No matter how advanced one might be in his or her knowledge of the Bible, we must always return to the fundamental principles of the Bible that have touched not only our own lives, but the lives of millions of people around the world for centuries. Bible-loving people realize this. They continually want to learn more. For this reason, they continue to read their Bibles.
However, though millions of people have been influenced in the past by the Bible, there is
a tremendously important opportunity today for encouraging more Bible study and teaching throughout the world. This opportunity is especially true among those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but have only a limited knowledge of the Word of God. It is our task, therefore, to encourage Bible study. We desire that people be as the Bereans who continually studied their Bibles.
“These [Bereans] were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:11)
The opportunity is that the religious world in which we live today is fast forgetting a knowledge of the Bible. Even those who name Jesus in their faith are often going the way of the fallen Israelites over 3,000 years ago. Through the prophet Hosea, God, in the following words, judged Hosea’s generation of His people as He would judge this generation today:
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge [of My word]. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you so that you will be no priest to Me. Seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” (Hosea 4:6)
If We Forget The Word Of God, We Will Move Away From God.
In reference to our generation today and our children, Jesus prophesied the same judgment in Matthew 7:21:
Not every one who says to Me,‘Lord,Lord,’will enter into he kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.
This is a fearfully striking parallel to the judgment of Hosea 4:6 above where God, centuries before Jesus, judged the nation of Israel because they fell away from the word
of God. We must conclude, therefore, that religious people must not depend solely on their own faith to keep them safe with God. They must depend on the
word of God to direct their ways in order that their faith not be in vain. We must never forget what Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome: “So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rm 10:17).
It Takes More ThanAKnowledge Of The Word Of God To B e Saved.
InJesus’statement of judgment in Matthew 7:21,He pronounced that those who have no knowledge of the will of the Father will often reject Him as their Father. It is for this reason that Jesus will eventually reject them. So we read with fear the continued warning of Jesus in the context of His prophesy concerning those who would willfully forget what their Bibles teach.Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and performed many wonderful works in Your name?” And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you. Depart from Me you who practice lawlessness” (Mt 7:22,23).
For all of us who live in this present world, these are frightening words. They are such be cause many people today who profess “Lord, Lord” in their religious behavior have very little knowledge of the Bible. In their ignorance of the word of God, therefore, they “practice lawlessness.” Their ignorance of the Bible, according to the preceding statements of God the Father and the Son, will eventually lead to their eternal destruction away from the presence of God (See 2 Th 1:6-9).
Ignorance Of The Bible Always Moves One Away From God
One can remain religious and do good works, but if his or her works are not directed by a knowledge of God’s word in response to the gospel, then one’s religious behavior is in vain.
1.T or F: If we forget the word of God, God will forget us.
2.T or F: One may know the word of God, but if he or she does not obey what God says, then he or she cannot enter into the
kingdom of heaven.
3.T or F: One can be save when Jesus comes again, even though he or she has no knowledge of the word of God.
~ Knowing The Bible ~
A person has deprived himself of the best knowledge there is available in the world today if he or she has deprived himself or herself of a knowledge of the Bible. On the foundation of the morals of this book, civilizations have been built and sustained. Only through the medium of the Bible can we understand who God is. If we forget the revelation of God through the Bible, then we will create a god who conforms to our own desires.
The same is true in reference to Jesus. If we forget the Jesus who is identified and defined in the Bible, then we will create in our minds a “Jesus” who is totally foreign to the dictionaries of M atthew, Mark, Luke and John. For this reason, we must now well the “Dictionary”(theBible)that defines both God the Father and His Son.
4.T or F: If one forgets what the Bible says about the one true and living God, then he or she will create a god in his or her own mind according this world, or one’s own desires.
5.T or F: It is impossible to believe in the Jesus of the Bible without
any knowledge of the New Testament.
Since Jesus Is Our Only Savior, Then One Cannot Be Saved Without Knowing The Jesus Of The Bible
The word “Bible” comes from the Greek word Biblia that means “book.” The Bible is a collection of God’s library of instructions and definitions of those things we must know and believe. In other words, the Bible is God’s “dictionary” wherein He explains Himself and the incarnation of His Son into this world for the redemption of humanity. Therefore, no other written words of any book in all history have affected so many people for so long.
The reason for this is that people know that the Bible is God’s road map to truth that was revealed to direct our beliefs and behavior. It reveals that when the Son of God was incarnate into this world, His example of living became the model for millions throughout the world to live as He lived for us (See Ph 2:5-8). If we believe that Jesus is Lord, then we must do what He says (See Mt 7:15-29)
In Order To Communicate His Message To Man In The Bible, God Had To Use The Words Of Our Dictionaries.
The more we study the eternal sacrifice of the Son of God that is explained in the Bible, then the easier it will be to make our way through the struggles of this life.
