BIBLE, THE MANUFACTURER’S MANUAL FOR ALL CREATION

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?

1. 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?