- Dr. Annamma Abraham
The Bible
The Bible
The
Bible is God’s word and is the greatest book ever written. In it God Himself
speaks to man. It is a book of divine instruction. It offers comfort in sorrow,
guidance in perplexity, advice for our problems, rebuke for our sins, and daily
inspiration for our need.
It
includes history, poetry, drama, biography, prophecy, philosophy, science, and
inspirational reading. Bible has been translated into more than 1,200
languages.
The
Bible alone truly answers the greatest questions that men of all ages
have asked.
Where
have I come from?
Where
am I going?
Why
am I here?
How
can I know the truth?
The Bible reveals the truth about God,
explains the origin of man, points out the only way to salvation and eternal
life and explains the age-old problem of sin and suffering
Seven
great things that the study of the Bible do for us
1-The
Bible discovers sin and convicts us.
2-The
Bible helps to cleanse us from the pollution of sin.
3-The
Bible imparts strength.
4-
The Bible instructs us in what we are to do.
5-
The Bible provides us a sword for victory over sin.
6-The
Bible makes our life fruitful.
7-The
Bible gives us power to pray.
The Bible is its own best commentator
and interpreter. Begin your Bible reading with prayer.
Some
of the notable sayings about the bible by some eminent personalities
Abraham Lincoln.
“I believe the bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good
from the Saviour of the world is communicated to us through this book.
George Washington. It is impossible to rightly govern the world
without God and the Bible.
Napoleon.
The Bible is not mere a book, but a living creature, with power that conquers
all that oppose it.”
Queen Victoria.
“The Bible accounts for the supremacy of England.”
Daniel Webster.
If there is anything in my thoughts or style to commend, the credit is due to
my parents for instilling in me an early love of the scripture.”
John Ruskin. Whatever merit there is in anything that I
have written is simply due to the fact that when I was a child my mother daily
read me a part of the Bible and daily made me learn a part of it by heart.”
Thomas Huxley.
“The Bible has been the Magna Charta of the poor and oppressed. The human race
is not in a position to dispense with it.”
W.H Seward.
“The whole hope of human progress is suspended on the ever growing influence of
the Bible.”
U.S Grant.
“The Bible is the sheet-anchor of our liberties.”
Horace Greeley.
“It is impossible to enslave mentally or socially a Bible-reading people. The
principles of the Bible are the ground work of human freedom.”
Andrew Jackson.
This book is the rock on which our republic rests.”
Robert Lee.
“In all my perplexities and distress, the bible has never failed to give me
light and strength.”
Lord Tennyson. “Bible reading
is an education in itself”.
John Quincy Adams.
“So great is my veneration for the Bible that the earlier my children begin to
read it the more confident will be my hope that they will prove useful citizens
of their country and respectful members of society.”
Charles Dickens.
“The New Testament is the very best book that ever was or ever will be known in
the world.”
Sir William Herschel.
“All human discoveries seem to be made only for the purpose of confirming more
and more strongly the truths contained in the Bible”
Sir Isaac Newton.
“There are more sure marks of authenticity in the bible than in any profane
history.”
Henry
Van Dyke.
“Children listen to its stories with wonder and delight and wise men
ponder them as parables of life. The wicked and the proud tremble at its
warnings, but to the wounded and penitent it has a mother’s voice. It has woven
itself into our dearest dreams; so that love, friendship, sympathy, devotion,
memory, hope put on the beautiful garments of its treasured speech. No man is
poor or desolate who has its treasure for his own.”
Historic
Records of the Bible.
God
kept historic records of His special dealings with and revelation to man. One
record was the Bible which has been written on parchment and by great effort
placed into the hands of man. The other was written in the ruined remains and
in the strange languages of those lands from whence the Bible came. Man had
access to the first of these, and could read and pattern his life accordingly.
Few people from Western world could visit Oriental lands, view the terrain of
the country, observe remnants of wreckage of bygone civilization and imagine
the meaning of bits of various writings found here and there. Evidence on the
surface was small in comparison to the wealth of the materials found by chance.
But more was destined to be found as man forged tools and keys suited to the
search- tools with which to dig, keys with which to unlock unknown languages,
and methods by which to determine the time of origin for each discovery.
Progress came slowly, and by the dedicated efforts of multitude of men from
many nations and from many professions and walks of life- professors,
linguists, ministers, military men, missionaries, architects, engineers,
draftsmen, photographers, and of other great abilities, who would dedicate
themselves to the task of bringing into shape and making use of the tools
needed in the onward course of the mighty movements. Two main keys, however
were found- The Rosetta stone and the Behistun inscriptions.
