Today we are going to look at what the Bible says about itself and what the writers of it say. We will also look at how the Bible is complete and is the perfect revelation from God for all mankind.
What the Bible Claims About Its Writers
Where does the Bible claim that the prophets got their message? The Holy Spirit
Read Acts 27:15-17. This text tells us that the ship is “driven along”, “moved by” or “carried along” by the storm, the men didn’t have any control over where the ship was going. The apostles in 2 Peter 1:20-21 are said to have been also “carried along” by the Holy Spirit and those words are the very same words in the Greek used in Acts 27.
What does this tell us about the things that the prophets said and wrote? Controlled in what they wrote by the Holy Spirit.
Why does the writer say “above all”? What is most important to understand about how the prophets spoke and wrote the Bible? The apostles were not sharing their own ideas; they were relaying God’s message.
Turn now to 2 Timothy 3:16-17. What do you think the writer means when he says “All Scripture”? Every word. Where does the writer say that all Scripture comes from? All Scripture comes from God What does this passage tell us the Scripture is able to do for us? It thoroughly equips for every good work. What does that mean for us today? You get everything you need to please God from the Bible. And finally, do we need anything else to please God other than the Bible according to this verse? No!
Read John 14:25-26; 16:12-16.
Who is Jesus going to send? The Holy Spirit. What was the Holy Spirit going to give the apostles? All truth - the teachings Jesus taught His Disciples. This promise of Jesus is fulfilled in Acts 1:1-9 and 2:1-4. Paul says this about his own teachings in 1 Corinthians 2:6-13:
What does Paul say about the wisdom of the message that he is giving us? It is not from the world but from God. This wisdom was hidden for some time, but now has been revealed by God through Jesus, Paul and the other apostles. Thus Paul says that he is getting his message from God, the Holy Spirit. So if we disagree with what Paul writes, with whom are we really disagreeing? God.
How does the Bible and its writers claim they were inspired?
Who testified that this was true?
Do you trust that the Bible is the only Holy message of God for all mankind? There is plenty of evidence in the Bible to prove that the writers could not have been writing from their own ideas. Some examples include:
There are no historical mistakes or errors in the Bible.
Genesis 15:20 – The Hittite nation of people is mentioned as existing, but even as recently as 1900 there was no archeological evidence of their existence. Finally, in 1906 ruins and remains were found in Turkey as evidence and the Bible proved accurate.
Writers were inspired and couldn’t have come up with these by themselves.
Job 26:7 – Job is one of the oldest books of the Bible. What does Job claim that the earth is sitting on? Nothing; it is suspended. At that time Job wouldn’t have known what we know. Scientists only proved this to be true 4000+ years after Job said it. How did Job know this? God, as Job, was inspired. Newton proved what Job had said in 1650 – thousands of years after Job has said it.
How does this apply to us today? This shows that if the Bible was inaccurate it wasn’t inspired but everything so far is accurate
Does this evidence support the claim that the Bible writers were inspired by God?
The Bible is Complete and Not to Be Mishandled|
Deuteronomy 4:1-2, Revelation 22:18-20, and Psalm 30:5-6
These are at the beginning, middle and end of the Bible. What are all these verses warning about? Mishandling by adding or taking away from the Words in the Bible. The people need all the Words and the Words are all the people need to now how to please God.
In Galatians 1:6-9, Paul is speaking to the Galatians because some of the Jews had come to them and wanted them to conform to the Jewish traditions even though they were in the Christian age.
What was Paul astonished about? They were straying from the gospel that had been given by him earlier. Who has the authority to change anything in the Word? No one – not Paul, not angels, not church leaders, etc.
Read John 16:13. What was the Spirit going to give the apostles when He came? All truth – spiritual truth. "All truth" would imply that it is the complete message of God.
How does this apply to us today?
Who is responsible for making sure we do not add or take away from the Words in the Bible?You are. What if someone tells you something that is not in keeping with the Word of God How do we know if someone is telling us something that is not in keeping with the Word of God?
How Should We Receive the Word
Read 2 Timothy 2:15. What does it say about our responsibility to the Word/the Bible? How can we be diligent? How can we be approved? How can we be a worker? How can we be confident rather than ashamed? What does it mean to rightly divide the word of truth? Make sure you know what is and isn’t from the inspired Words of God! Understand and apply it correctly.
Now turn to Acts 17:2-5 and 10-12. How did the people in Thessalonica react to the apostle Paul’s teachings? What was different about the people of Berea?
Notice Paul is reasoning from the Scriptures because the Scriptures are the authority. Some Jews in Thessalonica rejected Paul and the message, not based on reason but because of jealousy. The Jews in Berea are called noble by the writer of Acts. They were open-minded enough to listen to a message that was different than what they already believed. After listening, they examined the Scriptures; basing their decision on the Bible, not on feelings, traditions or their logic/ideas.
Do you want to be like the Bereans? When might this be difficult for you?
What have we learned today?
What did the Bible writers claim about themselves?
Who gave and created the Bible?
What can the Bible do for us in terms of doing good pleasing things for God?
Who has the right or authority to change anything in the Bible?
What is our responsibility towards understanding the Bible?
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