galilee.
· The disciples were gathered in a specific mountain where Jesus had told them to go.
· Suddenly Jesus appeared unto them.
· Even as the resurrected Christ was in the midst of the disciples some still doubted. They could not believe what they were witnessing.
In order to help you
appreciate the importance of really reading the text and how difficult it is
and yet how profoundly important if you will engage your mind I am going to ask
you to read and reread Matthew 28:16-18 until you come up with five additional
thoughts. You cannot rewrite what you have done already. Now do that.
· The reason there were only 11 disciples is because Judas had killed himself.
· In order to get into Galilee or the upper north west part of Palestine the disciples had to leave the city of Jerusalem which was in the lower part of the land.
· The word “then” is a time word connected to something that previously took place. It was after the reports of the body of Christ being stolen that the disciples moved to meet with the Master.
· When the disciples saw Jesus in His glorified resurrected body they worshipped Him.
· The term “the” eleven disciples is a technical term for the original disciples of Jesus distinct from the many other disciples the Lord gathered during His ministry.
With this second request to observe more about the text you can begin to appreciate the value of time and mediation that is involved in study—which is why much study is a weariness to the soul.
A Point to Remember. There is a difference between a
superficial reading of a text and a thoughtful reading. Serious Bible study
involves both.
It does no good to be impatient with God’s Word. There is much that will be lost through impatience. “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) is not only a cultural challenge it is a personal challenge as well. Patience with God’s Word yields rich rewards spiritually as Mr. Spurgeon noted in one of his lectures to his students (The Bible: The Perfect Library).
~*~
General Bible Familiarity
Chapter 13
First a Quiz
1. How many books are there in the Bible?
Answer. 66
2. How many books are in the Old Testament?
3. How many books are in the New Testament?
4. Give a three fold division of the Old Testament
Answer.
· Law The Torah
· Prophets Major and Minor Prophets
· Writing Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job
5. Give a four fold division of the New Testament
Answer.
· Gospels
· History (Acts of the Apostles)
· Epistles
· Prophecy
6. When did creation take place?
Answer. 15,000 - 4,000 BC (?)
7. In what chapters and books of the Bible are the following events recorded.
· Creation Genesis 1-2
· The Fall Genesis 3
· The Flood Genesis 6
· The call of Abraham Genesis 12
· The birth of Moses Exodus 2
· The appointment of Joshua Joshua 1
· The call of Gideon Judges 6
· The dedication of Samuel 1 Samuel 1
· The story of David and Goliath 1 Samuel 17
· The kingdom divided 1 Kings 11
· The prophecy of the suffering Messiah Isaiah 53
· A prophecy of 490 years Daniel 9
· The birth of Christ Luke 2
· The woman at the well John 4
· The fall of Jerusalem Matthew 23; Mark 13; Luke 21
· The new heaven and new earth Revelation 22
8. What style of writing characterizes the Psalms?
Answer. Poetry
9. What style of writing is found in Jonah?
Answer. Narrative
10. What style of writing characterizes most of the Bible?
Answer. Prose.
11. Define each of the following styles of writing.
·
Parable refers
to a short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious
principle.
· Figurative language involves the use of picturesque expressions to convey a thought. Jesus said, “I am the vine ye are the branches” (John 15:5) to speak of the relationship He has with His own.
· Apocalyptic imagery refers to a style of writing describing scenes in vivid terms of judgment in order to conceal spiritual truth. Examples of this style of writing are reflected in Daniel and Revelation.
12. In reading a text is it proper to discerning if the feeling of the passage is that of praise, rebuke, didactic [teaching] or conciliatory?
Answer. Yes.
Student Exercise
1. Make a list of the books of the Bible and count how many chapters are in each book.
2. Plan now a schedule for daily Bible reading. You can determine if you will spend time morning and evening in the Word or all in one sitting.
~*~
Six Facets of Bible Study
Chapter 14
A Brief Review
Bible study is a continual process of analysis and synthesis combined with the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit. With a view of being guided by the Holy Spirit the student of the Bible should apply the three-step inductive method involving observation, interpretation and application.
Within this framework other tools are applied to the text as questions are raised and answered regarding background, literary style, structure, [how the author arranged and organized his material] meaning [or what did the author intend to say] and the spiritual truths to be derived.
