The Word of God
John 1:1 “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ”
2 Timothy 3:16-17 “ All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. ”
Such is the claim of the Bible: this book, printed in more than half a billion copies since the invention of printing, states that its content deserves the greatest attention because its author is none other than God Himself. Could such a statement be believable?
II Peter 1:19-21 “ And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. ”
Forty authors participated in the writing of the 66 books of the Bible, a work which spans 1500 years. Most of these authors, whom lived in different times and places, never became acquainted; nevertheless, this collection of 66 books presents a remarkable unity. Such harmony reveals the presence of a common inspiration: God.
I Thessalonians 2:10-13 “ You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. And for this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received from us the word of God's message, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.
The apostle Paul, writing to the people of Thessalonica, strongly confirms the divine inspiration of the Scriptures. The Bible is not simply a book speaking to us about God; it is God speaking to us through this book! It is like a recorder making us hear the voice of God.
Psalm 119:160 “ All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal. ” Jesus Christ Himself asserted the divine inspiration of the Scriptures. He attributed superhuman authority to them, using them to refute error and to repel the Tempter.
« It is written » said Jesus, quoting from the Scriptures. Christ’s example constitutes for us an invaluable guarantee of the divine inspiration of the Bible.
I Peter 1:22-25 “ Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, ‘All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.’ And this is the word that was preached to you.
Despite centuries of attacks, tribulations, and attempted destruction, the Bible remains unshakeable, unchanged, as several archaeological discoveries reveal. God has personally made sure that the message of the Bible was protected throughout the ages.
Romans 1:16-17 “ I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith. ”
The transforming power of the Bible’s message, hidden but still effective, testifies to the Scriptures’ divine inspiration. We encourage you to experience this power through these lessons: every sincere heart will feel the indisputable influence coming from the study of this Book.
Jeremiah 23:25-29 “ I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, 'I had a dream! I had a dream!' How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their fathers forgot my name through Baal worship. Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain? declares the LORD. Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? ”
Hebrews 4:9-12 “ There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. ”
Our next lessons will clearly demonstrate those Scriptural properties.
How does the word manifest itself in our lives?
A. Psalm 119:105 “ Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path. ” To adopt the Bible as our guide on the path of life is the most important decision that we can make in the course of our lifetime. We will see that life is strewn with pitfalls, but also that the Scriptures can teach us how to bypass many of those pitfalls, increasing our peace and happiness.
B. Romans 10:17 “… faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. ”
Faith doesn’t just appear out of nowhere; its source is in the hearing of the Word of Christ.
II Peter 1:16-21 “ We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, this is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. ”
Note how the apostle Peter highly recommends the reliability of Scripture as the only guide we can trust.
Ephesians 6:11,17 “ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (...) Take (...) the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ”
The apostle Paul, describing the armor we need to fight the devil, lists several defensive weapons: the shield of faith, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, etc. He ends the list with the only offensive weapon: the sword, which is the Word of God. Our fighting ability will be directly affected by how often we « train » with our sword.
Unfortunately, not everyone enjoys studying God’s word. Some think that the Bible is a boring book, while others believe that no one can understand it, that it is interpreted without rhyme or reason.
Now we can better understand the importance of beginning and ending each lesson with a prayer. It is essential to rely on God’s Spirit who will enlighten us while we go through the pages of the Bible.
Romans 15:4 “ For whatever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. ”
Far from being a boring book, the Bible can give real meaning to our life here on earth. The answers it gives to fundamental questions bring hope back to its students. We will soon discover why the friends of the Bible are overflowing with hope in a world which sinks into despair.
Matthew 4:4 “ [Jesus] answered and said, ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”
May God guide us while we study His Word.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 “ All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. ”
Such is the claim of the Bible: this book, printed in more than half a billion copies since the invention of printing, states that its content deserves the greatest attention because its author is none other than God Himself. Could such a statement be believable?
II Peter 1:19-21 “ And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. ”
Forty authors participated in the writing of the 66 books of the Bible, a work which spans 1500 years. Most of these authors, whom lived in different times and places, never became acquainted; nevertheless, this collection of 66 books presents a remarkable unity. Such harmony reveals the presence of a common inspiration: God.
I Thessalonians 2:10-13 “ You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers; just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each one of you as a father would his own children, so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory. And for this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received from us the word of God's message, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.
The apostle Paul, writing to the people of Thessalonica, strongly confirms the divine inspiration of the Scriptures. The Bible is not simply a book speaking to us about God; it is God speaking to us through this book! It is like a recorder making us hear the voice of God.
Psalm 119:160 “ All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal. ” Jesus Christ Himself asserted the divine inspiration of the Scriptures. He attributed superhuman authority to them, using them to refute error and to repel the Tempter.
« It is written » said Jesus, quoting from the Scriptures. Christ’s example constitutes for us an invaluable guarantee of the divine inspiration of the Bible.
I Peter 1:22-25 “ Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, ‘All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.’ And this is the word that was preached to you.
Despite centuries of attacks, tribulations, and attempted destruction, the Bible remains unshakeable, unchanged, as several archaeological discoveries reveal. God has personally made sure that the message of the Bible was protected throughout the ages.
Romans 1:16-17 “ I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith. ”
The transforming power of the Bible’s message, hidden but still effective, testifies to the Scriptures’ divine inspiration. We encourage you to experience this power through these lessons: every sincere heart will feel the indisputable influence coming from the study of this Book.
Jeremiah 23:25-29 “ I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, 'I had a dream! I had a dream!' How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their fathers forgot my name through Baal worship. Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain? declares the LORD. Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? ”
Hebrews 4:9-12 “ There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. ”
Our next lessons will clearly demonstrate those Scriptural properties.
How does the word manifest itself in our lives?
A. Psalm 119:105 “ Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path. ” To adopt the Bible as our guide on the path of life is the most important decision that we can make in the course of our lifetime. We will see that life is strewn with pitfalls, but also that the Scriptures can teach us how to bypass many of those pitfalls, increasing our peace and happiness.
B. Romans 10:17 “… faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. ”
Faith doesn’t just appear out of nowhere; its source is in the hearing of the Word of Christ.
II Peter 1:16-21 “ We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, this is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. ”
Note how the apostle Peter highly recommends the reliability of Scripture as the only guide we can trust.
Ephesians 6:11,17 “ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (...) Take (...) the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. ”
The apostle Paul, describing the armor we need to fight the devil, lists several defensive weapons: the shield of faith, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, etc. He ends the list with the only offensive weapon: the sword, which is the Word of God. Our fighting ability will be directly affected by how often we « train » with our sword.
Unfortunately, not everyone enjoys studying God’s word. Some think that the Bible is a boring book, while others believe that no one can understand it, that it is interpreted without rhyme or reason.
Now we can better understand the importance of beginning and ending each lesson with a prayer. It is essential to rely on God’s Spirit who will enlighten us while we go through the pages of the Bible.
Romans 15:4 “ For whatever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. ”
Far from being a boring book, the Bible can give real meaning to our life here on earth. The answers it gives to fundamental questions bring hope back to its students. We will soon discover why the friends of the Bible are overflowing with hope in a world which sinks into despair.
Matthew 4:4 “ [Jesus] answered and said, ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”
May God guide us while we study His Word.
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" Matthew 4:17