INTRODUCTION
I want to impress one thing upon your minds as we begin this section, I cannot teach you. I am a Bible teacher, however, there is only one spiritual teacher, that is God. My purpose is to present to you what God has written in his Wonderful Book, the Bible. That is why in…
Mat 23:8-10 NKJV - But you must not be called Rabbi, for One is your teacher, Christ, and you are all brothers. (9) And call no one your father on the earth, for One is your Father in Heaven. (10) Nor be called teachers, for One is your Teacher, even Christ.
Christ tells us not to be called Rabbi. In Greek, the word Rabbi means teacher. Nor are we to use any religious titles that would indicate we are religious teachers and speak for God himself. I cannot speak for God nor can anyone else. We can only present what God has already spoken.
In this section, God’s Wonderful Plan, God is going to teach you through His Word and I am only an instrument in presenting His teachings from the Bible via this book. God will open your mind if He sees you to be conducive to the Word of God. If you have studied this far into this book, it is assumed you have a yearning for a understanding of the Word of God. It is not given to all to understand.
Ephesians 1:15-18: “I, too, have heard about your faith in the lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, for this reason I never stop thanking God for you. I always remember you in my prayers. I pray that the glorious Father, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know Christ better. Then you will have deeper insight. You will know the confidence that he calls you to have and the glorious wealth that God’s people inherit.”
Where does wisdom and knowledge of Christ come from? Wisdom and knowledge come from Christ as we get to know him better.
2 Timothy 2:7: “Understand what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things.”
Who gives the understanding? The Lord helps us to understand.
Ephesians 5:17: “So don’t be foolish, understand what the Lord wants.”
If we are not seeking God’s will, what are we? Being foolish, aren‘t we?
Read also the following verses:
Romans 15:4-6: “Everything written long ago was written to teach us so that we would have confidence through the endurance and encouragement which the Scriptures give us. May God, who gives you this endurance and encouragement, allow you to live in harmony with each other by following the example of Christ Jesus. Then, having the same goal, you will praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 3:3-4: “You have heard that he let me know this mystery through a revelation. I’ve already written to you about this briefly. When you read this, you’ll see that I understand the mystery about Christ.”
That is why I want you to know that only God can give you an understanding of his Spiritual Will. If any man claims to be a "spiritual teacher," the truth is not in him and he is a liar.
Now then, take your Bible in hand and open it up between the book of Malachi, and Matthew. Men of great knowledge and religious titles have divided the Old and New Testament between Malachi and Matthew and have even in some cases insert a page indicating the start of the New Testament. This is wrong. Actually the New Testament begins in Acts the second chapter or about 33 AD as we will see later.
Everything that happened on the other side of the cross was physical, as an example, a type or anti-type of the real things that were to come, that is, spiritual, which is this side of the cross. I have mentioned some of these things in the previous chapter. Examples are: 1) The Garden of Eden was a type of heaven as well as a type of the church that was to come. Heaven in that there was no evil in the garden; the church, in that while in the garden, mankind could communicate with God and had eternal life through the “Tree of Life” which represents Christ. 2) Adam the physical man is an anti-type of the spiritual man that was to come, Jesus Christ. From these two examples, the Garden of Eden and Adam, we will begin to parallel the Old and New Testament and let God teach us his wonderful Plan as we put this picture puzzle together.
THE AUTHORITY OF THE BIBLICAL RECORD
As a review, we know that the Bible is more than a book, but it is actually a library of 66 books. There are 39 of those books located in that portion of the Bible that we call the Old Testament and 27 in the portion we call the New Testament. It was written by about 36 men and women on three continents over a period of 1500 years in three different languages; Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. When these writers wrote on the same subjects there was no contradiction, even though some did not know what others had written. This could only have been possible by the Spirit of God directing this writing. The Bible is the most translated book in the world. It has the distinction of being the first book to be printed on the printing press. This happened in 1450 AD. It continues to be the world’s best seller year after year with over 25 million copies or portions being sold each year. This fact alone should show you and I that mankind everywhere attaches a great amount of importance to knowing what the Bible says. Though there are some questions that the Bible does not answer, in the succeeding pages I want to answer from God’s Word the following 3 questions:
