Read 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12

2 Thessalonians is a brief doctrinal correction.  But this needed correction did not mean that Paul was not thankful for them and that he was discouraged with how the church was going.  According to Acts 17:1-9 it appears Paul and the team were only there for about three weeks.  Within days, we believe, Paul sent the first letter to them to encourage them.  In that letter he remembered the faith, love and hope they had shown (1 Th. 1:3).  Likely someone had been sent with that letter and then returned to Paul and reported to him the doctrinal issue.  But they also reported that God’s work was continuing in the young church.  The report would have noted that the persecution that began while Paul was there (again, cf. Acts 17:1-9) was still a problem.  But in the midst of that persecution here is what God was doing in the church:

·        Their faith was growing exceedingly.  They were still trusting Christ and they were growing deeper in the doctrines of the gospel.  We know from the Scriptures that, for believers, affliction is to be expected (e.g. Acts 14:22).  And we also know that affliction is like a hothouse where faith’s growth is intensified.  In my lifetime an amazing illustration of this was the growth of the Church in China during the time of Mao Tse Tung.  The church had been growing through the work of missionaries up until the late 1940’s.  But under the Communists the persecution was strong.  There was little news as to what was happening until the veil lifted after the death of Mao and what the world saw was amazing.  The Church had not decreased but had grown tremendously in that time.  Their faith grew exceedingly.  I think of this in these days when it seems the hammer is again coming down harder on Christians in China.  At the same time, in the West, where persecution is pretty non-existent for Christians, we see a weakening of the Church.

·        Their love abounded towards each other.  Love of the brethren is THE mark of genuine Christianity (Jn. 13:34-35).  Again, the persecution provides a great opportunity for love, for reaching out to and standing by persecuted believers.  This was happening in Thessalonica. 

·        Their hope was something Paul shared with the churches as he continued his journey.  But, of course, you do not see the word “hope.”  Instead he speaks of their “patience and faith.”  I would say that this is the definition of hope.  Hope is faith with a future emphasis to it.  In faith we are looking back at the cross and empty tomb.  But in hope we are looking ahead to the deliverance from affliction and the rest we will have in Christ.  The English translators of the Bible often use the word trust when speaking of hope. 

Our trials, whatever they are, are essential to our growth in Christ.  In these trials we can sink or swim; we can become angry and impatient or we can draw closer in the likeness of Christ.  Clearly God was at work in the Church of Thessalonica.  How is God working through your trials and afflictions?

Psalm 97

This great Hymn begins “The Lord reigns.”  Several Psalms in the “90’s” begin this way (93,96,97 and 99) while two others make specific reference to the Lord as “King” (95:3; 98:6).  God’s displayed great wisdom when Israel requested a king.  First He gave them Saul, a man who was everything the nations would have wanted in a king.  Then He gave them David, the man after His own heart.  One disobeyed God one inquired of God and followed God’s leading.  Thus God reigned over His people through David, as well as all David’s descendants that walked in David’s footsteps.

Another display of God’s great wisdom and unsearchable ways (Rom. 11:33) is the connection between David and the promised Messiah.  In Christ Jesus both David and God would reign at the same time for He is both Son of David and Son of God (Luke 1:32; Rom. 1:3-4).  God has set His Son on My holy hill of Zion, promising to give to Him the nations for an inheritance and the ends of the earth as His possession (Ps. 2:6-9).  God will reign over the entire of creation when every knee bows to Christ (Phil. 2:9-11).

For all this it is no wonder that the words The Lord reigns should be attended by the cry, Let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad (97:1)!  And given the world of evil in which we live, it is no wonder that all the earth has not bowed the knee to God.  The distinction is clear between wicked and the righteous.  And further, to love the Lord is to hate evil.  If it is not this way in our lives then we are clearly in rebellion against the Lord who reigns!

How do we know it is the Lord, YAHWEH/Jehovah, the God of Israel, who reigns?  It is because He is the only real God.  Ps. 97:2-6 describes the awesomeness of God.  Likely the Psalmist has been transported back to Mt. Sinai where all of this was visible to Israel.  The combination of what they saw (clouds and darkness, fire, lightnings, etc.) and what they received (righteous and just Laws) showed them a God who could be counted on.  Every other so-called god would put to shame those who served them.  From v7 the gods (Heb: elohim) who were carved images (something made by man; Ex. 20:4; Isa. 44:9-20) were mere idols (nothing, empty, worthless).  Only the Lord, YAHWEH, is the most high (Heb: elyown) above all the earth … exalted (Heb: alah) far above all gods.