In
the middle of the 20’Th century (1947) a young Bedouin shepherd stumbled upon a
cave south of Jericho containing many leather scrolls of Hebrew and Aramaic
writing and about 600 fragmentary inscriptions. Great excitement prevailed in
the archaeological world. In 1952 new caves containing fragments of leather
scrolls in Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic were found. Additional manuscripts found
in other caves in Dead Sea area. The Dead Sea manuscripts contain material
partly biblical and partly intertestamental.
Hundreds
of thousands of books, written on clay and stone tablets, antedating Moses by
centuries have been uncovered by the spade of archaeologist, showing that even
the very earliest of biblical events could have been recorded by contemporary
writers.
How
we got the Bible
The
New Testament “Canon”, the word “Canon” literally means “Cane “or “Rod of
measurement. “In Christian use it came to mean the “Written Rule of Faith,”
that is the list of Original and Authoritative books that composed God’s
Inspired Word. The Canonical New Testament Books were those which came to be
generally recognised by the churches as the Genuine and Authentic writings of Apostolic
Authority.
In
the days of Christ, there was in the literature of Jewish nation a group of
writings called “the Scripture” now called the Old Testament which the people
commonly regarded as having come from God. They called it “The Word of God”.
Jesus Himself so recognised it. It was read publicly and taught regularly in
the synagogues
Christian
churches, from the very first accepted these Jewish scriptures as God’s Word,
and gave them in their assemblies.
As
the writings of the Apostles appeared, they were added to the Jewish scriptures
and were held in the same sacred regard. Each church wanted, not only what had
been addressed to itself, but copies of Writings addressed to other churches also.
Apocryphal
New Testament Books
They
are spurious gospels. They are so full of nonsensical stories of Christ and
Apostles that have never been regarded as divine, nor bound in our Bible. They
are mostly forgeries and were so recognised from the first, rejected by Protestants
as uninspired.
Apocryphal
Old Testament Books
Protestants,
basing their movement on the Divine Authority of God’s Word, rejected these
apocryphal books as being no part of God’s Word, as the early church and
ancient Hebrews had done.
One
mind inspired the writing and compilation of the whole series of books
that it bears on its face the stamp of its author the Holy Spirit of
God. The Bible is God’s Word. We believe the Bible to be, not man’s account
of his effort to find God, but rather an account of God’s effort to reveal
Himself to man, God’s own record of his dealings with men in his unfolding revelation
of Himself to human race.
The
books of the Bible were composed by human authors, about 40 men of several
countries and many occupations, and it is not known who some of these authors
were. They wrote over a period of approximately 1500 years and in three
languages- Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. It is not known just how God directed
these authors to write. But it is asserted that God did direct them; and these
books must be exactly what God wanted them to be. The Bible is God’s Word. No
other book in the world is God’s word. The Bible is written by many authors,
over a period of many centuries, yet one book, is in itself, the outstanding
miracle of all ages, bearing aloft its own evidence of its Superhuman Origin.
Total number of
books in the bible ---66
Old Testament
books---------------------39
New Testament
books------------------27
Love
God’s book. Prayerfully spent time in it
each day.
Psalm 119: 140 Thy
word is very pure,
Therefore Thy
servant loves it.
The
Bible books are in seven groups.
Old
Testament New
Testament
17 Historical 4Gospels
5 Poetical
Acts
17 Prophetic 21
Epistles
Revelation
17
Historical
5 poetical 17prophetic
Genesis Job
Isaiah
Exodus Psalms
Jeremiah
Leviticus Proverbs
Lamentation
Numbers Ecclesiastes Ezekiel
Deuteronomy Songs of Solomon Daniel
Joshua
Hosea
Judges
Joel
Ruth
Amos
1 Samuel
Obadiah
2 Samuel Jonah
1 Kings Micah
2 Kings Nahum
1 Chronicle Habakkuk
2Chronicle Zephaniah
Ezra Haggai
Nehemiah Zachariah
Esther Malachi
27
New Testament Books
4
Gospels Acts 21 Epistles
Revelation
Mathew Acts Romans Revelation
Mark 1Corinthians
Luke 2Corinthians
John Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1Thessalonians
2Thessalonians
1Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2Prter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
There are 1189
chapters in the bible
929 in the Old
Testament
260 in the New
Testament
The longest
chapter is Psalm 119
The shortest
chapter is Psalm 117, which is also the middle chapter of the bible
The longest
verse is Esther 8: 9,
The shortest
verse is John 11: 35
Jesus
Christ is the Center and Heart of the Bible
The
great theme of the bible is Lord Jesus Christ and his work of redemption for
mankind. The person and work of Jesus Christ are promised, prophesied and
pictured in the types and symbols of the Old Testament. In all His truth and
beauty, the Lord Jesus Christ is revealed in the gospels; and the full meaning
of His life, His death, and His resurrection are explained in the epistles. His
glorious coming again to earth in the future is unmistakably foretold in the
book of Revelation. The great purpose of the written Word of God, the
Bible is to reveal the living Word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. (John 1: 1-18. Read)
The Old Testament
is an account of a Nation
The New
Testament is an account of a Man.
