Psalm 138:2 says, concerning God's relationship with His Word, "....For You have magnified Your Word above all Your name." As children of God, we must recognize God's Word, the Bible, as our final authority in every area of our lives. The Biblical answer to any question must be the final answer to us. God has revealed His general will for us through the Bible. As we then read, study, memorize, and meditate on God's Word, we will come to more clearly understand our role as Christians. And as we become more familiar with the Word of God, we will become more familiar with our wonderful God.
Key Verse: "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."
and is the last court of appeal - the judge which ends all strife.
I would just as soon dream of blasphemeing my Maker
as of questioning the infallibility of His Word"
Charles H. Spurgeon
--Index--
Part I - Why Do We Say That The Bible Is Without Error (Inerrant)
Part II - The Bible Is A Living Book
Part III - Why Should We Study The Bible
Part IV - What Do We Do If Man's Opinions Are Contrary To God's Word?
Part V - Why Are There Two Testaments (Covenants)?
Part VI - How Can God's Word Come Alive To Us?
Questions For Study#2
The Objectives of the Study are: 1. To develop a basis whereby the student can trust the Word of God to direct his life.
2. To encourage every believer to allow God's Word to direct his life.
Index
I Why Do We Say That The Bible is without Error (Inerrant)?
A. The Bible proclaims itself to be without error.
1. II Timothy 3:16
a. All Scripture is inspired by God.
1. Inspired comes from the Greek word which literally means "God-breathed". god breathed His life into His Word.
2. The writing of the Scriptures was like a sailboat which is blown across the waters by the wind. The boat is at the mercy of the wind. So it was with the men who recorded the Scriptures; they wrote as the "Wind" of the Holy Spirit guided them.
b. All Scripture profitable for:
1. Doctrine - it is the foundation for our teaching2. Reproof - it convicts us of our sin
3. Correction - it shows us how to change
4. Instruction in righteousness - it trains us to be disciples
2. II Peter 1:20-21 "knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit".
a. Is the Bible:(choose the correct statement)
1. an interpretation of what God wnated to have said.
2. actually what God wanted to be said.
b. How did the Bible come to be written?
3. Matthew 5:18 "For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
a. How long will God's Word stand?
b. How much of God's Word will be fulfilled?
B. Jesus affirmed the inerrancy of Scripture.
1. He ofter quoted from the Old Testament when He taught.
2. What is Jesus called according to John 1:1, 14?He should be a good source to speak on the inerrancy of the Word of God.
3. In Luke 24:44-45, Jesus made reference to most of the sections of the Old Testament and in so doing He validated them.
C. God's character demands that the Bible be true.
1. Titus 1:2 "..in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,..God cannot lie
2. John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." see John 8:31-32
3. God's Word is truth. It frees us from deception, if we know what it says. Psalm 119:160 "The entirety of Your word is truth..."All of God's Word is truth.
II The Bible Is A Living Book
A. Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
1. It separates between the soul (mental realm) and the spirit.
2. It judges our thoughts and intentions.
B. It is the Word of God, not just a book that contains some of God's words.
1. Reading the Bible is hearing from God.
2. To regard the Bible as anything less than the Word of God undercuts its authority.Index
III Why Should We Study The Bible?
It keeps us from sin
It is our guide for proper living
It is our attack weapon against the devil
It is necessary so our faith can grow
It brings healing and deliverance
It sets us free
It causes us to prosper and be productiveSome of the reasons are as follows:
A. Psalm 119:9,11 "How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.
B. II Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,..
C. Ephesians 6:17 "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
D. Romans 10:17 "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
E. Psalm 107:20 "He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions.
F. John 8:31-32 then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
G. Psalm 1:2-3 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper
IV What Do We Do If Man's Opinions Are Contrary To God's Word?
Once having settled that God's Word is our final authority, we must do the following:
A. Submit - II Corinthians 10:5 "...casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,.."
1. Our thoughts must be in submission to God's Word.2. God's Word is perfect, our minds are not.
3. God's Word is changeless. Society does not interpret it.
B. Obey - Luke 6:46 "But why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and not do the things which I say?"
1. Obedience is our way of showing true love for God and His Word.2. God would rather have us obey, than come to Him for forgiveness.
(see I Samuel 15:22 "To obey is better than sacrifice.")
B. Change - II Corinthians 3:18 "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
1. As we look into God's Word, we must be willing to change.2. It is not by our ability, it is us yielding ourselves to the Holy Spirit, and allowing the change that He shows us we need to take place.
Index
V Why Are There Two Testaments (Covenants)?
A. The Old Testament - the covenant that God made with man before Christ came.
B. The New Testament - the covenant that God made with man now that Christ has come.
C. God's Covenant With Us Through Jesus Christ
1. What is a covenant?
a. A promise of faithfulness
b. A sharing of strength - we give God our availability, He gives us His ability.
2. Our covenant with God is like a marriage covenant.
a. Ephesians 5:31-32 "For this reason a man shall leave his father andmother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. this is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church."
b. I Corinthians 6:17 "But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him."
3. Because we are in covenant with God, we have the power to honor all covenants into which we enter. "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13
D. The Old Testament progressively reveals man's need for a savior, and gives the promise of the coming Christ.
E. The New Testament reveals the provision made through Jesus Christ for man's sin, and reveals the blessings and responsibilities of the believer.
F. I Corinthians 10:11 "Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
We are to learn from the successes and failures of Israel in the Old Testament.
VI How Can God's Word Come Alive To Us?
A. We need to ask God to help us.
1. I Corinthians 2:13-14 "These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
a. the Holy Spirit teaches us
b. our natural mind alone cannot grasp the things of the Spirit.
2. Psalm 119:18 "Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law."
B. We must apply and obey God's Word
1. Matthew 7:24-27 "Therefore whoever hears these saying of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock; and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."
a. we hear the Word.
b. we act according to the Word which we have heard.
c. the Word keeps us stable in all situations.
2. Joshua 1:8 "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."
a. we meditate on God's Word
b. we do the Word of God
c. the Word makes us prosperous and successful
d. note the similarity between these two passagesIndex
Question Sheet for Bible Study #2 - The Bible Is The Final Authority For The Believer
The Books of the BibleTo study and commit to memory the Books of the Bible
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