Here’s something sad to think about.  There is a time coming when all the earth will see the fearfulness of the awesome God, in ways even more powerful than at Sinai.  And the Bible predicts that when men see this will not repent of their sin (Rev. 16:8-11).  They will not fear God nor give Him glory (Rev. 14:6-7).  They will neither rejoice nor give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name (Ps. 97:12).  What about today?  Will I rejoice in His Kingdom?  Will you?  There is only one way to humble ourselves before God, and it is to humble ourselves before His Son who is the Lord (Jn. 14:6; Rom. 10:9-10).  THE LORD REIGNS!

2 Thessalonians 1:1-2; Acts 17:1-9, Introduction

Both letters to the Thessalonian Church might be called the “Book of Christ’s Return.”  We have noted that at the end of all eight chapters there is a reference to the return of Christ.  The distinction we might make between the two letters, however, is that the first imparted information and encouragement while the emphasis in the second letter is on correction.  Someone was going around the churches saying that the Day of the Lord had already come (2:2-3).  Paul assures them that is not the case.

How could this false teaching have already found its way into the Thessalonian Church?  It is believed this letter was written shortly after the first.  And your study of Acts 17 would show that Paul had not been long in Thessalonica.  You might think this teaching found its way in because the church was quite young, and that is possible.  If you add to their immaturity the fact they were in the midst of persecution for their faith you can really see how they might fall for this teaching.  If someone comes and says, “See how much you are suffering?  This is the Day of the Lord that Paul said would come before Christ is revealed.” 

I can remember in the years of the Soviet Union and the persecution that was brought on that there were many churches that taught that they were in the time of tribulation in the last days.  Their suffering was so difficult that they concluded it must be the end.  The problem with this is that it is interpreting the Bible by our experience rather than by sound doctrine.  e matter how difficult our lives, and how justified we feel by the extent of our persecutions, we cannot allow those circumstances to interpret Scripture.  I say this, not because I suffer a lot.  In God’s plan I do not suffer as so many of my/our brethren do in this world.  I say this because I see that Paul said the same thing.  He had actually taught on this subject in 1 Thess. 4:13-5:11. But now, especially in Ch. 2, he teaches again only in more of a corrective manner.

If you read the opening salutation in both Thessalonian letters you will see they are exactly the same.  They are still on the second journey which began with Paul and Silas (Silvanus) and then added Timothy.  2 Thessalonians is the shortest of Paul’s letters written to churches.  All three chapters can be said to speak of the “coming of the Lord” but the emphasis in each chapter is different:

·        Ch. 1: comfort in their present situation.

·        Ch. 2: the Day of the Lord.

·        Ch. 3: practical Christian living.

Be blessed by Paul’s standard salutation.  In every letter written to churches Paul greets them with grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Let us not miss this.  God our Father had us in mind from before the foundation of the world.  But He has chosen to do all things in and for the glory of His Son, our Lord.  Thus we can say confidently that if you are a believer, in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (v1) then grace and peace is extended to you at all times in all places.

2 Timothy 2:1-2; 4:1-5

Today we will post a simple Bible Study entitled “THE WORD OF GOD – THE BIBLE.”  This is a study I have used with brand new believers, the first of several foundational studies.  It covers some things we have considered over the last month.  Depending on the person I was with and their needs and the time we had I was always blessed to take our time going from verse to verse, question to question.  The value I found was that we were opening up and talking about valuable passages as well as giving them a foundation in the Bible.  I will give it to you with blank lines so you can cut and paste it if you wish (if you find it helpful).  The answers are at the bottom.