6. T or F: It is not possible to understanding Jesus and His ministry to save us without a knowledge of His ministry that is revealed in the Bible.
The Bible is a library of sixty-six Holy Spirit inspired books and letters that are brought together as one volume. Contrary to man-made religions that are usually based on the writings of one religious person, the Bible was written by over forty inspired men over a period of about 1,500 years. Though written by so many different individuals over a period of many centuries, there are no contradictions in the Bible. This amazing fact simply could not have happened if the Bible were the product of simply zealous religious people. There is one united theme throughout the entire Bible. This is the eternal salvation of man through the sacrificial offering of Jesus, the incarnate Son of God. The fact that all the writers of the Bible did not contradict one another throughout the centuries on this theme is evidence that the Bible could never have been the product of human ingenuity.
The Bible Was Not Written As One Book, But Is A Compilation Of Books Written Over Several Centuries.
7. T or F: The fact that the Bible was written over a period of several centuries is one proof that it is the product of God.
Thirty-nine of the Bible books make up what is referred to as the Old Testament. These books, containing the Sinai law, were first written and given to the nation of Israel. The New Testament contains twenty-seven books that were written for
Christians. Today, however, Christians receive their instruction for living primarily through the New Testament, though learning and admonition for godly living are also reaped from the Old Testament.
We must keep in mind that the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are recorded histories of the ministry of Jesus. Jesus’ ministry took place during the Old Testament period when the Sinai law was still in effect. As a Jew, therefore, Jesus lived under the Sinai law that was given to Israel at Mount Sinai. These books are included as New Testament books, but they record the history and teachings of Jesus as He brought the Jews to the cross, and the establishment of His church of disciples on the day of Pentecost in A.D. 30.
Though Jesus lived and died while the Sinai law was still in force, His purpose during His ministry was to lead the Jews to the cross, and subsequently accept Him as God’s sacrificial offering for the sins of humanity.
8. T or F: The thirty-nine books of the Old Testament, though directed to the nation of Israel in order to lead humanity to the Messiah, were written with the salvational theme of all people through the sacrificial offering of the Son of God on the cross.
9.T or F: The Ten Commandments, as a part of the Old Testament, are directed specifically to Christians.
~ God’s Blessing Of The Bible ~
The Bible came to us through years of God’s work to inspire about forty chosen men to give instructions on how we can live according to His will. It was the work of the Holy Spirit to inspire writers in order to bring God’s word, the Bible, into our hands.
1.The Bible is God speaking through the words of man (Mt 22:43; At 1:16; 2 Tm
3:16).
2.The Bible is God speaking through the Holy Spirit through the words of man (Jn
14:26; 16:13; 1 Co 2:10-13; Hb 3:7; 9:8; 10:15; 2 Pt 1:20,21).
3.The Bible is God speaking through the Holy Spirit through inspired words of truth (Jr 36:4; 1 Co 2:13).
4.The Bible is God speaking through the Holy Spirit, who in turn inspired men to write words of truth for humanity (Ex 24:4; 35:1; 2 Sm 23:2; Is 51:16; Jr 36:4-6; Ez 11:5; 1 Co 14:37).
5.The Bible is God speaking through the Holy Spirit through men to all people throughout the world (Lk 1:70; At 28:25; Rm 1:2; 16:26).
6.The Bible is God speaking through the Holy Spirit through inspired men to all people of all history (Ez 2:7; 3:4,10,11,17; 2 Th 2:14; 2 Tm 3:16,17; Hb 1:1,2).
Since God speaks all truth through the Bible today, then there is no truth revealed by the Holy Spirit today to any one individual outside the words of the Bible.
10.T or F: In the work of inspiration, the Holy Spirit chose gifted people who could write well, and then He allowed them the freedom to write their own messages to the people.
11.T or F: The Bible is the product of the Holy Spirit guiding men
to write the will of God without error or contradiction.
~ Trusting The Bible ~
God gave the Bible to people upon the foundation
of miraculous proof. He not only inspired chosen men to preach and write His word, but He also sent confirming miracles to prove that His word was more than the product of godly men. Once God confirmed His spoken word through miracles, He
no longer needed to confirm His word once it was written. In this way God expects us to be moved and directed by His written word, not by our own personal emotional adventures that often lead us astray.
1.The Bible was confirmed by miracles. The word of God that was first spoken by the early messengers of God was proven to be from God by the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit (See 1 Kg 18:30-40; Mk 16:20; Jn 20:30,31; At 2:23; 4:29,30; 1
Co 2:1-5; 12:7; Gl 3:5; Hb 2:3,4).
