How To Study The Bible Like A Pro - Class #2 - Importance Of The Bible Series

1. The Bible is from God.

>Read Gal 1:11-12<

Question: If we reject a Biblical command, whom have we rejected?

(See 2 Tim 3:16; 1 Cor 14:37; Eph 3:3-5; Luke 10:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

2. The Bible can be trusted. (Psalm 9:10; Jer 17:7)

3. The Bible arms us against destructive error. (Eph 4:14; Acts 20:27-31)

4. The Bible protect us from occult influence. (1 Peter 5:8; Eph 6:10-18)

5. The Bible guides people to salvation. (1 Peter 3:15; 2 Tim 2:2)

6. The Bible is meant to change your life. (Rom 12:2)

7. The Bible is verbally inspired.

Verbal inspiration means that every word written by the inspired writers was exactly the word God wanted. Some people believe that God just gave the inspired men ideas, then let them explain them as they saw fit. This belief leaves room for error in the way the men expressed the ideas. Consider these verses:

> Read 1 Cor 2:10-13 & Deut 18:18-19<

(See also Matt 10:19; 2 Sam 23:1,2; Ex 24:3-4,7; Isa 51:l6; Jer 1:5-9.)

8. The Bible is infallible.

Infallible means the message of the inspired writers cannot possibly be wrong, because God does not make mistakes.

>Read Psalm 119:128; Titus 1:2< Consider Matthew 22:31-32 - Note that the Scriptures are so accurate that we can rely even on the tense of the verbs

Question: How will it affect our Bible study if we are not convinced that every word is true? (See

Psalm 19:8, 33:4; 147:4-5; Job 37:16; Num 23:19; Heb 6:18; Deut 18:20-22; John 17:17;

Rom 3:4).

9. The Bible Can Be Understood by Anyone.

Some believe that the Bible can be understood only by specially trained clergymen, not by the average person. As a result, they approach the Bible convinced they will never understand it.

>Read Mark 7:14; 2 Tim 3:16-17; Acts 17:11<

The Bereans did not just accept what preachers said, but used the Scriptures to check out the preachers! (Acts 17:11)

(See also Psalm 19:7-11, 119:105; Prov 2:1-12; Isa 35:8, 55:11; John 8:32, 20:30-31; Eph 3:3-5, 5:17; 1 Cor 14:33; Col 1:9-11)

10. The Bible is the Foundation of the Church

Jesus is the greatest expert on the Bible. He believed the entire Old Testament was the inspired, inerrant Word of God given by Him as the ultimate authority to command, teach, and guide His creation BECAUSE HE WROTE IT!!! He quoted the book of Genesis as true, historically accurate, and authoritative rather than a book full of poems or mythical anecdotal stories.

(See Matt 7:1-13, 11:23-24, 12:39-41, 19:3-6, 22:29-33, 23:34-35)

Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would bring to mind all that He had said, as well as taught the Apostles, thereby confirming that what was written in the New Testament was inspired and authoritative (John 14:25-26, 17:17-21). Jesus warned that anyone who claims to be a Christian and does not keep or believe His Word is deceiving themselves and are of their father the devil (John 8:43-47,14:23-24).

Translating the original Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic language into English (or any other language for that matter) is a difficult task as word definitions can be very different from English meanings. The structure of grammar is also very different from English grammar, as well as not using many of the punctuation marks used in English such as apostrophes, periods, colons, commas, hyphens, etc. Also, the words used in Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic can have very different definitions and meanings than in the English language.

Anything written or spoken can be twisted to mean whatever a person wants it to mean - including the Bible. In this age of biblical illiteracy, it is even more important than ever to know the Scriptures and learn the methods and rules Christians have been using for over two thousand years to study and interpret them.

** [See ATTACHMENT #2]

ATTACHMENT # 2

The Primary Essential Doctrines of Christianity

The Bible reveals the doctrines that are essential to the Christian faith. There are many other important doctrines, but these are the only ones that are declared by Scripture to be essential.

1. The Deity of Jesus

A. Jesus is God in flesh (John 8:58 with Exodus 3:14). See also John 1:1,14; 10:30-33; 20:28; Col. 2:9; Phil. 2:5-8; Heb. 1:8

"This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world." (1 John 4:2-3)

a. The verse needs to be cross-referenced with John 1:1,14, where he states that the Word was God and the Word became flesh.

b. The verse is that if you deny that Jesus is God in flesh, then you are of the spirit of Antichrist.