1.     How did God make Himself known to man?

a.     Romans 1:19-20: _______________

b.     Romans 2:14-15: _______________

c.     2 Timothy 3:15: _______________

d.     Hebrews 1:1-2: _______________

2.     Why is the Bible authoritative?

a.     It is _______________ by God.  2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21

b.     It is the standard for _______________.  John 17:17; Acts 17:11

c.     It endures _______________. 1 Peter 1:24-25; Matthew 24:35

d.     It was verified by _______________. Luke 24:27; John 5:39

3.     What value is there in the Bible?

a.     Points to _______________.  Luke 24:27; John 5:39

b.     Spiritual _______________. Matthew 4:4; Acts 20:32

c.     _______________. Psalm 37:31; 1 John 2:14

d.     _______________.  Psalm 119:105; Proverbs 6:22-23

4.     What is our responsibility with the Bible?

a.     _______________ it. Ezra 7:10; Matthew 22:29

b.     _______________ on it. Joshua 1:8; Psalms 1:1-3; Jeremiah 15:16; Colossians 3:16

c.     __________ it. Joshua 1:7; Psalms 119:59-60; James 1:22

d.     _______________ it. Deuteronomy 6:6-7; 2 Timothy 4:2

Answers: 1.a. Creation. b. Conscience. c. Bible. d. Christ.  2. a. Inspired. b. Truth. c. Forever. d. Christ.  3.a. Christ. b. Growth. c. Victory. d. Guidance. 4.a. Know. b. Meditate. c. Obey. d. Share.

Psalm 1, How to Study the Bible: Inductive Study (2)

5.     Begin studying each paragraph using these steps.

a.     Observation: What does it say? (Facts)

                        i.      Context: what comes before and after this paragraph?

                     ii.      Contents (5 W’s):

1.     Who is involved?  (List each person)

2.     What events, actions, topics are discussed?

3.     Why is this paragraph in this place?

4.     When does this take place?  Are there any important past, present or future tenses mentioned?

5.     Where does the action take place?

                  iii.      Structure:

1.     What words don’t you understand?

2.     What important Bible words are used?

3.     Is this poetry, narrative, or teaching?

4.     Tone or atmosphere: What mood is the author expressing?  Is he trying to teach, preach, beg or tell a story?

b.     Interpretation: What does it mean? (Principles)

                        i.      Define all the words you listed above.  Use a dictionary; but also use a concordance so you can see how this particular important word is used by the author elsewhere or how the Bible defines this word.

                     ii.      Analyze the 5 W’s (#2 above).

1.     What is said about the “who’s” and “what’s”?

2.     What is significant about the time and place?

3.     How does the paragraph fit into the whole of the book?

                  iii.      Look up parallel passages and cross-references.  Make short notes on any that are helpful.

                   iv.      Analyze the paragraph.  Ask, “What does this paragraph teach?”  Record everything you find.  Here are some necessary rules:

1.     Allow at least 2 occasions to do this.

2.     Don’t record anything that is not clearly in the paragraph.

3.     Find ALL that is in the paragraph.

4.     State your findings accurately.

c.     Application: What does it mean to me?  Is there a command to obey? an example to follow? a sin to avoid? a warning to heed? a promise to claim? a truth to believe?  Then rewrite the paragraph as a prayer and pray it to the Lord!

1 Tim. 4:12-16, How to Study the Bible: Inductive Study (1)

I believe that “inductive Bible Study” is an approach to the Bible that is common sense.  It is the way we read any book that was written centuries ago, in a different time and originally in different languages.  The key to “inductive” study is to ask the right questions.  If you do this you will discover what the Bible says rather than reading into it what you think it says or should say.

Some basic tools for IBS would include a Bible with cross references, a concordance (a tool that tells you where to look in the Bible for the uses of a particular word you are studying), a Bible dictionary and perhaps a dictionary in your language.

Now, let us begin.

1.     Select a Bible book to study.  If you are new to the Bible find one that is short but rich.  I often mention 1 Thessalonians or 2 Timothy.  Ask the Lord to lead you.

2.     Master the general contents of the book you have chosen.  Read, reread, and then re-reread the book as often as you can.  Read each time in one sitting.  We suggest that the first couple of time take no notes; just enjoy the reading.  Then begin recording your impressions and information for your introduction (Step 3).

3.     Prepare an introduction.  As you read the book begin answering these question.

a.     Who wrote the book?

b.     To whom did he write?

c.     Where was the author when he wrote the book?

d.     When did he write the book?

e.     What was the immediate occasion for writing?  Was there a problem he was addressing?  Was someone in trouble?

                        i.      What were the circumstances of the author?

                     ii.      What were the circumstances of the people to whom he wrote?

f.      What was the more general purpose for writing?  In other words, how did he deal with the issue? 

g.     What were the leading ideas in the book?

h.     What is the theme of the book?

i.       What are some characteristics of the book?