1. Where did I come from?
2. Why am I here?
3. Where am I going?
I want to impress one thing upon your minds as we begin this section, I cannot teach you. I am a Bible teacher, however, there is only one spiritual teacher, that is God. My purpose is to present to you what God has written in his Wonderful Book, the Bible. That is why in…
Mat 23:8-10 NKJV - But you must not be called Rabbi, for One is your teacher, Christ, and you are all brothers. (9) And call no one your father on the earth, for One is your Father in Heaven. (10) Nor be called teachers, for One is your Teacher, even Christ.
Christ tells us not to be called Rabbi. In Greek, the word Rabbi means teacher. Nor are we to use any religious titles that would indicate we are religious teachers and speak for God himself. I cannot speak for God nor can anyone else. We can only present what God has already spoken.
In this section, God’s Wonderful Plan, God is going to teach you through His Word and I am only an instrument in presenting His teachings from the Bible via this book. God will open your mind if He sees you to be conducive to the Word of God. If you have studied this far into this book, it is assumed you have a yearning for a understanding of the Word of God. It is not given to all to understand.
Ephesians 1:15-18: “I, too, have heard about your faith in the lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people, for this reason I never stop thanking God for you. I always remember you in my prayers. I pray that the glorious Father, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know Christ better. Then you will have deeper insight. You will know the confidence that he calls you to have and the glorious wealth that God’s people inherit.”
Where does wisdom and knowledge of Christ come from? Wisdom and knowledge come from Christ as we get to know him better.
2 Timothy 2:7: “Understand what I am saying. The Lord will help you understand all these things.”
Who gives the understanding? The Lord helps us to understand.
Ephesians 5:17: “So don’t be foolish, understand what the Lord wants.”
If we are not seeking God’s will, what are we? Being foolish, aren‘t we?
Read also the following verses:
Romans 15:4-6: “Everything written long ago was written to teach us so that we would have confidence through the endurance and encouragement which the Scriptures give us. May God, who gives you this endurance and encouragement, allow you to live in harmony with each other by following the example of Christ Jesus. Then, having the same goal, you will praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 3:3-4: “You have heard that he let me know this mystery through a revelation. I’ve already written to you about this briefly. When you read this, you’ll see that I understand the mystery about Christ.”
That is why I want you to know that only God can give you an understanding of his Spiritual Will. If any man claims to be a "spiritual teacher," the truth is not in him and he is a liar.
Now then, take your Bible in hand and open it up between the book of Malachi, and Matthew. Men of great knowledge and religious titles have divided the Old and New Testament between Malachi and Matthew and have even in some cases insert a page indicating the start of the New Testament. This is wrong. Actually the New Testament begins in Acts the second chapter or about 33 AD as we will see later.
Everything that happened on the other side of the cross was physical, as an example, a type or anti-type of the real things that were to come, that is, spiritual, which is this side of the cross. I have mentioned some of these things in the previous chapter. Examples are: 1) The Garden of Eden was a type of heaven as well as a type of the church that was to come. Heaven in that there was no evil in the garden; the church, in that while in the garden, mankind could communicate with God and had eternal life through the “Tree of Life” which represents Christ. 2) Adam the physical man is an anti-type of the spiritual man that was to come, Jesus Christ. From these two examples, the Garden of Eden and Adam, we will begin to parallel the Old and New Testament and let God teach us his wonderful Plan as we put this picture puzzle together.
