Disciple Makers Basic Training: Week 5 Q: What Is In The Bible?
A: God has given His Scriptures as the highest standard of truth and authority for all of life. The Bible teaches what man is to believe about God and what God requires of man.
God and His Word are inseparable. He designed it that way for our benefit. To know God is to know His Word, and to love Him is to obey His commands. The Bible tells us to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly (Colossians 3:16), yet many of us neither know, or obey it.
Imagine a young woman who doesn’t read her fiancée’s letters. We would question her love. Imagine a soldier who doesn’t obey his commander’s orders. We would question his loyalty. What, then, are we to make of those who claim to follow Christ, but who show no love for His Word, nor trouble themselves to obey it? Do they merely honor Him with their mouths while their hearts are far from Him? (Matthew 15:8).
The Power of the Scriptures
The Bible is powerful and effective, sure and sufficient, life-giving and eternal.
· Matthew 4:4 Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
· Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
· Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
· 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
The Authority and Divine Nature of Scripture
Jesus regarded the Scriptures as authoritative.
The Bible is self-attesting. It declares itself to be the authoritative Word of God.
The Bible records hundreds of supernaturally fulfilled prophecies.
The Bible records supernatural events (mass feedings, healings and resurrections), which were observed by multiple eye witnesses.
The Bible accurately portrays man’s true spiritual condition. It is a book that reads the reader.
The Bible has transformed the lives of many who read it.
The Bible has survived attempts to destroy it throughout history.
The Bible evidences itself to be God's Word by the heavenliness of its doctrine, the unity of its parts, and its power to convert sinners and to edify saints. But only the Spirit of God can make us willing to agree and submit to the Bible as the Word of God. (answer to question #5 of the The Baptist Catechism, 1689)
(see 1 Corinthians 2:6-7,13-16; Psalm 19:7-9; 119:18,129; Acts 10:43; 26:22; 18:28; Hebrews 4:12; Romans 15:4; John 16:13,14; 1 John 2:20-27; 2 Corinthians 3:14-17; 4:4, 6.)
The Contents of the Scriptures
The Bible is comprised of the 39 Old Testament Books and 27 New Testaments Books. It can be divided into the following categories.
Old Testament
1. history of creation and God’s people
2. Laws of God
3. psalms and proverbs
4. prophecies of God
New Testament
5. gospels of Jesus
6. acts of the apostles
6. letters to churches
7. revelation
The Canon of Scripture
The historic Christian belief is that the Holy Spirit who inspired the writing of the books also controlled their selection. The final canon of Scripture is therefore the result of God’s sovereign intervening in the discernment of believers rather than by historical research .
· 1 Corinthains 2:13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
· 1 Thessalonians 2:13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.
Four basic considerations have guided the church in recognizing the canon (measuring rod) of Scripture.
1. Apostolicity – Was the book written by an apostle?
2. Apostolic content – Was the content of the book consistent with the ministry and purpose of an apostle?
3. Claim of divine inspiration – Did the author claim that his words were from God?
4. Acceptance as divine – Did the early churches recognize the author and/or writings as from God?
The Doctrines of Scripture
The Bible is God’s special revelation of Himself and of His sovereign plan to save His elect through the atoning work of Christ Jesus. The Bible reveals the sequence of creation, fall, redemption and glorification for those whom God brings to saving faith in Christ. The major themes of the Bible can be categorized into the following doctrines.
God and His Word are inseparable. He designed it that way for our benefit. To know God is to know His Word, and to love Him is to obey His commands. The Bible tells us to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly (Colossians 3:16), yet many of us neither know, or obey it.
Imagine a young woman who doesn’t read her fiancée’s letters. We would question her love. Imagine a soldier who doesn’t obey his commander’s orders. We would question his loyalty. What, then, are we to make of those who claim to follow Christ, but who show no love for His Word, nor trouble themselves to obey it? Do they merely honor Him with their mouths while their hearts are far from Him? (Matthew 15:8).
The Power of the Scriptures
The Bible is powerful and effective, sure and sufficient, life-giving and eternal.
· Matthew 4:4 Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.
· Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
· Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
· 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
The Authority and Divine Nature of Scripture
Jesus regarded the Scriptures as authoritative.
The Bible is self-attesting. It declares itself to be the authoritative Word of God.
The Bible records hundreds of supernaturally fulfilled prophecies.
The Bible records supernatural events (mass feedings, healings and resurrections), which were observed by multiple eye witnesses.
The Bible accurately portrays man’s true spiritual condition. It is a book that reads the reader.
The Bible has transformed the lives of many who read it.
The Bible has survived attempts to destroy it throughout history.
The Bible evidences itself to be God's Word by the heavenliness of its doctrine, the unity of its parts, and its power to convert sinners and to edify saints. But only the Spirit of God can make us willing to agree and submit to the Bible as the Word of God. (answer to question #5 of the The Baptist Catechism, 1689)
(see 1 Corinthians 2:6-7,13-16; Psalm 19:7-9; 119:18,129; Acts 10:43; 26:22; 18:28; Hebrews 4:12; Romans 15:4; John 16:13,14; 1 John 2:20-27; 2 Corinthians 3:14-17; 4:4, 6.)
The Contents of the Scriptures
The Bible is comprised of the 39 Old Testament Books and 27 New Testaments Books. It can be divided into the following categories.
Old Testament
1. history of creation and God’s people
2. Laws of God
3. psalms and proverbs
4. prophecies of God
New Testament
5. gospels of Jesus
6. acts of the apostles
6. letters to churches
7. revelation
The Canon of Scripture
The historic Christian belief is that the Holy Spirit who inspired the writing of the books also controlled their selection. The final canon of Scripture is therefore the result of God’s sovereign intervening in the discernment of believers rather than by historical research .
· 1 Corinthains 2:13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
· 1 Thessalonians 2:13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.
Four basic considerations have guided the church in recognizing the canon (measuring rod) of Scripture.
1. Apostolicity – Was the book written by an apostle?
2. Apostolic content – Was the content of the book consistent with the ministry and purpose of an apostle?
3. Claim of divine inspiration – Did the author claim that his words were from God?
4. Acceptance as divine – Did the early churches recognize the author and/or writings as from God?
The Doctrines of Scripture
The Bible is God’s special revelation of Himself and of His sovereign plan to save His elect through the atoning work of Christ Jesus. The Bible reveals the sequence of creation, fall, redemption and glorification for those whom God brings to saving faith in Christ. The major themes of the Bible can be categorized into the following doctrines.
1. The doctrine of the Word of God (inspired, inerrant, authoritative, sufficient)
2. The doctrine of God (sovereign, self-existent, almighty, holy, Trinitarian)
3. The doctrine of man (God’s image bearer, yet spiritually dead & sinful by nature)
4. The doctrine of the Holy Spirit (personal, sanctifying)
5. The doctrine of redemption (election by grace, effectual calling, justification, adoption, sanctification, preservation, glorification)
6. The doctrine of the church (unity and purity, purposes, ordinances, presence in the world)
7. The doctrine of the future (return of Christ, final judgment, new heaven and earth)
Abuse of the Scriptures
This might sound strange, but some people love the Bible too much. That is, they are drawn to its texts, but they are distant from the Author. The tendency to focus on the process of textual transmission and interpretation based on human reasoning can be a form of bibliolatry (book worship) if the texts are divorced from God’s character and will. The theological liberalism of higher textual criticism, which developed in Europe after the Enlightenment, pitted man’s interpretive powers of reason against God’s sovereign ability to transmit His Word through men. Clearly we are not to treat the holy Scriptures with academic detachment. Nor are we to twist the Word of God to make it conform to the plans of man.
As I said at the beginning of this essay, God and His Word are inseparable. And He has chosen to reveal Himself to us and minister to us through His holy Scriptures. Let us draw near to God by reading and meditating upon His Word. Let us love Him with all our heart, and soul, and mind and strength, as we walk in obedience to all that He has commanded, by the power of His Spirit for the glory of Christ.
Follow Up Assignment
Read Greg Koukl’s article, Never Read A Bible Verse http://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5466
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