The Bible: Seven Facts Concerning Scripture<\/p>\n
The word \u201cBible\u201d is not found in the Bible. The word simply means \u201cThe Book,\u201d so \u201cthere was a time,\u201d as Trench says, \u201cwhen bible might be applied to any book,\u201d but in our present use of the word we use it in a restricted sense of the one Book. The Imperial Dictionary says: \u201cThe Bible is the Sacred Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as received by the Christian Church as a Divine Revelation.\u201d<\/p>\n
There are seven things about these Holy Writings.<\/p>\n
1. What is It? They claim to be \u201cinspired of God\u201d (2Ti_3:16-17). The word \u201cinspired of God\u201d is Theopneustos. Theos is the word for God, and the other part is a presumed derivation of pneo, which means to breathe or blow hard. It is rendered \u201cbloweth\u201d in Joh_3:8, and \u201cwind\u201d in Act_27:40. Thus the word means to divinely breathe in. Some would render the sentence, \u201cThe Scriptures are the Divine breathing.\u201d Our English word \u201cinspired\u201d only occurs in one other place, and that is Job_32:8\u2014\u201dThere is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.\u201d As God breathed into man the breath of life, and he became a living soul, so God has breathed this Book, and it breathes out what He has breathed in. It breathes life into the spirit, love into the soul, understanding into the mind, determination into the will, grace into the heart, beauty into the life, and harmony into the being.<\/p>\n
2. Who Inspired It? \u201cHoly men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit\u201d (2Pe_1:21). The Holy Spirit is the Author and the Interpreter of the Book. The \u201cmen\u201d who were \u201cmoved\u201d were men, human beings; but they were not the common herd of men, they were \u201cmen of God,\u201d and not only so, they were \u201choly men of God.\u201d These men were in fellowship with God. \u201cHoly men\u201d and \u201cthe Holy Spirit\u201d needed to be in touch with each other to produce holy results. The word \u201cmoved\u201d means to be \u201cborne along,\u201d and is used of a ship being \u201cdriven\u201d by the wind\u2014Act_27:17, of a man being \u201cbrought\u201d on a bed\u2014Luk_5:18, and of one who is carrying another\u2014 Joh_21:18. This at once makes the Bible different from all other books.<\/p>\n
3. Who Were the Instruments Used? \u201cThe prophets\u201d (1Pe_1:10). We naturally think of a prophet as one through whom events are forecast; but the primary meaning is a seer, that is, one who sees. \u201cA prophet,\u201d as one has said, is\u2014<\/p>\n
\u201cOne who speaks forth openly before anyone, a proclaimer of a Divine message; among the heathen, the interpreter of the oracles. In the Septuagint, it is the translation of the earlier \u2018seer,\u2019 showing what really constituted the prophet, was immediate intercourse with God. The usage of the word is clear, it signifies one on whom the Spirit of God rested\u2014Num_11:17, Num_11:25-26, Num_11:29; one to whom and through whom God speaks\u2014Num_7:2; one to whom God makes known His mysteries\u2014Amo_3:7-8; hence it means one to whom God reveals His truth, and through whom He speaks…. In the Old Testament prophets, their preaching was a prophesying of a salvation and purposes of grace and glory yet to be accomplished; while in the New Testament prophets, their prophesying was a preaching of those purposes of grace already accomplished, and also a foretelling of the purposes of glory which were still future.\u201d<\/p>\n
4. What was the Purpose of the Bible\u2019s Revelation? Christ Himself answers the question, for He says of the Scriptures: \u201cThey are they which testify of Me\u201d (Joh_5:39). He is light in the lantern, to show the way; He is the life in the tree, to make it grow; He is the kernel in the nut, to make it worth; He is the glory in the temple, to make it beautiful; He is the heart in the body, to cause it to live; He is the spring in the watch, to make it to go; and He is the power in the wire, to electrify the machine.<\/p>\n
The Old Testament characters in the Bible are types of Him. He is the Last Adam, to quicken; the offering Able, to sacrifice; the faithful Abram, to separate; the peaceful Isaac, to substitute; the working Jacob, to secure; the providing Joseph, to store; the leading Moses, to guide; the priestly Aaron, to represent; the valiant Joshua, to subdue; the strong David, to conquer; the wise Solomon, to teach; and the Kinsman-Redeemer, to redeem.<\/p>\n
The offerings were all foregleams. He is the Passover, to protect; the Burnt-offering, to please; the Sin-offering, to be judged; the Trespass-offering, to release; the Peace-offering, to reconcile; the Drink-offering to rejoice; and the Red Heifer-offering, to cleanse.<\/p>\n
