Is the Bible the truly God's Word? Christians say yes. The question we must ask ourselves is how can we know that the Bible is the Word of God and not just a good book? What is unique about the Bible that sets it apart from all other religious books ever written? Is there any evidence that the Bible is truly God’s Word? These types of questions must be seriously examined if we are to determine the validity of the Bible’s claim to be the very Word of God, divinely inspired, and totally sufficient for all matters of faith and practice. The Church of Divine Guidance Adult Bible Study Group is doing a study to address and answer these questions.
Before we start with this week’s study I want to share something that I read this week from Dr. Charles Stanley. It completely fits our current study of The Bible.
Understanding the Bible
“I just don’t understand the Bible.” That’s a comment I hear quite often, even from believers. We can understand why those without Christ are unable to comprehend biblical concepts, but why do those who know Him struggle? Some people think that a seminary education is the answer, but I have met several trained pastors and teachers who didn’t really understand the Word of God. They knew facts, but they had no excitement for the Scriptures or for the Lord.
The key is not education but obedience. As we act on what we read, the Holy Book “comes alive,” and we begin to hear and understand the voice of God. However, if we have not obeyed what He’s previously revealed to us, why would He give us His deeper truths? “The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him”
Psalm 25:14 (NLT)14 The LORD is a friend to those who fear him. He teaches them his covenant.
and those who fear Him are the ones who obey His commandments and are promised “a good understanding”
Psalm 111:10 (NLT)10 Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!
Living a fleshly lifestyle of disobedience to the Lord clouds our eyes, diminishes our ability to hear, and fogs our thinking. Although we have full access to the mind of Christ, our attachment to our own sinful ways keeps us from tapping into the rich treasures of wisdom that are found in His Word.
As you read the Scriptures each day, look for God’s instructions. Then with reliance upon the Holy Spirit, commit to do what He tells you. When you obey His voice, He’ll reveal deeper truths, and your understanding will grow. Soon your time in the Word will become a delight instead of a duty.
Last week we looked at some things that can help us as we study the Bible. When we study the Bible we need to approach it with purpose, expecting it to let us know more about God and His plan for us. We need to approach our personal study of the Bible prayerfully.
Study of the Bible, of course starts by reading it. There are three step to reading and understanding it.
Anybody remember what they are?
Step 1: Observation—What does the passage say?
Step 2: Interpretation—What does the passage mean?
Step 3: Application—What am I going to do about what the passage says and means?
We talked about the first step, Observation, last week. There were some things to look for when reading that can help us in understanding.
Remember those?
Terms, not words. Words can have many meanings, but terms are words used in a specific way in a specific context. (For instance, the word trunk could apply to a tree, a car, or a storage box. However, when you read, “That tree has a very large trunk,” you know exactly what the word means, which makes it a term.)
Structure. If you look at your Bible, you will see that the text has units called paragraphs (indented or marked ¶). A paragraph is a complete unit of thought. You can discover the content of the author’s message by noting and understanding each paragraph unit.
Emphasis. The amount of space or the number of chapters or verses devoted to a specific topic will reveal the importance of that topic (for example, note the emphasis of Romans 9 which is the importance of Israel to reveal God’s person and plan to the world.
Repetition. This is another way an author demonstrates that something is important. One reading of 1 Corinthians 13, where the author uses the word “love” nine times in only 13 verses, communicates to us that love is the focal point of these 13 verses.
Relationships between ideas. Pay close attention, for example, to certain relationships that appear in the text:
—Cause-and-effect:
Matthew 25:21 (HCSB)21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy!’
The effect of the servant being faithful is his being rewarded.
—Ifs and thens:
2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV) if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
—Questions and answers:
Romans 8:35-39 (HCSB)35 Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or anguish or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?36 As it is written: Because of You we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.37 No, in all these things we are more than victorious through Him who loved us.38 For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, ⌊hostile⌋ powers,39 height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!
● Comparisons and contrasts.
Matthew 5:21-26 (HCSB)21 “You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment.22 But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Fool!’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But whoever says, ‘You moron!’ will be subject to hellfire23 So if you are offering your gift on the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you,24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.25 Reach a settlement quickly with your adversary while you’re on the way with him, or your adversary will hand you over to the judge, the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison.26 I assure you: You will never get out of there until you have paid the last penny!
Once you have looked for those things in the passage that you’re reading then ask the Who, What, Where, and When questions.
Who are the people in this passage?
What is happening in this passage?
Where is this story taking place?
When in time (of day, of the year, in history) is it?
The answers will also enable you to use your imagination to recreate the scene you’re reading about.
You’ll probably come up with some questions of your own.