The
nation was found and nurtured of God to bring the Man into the world. God
Himself became man. Jesus was God incarnate in human form. His appearance on
the earth is the central event of all history. The Old Testament sets the stage
for it. The New Testament describes it.
As a
man, He lived the most strangely beautiful life ever known. He was the kindest,
tenderest, gentlest, most patient, and most sympathetic man ever lived. He loved
people. He hated to see people in trouble. He loved to forgive. He loved to
help. He wrought marvellous miracles to feed the hungry people. For relieving
the suffering he forgot to take food for Himself. Multitudes, weary, pain ridden
and heart-sick came to Him, and found healing and relief. It is said of Him,
and of no other, that if all the deeds of kindness that He did were written,
the world would not contain the books. That is the kind of man Jesus was. That
is the kind of person God is.
John 21: 25. And
there are many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in
detail, I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books which
were written.
Jesus
died on the cross, to take away the sins of the world, to become the Redeemer
and Savior of men. He rose from the dead, is alive now, not merely a
historical Character, but a Living person, the most important Fact of History,
and most Vital force in the world today. The whole Bible is built around the
beautiful story Jesus Christ, and His promise of life eternal to those who
accept Him.
Christ
the center and heart of the Bible, the center and heart of history, is the
center and heart of our lives. Our eternal destiny is in His hand. Our
acceptance, our rejection of Him, determines for each of us eternal glory or
eternal ruin, heaven or hell, one or the other.
It is
a glorious thing to be a Christian, the most exalted privilege of mankind. To
accept Christ as Savior, Lord and Master, and to strive sincerely and
devotedly to follow in the way of life which He taught, is certainly, and by
far, the most reasonable, and most satisfactory way to live. It means peace,
peace of mind, contentment, forgiveness, happiness, hope, life abundant, life
that shall never end.
God’s
Word is Inspired, Reliable, and Sufficient
The
Old Testament writers attribute their words to God. Let us see the following verses.
Nehemiah 9: 13-14. 13 You
came down also on Mount Sinai
And spoke with them from heaven, and gave them
just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments,
14. You made known
to them Your Holy Sabbath,
And commanded them precepts, statutes and
laws,
By the hand of Moses Your servant.
2 Samuel 23: 1-3a
1. Now these are
the last words of David
David the son of
Jessie declares
a- And the man
who was raised on high declares,
b-The anointed
of the God of Jacob
And the sweet
psalmist of Israel
2-a The spirit of
the Lord spoke by me,
And his word was on my tongue
3- “The God of
Israel said,
a-The Rock
Israel spoke to me,
Jeremiah 1: 6-9
6. I answered,
Sovereign Lord, I don’t know how to speak; I am too young.
7. But the Lord
said to me, “Do not say that you are too young, but go to the people I send you
to, and tell them everything that I command you to say.
8. Do not be afraid
of them, for I will be with You to protect you, I the Lord, have spoken!”
9. Then the Lord
stretched out His hand, touched my lips and said to me “Listen, I am giving you
the words you must speak.”
The
reliability of the scripture can be drawn from the following New Testament
passages.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 and
there is another reason why we give thanks to God. When we brought you God’s
message, you heard it and accepted it, not as a man’s message, but as God’s
message, which indeed it is. For God is at work in you who believe.
2peter 1:20-21
20. Above all else, however,
remember that no one can explain by himself a prophecy in scriptures.
21. for no prophetic
message ever came just from the will of man, but men were under the control of
the Holy Spirit as they spoke the message that came from God.
2 Peter 3: 15-16
15. Look
on our Lord’s patience as the opportunity He is giving you to be saved, just as
our dear brother, Paul wrote to you, using the wisdom that God gave him.
16. This is what he
says in all his letters when he writes on the subject. There are some difficult
things in his letters which ignorant and unstable people explain falsely, as
they do with other passages of the scriptures. So they bring on their own
destruction.