But all of these tool are meaningless if the Bible is not read. If we dare to be the godly men and women then we must read the Scriptures. Reading will make us familiarize us basic facts, acquaint us with persons, organize us as to time periods, introduce us to culture, expand our view of God's redemptive plan, and develop our overall understanding of Scripture.
As someone once said, "When we suffer a cut, we should bleed Bible." Reading will help us reach this level. There are, however, different ways one can read.
·
The Scriptures may be read
simply to fill the heart and mind with a principle or truth as in devotional
reading. While this is essential to spiritual growth it is not enough. There
are individuals who read the Bible in
a spiritual state only to ignore its harsh realities or doctrinal difficulties.
Such Bible reading will not produce
strong soldiers of the Cross.
·
The Scriptures may be read
simply to fill the mind with general knowledge and facts such as inspectional reading. There is
danger in this approach because knowledge can puff up. The intake of Bible doctrine on a daily basis is
vital to spiritual maturity but doctrine does not always change the heart.
·
The Scriptures may be read to
gain a detailed understanding of a passage or book as is done in analytical
reading. The danger in this is to read the book to find material for discussion
or arguments, not to be changed or challenged by the Word.
A Point to Remember
God
is interested not only that we read His Word but also the way in which we read
it.
Initial Inspectional Reading
When serious but devotional reading of the Bible begin the first requirement towards fully understanding a passage read is to become familiar with it. Inspectional reading is one method of accomplishing this aim. Inspectional reading examines the whole book in which a passage occurs, because almost every book has an overall purpose to which each individual passage contributes something. In other words, the writer's general purpose in writing was a major factor in determining which topics, themes, and truths he included. Inspectional reading will enable the reader to see how a specific passage contributes to the entire book by viewing it in relation to the other aspects of the content. In general, inspectional reading is of two types:
· pre‑reading
· and superficial overview.
In pre-reading a person can become acquainted with a passage and book of study. This is done by turning the pages and reading a paragraph now and then reading in different portions of the book to observe the general content. Some questions might be asked as this general perusal of pre-reading begins. For example,
·
“How many
chapters are in the book?”
·
“How is
this book divided?”
·
“Does the
narrative develop according to any general time line?”
·
“What are
the names of individuals involved in the book?”
·
“With what
subjects does the book begin and close?”
·
“Does this
book belong to a general type or category of literature such as prose, wisdom,
poetical, prophetical, and epistolary literature?
· “When did the author live?”
Once there has been a general inspection of a book, give it a superficial reading. This will give a greater awareness of all the contents.
· Read the book through without stopping to look up or ponder things you do not understand. What you do understand will help you the next time through.
· Try to read the book in a limited amount of time, say, one hour at the most. Obviously, some books may have to be split into two or more reading sessions.
· When you have finished, meditate over what you think the general purpose of the book might be and what themes were included throughout the book. Also think over how the book was arranged.
As a person becomes better acquainted with individual books, their general Bible familiarity and factual knowledge will naturally grow. Therefore, Bible explorations should turn into a daily habit that is independent of any Bible study projects that are presently being worked on so as to keep the Bible fresh in the mind.
The establishment of holy habits may be harder to do then said. That is why it is sometimes easier if there is established a daily personal schedule of reading. A simple way to do this is to divide the Bible according to the number of chapters it contains. For example, since the Old Testament has 929 chapters and the New Testament has 260, one must read 3.25 chapters a day to go through the Bible one time in a year (1, 189 chapters divided by 365 days). Or to read through the Bible twice a year, you would have to read 6 ½ chapters per day.
· Actual organization of such reading can occur in many formats. Some choose to read straight through from Genesis to Revelation.
· Others like to alternate between a book of the Old Testament and a book of the New Testament.
· Another method is to read book by book, ending each session with one chapter from the Psalms and/or one chapter from the Proverbs. One may read the New Testament through twice for each time the Old is read.
· Some enjoy reading through the same book each day for a month. A combination of these methods will provide fruitful variety. Whichever option you choose, be consistent and faithful. The dividends will be extraordinary.
Analytical Reading
Distinct from Inspectional Reading there is Analytical Reading. Analytical Reading is the main basis for gaining detailed information from a passage. It seeks more than a general familiarity with content as it looks for arrangement or organization of the material and tries to discern what problem(s) the author may be seeking to resolve.
When reading analytically, the reader strives to understand the meaning of words and sentences and is cognizant [aware] of the author's style. The underlying theme of the passage is sought. The goal of analytical reading is to help determine what exactly an author said and why.
