INTRODUCTION: As we begin our study of the major doctrines of the Bible, the first doctrine we must address is the doctrine of the Scriptures. Why? The Holy Scriptures form the very basis of our faith. If the Bible we carry is not in fact the Word of God, in what can we base our faith? All the doctrines that we shall discuss in this series of lessons are founded upon the Word of God. In the final analysis, it makes little difference what anyone thinks, but what God's Word has to say. Let us agree with Paul when he said in Romans 3:4a "...let God be true, and every man a liar." In a day when even so called Baptists are casting doubt on the testimony of the Scriptures, we need to stand firmly upon the truthfulness of God's Word. With these thoughts in mind, we will consider the following:
I. The Bible - Its Names And Titles.
II. The Bible As a Unique Book.
III. The Bible - An Inspired Book.
IV. The Bible - Its Purpose.
V. The Bible And Our Responsibility To It.
I. THE BIBLE - ITS NAMES AND TITLES.
The Word of God is known by several names and titles. Lets examine each of these titles to discover their origin and meaning.
A. The Bible.
1. Our English word Bible comes from the Greek words biblos (Matthew 1:1) and biblion (Luke 4:17), which means book. Ancient books were written upon the biblus or papyrus reed, and from this custom came the Greek name biblos, which finally came to be applied to the sacred books. See Mark 12:26; Luke 3:4; 20:42; Acts 1:20; 7:42.
2. The Bible is not merely a book, however. It is THE BOOK, the book that from the importance of its subjects, the wideness of its range, the majesty of its Author, stands as high above all other books as the heaven is high above the earth.
3. Walter Scott, a British novelist poet and Christian was dying when he asked his secretary to, "Bring me the Book." She was very perplexed as she viewed a library full of thousands of books. "Which book?" she asked. He said, "The Book, the Bible, the only book for a dying man." I might add that it is a book of life. Deut. 32:45-47.
B. The Old And New Testaments.
1. The word Testament means covenant, and is the term by which God was pleased to designate the relationship that existed between Himself and His people. The term covenant was first of an applied to the relationship itself, and afterward to the books which contained the record of that relationship.
2. The Old Testament deals with the record of the calling of men, and history of the Jewish nation, and as such it is the Old Covenant. The New Testament deals with the history and application of the redemption wrought by the Lord Jesus Christ, and as such it is the New Covenant. See Luke 22:20; I Corinthians 11:25; II Corinthians 3:6,14; Hebrews 9:15; 12:24.
3. In the Old Testament we see Jesus Christ concealed while in the New Testament we see Jesus Christ revealed. The common theme of both Testaments is the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.
C. The Scriptures.
1. The Bible is also called the Scripture in Mark 12:10; 15:28; Luke 4:21; John 2:22; 7:38; 10:35; Romans 4:3; Galatians 4:30; II Peter 1:20, and the Scriptures in Matthew 22:29; Mark 12:24; Luke 24:27; John 5:39; Acts 17:11; Romans 1:2; II Timothy 3:15; II Peter 3:16. The word Scripture comes from the Greek word "grapho" which means to write. The Bible is God's love letter to humanity. God has written this book for us, penned by holy men of old, superintended by the Holy Spirit.
D. The Word Of God.
1. This title teaches us to regard the Bible as the utterance of divine wisdom and love. The Bible is God speaking to man. See Mark 7:13; Romans 10:17; II Corinthians 2:17; Hebrews 4:12, I Thessalonians 2:13.
II. THE BIBLE AS A UNIQUE BOOK.
There is no other book that can compare to the Bible. It is unique for several reasons.
A. Its Origin Is Unique.
1. The circumstances which provided our Bible are unbelievable almost yet true, and give evidence of its supernatural nature.
2. The Bible was written over a 1600 year period, from 1492 B.C. to 100 A.D. It was authored by 40 different men, each from all different backgrounds, cultures and levels of education. There were:
a. Kings such as David and Solomon.
b. Statesmen such as Daniel and Nehemiah.
c. Priests such as Ezra.
d. Educated men like Moses and Paul.
e. Uneducated men like Peter, James and John.
f. A herdsman named Amos.
g. A tax collector named Matthew.
h. A doctor named Luke.
i. Mighty prophets such as Isaiah and Jeremiah.
3. These men that authored the Bible came from different lands and cultures. They had no intention of producing a part of a book to be the Bible and were often unaware that others were writing.
4. Yet in spite of these unusual circumstances, they wrote a book that is consistent with itself and has never been proven in error. Only God could do this!
