Introduction to the Bible

One is incomplete without the other. To read the Old Testament without the New Testament or vice versa is missing out on something; both have to be read together for they complement each other.

Every book has some direct and living message having application not to its own age merely, but to every succeeding one. The principles abide; their applications vary with the varying ages. In the study of the Scriptures, I desire to make application of it to the age in which I live.

Let's begin with Genesis.

Anatomy of the church

Today, we will continue on the series of the Bible. This will take some time as there are many aspects to this topic, so stay with us and I believe that this series will be beneficial to all.

'Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.' (1 Corinthians 2:13)

Here, Paul made the point that God's revelation came to us in words. This counters the contention of some that inspiration only relates to the thoughts that God wanted us to know, but not to the words in which those thoughts were expressed. Holding such a view relieves one of holding to the inerrancy of the text, for one could supposedly have truthful thoughts (God's) conveyed in erroneous words (man's). But Paul insisted that God's message came in the words of the text.

To sum up, 1 Corinthians 2:13 teaches us that the actual words of the Bible was inspired.

Anatomy of the church

Today, we continue on the series of the Bible. This will take some time as there are many aspects to this topic, so stay with us and I believe that this series will be beneficial to all.

'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.' (2 Peter 1:21)

The Holy Spirit moved or bore the human writers to produce the Bible. The use of the same verb in Acts 27:15 illuminates our understanding of what is meant by 'bearing' or 'moving' the human writers. Just before the ship that was taking Paul to Rome was wrecked on the Island of Malta, it ran into a fierce storm. Though experienced men, the sailors could not guide it, so they finally had to let the wind take the ship wherever it blew.

In the same manner as that ship was driven, directed, or carried about by the wind, God directed and moved the human writers He used to produce the books of the Bible. Though the wind was the strong force that moved the ship along, the sailors were not asleep and inactive. Similarly, the Holy Spirit was the guiding force that directed the writers who played their active roles in writing the Scriptures.

But this verse also makes another important point. It declares that the wills of the human authors did not direct the writing of the Bible. The same verse, 'moved' or 'bore', appears in the latter part of the verse as well. Thus prophecy was not borne of the will of man. The Spirit did it, not the will of man. This statement bears in an important of the inerrancy of the Bible.

Man's will, including his will to make mistakes, did not bring the Scriptures; rather, the Holy Spirit, who cannot err, brought us the Scriptures. To be sure, the writers were active in writing, but what they wrote was directed, not by their own wills with the possibility of error, but by the Spirit who is true and infallible.

To sum up, 2 Peter 1:21 states that God used men and gave us a completely truthful Bible.

Anatomy of the church

Today, we will begin on the series of the Bible. This will take some time as there are many aspects to this topic, so stay with us and I believe that this series will be beneficial to all.

To begin with, the Bible is inspired by God. If the Bible is not inspired by God, it is no longer the infaliable and inerrant Word of God. This is a claim that the Bible teaches and we will examine one of three verses today. And whatever one may think of the Bible, it, like any other witness, has the right to testify on its own behalf. Some take exception to the validity of such evidence on the grounds that it is self-testimony and therefore may not be true. Granted, self-testimony may or may not be true, but it needs to be heard.

'All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:' (2 Timothy 3:16)

Le me begin with the definition of 'scripture' and 'is given by the inspiration of God'.

'Scripture'
akin to grapho, "to write" (Eng., "graph," "graphic," etc.), primarily denotes "a drawing, painting;" then "a writing,"

- of the OT Scriptures (those accepted by the Jews as canonical) and all those of the NT which were to be accepted by Christians as authoritative, 2Ti 3:16.

'Is given by inspiration of God'
All this is expressed in the original by one word - Θεόπνευστος Theopneustos. This word occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It properly means, God-inspired - from Θεός Theos, “God,” and πνέω pneō, “to breathe, to breathe out.”

So, we can conclude that all scripture, that is the entire Bible is inspired by God, in other words, God-breathed. This means that the Bible is teh result of the breath of God. Our English word 'inspire' carries teh idea of breathing into something. But this word tells us that God breathed out something, namely, the Scripture. To be sure, human authors wrote the texts, but the Bible originated as an action of God who breathed it out.

The entire Bible is profitable. This expresses the purpose of inspiration. Its profit consists in teaching, reproving, correcting, restoring and training in righteousness in order that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. The Bible is not to be put in a museum to be admired; rather, it is to be used in our lives.

To sum up, 2 Timothy 3:16 teaches us that the whole Bible came from God in order to show us how to live.