THE AUTHORITY OF THE BIBLICAL RECORD
As a review, we know that the Bible is more than a book, but it is actually a library of 66 books. There are 39 of those books located in that portion of the Bible that we call the Old Testament and 27 in the portion we call the New Testament. It was written by about 36 men and women on three continents over a period of 1500 years in three different languages; Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. When these writers wrote on the same subjects there was no contradiction, even though some did not know what others had written. This could only have been possible by the Spirit of God directing this writing. The Bible is the most translated book in the world. It has the distinction of being the first book to be printed on the printing press. This happened in 1450 AD. It continues to be the world’s best seller year after year with over 25 million copies or portions being sold each year. This fact alone should show you and I that mankind everywhere attaches a great amount of importance to knowing what the Bible says. Though there are some questions that the Bible does not answer, in the succeeding pages I want to answer from God’s Word the following 3 questions:
1. Where did I come from?
2. Why am I here?
3. Where am I going?
First, let us consider from the Scriptures the question, “Where did we get the Bible?” Consider reading:
2nd Timothy 3:16,17 - “Every Scripture passage is inspired by God. All of them are useful for teaching, pointing out errors, correcting people, and training them for a life that has God’s approval. They equip God’s servants so that they are completely prepared to do good things.”
After reading this we want to note three things the Apostle said here:
1) “Inspired of God” literally means God speaks or from the mouth of God. C.f. Matthew 4:4. Here, God speaks carries with it the same idea. All scripture according to the Apostle Paul originated with God.
2) “All of them are useful for teaching, pointing out errors, correcting people, and training them for a life that has God’s approval.” Is there anything more than the Scriptures that a person needs to please God? Paul says that the Scripture will train us for a life that has God’s approval, so if we add or take away from this scripture, then we do not have God’s approval.
3) “They equip God’s servants so that they are completely prepared to do good things.” Is it true that the Bible “completely prepares us to every good thing” that the Lord wants us to perform? Then mankind should not bind upon us anything in religion that is not in harmony with God’s Word. Isn’t this true?
Let us see what the Apostle Peter had to say on this subject in another place:
2 Peter 1:21 - “No prophecy ever originated from humans. Instead, it was given by the Holy Spirit as humans spoke under God’s direction.”
Back in the Old Testament, we have some 17 books that are almost completely prophecy and in nearly all of the other books there is some prophecy. Peter tells us that these men were not speaking their own will or the will of some other man, but that they were speaking as they were directed or moved by the Holy Spirit. There are many verses that we could use to answer this question, but do not these two alone tell us where the Bible came from? Where did the Bible come from?
What the Bible Is.
Now that we have seen where the Bible came from, let us note what the Bible is. We shall read what the Apostle Paul says on this question.
1st Thessalonians 2:13 - “Here is another reason why we never stop thanking God: When you received God’s Word from us, you realized it wasn’t the word of humans. Instead, you accepted it for what it really is -- the word of God. This word is at work in you believers.”
What did Paul say the word was that he delivered to them at Thessalonica? That it was not the words of humans. How did they receive it? By revelation of God. If Paul said that this was God’s Word and it was not, could we have any confidence in anything else he said? If he told a lie here would he not be liable to tell one some place else? He said the word he delivered was the Word of God.
Let us read more on this subject.
1st Corinthians 2:11-13 - “After all, who knows everything about a person except that person’s own spirit? In the same way, no one has known everything about God except God’s spirit. Now, we didn’t receive the spirit that belongs to the world. Instead, we received the Spirit who comes from God so that we could know the things which God has freely given us. We don’t speak about these things using teachings that are based on intellectual arguments like people do. Instead, we use the Spirit’s teachings. We explain spiritual things to those who have the Spirit.”
No one can know the thoughts or mind of another person. The only one who can know the mind of a person is that person himself. Paul tells us that the only one that knows the things of God is God himself. The Spirit that Paul and the other Apostles received was the Spirit that came from God, so they might know the things that came from God to men. These are the things which the Apostles spoke, not in their own words, but in the words spoken by the Spirit of God through them. Does not this passage tell us that the words spoken by the Apostles were those words chosen by the Spirit of God to express God’s will exactly? Then we can only conclude that the bible is truly the Word of God.
Why Study The Word of God?
Now let us answer from the Scriptures the question as to why we should study the Bible.
Hebrews 1:1-2 - “In the past God spoke to our ancestors at many different times and in many different ways through the prophets. In these last days he has spoken to us through his Son. God made his Son responsible for everything. his Son is the one through whom God made the universe.”