4.     Outline the book.  This is an important step in getting a good grip on the flow of the message contained in the book.  How does one develop an outline?

a.     Divide the book into paragraphs.

b.     Give a descriptive title to each paragraph.

c.     Group the paragraphs together.

d.     Give each group a title that fits with the theme you discovered earlier.

These steps have helped us to map out the mine where we are working.  Now the fun starts, the joy of word by word study.

Read Prov. 2:1-5, How to Study the Bible: Conditions

The evangelist from the early 1900’s, R. A. Torrey, used to say: Anyone can study the Bible.  Even unbelievers.  Anyone can study the Bible and go to hell.  Interesting.  We have noted that the Bible is the only Book by which a person can be saved (2 Tim. 3:15).  So what would make my study in the Bible more beneficial?  What would make it possible for the Bible to do in my life what it desires to do?  What conditions would keep me from the dead-end street of a lifeless experience with God’s Word?

For the most profitable Bible study you must:

·        Be born again, 1 Cor. 2:13.  The Bible is, at best, a book of facts to unbelievers.  It is a living book for those who have been made brand new through the gospel of Christ.  Unbelievers can and should be encouraged to read the Bible.  But they should know that there will always be an issue before them: will they bow themselves to the Lord.  Every other condition we speak of here depends on the student of the Bible being born again.

·        Have a love for the Bible, Jer. 15:16; Psalm 119:20.  A man with an appetite eats more than one who eats out of duty.  So how does one develop a love, a hunger for the Bible?  Again, being born again is essential; dead men never hunger for anything.  Then I would say we should ask the Lord to give us this hunger.  And lastly, studying the Word stimulates love for the Word.

·        Be willing to do hard work, Prov. 2:1-5; Psalm 1:2.  It is as anything in life: the best things require the most work, the greatest discipline.  Proverbs likens it to mining for precious gems.  And the blessed man is one who is in the Word day and night.

·        Have a will that is wholly surrendered to God, John 7:17.  There is not question that we must come to the Bible with a humility, a willingness to hear from God. 

·        Be obedient to the Word, James 1:22.  It is a common sense fact in life: we really only learn what we practice.  Knowledge may begin in the mind but it must make its way to the heart and that only happens when we live out the Word of God day by day.

·        Be child-like in mind, Matt. 11:25.  In other words we cannot come to the Bible in our own wisdom, seeking to prove our wisdom by Scripture.  We need to recognize our ignorance and come ready to be taught.  If you come with your pre-conceived ideas you will find them, rather than God’s ideas.

·        Study it as the Word of God, 1 Thess. 2:13.  This involves several things.  If we accept it as God’s Word, we will have an unquestioning acceptance of its teachings when we have ascertained them.  We will rely on it’s promises.  We will exercise prompt, exact obedience to its precepts.  We will study it as if we were in the very presence of God.

·        Be prayerful, Psalm 119:18.  Always come to the Lord and ask for His help in reading His Word.  That is a prayer God will always answer!

All in all we must come to the Word of God and ask God to give us a right heart.  Then it will help if we have the right tools for this task of mining the truth of God’s Word.  We will seek to pursue that matter in our next post.

Read Psalm 119:137-144, Inerrancy

David, in 2 San. 22:31/Psalm 18:30 said, As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless.  The word perfect means complete, whole or sound.  The term was used in passages like Ex. 12:5 and Lev. 1:3 to refer to sacrificial lambs that were to be without blemish.  The word flawless means it has been tried and tested and no blemished have been found.  The same phrase with the same wording appears in Psalm 12:6 and Prov. 30:5. 

The idea that the Scriptures, the Bible, as given by God through the prophets and apostles, was inerrant or flawless.  The people of the Bible in ancient times held this to be the case.  God had spoken; therefore, since God was holy His revealed word to mankind was also holy.  After the death of the apostles and those who had learned directly from the apostles, this continued to be the general belief.  Here is a somewhat brief and simple listing of the controversies that dominated Church history.

·        1^st century: Law vs. Grace.

·        Cent. 2-4: person and work of Christ (deity, humanity).

·        Cent. 5-6: the nature of man (freedom vs. sovereignty).

·        Cent. 7-10; The authority of the Church (East vs. West).

