About the Bible

(Written by Denis Corder)
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

As is found on Biblica’s web-site (www.biblica.com

 

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There is no common version of the Bible, as the contents and the order of the individual books vary among denominations. The Bible is the account of God's action in the world and his purpose with all creation. The writing of the Bible took place over sixteen centuries and is the work of over forty human authors. It is a quite amazing collection of books with very different styles all containing the message God desired us to have; as told by the authors and eventually written down.

This compilation of booklets contains an astonishing variety of literary styles. It provides many stories about the lives of good and bad people, about battles and journeys, about the life of Jesus along with letters written to groups of Christians that met in homes. It comes to us in narratives and dialogues, in proverbs and parables, in songs and allegories, in history and prophecy.

The accounts in the Bible were not generally written down as they occurred. Rather they were told over and over again and handed down through the years before someone finally wrote them down. Yet the same themes may be found throughout the book.

So along with the diversity there is also a remarkable unity. So what is the Bible? Well, in addition to all the above, the Bible is this:

• It is a guide for living life to the full. It gives us a road map for the perilous journey of life. Or to put it another way, on our voyage through life's ocean, we find our anchor right here.
• It is a storehouse of wonderful stories for children and grownups. Remember Noah and the ark? Joseph's coat of many colors? Daniel in the lion's den? Jonah and the fish? The parables of Jesus? In these stories we recognize the triumphs and failures of ordinary people - and we may even see ourselves!
• It is a refuge in trouble. People in pain, in suffering, in prison, in mourning, tell how they turned to the Bible and found strength there in their desperate hours.
• It is a treasury of insight as to who we are. We are not meaningless robots, but we are magnificent creatures of a God who loves us and gives us a purpose and a destiny.
• It is a sourcebook for everyday living. We find standards for our conduct, guidelines for knowing right from wrong, principles to help us in a confused society where so often "anything goes."

With that said, is the Bible “the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error”... or is truth something totally different?

1 John 2:26,27 - “But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.” .................................Once we receive the Holy Spirit, He will teach us what is true; not the Bible. The Spirit is the truth without any mixed error.

John 14:6 - “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” .......................................Jesus is the TRUTH. And when He ascended into Heaven, He left the Advocate (Spirit) to guide and teach us the TRUTH. Jesus did not leave us a Bible, for the Bible was not even written.

John 16:7-15 - “But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come… When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth…” .....................................The Spirit is the TRUTH, not the Bible.

John 10:25 - Jesus answered, “… My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me….” ................................His sheep listen to and follow Jesus, they do not follow the Bible, they follow HIM; in Spirit and truth.

John 1:1-14 - “… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” .............................God sent His Son Jesus to walk this earth and dwell among us. God did not send a Bible into the world to tell us the truth, He sent His Son.

John 4:23, 24: “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” .................We are to worship the Father in spirit and truth, to glorify Him; not in glorifying the Bible.

John 8:32: “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ............. The Spirit will teach you the truth. Abide in the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, repent when you sin, let the Spirit "control" your life, not the flesh. It will be a hard road to follow, but not all will eneter into the Kingdon of Heaven; for His flock is small.

John 14:15-17: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.” ............We are given a Helper, the Holy Spirit, to teach us the truth. God does not give us a Bible to live in our hearts and teach us the truth.

John 18:37 – “Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” ...............His sheep know His voice and listen to Him, for He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! He is Jesus; our Savior, our Rock, our Shield, our Comforter, our Redeemer, our Friend, our Brother, our Way, our Truth, our Life, He is the Great I AM! Lord of Lord, King of Kings.

1 Samuel 12:24: - “Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.” ..........Serve our Lord with all our heart, do not serve the Bible.

1 Kings 2:4: - “That the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.” ......... To walk in faithfulness with all our heart and soul, in Spirit not in felsh.

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” .........The word of God lives inside each and every believer and follower of Jesus. It is written on our hearts.

Romans 2:13-16 - “For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight. Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.”