Background
As one reads through a book of the Bible, it is easy to see that it is often written to specific people, talks about historical events, mentions dates and addresses real issues of concern. Since the writer is not writing history for history's sake, it is assumed that the historical events and situations used are chosen to reflect the writer's overall message and his intention for writing. As a result, Bible students will want to research the background of a passage or book and ask specific questions.
·
“Who wrote
the book?”
·
“At what
point in history do the events occur?”
·
“What were
the circumstances under which it was written?”
· “To whom did the author write?”
· “What other peoples, countries, and nations were influential at this same time?”
Literary Style
Because God wrote through the personality of different people, each book and passage has its own unique literary style suited to the writer's personality. This means the Bible student must observe literary form and details sometimes called "genre."
·
“What
literary devices or style has the writer used to declare his message?”
·
“Did he
use prose, poetry, narrative discourse, parable, figurative language, or
apocalyptic imagery?”
· “What is the underlying feeling in the passage? Is it praise, rebuke, didactic, or conciliatory?”
·
“What is
the nature of the grammar used? Is it composed of commands, statements of fact,
questions, or wishes? In what tense did the author write?”
Structure
How an author arranged and organized his material is known as "structure." Since each writer wrote in conformity with the accepted usage of his day, each passage has order. Understanding this order and seeing how the writer developed his thoughts will lead the Bible student into a clearer understanding of the passage. It may even help inspire his own thinking later when it comes to preaching or teaching a passage.
Meaning
Even after all of the above has been done, Bible students still find the need to understand specific words, phrases, and sentences. For example, the Bible speaks about renewing the mind, but what does it mean to "renew" the mind and how does one do it? Studying in this manner helps the student to develop his understanding of the meaning of these various words, phrases, and sentences.
Truths Derived
Finally, one must look for the truths stated in the passage. Because each writer's message was from God and because each writer intended that his readers heed the truths of His message, we need to be aware of the same truths so that we may apply them to our lives. We need to ask ourselves what circumstances the readers faced that we confront today? What truths, commands, or rebukes apply directly to us? What was specifically said to the reader that is only indirectly related to us?
Conclusion
Here are six facets of Bible study: Reading for inspection and analysis, discovering background material, observing the literary style, searching for structure, seeking for spiritual meaning and making personal application.
Student Exercise
In preparation for future lectures read the book of Philippians two times using the inspectional method. This means that you will pre‑read the epistle the first time through the book looking for specific questions (see page 4) and then make a superficial overview. Be ready to discuss your findings.
~*~
Observation
Chapter 15
Several times during His ministry Jesus reprimanded
His disciples with the words found in Mark 8:18 “Having eyes, see ye not? And having ears, hear ye not? And do ye not
remember?” Though the disciples had been with Christ during His great
miracles they still lost faith. They saw only what they wanted to see and
forgot all else. In the study of the Bible it is possible to be see only what
we want to see or what we have seen so often before to the point that we yawn
at the Bible stories and dismiss the need for serious study of the Scriptures.
One cure for this spiritual lethargy is the engage
in better observation, which means to train our spiritual eyes and mind to
notice the details of the narrative. The fundamental question the student must
ask constantly is, “What does the author
mean?”
Preparation of the Heart
Before a search is made to find the meaning of the
Word the heart must be prepared. Every Bible
study should begin with a devotional prayer in which all known sins are
confessed, the mind of Christ is asked for and the request of the Psalmist is
uttered, Ps 119:18 “ [Lord, open thou
mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law].
Purposeful Study
Only when the heart is right with God can there be any
hope of achieving the overall purpose of Bible
study which is to understand what was written and why and to apply this
understanding to our daily walk with the Lord.
The Importance of
Observation
Observation may be compared to the work of a miner
searching for precious gems in the muck and mire of the ground. As the student
is initially exposed to a passage of Scripture there are many spiritual gems to
unearth. The next time spend “digging” in the Word the more facts will be
unearthed and the richer the discovery will be. Skill in observing will
determine how much or how little will be found out about a passage. But how
does a student of Scripture begin?
Observing the Background
One good place to begin is to discover as much as
possible about the background and conditions at the time the author wrote. Such
information will help to clarify the understanding of a passage more fully. For
example, if the history of the Babylonian Empire is reviewed and the conditions
of the Babylonian Captivity remembered, why Daniel wrote what he did will be
more understandable.