All
scripture is inspired by God. He spoke through men. They are his spokesmen.
Jesus
used the Scriptures in many situations to answer the questions people asked.
Mark 7: 5-9.
5. The Pharisees
and the scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the
tradition of the elders, but eat with impure hands?
6. And He said to
them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,
This people honours
Me with their lips,
But their heart
is far away from Me.
7. But in vain do
they worship Me,
Teaching as
doctrines the precepts of men,
8. “Neglecting the
commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”
9. He was also
saying to them, “You nicely set aside the commandment of God in order to keep
your tradition.
Mark 12: 24- 27 Jesus
explains to the Sadducees about the Question of
resurrection.
24. Jesus said to
them, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the
Scriptures, or the power of God?
25. “For when they
rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like
angels in heaven.
26. “But regarding
the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in
the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, I am the God
of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob?
27. “He is not the
God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken.”
Jesus avoiding an argument
with an insincere questioner
The
parable of the good Samaritan
Luke 10: 25-28
25. A teacher of the
law came up and tried to trap Jesus. He asked –“Teacher, what shall I do to
receive eternal life?”
26. Jesus answered
him, “what do the scripture say? How do you interpret them?”
27. The man answered
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your
strength, and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as you love
yourself.”
28. “You are
right,” Jesus replied, “do this and you will live.”
In
our Christian life and ministry we have to rely on God’s word-that is
the Bible.
2 Timothy 3: 16-17.
16. All scripture is
inspired by God and is useful for teaching, reproof, correction, and training
in righteousness.
17. that the man of
God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
God
has equipped you with a tremendous instrument for spiritual battle- that is the
word of God.
Ephesians 6: 17. And
take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of
God.
Psalm 19: 7-8.
7. The law of the
Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of
the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
8. The precepts of
the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment
of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Let
us see in the following verses, with what is God’s word compared? And what is
the function of these objects.
Jeremiah 23: 29. “Is
not my word like fire?” declares the Lord, and like a hammer which shatters a
rock?
Fire
burns, destructive and purifies. Hammer –shatters.
Matthew 4: 4 But
He answered and said “It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on
every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.
Every
word that proceeds out of the mouth of God is our bread. It gives life.
Hearers
and not doers of the word
James 1: 23-25.
23. For if anyone is
a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural
face in a mirror,
24. For once he has
looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of
person he was.
25. But one who
looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides shall be
blessed in what he does.
Ezra
is a person who felt responsibility towards God’s word.
Ezra 7: 10 For
Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to practice it, and to
teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.
God’s
word is living and active.
Hebrews 4: 12-13.
12. For the word of
God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as
far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge
the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
13. And there is no
creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the
eyes of Him with whom we have to do.
Isaiah 55:10-11
10. For as the rain
and the snow come down from heaven,
And do not
return there without watering the earth,
And making it
bear and sprout,
And furnishing
seed to the sower, and bread to the eater.
11. So shall my word
be which goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not
return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire,
And without
succeeding in the matter for which I send it.
No
matter how tough the times, the solutions are always spelled out in God’s
word. It is one book that never changes. In a changing world you can
trust God’s unchanging word. Paul has characterised Timothy’s training in
2 Timothy 3: 15. From
childhood you have known the sacred writings, which are able to give you the
wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Proverbs 2: 6 The
Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and
understanding.
All
the learning of philosophers, the speculations of ethicists and the
achievements of scientists can’t give us the truth about God and His will, His
grace, or the good news concerning Jesus Christ and the salvation from sin. For
that knowledge we need Bible- and we always will. So don’t squander your time
merely acquiring facts. It is far better to study the truth God has given us in
His word. We can get information online
but wisdom comes from God.
To
see yourself as you really are, look into the mirror of God’s word.
Revelation 3: 18.Anoint
your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
Jesus
Christ warned the Christians at Laodicea that they were in great spiritual
peril because they couldn’t see themselves as they really were. He told them
“you say, I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing –and do not
know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. (Revelation 3: 17). Jesus urged them to come to Him for what they
needed, including salve to put on their spiritual eyes, so they could see. (Revelation3: 18). When we read Bible,
we see ourselves through God’s eyes- not only our sinfulness but also the
righteousness He has provided for us through faith in Christ.
Ask
the Lord to help you see yourself and your world through His eyes today.
To
understand the word of God, rely on the spirit of God.
Suppose
you encounter texts that continue to baffle you even though you read them over
and over, and then ask Lord to open your understanding.
Luke 24: 25. He
opened their understanding that they might comprehend the Scripture.