2.The confirmed and spoken word was eventually produced in written form. The inspired writers of the Bible recorded their miraculously proven word for the posterity of humanity until the end of time (Rm 15:4,18,19; 1 Co 2:4; 10:11; 1 Th 1:5).
Once Miraculously Confirmed, The Bible Never Has To Be Confirmed Again To Be The Word Of God.
Since some believe that God must continually throughout history confirm His word with miracles, then there is little hope for those who acquire a Bible, simply read, and then learn what they must do in order to be saved.
12.T or F: We can trust the word of God because it was written by godly people, though they were never confirmed miraculously by the work of God in their lives.
13.T or F: When the Bible was completed with the writing of the
book of Revelation, God never intended that any further inspired books be written and added to the Bible.
~ Bible Challenged Life ~
We must give the Bible a chance in our lives. If we believe the Bible to be the actual Spirit-inspired word of God, then we will treasure its message. Our lives will thus be transformed into lives that are pleasing to God. Because it is not possible for people to determine their own moral standards, everyone is obligated to seek out God’s moral standards that are recorded in the Bible (Jr 10:23).
1.The words of the Bible can dwell in our hearts (Cl 3:16; 1 Jn 2:14,24;
3:9; 2 Jn 2).
2.The words of the Bible can be laid up in our hearts so that we not sin against God (Ps 37:31; 119:11).
3.The words of the Bible can be written on our hearts when we honor its principles of truth and morality (Ps 40:8; Jr 31:32,33; 2 Co 3:3; Hb 8:10; 10:16).
4.The words of the Bible change our lives when we sincerely obey the principles of the truth of the gospel and the moral values that are recorded in the Bible (Js 1:22-25; 1 Jn 1:6,7;
2 Jn 4; 3 Jn 3,4).
The Holy Spirit changes lives when sincere people read in the Bible the instructions by which God seeks to direct our lives.
14.T or F: If one seeks to discover the moral standards of God by which to conduct his or her life, then these standards can be discovered in the Bible.
15.T or F: The word of God can be laid up in our hearts in order that
God direct our lives through words of instruction in our response to the gospel of His Son.
~ Sufficiency Of The Bible ~
The Bible is all-sufficient to furnish the Christian with all direction that is necessary to be acceptable to God. The Bible has the power to accomplish the following in our lives when it is reverenced as the word of God:
1.Power to change lives (1 Th 4:1,2; 1 Pt 2:1,2; 2 Pt 1:3; 3
Jn 3,4).
2.Power to give eternal life (Jn 8:51; see Jn 5:24; 11:26).
3.Power to eternally save (At 11:14; 20:32; Js
1:21).
4.Power to give freedom (Jn 8:32; Js 1:25).
5.Power to minister to others (Ep 4:11-16).
6.Power to teach (Ps 119:103,104; Pv 22:6;
Rm 15:4).
7.Power to admonish (1 Co 4:14; 10:11; 2 Tm 4:1,2; Ti 1:9).
8.Power to live a godly life (Cl 1:5-10; 1 Tm 3:14,15; 1 Pt 5:12).
9.Power to reprove, rebuke and correct (2 Tm 3:16; Ti 1:9).
The power of the word of God is revealed in the fact of how people respond to what they read in the Bible, as well as their respect for the Bible as God’s book.
16.T or F: When the word of God sets us free, it is setting us free from the misguided religious traditions of man.
17.T or F: Since God finalized His message to humanity through the written word of the Bible, then we must assume that the Bible
alone is sufficient to lead one into what he or she must do in order to be with God for eternity.
~ God’s Final Message ~
The Bible claims to be God’s only and final revelation of truth to humanity. With the writing of the document of Revelation, the last book of the Bible, God discontinued all revelation of truth that He desires that any person know in any period of history.
1.God revealed His will to the fathers of extended family groups in Old Testament times before the giving
of the Sinai law to Israel on Mount Sinai (Hb 1:1,2).
2.God revealed His will to Israel on Mount Sinai, which revelation of law was eventually written by Moses in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy (Ex 19:4-6; Dt 4:1,13;
5:1-5; Ne 8:1; Rm 3:1,2).
3.God revealed His will through the Old Testament writers who recorded examples from which Christians today can learn (Rm 15:4; 1 Co 10:11).
4.God finalized the revelation of all truth through the New Testament writers in the first century (Jn 14:26; 16:13).
5.We have all necessary instruction today in the Bible that was recorded for our teaching and moral behavior (Gl 1:11,12; Ep 3:3-5; 2 Tm 3:16,17; 2 Pt 1:3). Therefore, we must not add to or subtract from the principles and truths of the Bible (Dt. 4:2; Gl 1:6-9; 2 Jn 9-11; Rv 22:18,19).
We Must Not Bind On The Consciences Of People Moral Principles That Only God Should Bind.
