THE BIBLE IS GOD'S WORD...
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT: 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
I recently heard a sad story of a debate and then division of friends and church people. The debate was should people fear God? O Some said NO! God is love. Others said: We must FEAR GOD! The words got ugly? If someone had known the WORD OF GOD there would have been no debate.
Matthew 22:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
It is very important for us to have a good foundation on which to build. That foundation is the BIBLE is the WORD OF GOD. We need to understand the WORD OF GOD does the WORK OF GOD. Anemic in the word means we shall be anemic in every area of our lives.
The Bible is more than a study of philosophy. Sure there is great lessons in philosophy in the Bible, but it is much ore than just that. Yes, we know the Bible is full of history, but it is more than history. The Bible is God’s plan to reveal Jesus Christ as Lord of All.
Think how is the Bible like a telescope? A microscope? A mirror? A plan?
Introduction: There is one way for a bank teller that handles money to be able to identify counterfeit money. No, they do know study counterfeit --- the tellers study the real money. There is one way to identify false teachers and false doctrines that is to know the truth found in the word of God. We believe and teach there are some fundamental truths on which we need to agree.
We need two things today, a basic knowledge of truth and a faithful vehicle of truth to carry and teach Bible doctrine, God’s word. I like to suggest there are no Bible scholars as we are all Bible students. We should become good students of sound Biblical doctrine to stop the spread of false teaching. If we do not stand for truth we are prone to fall for anything. We need a basic understanding of doctrine to BRING UNITY to the church.
1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
TODAY WE HEAR SOME FALSE THINGS ABOUT THE BIBLE. WELL, THE BIBLE IS A HARD BOOK TO UNDERSTAND!
The Bible contains personal love letters for the believer. If you are not a believer the full context could be hard to understand. You might laugh if you read a love letter from my wife. The reason is the letter is personal to me. The Bible is God’s love letter to you.
God is all powerful, all knowing --- God’s word is more than a book from a TV preacher, or a DVD of information. The Bible speaks to the natural man, but it is more than about nature, carnal. The Bible is spiritual. We should pray for wisdom and understand before we open the book to read.
DIRTY LIFES FROM DUSTY BIBLES GROW…
THE BIBLE WILL KEEP US FROM SIN, OR SIN WILL KEEP US FROM THE WORD….
Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
WE BELIEVE IN THE INSPIRED SCRIPTURE.
The scripture, both Old Testament and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct. (2 Timothy 3:15-17, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, 2 Peter 1:21)
2 Timothy 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make
thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto
all good works.
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.
2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Understand: The Bible is not just a book, it is so much more than words on paper. God has given the Bible to man to reveal Jesus Christ the SON OF GOD.
WE CAN COME TO THE WORD FOR A CLEANSING POWER…
Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
There are 3 basic kinds of religious authority: 1.) Human reasoning, 2.) The Church, 3.) God's Word.
1.) Rationalism has become the belief that the highest authority is HUMAN REASONING. We should never build doctrine on human thinking and reasoning.
2.) Others seem to teach that the Church is the ultimate authority. That a man (like Peter) can lay his hands on and HAVE APOSTOLIC AUTHORITY for APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION. The church leadership must never take AUTHORITY OVER THE BIBLE.
3.) Others come to an invalid conclusion that PERSON TO PERSON COMMUNICATION to become the personal word delivery system. A person speaking for God must be CONFIRMATIONAL to the word of God never DIRECTIONAL.
We believe and teach the Bible is VERBALLY INSPIRED... THEOPPNEUSTOS --- "God breathe."
2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
We believe the was more than the pen of people on paper. The Holy Spirit of God can upon the people and as they wrote, it was more than their words in was influenced by the heart of God. Every word in the original writing was God breathe.
2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
THE BIBLE IS A BOOK OF MIRACULOUS UNITY...
+The Bible is much like the human body --- many parts coming together as one unit. (Liver, lungs, heart, brain)
+There are 66 books ---- written by over 35 authors --- that covers around 1,500 years---
+The authors come from a variety of back grounds of human existence ---
+Some writers were highly educated --- others had little formal education ---
+Some were political leaders, kings, fishermen, physicians, farmers, teachers, preachers, prophets, ---
+The subject matter of the Bible ranges from: history, drama, poetry, biographies, prophecy, religion, science, law. ---
+Yet there is a great & absolute harmony of the 66 books ---
+ This BOOK is an impossibility and can only be explained by a Holy God moved on Holy men to write as the Holy Spirit moved on them.
THE BIBLE TEACHES IT IS THE INFALLIBLE RULE ---
God's word in the original form is not capable of err and will \ never be misleading.
** Beware, one can read and add, or subtract from the real meaning...
** One can misinterpret, or have a false interpretation...
** It is easy to have wrong or invalid idea...
** There might could be some discrepancies of Greek/Hebrew word interpretations... understand version, paraphrase, etc.
THE CANON OF THE 66 BOOKS OF THE BIBLE...
Revelation 22:18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
## We have 66 books of the Bible: 39 Old Testament books; 27 New Testament books ---
## There have been around 5,300 ancient hand written manuscripts covering 400 years.
## The Bible is a sword, a hammer, and a lamp (light)
THERE ARE EXTERNAL EVIDENCE THAT THE BIBLE IS GOD'S WORD...
Both fulfilled prophecies have been proven correct.
There are 333 predictions pointing to Jesus Christ.
The fruit of the Bible has changed lives, families, and nations.
THE BIBLE HAS OVERCOME GREAT OBSTACLE AND TESTS OF TIMES. MANY HAVE DESIRED TO DESTROY GOD'S WORD...
Isaiah 40:8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
Men have invested wealth and power to destroy God's word.
Diocletian ad 303
Voltaire promised to see the end of the Bible, today Bible Society prints Bibles from his estate.
Madelyn O'Hare, great atheist.
JESUS ENDORSED AND TAUGHT FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT.
WE BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS THE INSPIRED AND ONLY INFALLIBLE AND AUTHORATIVE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD...
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged 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.
-- The Holy Spirit of God exerted his supernatural influence upon the pens of the writers of the Bible.
-- The BIBLE DOES NOT JUST CONTAIN THE WORD OF GOD, IT IS THE WORD OF GOD...
-- The Bible is more than a natural book wrote for the natural man, the Bible is a spiritual book and can be better understood by the spirit person.
Conclusion: The Bible is not birthday cake, it is best used as daily bread. WE MUST READ THE BIBLE. STUDY THE BIBLE, LIVE THE BIBLE. APPLY THE BIBLE. SHARE THE BIBLE. I thank God for each book that teaches good things.
I hear preachers boast how many books they read at the cost of never touching the Bible. Read the Bible! Study the Bible!
Listen to the Bible!
Does your TV, Face Book time exceed your Bible time? Be honest?
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
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