B. Its Preservation is Unique.
1. The very fact that the Bible is in existence today is proof that it is the Word of God.
2. God used the Jewish scribes or Massoretes to preserve the text of the Bible with meticulous care. Before reproducing a portion of the Scriptures they first counted every word and letter in the book. Every word was pronounced aloud by the scribes as they wrote them. After the work was finished the words and letters were counted again. If the totals were not exact the entire manuscript was destroyed and the whole process started over.
3. The same can be said for the New Testament texts. Today we have nearly 4,500 Greek manuscripts available, some dating back to 200 A.D. This is amazing considering the vicious attacks that have been waged against the Bible. Many have tried to burn it ban it and outlaw it from the days of Roman emperors to the present Communist countries, yet it remains.
4. All of this supports the promise of God to preserve His written word. Isaiah 40:6-8; I Peter 1:23-25.
C. Its Unique Testimony Of Accuracy.
1. The Bible is unique because its testimony has never been contradicted. If the Bible is indeed God's Holy Word, it must be without error in every area.
2. As a history book the Bible is unique and unrefuted. The Bible tells us of people, places and events that would otherwise be unknown to mankind. The Bible as history speaks where other books must be silent. The Bible has never been proven wrong as a historical source, but rather has been proven accurate by archeological findings. One aspect of Biblical history is its extensive, comprehensive genealogies. No other book provides such an accurate, detailed record of humanity in history as the Bible.
3. As a book of Science the Bible is without equal. The Bible was authored by the God of Science and therefore is not contrary to true scientific data.
4. The Bible is accurate as a book of prophecy. Its record of fulfilled prophecy gives proof that it is a unique book. The prophecies fulfilled by the life of Christ alone are enough to convince even the skeptics. Justin Martyr, a converted Greek philosopher, who later gave his life as a martyr, became a follower of Christ by reading the Old Testament Scriptures and finding them fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
III. THE BIBLE, AN INSPIRED BOOK.
Based upon II Timothy 3:16-17, we can make the following statement: "We believe the Bible is the inerrant verbally, plenary, inspired Word of God." What do these terms mean?
A. Inerrant.
1. Inerrant means that the Bible contains no mistakes. Every word is pure and true. Proverbs 30:54.
2. Many use the term infallible to describe the Bible. We believe that the original manuscripts are without mistake. Psalm 19:7 says, "The law of the Lord is perfect."
3. The Word of God is flawless because it was authored by God, and He is flawless. The Bible is the only book that never makes a mistake. Men do not reject the Word of God because it contradicts itself, they reject the Bible because it contradicts them.
B. Verbally.
1. Verbally refers to the fact that the Bible is the very Word of God. It is not a collection of man's writings which reflect God's thoughts.
2. Countless numbers of times the Bible declares, "and God said ..." Someone has said there are 3,808 such statements, or similar in the Old Testament alone.
3. Added to this are the many times the New Testament writers quoted the Old Testament as being the Word of God, not His thoughts. See Matthew 1:22, 2:15; 4:4; I Thessalonians 2:13; II Peter 1:27; Hebrews 1:1.
C. Plenary.
1. Plenary has the idea of completeness. It means that all the Bible is the Word of God.
2. Some say the Bible contains the Word of God. This is absolutely false. Paul said, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God."
D. Inspired.
1. Inspired means "God-breathed". God intervened in the hearts and minds of the men who wrote in order that they might write His Words, not their own. See II Peter 1:21.
2. The Holy Spirit moved or guided these men as they penned God's Words to man. This means it is indeed, the Word of God, not the words of men. I Thessalonians 2:13.
IV. THE BIBLE, ITS PURPOSE.
As we continue to look at II Timothy 3:16-17, we can discover the purpose of the Bible.
A. For Our Profit. Vs. 16.
Paul says the Bible is profitable in several areas.
1. Doctrine. The word doctrine means teaching or instruction. All that we believe must be based upon the Scriptures. False doctrine arises when men try to force the Bible to agree with or support their ideas. As Baptists, the Bible is our only rule of faith and practice.
2. Reproof This word means conviction. The Word of God shows us the error in our lives. Hebrews 4:12.
3. Correction. To correct means to return to an upright state. God's Word shows us the way back to God when we stray.
4. Instruction In Righteousness. This deals with the broad scope of your being conformed to God's will. There is instruction in the Bible for every area of our lives. This is a living book for a living world. Deuteronomy 32:46-47.
B. Our Perfection. Vs. 17.
1. The word perfect doesn't mean sinless, but rather mature or complete.
2. The person that reads and studies this blessed book will grow to spiritual maturity and be equipped to face every situation in this life. Hebrews 5:11-14.
C. To Point us. Vs. 15.
1. Timothy was taught the Scriptures as a child, which pointed him to salvation in Jesus Christ.
2. The central theme of the whole Bible is the person and work of Jesus Christ. The main purpose of the Word of God is to point us to Him. See John 20:30-31; I John 5:11-13.
