TOPIC: BIBLE,
THE MANUFACTURER’S MANUAL FOR ALL CREATION
MEMORY VERSE: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto
all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
TEXT: 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; John 20:31; Romans 1:21-28
INTRODUCTION
The word
‘bible’ comes from the Latin word ‘biblia’ which means ‘the books’. This Blessed
Information Bringing Life Eternal is a collection
of 66 inspired books covering over 1500 years and written by about 40 diverse
authors in three ancient languages – Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic, yet there is a unity
of purpose and no contradiction. Truly, the heavens declare the
glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork (Psalm 19:1; Romans
1:19-20), The Bible is the greatest collection of God’s revelation to mankind.
The bible contains direct revelations from God; and God spake unto Moses,
and said unto him, I am the Lord (Exodus 6: 2). Bible records God speaking
by himself when he created the world and speaking to various other persons in
the bible (Genesis 1: 3, 26). The bible also contains utterances of men
under the inspiration of God’s Spirit, as well as writings of men as
they were illuminated by the Holy Spirit. It is no ordinary book; it is not
the sayings of sages nor the utterances of philosophers. Hence, the bible can
be trusted and relied upon. Both historians and archeologists have repeatedly
confirmed the authenticity of the bible. There is no error in the original manuscripts
of the bible, though, understandably, there are translation mistakes and
copying error.
Question 1: How can we know that the bible is God’s manual?
The bible
contains truths that otherwise would never have been known from any other
sources. It highlights the origin of the world and of sin, the character,
nature and power of God, history of nations, prophetic predictions concerning
the future of the world, the person of Jesus Christ (the express image of God
and savior of the world), the kingdom of God, the bliss of saints and eternal
punishment of sinners, amongst other things. The sum and substance of all
writings in the bible is that mankind might have life eternal which comes
through knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom he has sent (John 17:
3). God guided the writing of this book …for our learning, that we through
patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope (Romans 15:4). Bible
contains practical wisdom for day to day living, principles governing human
relations, prescriptions on true worship, instructions for marriage and
virtually every aspect of life conceivable.
Question
2: To what end did God choose to reveal Himself through the inspired writings?
God, who created all things, has not left the world without a
manual. As with any man-made equipment the greatest user experience is
contingent on reading, understanding and consistently applying the instructions
and directions, the warnings and precautions contained in the manufacturer’s
manual. But sadly, many people use the word and go about their affairs without
any reference to God’s manual. The result is frustration, hopelessness,
emptiness, vanity, wickedness and damnation; they lack peace in their life. It
is incumbent on every believer to seek to know, understand, believe, obey,
apply to ourselves and communicate the word of God. Only through this can we
avoid error and have the greatest experience of God in this world and in the
world to come.
Question
3: What should be our attitude to this divine manual which we call BIBLE?
- THE BIBLE: ITS
INSPIRATION, INERRANCY, ETERNAL AND AUTHORITY – 2 Timothy 3: 16;
2 Peter 1:20-21; Mark 13:31; John 20: 31; Acts 20: 32; Psalm 12: 6
There is no gainsaying that the Bible is the Word of God, fully
inspired and without error from the original manuscripts. It was written under
the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and it has supreme authority in all matters
of faith and conduct. It is normal to ask for proofs whenever anyone or
anything claims divinity. The following proofs, amongst many, show that the
bible is God’s very word.
i.Unity of
scripture – diverse men (political leaders, military leaders, shepherd,
kings, medical doctor, rabbi, fishermen, etc.) spoke and wrote under divine
influence in over 1500 years period, yet there is unity of purpose; there is no
contradiction. The stories and sayings perfectly connect.
ii.Prophecies
and their fulfilment – the ability to accurately predict future events and seeing them
come to pass is one hallmark of divinity. “Shew the things that are to come
hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods” (Isaiah 41: 23) was the test
presented by God to false gods. The bible contains prophecies, some of which
have already come to pass. There are about 300 prophecies concerning Christ
Jesus in the Old Testament of the bible.
iii.The
testimony of bible itself – bible claims God spoke directly to men. God,
who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers
by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son (Hebrews 1:1-2).
Apart from direct words, God also inspires and illuminate men to speak and to
write the words.
iv.Historic
and scientific evidence – Historians and scientists have continued to
find more and more evidences of the authenticity of the bible.
v.Indestructibility
of the bible: Many philosophers predicted the extinction of the bible (Voltaire,
the famous French atheist, predicted that within one hundred years the Bible
would be a forgotten book. Less than a hundred years later his own home was
owned by the Geneva Bible Society, from which millions of Bibles were printed
and sent to all parts of the world) (Act 13:31).
Question 4: On what grounds should we believe that the bible is
the word of God and not words of men?
The bible is without error (i.e. inerrant) in the sense that all
that the biblical authors intended to teach is true and do not conflict with
reality or with the will of God. The words of the Lord are pure words: as
silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times (Psalm 12: 6). A
writer cannot be accused of error because someone misconstrues his words in a
way he does not intend. The bible contains expressions which, if not carefully
examined, can be misconstrued and distorted to say what it does not say. The
bible has perfect integrity because it is the incorruptible word of God (1
Peter 1:23). Hence, its teachings and guidelines, promises and precepts, can
be trusted and relied upon.
Bible is the greatest means of God’s authoritative self-disclosure
to mankind. It is a repository of timeless truths and has the best answers to
life’s puzzles. Its authority derives from God himself because though God has
exalted his name (Isaiah 12: 4), he has exalted his word above his name (Psalm
138: 2). The bible is a rule of life, the authoritative basis for the Christian
faith, and so should command our obedience and belief. It is the basis
for testing all spirits, prophets, claims to divinity, men of God,
doctrines and teachings …. To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not
according to this word, it is because there is no light in them (Isaiah 8: 20).
