The Word of God

By Doug Schofield

I’d like to show you a miracle today. Now, before you start lining up, I’m not going to heal anyone or turn water into Grapico, nor even pull a rabbit out of a hat; but I do plan to show you a miracle. In fact, I’ll ask you to hold it in your hand. No, it’s not a newborn baby, although people incorrectly talk about what they call the ‘miracle of birth’, (that’s not a miracle, it is a part of the natural order of things created by the God of Heaven). Please pick up your Bible – you now hold in your hand a miracle of God. It is the inspired message to mankind from his Creator. The book you hold in your hand is the God-breathed, inspired word of God. 2 Timothy 3:16. (ESV reads, “all scripture is breathed out by God”). 2 Peter 1:21, “for the prophesy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost”. The Bible came to us directly from the mouth of God, Matthew 4:4. It is verbally inspired and inerrant.

The Holy Scriptures were written by some 40 men who were guided by the Holy Spirit, over a period of perhaps as much as 1600 years; in different locations, in different languages – and every passage is in perfect harmony. There is not a single contradiction or inaccuracy anywhere in it. In fact, it is replete with numerous facts and information about the world, about science, medicine, geography, oceanography and astronomy, confirmed by scientists – all completely accurate down to the smallest detail. Some of those facts have only recently been discovered or confirmed by science. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood”, Leviticus 17:11; also 14; a fact stated in the Bible more than 3500 years ago, but not fully understood by medical science until the early 1900s. We know now that air has weight. A column of air at sea level weighs about 14 pounds per square inch. Job revealed this fact of science in 28:25, long before man discovered it.

The Bible speaks of the “paths of the seas”, Psalms 8:8 and Isaiah 40:16; Ponce de Leon noted in his journal ‘a current stronger than the wind’ on April 22, 1513. His navigator, Anton de Alaminos, also sailed with Columbus and used this current. In years to come many other navigators would use this current which has come to be known as the Gulf Stream. There is also a warm ocean current that flows northward from the Philippines to the north Pacific past Japan. In fact, many strong ocean currents have now been identified and are used for both military and commercial purposes.

As God’s message to humanity, the Bible offers practical advice on hundreds of topics that are relevant to our daily life. Of course its primary purpose is to guide mankind to his eternal home, but the Bible also has much to say about the issues we humans face every day. It is the ultimate practical guide for daily living. There is a Biblical solution to every question or problem or issue we may face here on earth. The Bible is certainly our guide in all things that pertain to life and godliness, (2 Peter 1:3); it is literally overflowing with scriptural perspectives on the questions and situations we face every day in the real world in which we live.

It is a miracle because of what it is; because of how it came into being; and because of the fact that it has been preserved for us by the Providence of God against vast efforts of Satan to destroy it. Satan has succeeded in producing perverted imitations of it, (like the so-called Living Bible, the Cotton Patch Version and the New International Version), in an attempt to lead people away from the pure truth of God’s word; but the true word of God has survived. In Revelation chapter 10 we find reference to an angel standing with one foot on the sea and one on the earth and holding a book … perhaps the Bible, maybe a picture of God’s guardianship over it for the benefit of all generations of men.

When Manasseh, son of Hezekiah, became king of Judah he set up altars to idol gods in the temple, and his son after him continued the desecration and evil practices, doing much damage to the temple. When Josiah became King he ordered repairs, and in the rubble was found the book of the law, (2 Kings 22:8). It had almost been lost, but was preserved by the Providence of God. Down through the centuries Satan has made many attempts to destroy the Bible. During the Dark Ages private ownership of the scriptures was outlawed, and people found in possession of a copy of the text were subject to execution. History has many accounts of efforts to suppress or destroy the Word of God. Yet, today, the Bible still exists. It has been translated into every language known to man, and still sells at a rate greater than any other book ever published.

Ezra collected and assembled all of the cannon of Old Testament scriptures which had been in existence up until and including his own writings and those of his contemporaries, completing the 39 books of the Old Testament. That same cannon of scripture still stands today.

The New Testament was completed before the end of the first century AD. The collection of works written by the inspired apostles and accepted by the early church – during the 1^st century – was assembled and copied on papyrus sheets and bound together in a form called codex. This collection of scripture was copied and handed down for another 200 years without question as to its authenticity. Later, spurious writings, contemporary literature and historical texts have been discovered which some want to elevate to Biblical status. However, upon examination they fail to meet the standards of inspiration.

In AD 382 the New Testament codex was translated into Latin by Jerome, this work is known as the Latin Vulgate. During the ensuing century these two texts, (the Greek and the Latin) were translated into many other languages. However, by the year 600 the Roman Catholic Church had decreed that no other version of the scriptures should be allowed to exist except the Latin Vulgate, and that no private individual should be permitted to possess a copy of any text of the scriptures. They decreed that anyone found in possession of the scriptures would be executed. Only the Latin translation of the scriptures was allowed, and then only priests were permitted to have access to those. This enforced ignorance of the scriptures ushered in the period of history known as the Dark Ages, which lasted until about the 1500s. Bibles were chained to the pulpits and even those few educated people who were not priests under the control of the papacy were prohibited from access to them.