We see in these verses several things we want to note:
1. God spoke in the old times to the patriarchs or fathers;
2. He spoke through the prophets;
3. We are now in the last days;
4. He speaks today to us through his Son.
Because God spoke through the prophets we can know what He said to them by a study of what they wrote in the Old Testament, can we not? Because the Spirit of God caused what Jesus, the Son of God, did and taught to be written down by the Apostles and others, we can know what He says to us through his Son. Therefore, we must study the Bible in order to know what God says to us.
2nd Timothy 2:15 - “Do your best to present yourself to God as a tried and true worker who isn’t ashamed to teach the word of truth correctly.”
A person must study or make a diligent effort to know if he is approved of God. The only possible way man can please God, is to know what He says to us through his Son. We must study the Bible in order to know what God says and wants, to be approved of him.
2nd Peter 1:3 - “God’s divine power has given us everything we need for life and for godliness. This power was given to us through knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and integrity.”
Peter tells us here that, “everything we need for life and godliness” has been given through “knowledge of the one who called us” which is Jesus Christ. Note, that Peter said, “God‘s divine power has given us everything we need…” in the first century. Those that would teach us today that God has continued until today revealing things that we should know, contradict what the Apostle Peter said. How do we obtain knowledge? By a study of God’s Word of course. If these things come through knowledge, can we obtain them some other way?
John 17:3 - “This is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.”
What is eternal life? Knowledge of the only true God and Jesus Christ. How does knowledge come? By a study of his Word. Can we have eternal life without a study? No we cannot. Let’s read God’s Word further:
John 12:48 - “Those who reject me by not accepting what I say have a judge appointed for them.”
What will be my judge in the last day? God’s Word. Where are those words to be found? God’s Wonderful Book, the Bible. Can I live by them unless I study to know them? I must study the Word of God to know how I must live my life.
2nd Corinthians 5:10 - “All of us must appear in front of Christ’s judgment seat. Then all people will receive what they deserve for the good or evil they have done while living in their bodies.”
Who will have to give the accounting for my life in the day of judgment? Will it be I as an individual, or will I be judged with a group? I will have to give an account for my own life, no one else. If I have to render this accounting, should I not seek to live in compliance with God’s word by which I will be judged?
Why Study the Old Testament?
Romans 15:4 - “Everything written long ago was written to teach us so that we would have confidence through the endurance and encouragement which the Scriptures give us.”
Why were the things “written long ago?” To teach us to have confidence. What will an understanding of these things that were “written long ago” give us? It gives us endurance and encouragement.
1st Corinthians 10:11 - “These things happened to make them an example for others. These things were written down as a warning for us who are living in the closing days of history.”
In the verses preceding this verse, Paul tells us that the people in the Old Testament had received many blessings from God but with “most of them, God was not pleased” (verse 5) and God destroyed them. These things were written in the Bible as a warning or to admonition to us. How can they do this unless we know about them? Haven’t we seen from these few verses that the Lord expects us to study his Word that we might know what will please him?
In summary, the Bible comes to us from God and is the sole authority in religion today. The Bible is all of God’s Word and the writers of the Bible were directed by the Spirit of God in their writings, even to the point of teaching them the words to use in conveying the thoughts. Life eternal is promised to those that know God’s Will and apply the instructions therein to their lives. At the end of life, I will not be judged by the good things that I may have done, but by “the words that Jesus spoke.”
This is the reason for my book, to encourage you and assist you in the study of God’s Wonderful Book. In order to understand God’s Wonderful Plan completely, I want to begin in Genesis, the beginning, and note what happened back there. As an aid I will be making reference to some charts which are attached in the addendum of this book. The charts themselves or portions of those charts and other illustrations will appear in the book in miniature when discussing that particular subject matter. These will make it easier for me to put this picture puzzle of the Bible together in an easily understandable manner. Please understand, no illustration, picture or chart in this book is inspired. They were created by others and myself to give a graphic illustration of the Bible story as it is being told. †