In that instance, the people of Israel had sinned
and not repented. In a display of righteous judgment God sent His people into
exile. But the exile was to last only seventy years according to the prophet
Jeremiah (Jer. 25:11-12). Though the Covenant had been broken God was not going
to abandon His people. Daniel wrote to tell the people that and to encourage
them in their struggles.
Resources for Bible Study
By comparing Scripture
with Scripture it is not hard to get
background information on many passages from the Bible itself. But it does take
effort. By reading other books of the Bible that relate to approximately the
same period of time in the passage being studied a composite narrative emerges.
For example, portions of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel record background events
for the book of Daniel. In the New Testament the four gospels give background
to the book of Acts which in turn gives the setting for the Epistles. In
addition to using the Bible itself as a resource tool it is good when possible
to consult Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias. Names, places and the book of
the Bible being studied can be looked up.
Third, books written on Old and New Testament
surveys are helpful.
Finally, a good commentary will have background
information.
~*~
Student Exercise
1. Read the story The Student, The Fish, and Agassiz and
summarize in your own words the point of this story.
2. Tell why observations are important.
Answer.
3. Do a background study of 1 Peter 3:1-7 and Nehemiah 1. Begin by writing out the verses in your workbook.
1 Peter 3 3:1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own
husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won
by the conversation of the wives; 2 While they behold your chaste conversation
coupled with fear. 3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of
plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4 But
let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even
the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great
price. 5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted
in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: 6 Even
as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye
do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. 7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell
with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the
weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your
prayers be not hindered.
Nehemiah 1:1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to
pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the
palace,
2 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah;
and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the
captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said unto me, The remnant that
are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and
reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are
burned with fire. 4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat
down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God
of heaven, 5 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and
terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and
observe his commandments: 6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes
open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee
now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the
sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and
my father's house have sinned. 7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and
have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou
commandedst thy servant Moses. 8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou
commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you
abroad among the nations. 9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments,
and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the
heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place
that I have chosen to set my name there. 10 Now these are thy servants and thy
people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand. 11
O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy
servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and
prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of
this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.
Background Information on 1
Peter
Historical
Setting.
First Peter is addressed to Christians living in "Pontus, Galatia,
Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia" (1:1) - places in the northern and western
parts of Asia Minor (modern Turkey). The readers appear to have been Gentiles
(1:14,18; 2:10; 4:3), although they probably had not been evangelized by Peter
himself (1:12). The letter was obviously written to believers undergoing trials
and persecutions, to give them courage in the face of their adversities (5:10).
Since it makes no mention of
its audience, 2 Peter was probably intended for a general readership. Its
primary purpose was to combat false teachers. Widespread in the ancient world
was the view that sparks of eternal light lay trapped within the prisons of
human bodies. These sparks of light, which
longed to return to their primal
home, could be liberated only by gnosis, or knowledge. Second Peter uses "knowledge" (1:5-6; 3:18) to
show that only in Jesus Christ is the knowledge of God and salvation fully
revealed. These false teachers also must have been critical of the delay in
Christ's return. To this challenge the author devoted the entire third chapter.
Background Information on
Nehemiah
Authorship and
Date
As written originally in the Hebrew language,
Nehemiah was connected to the books of First and Second Chronicles and Ezra.
The material in these books formed one unbroken book, written probably by the
priest Ezra. The purpose of this work was to show how God's blessings sustained
his COVENANT PEOPLE after they returned to their native land following the
years of captivity in Babylon and Persia. Most conservative scholars, however,
believe Nehemiah contributed some of the material that appears in the book
which bears his name. This is the only logical explanation for chapters 1-7 and
11-13, which are written by Nehemiah as a first-person report. Ezra could have
picked up these passages from Nehemiah's personal diary.
Historical
Setting.
The Book of Nehemiah is set in that crucial time in Jewish history known as the
post-exilic period. These were the years after the return of the Covenant
People to their homeland in 536 BC following 70 years of CAPTIVITY in Babylon
and Persia. At first the exiles were excited about rebuilding their lives and
restoring their city; but the work was slow and tiring, and the living
conditions were primitive. Their enemies often exploited them in their plight.
These were the desperate circumstances that motivated Nehemiah to return to
Jerusalem to encourage his countrymen.