The Bible was divided into chapters by a man named Stephen Langton in 1228. Although others had worked at the task from time to time, Langton’s work prevails today. Later, in 1448 a fellow named R. Nathan divided the Old Testament chapters into verses; and in 1551 Robert Stephanus assigned the verse divisions in the New Testament.

Pope Leo X in about the year 1513 introduced the practice of selling indulgences as a way to raise money for the church. The idea was that one could obtain forgiveness of sins one intended to commit in return for payment of money. As the scam developed, those who could afford the payments could indulge in a lifestyle of sin, (such as keeping a mistress), with complete impunity. He also invented the idea of “Purgatory”, and claimed that the salvation of the souls of loved-ones could be assured, for a price. The church proclaimed, “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the troubled soul from Purgatory springs!” We see a glimpse of Pope Leo’s true nature in his famous quote, “The fable of Christ has been quite profitable to us!” The corrupt, apostate Church of Rome was able to accomplish this because the masses were ignorant of the scriptures; all anyone knew was what the church officials told them. This should demonstrate how important it is that we all study the Bible and learn for ourselves what God’s will is. (By the way, It should be noted that during the time of the Dark Ages the true church was alive and well in Scotland and Ireland).

The Bible is the Book of books – if a man were permitted any worldly possession he might choose, but only one, the wise choice would be the Bible. Psalms 119:11; 81; 160; Jesus stated that the word of God is TRUTH, (John 17:17).

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” (Joshua 1:8). “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night” (Psalms 1:1-2).

Paul also encouraged careful study of the scriptures, “Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee”, (1 Timothy 4:15-16).

In John 5:39 Jesus instructed the Pharisees, “Search the scriptures…”.

Moses instructed the Israelites to not only study but to teach the word of God diligently to their children, (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:18). “Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book! That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock forever! For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:”(Job 19:23-25).

When our Lord was preparing His Apostles for their work He promised them that the Holy Spirit would guide them, Matthew 10:18-19; John 14:26; 16:13. Those things spoken (and written) by the Apostles under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit have been given to us in written form, and we are instructed to study them. In his 1^st letter to the Corinthians, 13:10 Paul informed them that the miraculous inspiration of the Holy Spirit was going to end, and that the “perfect” (complete) revelation would take its place. James makes reference to the “perfect law of liberty”, James 1:25. Direct revelation from God has ceased; today, we have his message in written form. 2 Corinthians 4:5-7, “For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”

Any person who makes a claim to have a direct revelation from God today marks himself as either delusional or a liar - Romans 2:11 plainly states that “…there is no respect of persons with God.” He is not going to reveal one thing to one person and something entirely different to another, then nothing at all to others. If a person claims to have received a revelation you may immediately know that it is from Satan if it is not in complete harmony with His revealed word; and if it is, then it is unnecessary. Paul wrote to the Galatians, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” (1:8).

Paul encouraged Timothy to study the scriptures, (2 Timothy 2:15). Knowing how to rightly divide the Bible is a God-given responsibility that falls to everyone who would be pleasing to Him. No teacher would suggest that a student in math class, for example, open the textbook at random, and skip about from place to place in order to gain a mastery of the subject. No science teacher would attempt to instruct students in the more advanced principles of science without first thoroughly covering the basics. We shouldn’t approach Bible study in a random or haphazard way either. Isaiah 28:10 establishes the principle of Bible study, “…line upon line, line upon line, precept upon precept, etc…”.

So, how do we begin to ‘rightly divide’ the word of truth? There is of course the first and most obvious division, the Old and New Testaments. How did they come to be called “old” and “new”? Jeremiah 31:31, “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:” ; Hebrews 8:13, “In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.” Paul wrote, “…Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament;…” (2 Corinthians 3:5-16). Hebrews 7:22; 9:15-20; Jesus first fulfilled, and then took away the old law, nailing it to His cross, (Colossians 2:14).

The Old Testament, while having been replaced by the New was not just cast aside or discarded, but it was fulfilled in every aspect. Jesus said that not even the dot of an “I” or the cross of a “T” would pass from the Old Law until all had been fulfilled, (Matthew 5:18). (In the Hebrew alphabet the jot and tittle are the smallest marks used in writing, similar to the dot of an I or the cross of a T.) Jesus said not one jot nor one tittle would pass from the law until all be fulfilled. What was to be fulfilled? The propitiation for the sins of mankind had to be made. The blood of animals had been offered as a stand-in for the ultimate sacrifice that would be necessary to reconcile fallen man to his creator; the innocent blood of the sinless Lamb of God. After demonstrating in many ways that the prophesies of old were being fulfilled right before their very eyes, Jesus submitted to the suffering and death of the cross for our sins. As the last breath of life slipped from His Body, he said, “it is finished”. What was finished? The fulfillment of each jot and tittle of the Old Covenant.

