Give Me the Bible
Nelson Kidder – June 1, 2022
Wednesday Evening Adult Class – Spring 2022
INTRODUCTION
- HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE “THE BIBLE”?
- WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE PURPOSE OF THE BIBLE?
- WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE THEME OF THE BIBLE?
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE “CLAIM” IT IS?
- LET’S READ: PSALM 119:89; PSALM 119:97-104; PSALM 119:144; PSALM 119:160; ISAIAH 40:8.
- AND SOME MORE: JOHN 17:17; JOHN 8:31-32; JOHN 16:13; 2 TIMOTHY 3:14-17; 2 PETER 1:16-21.
- THE BIBLE CLAIMS IT IS THE WORD of GOD. {SEE 1 THES. 2:13}
- BUT SOME WILL SAY, “HOW CAN WE BE SURE IT IS NOT JUST THE WORK of MEN?”
MAJOR DOUBTS EXPRESSED:
- PERCEIVED “CONTRADICTIONS” in the BIBLE
- QUESTIONING the “CANON” of THE SCRIPTURES (WHICH BOOKS are REAL?)
- QUESTIONING of AUTHORS of BOOKS
- ULTIMATELY, IT COMES DOWN TO THIS – HEBREWS 11:6! {ALSO SEE MATT. 22:29}
WHAT ABOUT LATER REVELATIONS?
DOES GOD STILL SPEAK TO PEOPLE TODAY?
- SOME WELL-KNOWN EXAMPLES of RELIGIONS WHO CLAIM THAT GOD SPOKE(SPEAKS) WELL AFTER THE “CANON of SCRIPTURES” (66 BOOKS):
- ROMAN CATHOLIC – POPE – SPEAKS in the PLACE of GOD; HE CLAIMS TO BE “INFALLIBLE.” (NOTE 2 THES.2: 3-12; 1 TIM. 4:1-3)
- MORMONS (LDS) – JOSEPH SMITH, B. YOUNG
- JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES – CHARLES T. RUSSELL
BUT WHAT DOES the BIBLE SAY ABOUT THIS?
- JUDE 3 – “THE faith once for all delivered…”
- GALATIANS 1:6-12 – “not that there is another one…”
- 2 PETER 1:3 – “has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness…”
- 2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17 – “all Scripture… complete…equipped for every good work.”
- WHAT ABOUT “PROPHECIES”? – “they will pass away.” (1 COR.13:8)
- WHEN DID “PROPHESY” END? – “when the perfect comes, the partial shall pass away.” (1 COR.13:10)
- WHEN DID “THE PERFECT” COME? – WHEN GOD’S COMPLETE WILL HAD BEEN REVEALED THRU the WRITTEN WORD GIVEN BY the HOLY SPIRIT. (NOTE JAMES 1:25)
WHAT DOES the BIBLE WARN ABOUT “ADDITIONS” or “SUBTRACTIONS”?
SOME “ALL” SCRIPTURES
“ALL” MEANS “ALL!”
- MATT. 28:18 [ALL AUTHORITY]
- JOHN 16:13 [H.S. – ALL the TRUTH]
- 2 TIMOTHY 3:16 [ALL SCRIPTURE]
- 2 PETER 1:3 [ALL THINGS – LIFE & GODLINESS]
- MATT. 28:19-20 [ALL NATIONS & ALL COMMANDMENTS]
- MATT. 11:28 [ALL ARE INVITED]
- 1 JOHN 1:7 [ALL SINS CLEANSED]
- JOHN 17:20-21 [ALL ARE TO BE ONE]
THE SONG – “GIVE ME THE BIBLE” – # 279
- GOD’S PURPOSE FOR OUR SONGS: EXOD. 15; DEUT. 31:30–32:46; JUDGES 5; 1 COR. 14:15; EPH. 5:18-19; COL. 3:16.
- WHAT DOES the CHORUS TEACH US?
- WHAT DOES VERSE 1 TEACH US?
- WHAT DOES VERSE 2 TEACH US?
- WHAT DOES VERSE 3 TEACH US?
- WHAT DOES VERSE 4 TEACH US?
THE BIBLE and AMERICA TODAY
- KENNETH L. WOODWARD – RELIGION EDITOR of “NEWSWEEK”; 1982 ARTICLE – “THE BIBLE in AMERICA” vs. HIS 2016 BOOK – “GETTING RELIGION: FAITH, CULTURE and POLITICS”
- BOTH ABOUT the INFLUENCE of RELIGION in USA
- 1982 – “the BIBLE HAS EXERTED AN UNRIVALED INFLUENCE on AMERICAN CULTURE, POLITICS and SOCIAL LIFE…”
- 2016 BOOK – “…MORAL RELATIVISM as the PREVAILING MORAL CONTEXT for MANY YOUNG AMERICANS…” and THEIR “UNWILLINGNESS TO HOLD THEMSELVES ACCOUNTABLE TO ANYONE BUT THEMSELVES.” (See JUDGES 21:25)
- WOODWARD – SUCH MORAL CHAOS “SHOULD DISTURB US DEEPLY.”
- LET’S READ PROVERBS 29:18
THEME of the BIBLE – JESUS CHRIST
- O. T. – “SOMEONE IS COMING”
- N. T. – “THAT SOMEONE HAS COME”
- O. T. – “JESUS CHRIST CONCEALED”
- N. T. – “JESUS CHRIST REVEALED” (Luke 2:8-14; John 1:14; Acts 8:26-35; Eph. 3:1-7)
- HANDOUT – CHRIST THROUGHOUT the BIBLE
OVER-VIEW of the BIBLE
- “BIBLE” – a BOOK of BOOKS – 66 in all
- TWO MAIN DIVISIONS – OLD & NEW TESTAMENTS
- SUB-DIVISIONS – OLD = LAW, HISTORY, POETRY, MAJOR PROPHETS & MINOR PROPHETS
- SUB-DIVISIONS – NEW = GOSPELS, HISTORY, LETTERS (“EPISTLES”), PROPHECY
The POWER of the WORD of GOD
- See “GOSPEL MINUTES,” June 3, 2022 by Clem Thurman
- THAT WORD (the BIBLE) IS INSPIRED BY GOD
- THAT WORD PRODUCES FAITH
- THAT WORD PRODUCES SALVATION
- THAT WORD PRODUCES LIFE (ETERNAL)
- THAT WORD IS (ALL) SUFFICIENT
WRAPPING UP OUR STUDY
WHY BELIEVE the BIBLE?
- 1.) IT’S REASONABLE and LOGICAL (Isa. 1:18)
- 2.) BELIEVING IT MAKES FAR MORE SENSE THAN DISBELIEVING.
- 3.) BECAUSE SKEPTICS and CRITICS HAVE TRIED FOR MANY CENTURIES to DISPROVE IT, BUT HAVE FAILED!
- 4.) PREDICTED PROPHECY – YOU JUST COULDN’T MAKE THIS STUFF UP! Isa. 44:28-45 and 2 Chron. 36:22-23, etc.
- 5.) “WRITTEN REVELATION” IS CLEARER and IS PRESERVED FOR ETERNITY.
- “OH, the B-I-B-L-E, YES THAT’S the BOOK for ME …!”
Nelson Kidder – Spring 2022