All Scripture contains in Him, and He is the contain of all Scripture.<\/p>\n
5. What are the Two Fundamental Themes of the Bible? Christ Himself answered the question to the two disciples as He journeyed with them to Emmaus, and to the eleven gathered in the upper room\u2014Luk_24:27, Luk_24:36.<\/p>\n
The sufferings and glory of Christ are the couplings of God, which couple up everything. Calvary and Olivet are His viewpoints. The Cross and the Crown are the Alpha and Omega of Revelation. The Lamb and the Throne are the fulcrum and lever of God\u2019s purpose. The Passover and the Lamb are His starting point and goal; and the Altar and the Skekinah are the Genesis and Revelation of everything.<\/p>\n
6. What the Bible Imparts? Among the many things to which it is compared is seed\u20141Pe_1:23. There are two things which are characteristic of seed. It contains life, and produces like to its kind. Faith in the Living Word comes by means of the Written Word; and when the Living Word, by means of the Written, operates in a living soul, the character of the Word is reproduced. It is a Holy Word, to sanctify; a Righteous Word, to rectify; a Living Word, to fructify; a Wise Word, to edify; a Peace Word, to pacify; a Powerful Word, to electrify; and a Loving Word, to intensify.<\/p>\n
7. What the Bible Does? This raises another question: \u201cWhat does it not do?\u201d One has tersely said of the Bible in a general way: \u201cEvery hour I read you, it kills a sin, or lets a virtue in to fight against it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Many are the things the Bible does; the following will illustrate a few of the things:<\/p>\n
Acquaints us with the theme of the Gospel\u20141Co_15:3, 1Co_15:4. Blesses us as we obey its precepts\u2014Psa_119:2. Consecrates us as we follow its injunctions\u2014Num_6:1-7. Defeats the enemy as we use it against him\u2014Mat_4:4, Mat_4:7, Mat_4:10. Edifies the life as we heed it\u2014Act_20:32. Fires the heart to a faithful testimony\u2014Jer_1:1; Jer_23:29. Guides those who follow its light\u2014Psa_119:105.<\/p>\n
Heals the spirit as it is applied\u2014Psa_107:20.<\/p>\n
It forms the mind as to its secrets\u20141Co_2:9; Isa_64:4.<\/p>\n
Judges the conduct and maketh wise\u2014Psa_19:9-11<\/p>\n
Keeps us abiding in Christ\u2019s love\u2014Joh_15:10.<\/p>\n
Leads to the true and beautiful\u2014Pro_6:20-24.<\/p>\n
Moulds us like to itself\u2014Rom_6:17.<\/p>\n
Nourishes the spiritual life\u20141Pe_1:2.<\/p>\n
Orders the steps of our life\u2014Psa_119:133.<\/p>\n
Purifies the mind\u20142Co_7:1.<\/p>\n
Quietens the heart\u2014Isa_30:15.<\/p>\n
Rewards those who keep it\u2014Psa_19:11.<\/p>\n
Sanctifies those who live in it\u2014Joh_17:17.<\/p>\n
Teaches those who are led by it\u2014Psa_25:4, Psa_25:5.<\/p>\n
Unites us to the Lord\u2014Psa_86:11; Joh_17:8.<\/p>\n
Verifies the experience\u20142Pe_1:19, 2Pe_1:20.<\/p>\n
Warns the observant\u2014Psa_19:11.<\/p>\n
\u2018Xamines the heart\u2014Psa_26:1-3.<\/p>\n
Yokes us with Christ\u2014Joh_17:8.<\/p>\n
Zeals the soul\u2014Psa_69:9; Joh_2:17.<\/p>\n
A Prayer<\/p>\n
Our God and Father in Christ, I thank Thee that Thou hast given Thy Holy Word for my instruction. enable me in the grace of the Holy Spirit to love Thy Word supremely, to believe it wholly, to live it out truly, to follow it earnestly, to rest on it contentedly, to follow it continually, to practise it consistently, to obey it unhesitatingly, to witness to it faithfully, to prove its promises fully, to hear its voice attentively, to see its prophecies minutely, to answer to it lovingly, to handle it reverently, and to enter into its spirit devotedly:\u2014in His Name, who alone is worthy, I pray. amen.<\/p>\n
By: DR. F. E. MARSH<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Bible: Seven Facts Concerning Scripture The word \u201cBible\u201d is not found in the Bible. The word simply means \u201cThe Book,\u201d so \u201cthere was a time,\u201d as Trench says, \u201cwhen bible might be applied to any book,\u201d but in our present use of the word we use it in a restricted sense of the one … Continue reading “0001. The Bible: Seven Facts Concerning Scripture”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25793","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25793","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25793"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25793\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25793"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25793"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25793"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}