Asking these questions for understanding will help to build a bridge between observation (the first step we talked about last week) and interpretation (the second step) of the Bible study process.
Step #2: Interpretation
Interpretation is discovering the meaning of a passage, the author’s main thought or idea. Answering the questions that arise during observation will help you in the process of interpretation.
Five clues (called “the five C’s”) can help you determine the author’s main point(s):
● Context. You can answer 75 percent of your questions about a passage when you read the text. Reading the text involves looking at the near context (the verse immediately before and after) as well as the far context (the paragraph or the chapter that precedes and/or follows the passage you’re studying).
● Cross-references. Let Scripture interpret Scripture. That is, let other passages in the Bible shed light on the passage you are looking at. Many bible give you a number of verses to cross reference a specific verse. Let’s look at John 3:16. Look in your bible at the verses used to cross reference the fact that God loves you a lot. At the same time, be careful not to assume that the same word or phrase in two different passages means the same thing.
● Culture. The Bible was written long ago, so when we interpret it, we need to understand it from the writers’ cultural context. Somebody look at the introduction to John and read the Background.
● Conclusion. Having answered your questions for understanding by means of context, cross-reference, and culture, you can make a preliminary statement of the passage’s meaning. Remember that if your passage consists of more than one paragraph, the author may be presenting more than one thought or idea.
● Consultation. Reading books known as commentaries, which are written by Bible scholars, can help you interpret Scripture.
Let’s take a passage of scripture that we are all familiar with. It’s an important one because it’s the one where we Christians are told by Jesus Himself that there are really only two commandments that all the others rest upon.
Matthew 22:34-40 (HCSB)34 When the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they came together.35 And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test Him:36 “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?”37 He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.38 This is the greatest and most important command.39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”
First let’s look at Matthew, the author, to see who he wrote to, when he wrote, and why.
The date of Matthew's Gospel must be prior to a.d. 70, for there is no hint in it that Jerusalem was in ruins (all predictions of its destruction being clearly prophetic). Such passages as
Matthew 27:8 (KJV)8 Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.
Matthew 28:14-15 (KJV)14 And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.15 So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
argue for an interval of some length, but fifteen or twenty years following the Resurrection would be sufficient.
The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.
The testimony of Irenaeus and Origen that Matthew was written for converts from Judaism is corroborated by a study of its content. There is more frequent use of the Old Testament (Robertson's Harmony of the Gospels lists 93 quotations in Mt, 49 in Mk, 80 in Lk, and 33 in Jn).
Much attention is given to demonstrating that Jesus fulfilled Messianic prophecy and thus was Israel's Messiah, who would establish the promised kingdom. The discourses that Matthew records at length distinguish this Gospel, and emphasize the principles, scope, and movements of the Messianic kingdom. Thus Jewish Christians (who numbered in the thousands in the early church;were given an authoritative explanation that faith in Jesus involved no repudiation of the Old Testament, but was the very goal toward which Old Testament revelation pointed.
The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.
We need to first look at what Jesus said to silence the Sadducees.
Matthew 22:23-33 (HCSB)23 The same day some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came up to Him and questioned Him:24 “Teacher, Moses said, if a man dies, having no children, his brother is to marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first got married and died. Having no offspring, he left his wife to his brother.26 The same happened to the second also, and the third, and so to all seven.27 Then last of all the woman died.28 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will she be of the seven? For they all had married her.”29 Jesus answered them, “You are deceived, because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God.30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels in heaven.31 Now concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read what was spoken to you by God:32 I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”33 And when the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.
They were trying to trip Jesus up on the question of the resurrection from the dead. His answer shut them up. The Pharisees, who believed in the resurrection from the dead, wanted to shut Jesus up too so they came at him from another direction.
Their question was made by a lawyer. The Hebrew word used by Matthew was nomidos which is really an adjective for “learned in the law”, which meant that he was an expert in the Mosaic Law which included the 10 Commandments from the Old Testament book Exodus but also included the other 4 books of the Pentateuch we talked about, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Jesus was smart enough to not get involved in a discussion of rabbis' computation of 613 commandments, He dealt with and summarized summarized the two tablets Moses came down the mountain with. Those tablets contained the 10 commandments.
Deuteronomy 6:5 (HCSB)5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.
Leviticus 19:18 (HCSB)18 Do not take revenge or bear a grudge against members of your community, but love your neighbor as yourself; I am Yahweh.
All the OT interprets and applies these principles
The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.
Notice that Jesus never said they didn’t need to obey those commandments He simply said that the two He mentioned interpreted all of them. All-encompassing love for God will cause one to perform every moral duty.
The Wycliffe Bible Commentary.
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