Question 5: Why is the bible so credible and why should it
be the rule for moral conduct and for testing any claim to divinity?
2.
THE GREAT AND WONDROUS THEMES IN GOD’S MANUAL – Hosea
8: 12; Psalm 119: 18; 19: 7-14.
The
appreciation of bible truths stirs our hearts’ blood, fires us with enthusiasm
and fills us with grateful joy. There are great and wondrous things which God
has revealed in His word and the child of God is lost in wonderment when he
discovers these precious truths. According to John Bunyan, the truths of the
bible inform our judgment, rectify our mind, please our understanding and fill
our memory. There are several connotations that depict this divine manual,
namely law, judgments, testimony, statutes, commandments, fear of the Lord
(Psalm 19:7–9), the word of God.
In this
God’s manual, we find the history of creation; the rebellion of man and origin
of sin; the danger of sinful man approaching a holy God without a sacrifice and
a mediator; the character, nature and power of God; practical wisdom for life;
rules for proper conduct; true worship of God; the infinite love of God for
man, the mysteries of God; the hypostatic union of divinity and humanity in the
person of our Lord Jesus Christ; the promise of a new world wherein dwells
righteousness; the eternal damnation of sinners; the future bliss and felicity
of the righteous.
Question 6: Mention five great and cardinal themes from the bible.
Let us
delve a little deeper into some mind-stretching truth of God’s word.
i.The age-old conflict between good and evil –
started with Satan’s rebellion against God, and further instigating man’s
rebellion against God, bringing the curse of God upon man and creation. The
consequence is, bondage to corruption and physical death (Galatians 5:17). And
it is only through Christ Jesus can these things be reversed.
ii.A holy God cannot be approached without a
sacrifice and a mediator – the holiness of God was revealed in the ten
commandments and how to approach Him was prescribed in the ceremonial system of
worship with animal sacrifices and high priest representing the people. Only
through Jesus can we acceptably approach God (Hebrews 9:7; 12:24).
iii.Sin cannot effectively be cancelled without
taking the life (portrayed in shedding of blood) of a sinless, perfect, fitting
person as a substitute for all–only God himself is worthy
of such a qualification, and this led to the mysterious union of divinity with
humanity in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ for the suffering of death for
all (Matthew 1:18,22-23).
iv.Salvation and relationship with God is by faith –
salvation has never been by works right from the beginning, it has always been
by faith-… “but without faith it is impossible to please him.” What
varies from dispensation to dispensation is the basis of faith. Faith in Christ
Jesus is the only way to be saved (Hebrews 11:6; John 3:14-15).
v.The everlasting marriage between Christ Jesus
and his saints in his kingdom – One design of Godhead in
salvation is that the Son (Jesus Christ) might be married to his redeemed
people in an everlasting union (Ephesians 5:25;31-32). This is the hope of
believers. Conversely, unrepentant sinners will suffer the punishment of
eternal fire.
Question 7: Mention that personality that is melting point of all
themes in the bible and why?
3.
BELIEVERS’ TREATMENT OF THE BIBLE – Hosea
8:12; John 5: 39; Mark 12:10; Acts 17: 2, 11; Joshua 1:8
If
others reject the great things of God’s word and count it as a strange thing,
believers shouldn’t. We are to receive with meekness the engrafted WORD
(James 1:21). We are admonished to desire it (1 Peter 2:2; Psalm 19:10),
not just as babes in Christ but in every stage of our Christian development,
that we may grow continually. We are to let it dwell in us richly
in all wisdom (Colossians 3:16). We are to give the more earnest heed
(i.e. consideration, attention, commitment) to it, so its instructions, warnings,
precautions, promises and precepts do not slip away from us. The surest way to
forget the bible is to begin to neglect it and not consistently give heed to
it. The quality of believer’s life is partly contingent on the amount of truth
burnt into his soul. We are to esteem, treasure and exalt the words of
bible above everything in our life (Job 23: 12;). The bible should be a delight
to the child of God.
Question
8: What should be our attitude to the Divine manual for our life?
There are instructions on how we should approach the bible to
reap the greatest benefit, reflecting the life of Christ in our conduct and
character, serviceable and useful in the hand of God.
i.Understanding
the holy scriptures (2 Timothy 3:15; Daniel 10:21)
Believers must be
properly educated in the word of God. Our Lord charged the Sadducees with
erroneous thinking and beliefs because they knew not the scriptures nor the
power of God (Matthew 22: 29). To know and understand the bible then, we must:
-
- Read to know what is written as
the starting -(Matthew 21:42).
- Attentively hear or listen to the
word through inspired ministers who are faithful to the text
of scriptures; for God has given them to us that they might feed us with
knowledge and understanding (Luke 10:42; Jeremiah 3:15).
ii.
Meditate daily on the word. Mere reading and listening are not
enough, we must masticate the word. Food mastication is essential to activate
necessary enzymes for proper digestion and absorption into the body. It is the
same with the word of God (Psalm 1:2).
iii.Applying
and Practicing the word. Therefore, we must obey from our heart and keep the
word in all its precepts and injunctions. It is self-deception to be mighty in
the word and yet the lifestyle is contrary to the word (Romans 6:17; James 1:
22, 24)
iv.PREACH,
TEACH and COUNSEL using the word – (Acts 8:32, 35). We must preach to sinners
by the word and by our life; Teach our children and family on the word of God
(Genesis 18: 19) and endeavor to reason out of the scriptures when answering
questions or counselling.
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Question
9: How can we reap the maximum benefit from God’s manual?