These are a few Bible studies I did for a college class, about the fact that the Bible is perfect. We CAN trust our Bible!
Can you trust your Bible? Is it really a "perfect" book, given to us by God? So many skeptics, even self proclaimed "Christians" do not believe that the Bible is the inerrant word of God. What do you believe? Why do you believe it?
"For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit"
Second Peter 1:21
The writers of the Bible maintained their distinctive personalities, and through their own personal styles of writing taught the eternal message, yet they were guarded from error. The combination of the human and the divine is similar to the incarnation. Jesus Christ was totally human, yet He was perfectly divine. The perfect message of God was communicated through imperfect men, yet the Bible is more than the work of men. It is the Perfect word of God.
"For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man"s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words."
First Corinthians 2:11-13
1. Who in the world knows what you are thinking right now?
2. What would the apostles have access to if they were allowed to have the Spirit of God?
3. What did the apostles do with what they received from God?
4. Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17, What in the Bible is or is not from God?
Which Books belong in the Bible?
(Number One)
There are two main questions we must consider. (1) Do we have all the books that God intended us to have? (2) How do we know whether a book should be in the Bible?
Read: Numbers 21:14-15, 2 Samuel 1:18, 1 Kings 11:41, & Colossians 4:16
What books are mentioned in these passages that you
have never heard of?
God only used one or two chapters to tell us of the creation! He could have filled the universe with information, but He chose to reveal certain things, specific things for us to learn! "As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue." 2 Peter 1:3
1. How does it make you feel to read of "lost books" in the Bible?
2. What about the Bible helps you to know that it is complete?
3. Does a coach tell his players everything he is doing and thinking? Or does he tell them what they need to know? Like what?
4. Read Hebrews 11:6, what part does faith have in our study today?
5. Read Psalm 46:10, Where is your trust when it comes to the Bible?
Some atheists claim that the art of writing was not around during the time of Moses, he lived around 1500 B.C. If Moses didn"t write the first five books, they shouldn"t be in the Bible! However, in Egypt, inscriptions date back to the 4000"s B.C. Also we have letters from leaders in Palestine dating around 1500 B.C.! Moses COULD write! And he did! According to all that God told him. As did the other writers!
"And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written."
John 21:25
*YOU CAN TRUST YOUR BIBLE *
Which Books Belong in the Bible?
(Number Two)
In lesson one we asked if we had all the books that God intended for us to have. We answered Yes! Today we will discuss: What determines whether a book should be in the Bible or not?
When a book is rejected from the Canon of scripture, it is because of two main reasons. Either an apostle did not write it, or its teachings are proven to be false. Luke is accepted because of his connection with Paul, and Mark, because of his connection with Peter. James, the brother of Jesus was called an apostle in Galatians 1:19. If he is the author of the book of James, he must be accepted. Also, Barnabas is called an apostle in Acts 14:14. But the book that bears his name and claims him as its author has been proven to be false. Therefore it is cancelled out.
1. What kind of stipulations would you employ to decide on the proper books of the Bible?
2. Why would you eliminate a book from the Canon?
3. Does God miraculously aid the guys making decisions about the accuracy of the different books? Why or why not?
4. What did God do to give us His words?
5. On a scale of one to ten, one being best, how much do you trust your Bible? Why?
6. Which two gospels are accepted because their authors are apostles?
The word apocrypha means, "hidden". These books are claimed to be inspired, but they were found hundreds of years late! The Roman Catholic Church accepts it as scripture. On the back are some examples of the apocrypha. The books of the Bible were written for specific reasons to fulfill specific needs. The fact that the Jews, the apostles, Jesus himself, the writers of the New Testament and the early church did not use the apocrypha is strong evidence that it is not a part of scripture! Ultimately, either a book was inspired by God, or not!
7. What are some specific needs that are meet in the New Testament?
8. How do we know that Jesus did not approve of the apocrypha?
9. How do we know that none of the inspired writers approved of it?
* YOU CAN TRUST YOUR BIBLE *
In the apocrypha, the Gospel of Thomas attempts to tell of Jesus as a child. It was probably written in the forth century A.D.