The fact that God has concluded all His revelation of truth through the Bible to lead us in godly living, assumes that all that one must do in order to live according to the will of God is revealed in the Bible.
18.T or F: After God completed His written instructions for His people in the first century, He then chose the fathers of families to continue His work among His people unto this day.
19.T or F: The Bible contains all necessary information for one to
discover the way of God unto eternal life.
~ Medium Of Gods Work ~
Since God is our creator, He seeks to direct us to Himself. He intends that His word function in the following ways in the lives of those who seek a relationship with Him, and thus desire to submit to His direction. Through the Bible, God is able to do the following in the life of every person:
When We Consider The Bible To Be The Word Of God, It Will Change Our Lives When Read And Studied.
1.Produce faith in our hearts (Jn 20:30,31; Rm 10:17).
2.Sanctify our souls of sin (Jn 17:17; Ep 5:26).
3.Cleanse our hearts and souls (Jn 15:2,3; Ep 5:26; 1 Pt 1:22).
4.Quicken our souls (Ps 119:50,93; Ep 2:1,5).
5.Enlighten our minds (Ps 19:8).
6.Give us understanding (Ps 119:104,130; Ep 3:4).
7.Lead our lives (Ps 73:24; 119:105).
8.Comfort our hearts (Rm 15:4; 1 Th 3:2; 4:18).
9.Strengthen our hearts (At 20:32; Rm 16:25; 2 Tm 2:1,2).
10.Produce in us spiritual growth (At 20:32; Cl 1:10,11).
If our knowledge of and obedience to the word of God is necessary in order to please God, then we can assume that those who do not know the Bible will not be directly affected by its principles.
20.T or F: Since the Bible is the inspired word of God, then God expects all people of the world to find their way to understand the gospel through the Bible. 21.T or F: The Bible is able to quicken our souls, give us understanding, and produce faith in our hearts.
God revealed His will to us in order that we find our way to Him. Without His revelation to us, we could not know who He is
or how to please Him. In other words, without the Bible no one can find their way to the one true and living God.
The Bible reveals that Jesus is the only way to God (Jn 14:6). As the incarnate Son of God who came in the flesh of man, Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (Jn 14:15).If anyone wants to find his or her way to God, and how to show one’s love for Jesus, the Son of God, then he or she must follow the commandments of Jesus. The only way to know and follow the commandments of Jesus is by reading the Bible (See Jn 12:48).
The beginning to know Jesus is to do what He stated we must do to join Him on our gospel journey with Him into eternal glory. We thus must keep Jesus’ commandments by first obeying the gospel (See Jn 6:45; Mk 16:16; At 2:38; 22:16; Rm 6:3-6; 1 Pt 3:21).
Through faith and obedience of the gospel, one becomes a member of Jesus’ body, the church (1 Co 12:13; Cl 1:18). This church of gospel- obedient people are on their way to
eternal glory in the arms of God.
One Can Know The Son Of God Only Through A Study Of The Bible.
22.T or F: It is possible to find other ways to know God, including the godly living of those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. 23.T or F: One truly does not love God if he or she finds a copy of the Bible, and then refuses to read, study and obey its message.
1.How can the people of God be destroyed because of their lack of knowledge of the word of God?
2.Can a person be of God if he or she has no knowledge of the Son of God?
3.Why is it not possible for one to be received by Jesus when He comes again, if he or she does not know God?
4.Why do we create a concept of Jesus after our own imagination when we have no knowledge of Jesus
as He is explained in the Bible?
5.Why is the revelation of those things that came from God limited because of the use of our dictionary-defined words?
6.What is the theme that runs throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation?
7.Why does the fact that all the Bible books were written over a period of several centuries without any contradictions prove that the Bible cannot be the product of man alone?
8.Once confirmed as the word of God, why does the Bible not have to be confirmed miraculously through the centuries, even to this day?
9.In what ways does God expect His written word to change our lives?
10.What truth is proved because the Bible is sufficient for all the spiritual needs of the people of God?
11.In what ways does the word of God affect our lives?
Matthew - Mt, Mark - Mk, Luke - Lk, John - Jn, Acts - At, Romans - Rm, 1 Corinthians - 1 Co, 2 Corinthians - 2 Co, Galatians - Gl, Ephesians - Ep, Philippians - Ph, Colossians - Cl, 1 Thessalonians - 1 Th, 2 Thessalonians - 2 Th, 1 Timothy - 1 Tm, 2 Timothy - 2 Tm, Titus - Ti, Philemon - Pl, Hebrews - Hb, James - Js, 1 Peter - 1 Pt, 2 Peter - 2 Pt, 1 John - 1 Jn, 2 John - 2 Jn, 3 John - 3 Jn, Jude - Jd, Revelation - Rv