Article 1: The Holy Scriptures. Series

WE ARE STARTING A SERIES THROUGH THE 32 ARTICLES OF THE BAPTIST CONFESSION OF FAITH 1689. A CONFESSION OF FAITH IS SIMPLY A STATEMENT OF DOCTRINE OF WHAT WE BELIEVE AS BAPTISTS - IT SO HELPFUL BECAUSE WE CAN SO EASY SLIP ANCHOR AND DRIFT OUT OF DOCK.

IT WAS CH SPURGEON IN 1855 WHO ORDERED THE REPRINT OF THESE ARTICLES FOR HIS OWN CONGREGATION IN DIVISIVE TIMES - TODAY IS NO DIFFERENT WE WILL BE FOLLOWING IN HIS FOOTSTEPS AS WE UNPACK THESE 32 ARTICLES OF THE BAPTIST FAITH. THE BOOKS YOU HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE CHURCH WILL BE HELPFUL IN YOUR OWN PERSONAL STUDY AS WE JOURNEY TOGETHER THROUGH THESE ARTICLES.

• READ THE PREFACE OF CH SPURGEON (THE BAPTIST CONFESSION OF FAITH 1689)

SELECTIVE HEARING: THERE ARE MANY VOICES IN OUR WORLD TODAY ALL COMPETING FOR OUR ATTENTION, THROUGH THE MEDIA WE MEET UP WITH ALL KINDS OF INFORMATION FROM FREE THINKERS, JOURNALISTS, POLITICIANS, SCIENTISTS , PHILOSOPHERS, ENVIRONMENTALISTS EVEN THEOLOGIANS ALL BOMBARDING US WITH INFORMATION AT TIMES CONTRADICTORY, WE ALL ABSORB THIS INFORMATION WE RETAIN SOME AND WE DELETE OTHERS AT TIMES WE CAN APPEAR TO BE LISTENING BUT OFTEN WE ARE SELECTIVE DEPENDING OFTEN UPON OUR OWN WORLD VIEW. OF COURSE THAT IS A GOOD TRAIT TO DEVELOP WHEN IT COMES TO HUMAN KNOWLEDGE BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE WORD OF GOD ITS VERY DANGEROUS.

A FORMER PARK RANGER AT YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK TELLS THE STORY OF A RANGER LEADING A GROUP OF HIKERS TO A FIRE LOOKOUT. THE RANGER WAS SO INTENT ON TELLING THE HIKERS ABOUT THE FLOWERS AND ANIMALS THAT HE CONSIDERED THE MESSAGES ON HIS TWO-WAY RADIO DISTRACTING, SO HE SWITCHED IT OFF. NEARING THE TOWER, THE RANGER WAS MET BY A NEARLY BREATHLESS LOOKOUT, WHO ASKED WHY HE HADN’T RESPONDED TO THE MESSAGES ON HIS RADIO. A GRIZZLY BEAR HAD BEEN SEEN STALKING THE GROUP, AND THE AUTHORITIES WERE TRYING TO WARN THEM OF THE DANGER.

ANY TIME WE TUNE OUT THE MESSAGES GOD HAS SENT US, IN HIS WORD, WE PUT AT PERIL NOT ONLY OURSELVES, BUT ALSO THOSE AROUND US. HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE NEVER TURN OFF GOD’S SAVING COMMUNICATION THROUGH HIS BIBLE .

BIBLE FACTS: IT WAS WRITTEN:

• OVER A 1500 YEAR SPAN (FROM 1400 B.C TO A.D. 100)

• OVER 40 GENERATIONS

• OVER 40 AUTHORS FROM MANY WALKS OF LIFE (I.E. - KINGS, PEASANTS, PHILOSOPHERS, FISHERMEN, POETS, STATESMEN, SCHOLARS)

• IN DIFFERENT PLACES (I.E. - WILDERNESS, DUNGEON, PALACES)

• AT DIFFERENT TIMES (I.E. - WAR, PEACE, PERSECUTION)

• IN DIFFERENT MOODS (I.E. - HEIGHTS OF JOY, DEPTHS OF DESPAIR)

• ON THREE CONTINENTS (ASIA, AFRICA, AND EUROPE)

• IN THREE LANGUAGES (HEBREW, ARAMAIC, AND GREEK).

OT 39 BOOKS: 17 HISTORICAL BOOKS – 5POETICAL BOOKS- 17 PROPHETIC BOOKS.

NT 27 BOOKS: 4 GOSPELS – 1 ACTS (HISTORICAL RECORD OF THE EARLY CHURCH) 21 EPISTLES – (CHURCH DOCTRINE AND LIFE)1 REVELATION – ESCHATOLOGICAL.

THE BIBLE HAS TO BE SEEN AND TAKEN AS A WHOLE FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION FROM THE OT TO THE NT WE SEE GODS UNFOLDING PLAN FOR THE WHOLE OF HUMANITY. IN THE OT WE HAVE JESUS CHRIST CONCEALED AND IN THE NT WE HAVE HIM REVEALED.

• THE BIBLE IS INSPIRED: BIBLICAL INSPIRATION IS THE ACT OF GOD BY WHICH HE DIRECTLY CONTROLLED THE WRITERS SO THAT WHAT WAS WRITTEN WAS THE VERY WORD OF GOD(ORIGINAL AUTOGRAPHS).

• THE BIBLE IS INERRANT: THIS MEANS THE ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS DO NOT AFFIRM ANYTHING WHICH IS CONTRARY TO THE FACT. THEY WERE FREE FROM ANY ERROR.

• THE BIBLE HAS ITS OWN INDEPENDANT AUTHORITY AND IS SELF AUTHENTICATING.

• THE BIBLE IS INSTRUCTIVE: OUR ONLY SOURCE OF INSTRUCTION FOR THE CHURCH IN ALL MATTERS OF BELIEF AND BEHAVIOUR.

1. 3:16.THE BIBLE IS INSPIRED. GOD BREATHED (ORIGINAL AUTOGRAPH)

ALL SCRIPTURE IS GOD BREATHED FROM GENESIS TO REVELATION, NOT THE PART BUT THE WHOLE. CHRISTIANS NEED TO ACCEPT THE FULL COUNCIL OF GOD OF HIS DIVINE REVELATION TO US. TO REJECT PARTS OF THE BIBLE, WHICH ARE UNPALATABLE, WHICH CAST LIGHT ON HUMAN SIN, OR CHANGE PARTS, WHICH DON’T FIT IN WITH A OUR PRESENT WORLD VIEW IS COMPLETELY WRONG.

SADLY SOME PEOPLE COME TO THE BIBLE AS IF THERE AT A EAT ALL YOU WANT BUFFET- WHERE A VAST SELECTION OF FOOD IS ON OFFER - YOU CAN PICK AND CHOOSE – EAT WHAT YOU WANT LEAVE WHAT YOU WANT. OF COURSE WE CAN DO THIS WITH FOOD BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE BIBLE SPIRITUAL MALNUTRITION WILL SET IN. BECAUSE ALL SCRIPTURE IS GOD BREATHED.

• AUGUSTINE SAID; IF YOU BELIEVE WHAT YOU LIKE IN THE BIBLE AND REJECT WHAT YOU LIKE, IT IS NOT THE BIBLE YOU BELIEVE IN BUT YOURSELF.

WHEN WE BEGIN TO EMBRACE HUMAN REASON AND IMPOSE MANS REASON TO BEAR ON SCRIPTURE INSTEAD OF SUBMITTING TO THE AUTHORITY OF GODS WORD. WE WILL END UP WITH A FAULTY VIEW OF GOD.