It tells of a time when a boy who was running past Him hit Jesus. In anger Jesus turned to him and said, "You will not finish your course." The child fell dead at Jesus" word.
Another time tells of Jesus helping His Dad in the carpenter shop. When Joseph cut a board too short, Jesus just miraculously stretched the board.
There is no crucial doctrine relating to the Christian faith that is found in these books and not found in the canonical books. Whether the apocrypha is included or omitted, the Christian message remains the same.
First, no, there are no known contradictions in the Bible. When we consider this topic let us employ three questions that will reveal the truth of any alleged contradictions.
(1) Is the same person or thing under consideration?
(2) Is the same time period being discussed?
(3) Is the same sense under consideration?
These three questions must be asked before any decision can be made! Remember, many solutions may present themselves. In order to "fix" the problem, we don"t have to find a single one answer to any alleged contradiction, only truthful solutions!
1. Read Matthew 14:21, then read Mark 6:44. Because Mark added some facts, does this make a contradiction? Why, or Why not?
2. Read Acts 7:16, then read Joshua 24:32. What are some possible solutions to the idea that either one or the other had to of done this thing?
3. Read Acts 9:7, then read Acts 22:9. How can these scriptures be reconciled? Which of the above three questions did you employ to answer?
4. Discuss how John the Baptist could be "Elijah" and not be "Elijah" at the same time? (Matthew 11:14; John 1:21)
5. Explain how Paul could be "blameless" yet still be the "chief of all sinners"? (Philippians 3:6; 1 Timothy 1:15)
6. How does Matthew 20:29-34 supplement Mark 10:46-52?
7. Why would anyone want to find a contradiction in the Bible?
8. 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to be ready, how ready are you?
9. How should Christians prepare themselves to answer any questions that may be asked?
"Consider how I love Your precepts; revive me, O Lord, according to Your loving kindness. The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever"
Psalm 119:159-160
* YOU CAN TRUST YOUR BIBLE *
(Much of this information was taken from Kyle Butt"s book, "Out With Doubt")
God inspired men to tell us it would happen, we read of it happening in the Bible. And we know of it happening in our world today. Every single book in theNew Testamentspeaks about False Teachers except the book of Philemon.
"There were false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction." 2 Peter 2:1
1. How does it make you feel to know of false teaching going on in the Lord"s church today?
2. Without going into detail, what error do you know of being taught in some congregations today?
3. What can you do to save the church from going into error?
4. What should our attitude be toward the brethren who are teaching error, and to those who are being taught error?
""I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ"" Philippians 3:18
5. Read Acts 20:26-32, How was Paul innocent of the blood of all those people?
6. Why did he "commend" them to "God and to the word"?
7. Read Philippians 3:17-4:1, How did false teaching make Paul feel? He was inspired by God to say this, so what does that imply about God"s feeling toward the same?
8. Why does the Bible describe the false teachers this way in verses 18-19? It makes me think of James 3:16, read it.
9. Listed here in Philippians, what are some things we can do or consider to keep ourselves from error?
10.Read 1 Timothy 1:18-20, and 2 John 9-11. What are we to do
to false teachers?
"If anyone of you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, the one who turns the sinner from the error, has saved a soul from death, and covered a multitude of sins." James 5:19-20
Hey Goose, these are some good explanations of some of the questions concerning inerrancy. You are very correct in your assertions that we can trust the Scriptures, and that the establishment, and acceptance of the Scriptures as dependable is essential. Do you mind me asking what was the source?
Not at all. Most of this information is from a book by Kyle Butt, he works with Apologetics Press, they have a great web-site, http://www.apologeticspress.com/. The book is "Out with Doubt". Check it out, it's a great book.The other books that influnced alot of my information were, "The Case for Christ", and "The Case for Faith" both by Lee Strobel. Excellent books and great faith building studies!
Trae
Yep, I started The Case For Christ, then got sidetracked. That's not only a good read, but also a great story behind his conversion. Now, if you could just get rid of that FSU logo---do I dare mention the last meeting between Georgia and FSU?
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