1 Corinthians 2:10-16
10. For to us God
revealed them through the Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, even the
depths of God.
11. for who among
men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him?
Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God,
12. Now we have received,
not the spirit of the world, but the spirit who is from God, that we might know
the things freely given to us by God.
13. Which things we
also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the
Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
14. But a natural man does not accept the things
of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, because they are
spiritually appraised.
15. But he who is
spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man.
16. for who has
known the mind of the Lord? Who is able to give Him advice? But we have the
mind of Christ
You
haven’t really learned the word until you live the word.
In
all literature there is nothing that compares with the Bible. Psalms 119: 103 How sweet are Thy words to
my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth.
No
matter how much more time you are left in this world, start reading the Bible
today if that hasn’t been your practice previously. Resolve to read it
regularly. It is the book that will bless you while you are still in this
world. And it will show you that through faith in Jesus Christ you can be sure
of eternal blessedness in the world to come.
You
can trust the Bible- God always keeps his word.
2 Peter 1: 21 for
no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy
Spirit spoke from God.
The
Bible is filled with dramatic examples of fulfilled prophecy.
Isaiah 52:13- 53:12. (Read)
Psalm 22: 1-18. (Read) Record
the details about the Crucifixion of Christ hundreds of years before this cruel
form of execution was ever practiced. When we pick up the Bible, we can be rest
assured that we are holding in our hands the one authoritative divine
revelation of truth- a claim verified by fulfilled prophecy.
The
goal of Bible study is not just learning, but Christ like living.
The apostle Paul reminded young Timothy the importance of knowing God’s word.
2 Timothy 3: 14- 17
14. You, however,
continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from
whom you have learned them;
15. Be diligent to
present yourself approved to God, as a workman who does not need to be ashamed,
handling accurately the word of truth.
16. All scripture is
inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction,
training in righteousness.
17. That the man of
God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
Today
and every day let us make time to study God’s word with diligence and purpose.
Let us make time to pray that what we learn will result in God-honoring
behavior that points others to Christ.
To
be spiritually fruitful, plant God’s word in your heart. What kind of
soil you are.
Luke 8: 15. But
the ones that fell on the ground are those who, having heard the word with a
noble and good heart; keep it and bear fruit with patience.
In Luke 8, Jesus used a parable to teach
that the seed of the word of God will produce a harvest in good soil. But the
soil is productive only if the soil is receptive.
People
with receptive hearts hear God’s Word, obey it, and bear fruit. Others,
however, have resistant hearts that fall prey to the devil, do not allow the
seed to take root, or are overgrown with cares and temptations of life .God’s
Word is good seed . Is your heart good soil?
The psalmist
wrote, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” Psalm 119: 105.
Take
your direction from those who follow God’s word. Psalm 1: 1-2.
1. How blessed is
the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the
path of sinners,
Nor sit in the
seat of scoffers
2. But his delight is in
the law of the Lord,
And in His law
he meditates day and night.
You
can count on God’s word.
1 King 8:56 Solomon
told the congregation of Israel that “not one word of His good promise had
failed”
His
words have never failed, and they never will. You can count on it! The Bible
always points the believer in the right direction.
Test
all teaching by the truth of God’s word.
The
scripture warn us not to add to nor take away from what God has revealed to us
in His written Word.
Deuteronomy 4: 2 tell
us, you shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it.
Similar
warnings are found in
Deuteronomy 12: 32 whatever
I command you, you shall be careful to do; you shall not add to nor take away
from it.
Proverbs 30: 5-6. 5 Every
word of God is tested; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
6. Do not add to
his words
Lest he reprove
you, and you be proved a liar.
Revelation 22: 18 I
testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book; if anyone
adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book.
If
someone attempts to teach a doctrine not found in the Bible, beware- no matter how
polished and well-known the person is, test the teachers you hear by God’s Word
You
can measure your love for God by your obedience to His Word.
As
followers of Jesus Christ, we have a plump line by which we can evaluate our
lives. It is the word of God with its principles and commands. When faced with
moral choices, we must see what the scripture teach. When we follow God’s
directives, we need not fear what His plump line will reveal in our lives.
Amos 7:8 Behold,
I am setting a plump line in the midst of My people Israel; I will not pass by
them anymore.
The
Bible is our greatest treasure, worth far more than gold (Psalm 19: 10). The rich treasures of God’s Word are waiting to be
discovered.
Use
verses skilfully in battle both as an offensive and defensive weapon; and
discover new truths about living for Him. Meditate on the word of God, and
apply in your life.
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