3. The Bible is not a book that tells us everything, just enough.
D. Other Purposes.
1. To promote joy in the life of believers. I John 1:3-4.
2. To keep us from sin. I John 2:1.
3. To reveal anti-christ. I John 2:26.
4. To give us assurance of salvation. I John 5:13.
5. In short, the Scriptures tell us all we need to know about God, sin, salvation, eternity, Jesus, etc., and it is the standard by which both the saved and unsaved will be judged. John 12:48; Revelation 20:12.
V. BIBLE AND OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO IT.
What a magnificent book that has been given to us by our God. Our privilege to have our Bible today was bought by the blood of the Christians who lived in times of severe persecution. What a shame it is when we neglect and abuse it We have a responsibility to this Word of God.
A. We Should Believe It.
1. Peter said it best when Jesus asked him if he would cease to follow Him. He answered, "Lord to whom shall we got Thou hast the words of eternal life."
2. Since God's Word is absolute truth we should hang on every word of this Book. If God said it you should believe it. Believe it that's all.
B. We Should Honor It.
1. People today abuse the Bible because it is so common. We should esteem the Bible and teach our children to do the same.
2. When the teacher teaches or the preacher preaches from the Bible, understand it is God speaking to us, not man. Show respect to the reading and exposition of God's Word. Nehemiah 8:1-8.
C. We Should Love It.
1. The Psalmist cried, "Oh how I love thy Law." Psalms 119:97. There have been those who have loved God's Word enough to die for its preservation. Revelation 20:4 records people who will yet give their lives for God's Word.
2. If you love something or someone you long to be with it. Do you spend time with the Bible? Psalm 1:1-3.
D. We Should Obey It.
1. If God's Word is true we should obey it. James said we should not only be hearers of the Word, but doers of the Word. Jesus said "If ye love me, keep my commandments."
2. When the Word of God reveals sin in your life, acknowledge it, confess it, and forsake it. When the Word gives a command, heed it and do it. When the Word provokes a change in our lives, change! Do whatever it takes to bring your life into agreement with the Word of God.
E. We Should Defend It.
1. Jude asked us to "earnestly contend for the faith." That word faith means the body of revealed truth.
2. We should speak up for the Word of God. When the world belittles its teachings and standards we should defend them. Sometimes silence is not golden, it is plain yellow.
F. Should Proclaim It.
1. Paul told Timothy to "Preach the Word." To preach means to publish or to proclaim.
2. Every child of God should be a proclaimer of the Word of God. See Acts 8:1-4.
G. We Should Study It.
1. Paul admonished us to study the Word of God. II Timothy 2:15. Apollos was said to be a man, mighty in the Scriptures. Acts 17:11 reveals the wonderful testimony of the Christians in Thessalonica.
2. Here is where we so often fail. We must make time in our lives to study the Scriptures. O what a wonderful, priceless book we have in the Bible and how little we read it, study it, or share it!
H. We Should Rightly Divide It.
1. Ever since the garden of Eden, Satan has sought to prevent the true meaning of Scripture. His plan is to misquote, misrepresent and misinterpret the Bible in order to deceive the masses and overthrow the cause of Christ. See Galatians 1:6-9.
2. We have a responsibility to properly interpret the Word of God. II Timothy 2:15. "Rightly dividing" means literally to "cut it straight". Paul was a tent maker and he knew that the hides had to be cut properly so that it would an fit together. We must "cut it straight" so that every portion of scripture comes together. You can't make sense of the whole unless you know what to do with the parts.
3. Here are some rules of interpretation, that if followed win secure proper Biblical interpretation:
Rule One: interpret Literally. This means let the Bible speak for itself. Let the Scriptures mean what they say and say what they mean. Of the literal sense makes good sense be careful not to make it nonsense.
Rule Two: Interpret According To Context. Context refers to the verses that directly proceed and immediately follow a Bible verse or passage. Never isolate a verse when interpreting it. The context will reveal "who is speaking, who is being spoken to, the occasion of the words and why it is being said."
Rule Three: Interpret According To Normal Word Usage. This means to take words to mean and say what they do in everyday language. We speak in English, but the Bible was written in Hebrew, Greek and a few parts in Aramaic. We must view words according to language and grammatical rules.
Rule Four: Interpret According To Over All Truth. Always interpret a passage in light of what the Bible says as a whole. The best commentary on the Bible is the Bible. II Peter 1:20; I Corinthians 2:13.
Rule Five: Interpret According To Foundational Truth. This means don't get side tracked on issues and questions which have no answers. II Timothy 1:13; 2:1-2, 15-18. The Bible does not tell us everything so stay with those things which are revealed. Deuteronomy 29:29.
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