The ignorance of religious people today never ceases to amaze me; I’m reminded of it every time I see one of those blue and white bumper stickers that says, “keep the Ten Commandments”. One of many things that these dear people clearly do not know is that, unless they are of Jewish descent, neither they nor their ancestors were ever subject to the Law of Moses. It was applicable only to those descended from Seth, through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You and I are descendants of Japheth, Gentiles, never subject to the Law of Moses. Only by becoming a proselyte Jew could a gentile come under the Law of Moses. (It is true that Christ did bring over into the New Testament 9 of the 10 commandments, making them new, just as some elements of Patriarchal worship were carried over into the Law of Moses). The Old Law was limited in scope, applicable only to the Israelite nation. The New Testament however, is applicable to all men everywhere, (Acts 17:30). “Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all:” (Hebrews 10:9-10).

Yet, the Old Testament is of great value to us today. To the Romans, Paul stated that those things written in the Old Testament were written for our learning, (Romans 15:4). The Old Testament is divided essentially into 3 major sections: the Law the Prophets and the Psalms. Jesus makes reference to them in Matthew 7:12 and Luke 20:42. The Law was for those descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob living under the Mosaic dispensation of time. The prophets proclaimed the word of God, exhorting people to be obedient to God, and foretelling many things which were to come. Prophesy has merged into history down through the ages of time. It is important to understand that all of the prophesies of the Bible have been fulfilled in precise detail, except for the final coming of Christ and the judgment.

The Psalms were written for teaching, for praise and for worship. They were considered a part of the Law. Jesus made reference to them, as did the apostles.

The Old Testament may also be viewed in three distinct time frames: from creation to the flood; from the flood to Sinai, and from Sinai to Jerusalem. After the climactic events that occurred in Jerusalem, culminating with the death of Jesus, the Old Testament was replaced with the New. Some people seem to have difficulty with this concept, but it’s really not hard at all. When first settled, America was subject to the rule of the colonizing country, Spain, France or England. When the Continental Congress wrote the Declaration of Independence, America was governed by the Articles of Confederation, and finally by the U. S. Constitution, ratified in 1788.

The State of Alabama has been governed by six different constitutions. The Constitution of 1901 has been amended almost 800 times; each new change superseded the previous. It is important to know how to ‘rightly divide’ the governing law of the United States and of the State of Alabama if we are to be law abiding citizens.

Likewise, it is important to know how to rightly divide the word of God in order to be in compliance with the will of God. Those Israelites who lived in the Mosaic dispensation of time would not have looked to the Patriarchal period for instruction on how to obey God. In Deuteronomy 5:3 Moses wrote, “The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day”; neither do Christians look to the Mosaic Law today.

If you want to teach someone about creation, or about the power and authority of God, take them to Genesis; to see a prototype of God’s plan for the salvation of mankind go to Exodus; to discover the basis for all law, go to Leviticus, and to learn the value and importance of obedience to God study the prophets.

If you like to read for entertainment, what ever type of literature you enjoy reading, you’ll find it in the Bible: adventure, intrigue, romance, law, war, science, poetry and history. And, it offers advice on every aspect of human experience.

The New Testament falls naturally into three basic parts, the GOSPELS, (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), the ACTS of the Apostles and the LETTERS.

Or, we might refer to them as (1) The Books of Evidence, (to cause us to believe), John 20:30-31; (2) The Book of conversions (Acts), which chronicles the establishment of the church of our Lord; and (3) The Letters, guiding Christians in their daily life and worship. There are numerous signposts to guide us through life; “pray without ceasing”, “abstain from every form of evil”, “be faithful even unto death” and many more.

Passages like 2 Peter 1:5-7, which encourages us to add to our faith virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and love; and Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

The famous gospel preacher N. B. Hardeman suggested that there are three different classes of people in the world – unbelievers, believers and Christians. Knowing where to direct each of these is “rightly dividing the word of truth”. A person who does not believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He came to earth in human form, suffered and died on the cross for the sins of the world and was buried and on the third day raised to life again, should begin in the Books of Evidence. One who does believe in Christ as the Son of God but who has not become a Christian should go to the book of Conversions to learn about the church and how to obey God. Those who have obeyed the Gospel should then be directed to the Letters to learn how to live and worship and remain faithful to God. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

There are many people who like the rich man in Luke chapter 16 want to circumvent God’s word. In verse 24 he asks Abraham to send Lazarus to bring him some relief. The fact that he refers to him as “Father Abraham” lets us know that he was a Jew, knowledgeable of the laws of God. But he wanted those laws set aside for him; he cries “have mercy on me”. When he came to understand that he would not receive relief from the fires of hell, he still persisted in wanting a favor beyond the scope of God’s word. In verse 27 he asks that Lazarus be sent back to earth to warn his brothers so that they would not join him in torment. He even went so far as to argue with Abraham, asking for a special sign to convince his brothers. The reply in verse 31 is “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead”. In other words, we have all the evidence we need in our hands now. It is inspired of God and its authenticity has been confirmed by many miracles, signs and wonders, and recorded by eyewitnesses. For what more could we ask? The rich man’s brothers had Moses and the prophets’ writings which were sufficient to save them from hell at that time. We have that and more, the writings of the apostles, the very words of Jesus Himself, and numerous letters instructing us in the way of the Lord; a better covenant with better promises, (Hebrews 8:6).