Quiz
Observation
Chapter
15
1. What is the two-fold purpose
of Bible study?
Answer.
2. Write down the definition of
observation.
Answer.
Observing the Literary Style
A part of interpreting the Bible correctly is
remembering that the authors of the Bible used different literary styles as
they wrote. Therefore, it is important to recognize what type of literature is
in the context.
“Is the
passage poetical?”
“Is the
passage prophetic?”
“Is the
passage a narrative?
“Did the
author use symbols?”
“Did the
author use imagery?”
“Did the
author use imagery or apocalyptic languageto convey the message?”
“Are there
parables?”
“Are their
allegories or other forms of speech?”
An awareness of these different forms and figures of
speech will guard against misunderstanding the intent of the language. Of
particular danger is pressing an image too far. The Mormons do this when they
take the image of God as a “Father”
to an extreme to teach their doctrine of the eternal procession of the Godhead.
Appealing to passages such as Rom 1:7 the Mormons argue that God was once a man
and now has been exalted to godhood. “To
all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and
peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Another illustration of how literary style affects
interpretation can be seen in Psalm 95:3 where it says, “For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.”
Here the second line takes up and further develops a
thought begun in the first line. This is called “synthetic parallelism.” Another example of literary style is found
in Psalm 1:6 where the second line is contrasted with the first by stating the
opposite idea. “For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the
ungodly shall perish.”
This style of writing is called “antithetic parallelism.” There
are many other types of Hebrew parallelism and types of psalms along with a
variety of literary forms in other parts of the Bible that are worthy of
consideration. The larger point to keep in mind is that as a passage is studied
try to learn the literary form.
Learning to Observe the Text
Itself
In normal Bible study the observation of a text
usually moves from the general to the specific, from an overall awareness of
the passage and its contents to a deeper understanding of the details. The
image of a tree comes to mind. When seen at a distance only the broad outline
of the tree is visible. Then, as the tree is approached it recognized and its
various parts are observed. So it is with a text. The closer a verse is
observed the clearer its parts become and the deeper the understanding is of
what the writer is saying.
To summarize this thought, observation that moves
from the general to the specific generally involves a five-step process.
· In Step One, the text is
read in context.
· In Step Two, general
observations are made.
· In Step Three, the structure
of the sentences is discerned.
· In Step Four, the main theme
or thought is identified.
· In Step Five, the specific
purpose of the author is discerned and comprehended.
Once is Not Enough
The necessity of repetition in the reading of a text
in order to observe all that is possible cannot be stressed enough. It is
suggested that a verse be read at least twenty times in the process of
mediation and the chapter before and after at least four or five times. In this
way the initial inspectional reading will give way to the settled analytical
reading. If this is done there will be a higher level of trust in the
observations made.
~*~
Student Exercise
Part 1
At this time reread 1 Peter 3:1-7 and write down
what you believe is the main theme. Be sure to follow the counsel of the Bible
translator John Wycliffe (1328-1384) who wrote the following. “It will greatly help you to understand
Scripture if you mark not only what is spoken or written, but of whom, and to
whom, with what words, at what time, where, to what intent, with what
circumstances, considering what goes before and what follows.” It would not
be a bad idea to create a form.
Observations _____________________________ 1.
Who? _________________ 2.
Where? _________________ 3.
When? _________________ 4.
What? _________________ 5.
Why ? _________________
1. Who (People)?
· Who are the characters involved, and what can be learned about them
from this passage?
2. Where (Places)?
· What places are mentioned? What buildings, cities, nations or landmarks
are noted?
3. When (
· When did these events take place? Is the duration of the action
mentioned?
· At what point in redemptive history does the action occur?
4. What (Events, ideas)?
· What is the basic content being discussed?
· What events are taking place?
· What ideas are being communicated?
· Is the tone of the passage one of joy, sorrow, victory, or defeat?
· Are there any key concepts or key words?
· What promises, commands or warnings are given?
· What figures of speech, if any, are used?
5. Why (Reason)?
· Why does the author say what he says?
· What did the author say previously?
· What does he say next?
· How does the present text bridge the gap between these two aspects of
the context? Note. Whenever you see the word “therefore” in Scripture pause to
consider what it is there for (cf. Romans 5:1; Ephesians 5:1).
· 1 Peter 3:1-7 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own
husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won
by the conversation of the wives; 2 While they behold your chaste conversation
coupled with fear. 3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of
plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4 But
let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even
the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great
price. 5 For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted
in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: 6 Even
as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye
do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. 7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell
with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the
weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your
prayers be not hindered.
Student Exercise
Part 2
Using the same formula read Nehemiah 1:1-11 and
write down your observations.
· Nehemiah 1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to
pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the
palace, 2 That Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah;
and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the
captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said unto me, The remnant that
are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and
reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are
burned with fire. 4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat
down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God
of heaven, 5 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and
terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and
observe his commandments: 6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes
open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee
now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the
sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and
my father's house have sinned. 7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and
have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou
commandedst thy servant Moses. 8 Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou
commandedst thy servant Moses, saying, If ye transgress, I will scatter you
abroad among the nations: 9 But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments,
and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the
heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place
that I have chosen to set my name there. 10 Now these are thy servants and thy
people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand. 11
O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy
servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and
prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of
this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.
~*~
Student Review
Using the form given and answer the questions Who? What? Where? When? and Why? the following observations should
have been made.
~*~
Discerning the Structure
Chapter
17
Question. Why do you think that
observation, as opposed to interpretation or application, is the place to begin
Bible study?
Answer.
Understanding the
Structure of
Scripture
At its most basic level structure refers to the
analysis of Scripture by examining grammar and syntax. It is important to
identify parts of speech as a noun, verb or adjective etc. and how they relate
to one another (syntax). Those who have access to the tools to study the
original languages of Greek and Hebrew are fortunate. But others need not
despair. Much can be learned by discovering the author’s logical development of
his thoughts.
A
Point to Remember
All
Biblical writers wrote logically because they were moved by the Spirit of God
who invites individuals to come and reason together. Isa 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though
your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red
like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Because the authors of the Bible were logical the message of each writer can be broken down into logical divisions or thoughts. By locating these divisions of thoughts the student of the Scriptures is able to form an outline of the writer’s message that can serve as a basis for developing a teaching or preaching outline. Therefore, remember this: “Structure is the way that different ideas, elements, or actions within a passage relate to one another conceptually.”
In America there is a phrase used in business called getting “The Big Idea”. For example, the inventors of the airplane were Wilbur and Oliver Wright. These men came from humble background in a small town in Ohio. But they had a dream and that was to fly. But how can men fly? For centuries men had watched the birds and longed to be with them in the air. The dream of flying was only a dream until certain big ideas were conceived that are now called the laws of aerodynamics. The first step in seeing the author’s structure is to capture sight of his “Big Idea” and separate it from his subordinate thoughts. A tool that can be used to do this can be called
The Conceptional Outline
The Conceptional Outline is simply “a way of visually showing the logic in a passage by writing out the phrases of the verses in short line.” To do this, place all the main ideas to the left of a piece of paper and all the subordinate ideas to the. A Conceptional Outline for Galatians 5:16-26 would look something like this.
A Conceptional Outline
Galatians 5:16-26
Main Thought (to the Left)
Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit,
and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Indentation of Subordinate
Thoughts
Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the
other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
Main Thought (to the Left)
Galatians 5: 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye
are not under the law.
Indentation of Subordinate
Thoughts
Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are
manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife,
seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such
like:
Indentation of Another Level
of Subordinate Thoughts
Galatians 5:21 Of the which I tell you before, as I
have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not
inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the
fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that
are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Main Thought (to the Left)
Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also
walk in the Spirit.
Indentation of Subordinate
Thoughts
Galatians 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory,
provoking one another, envying one another.
In this outline the main thoughts were put to the
left and subordinating thoughts were indented. The number of main thoughts and
the number of levels of subordinating thoughts are subjective to a degree as
the student observes what is unfolding in the narrative.
~*~
Discerning the Structure
Chapter 17
Student Exercise
Part 1
1. Create A Conceptional Outline for 1 Peter 3:1-7 and also for Nehemiah 1:1-11.
Discerning the
Structure
Chapter 17
Student Exercise
1. Once a Conceptional Outline for 1 Peter 3:1-7 and also for Nehemiah 1:1-11 has been created go back and mark those words which can be called “Structural Indicators” that shows the way(s) the author has developed his thought.
2. What are the fourteen concepts that can more easily identify the Structural Indicators? (see Handout for Detailed Explanation).
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