·        Cent. 11-15: The Church ruled so:  no major controversies except with those who resisted the Church (e.g. anabaptists, pietists).

·        Cent. 16-17: Salvation (grace vs. works).

·        Cent. 18: The missions mandate dominated the Church.

·        Cent. 19-20: Inerrancy of Scripture (Fundamentalists/Modernists, Higher Criticism)

It is interesting that it was not until the end of the second millennium that we see the challenge to the purity of Scripture.  In earlier times the Scriptures were under attack.  For example, in early centuries there was the literal vs. allegorical issue as well as issues related to the Canon.  In the Reformation time there was Sola Scriptura vs. Scripture plus tradition as well as the controversy over who was capable of interpreting Scripture (all believers or only the Church).  People died for the right of every person to have the Bible in their own language.  But no one challenged the purity of Scripture.  All said, God’s word is flawless.

How has this attack on Scripture come?  Some of it has revolved around the plethora of translations of the Bible.  The Revised Standard Version was a significant translation (NT in 1946; OT in 1952) because for the first time the translation work included many who did not believe in the inerrancy of Scripture.  The fact is that translating the Bible is not always an exact science simply because there are decisions that have to be made by the translators.  Thus, their approach to Scripture is important.

But before the translation issue there was what we might call social liberalism.  Led by German theologians there was a denial of the supernatural as true.  Many stories in the Bible began to be seen as myth by people who accepted naturalism as a basic dogma.  Science became “god” over the Bible, and in many cases, we were robbed of our salvation.  The “golden rule” became the key verse in the Bible rather than John 3:16.  Seeing the deadness of the liberals many adopted neo-orthodoxy while still denying inerrancy.  Now the argument was that it didn’t matter if the Bible was inerrant; you could still experience Christ in the Bible. 

Over the years, in the United States, many schools (colleges, universities) that were originally conservative Christian schools adopted these approaches.  Furthermore, it inevitably made it from the colleges and seminaries to the local churches and many denominations likewise denied the flawless word of God.  In 1976 Harold Lindsell made his most significant mark on Christianity with the publishing of his book, The Battle for the Bible.  Lindsell has been a founding father of one of those seminaries, Fuller Theological Seminary.  He not only detailed what happened at Fuller; he also spoke of the battle that went on among other groups such as the Lutheran Missouri Synod and the Southern Baptists (he actually called attention to the need in the SBC; most of the battle came later). 

Our purpose in this blog is simply to call attention to this issue.  It continues to be an issue in our day.  Our recent posts on “The Authority of the Bible” should tell us this is a battle that needs to be fought.  What is at stake is the only Holy Book that is able to save a person.  The ONLY Book.  It is the most fundamental issue as everything Christian’s believe springs from the Bible.  So let us be willing to stand up for this matter and expect the leadership in our churches to hold to the flawless word of God.  But let us also show our gratitude to God for His Book by reading it and sharing it with the world around us.  

Psalm 96

Again, what a blessing to be in the Psalms.  This great Hymn not only leads us to praise; it teaches us what our lives are all about.  Let us begin with the immediate context.  Israel was called to witness to God’s greatness and glory, a message that was to go to all the nations.  That is the essence of this song.

·        96:1-3: The redeemed are called to sing a new song, a song that proclaims the good news of salvation and the glory of the name of the Lord! This proclamation is to go to all the earth, among the nations and all peoples.

·        96:4-6: This song would simply the expression of the way it is.  The Lord alone is great for the Lord alone made the heavens.  He is real!  All the gods of the people are idols (Heb. eliyl, meaning nothing, good for nothing, vain, worthless).  But God made the heavens.  Honor, majesty, strength and beauty fit Him perfectly.

·        96:7-9: Thus the families of the peoples are called to come join in the worship of the Lord, to tremble before Him, to give Him the glory due His name.

·        96:10-13: The one thing the nations need to know is it is the Lord who reigns and He is therefore the One before whom they will stand when He judges the people righteously.  The rest of creation will rejoice to see that day!

What a great testimony!  And in a sense it is not that complicated.  Just call attention to Him, giving Him the glory for the good things of life.  As a matter of fact, this approach to witnessing was practiced by the Apostle Paul and thus commended it to us in our context.  I am talking about Acts 17 in his sermon on Mars Hill.  But it’s not necessarily a sermon; he is bearing testimony, giving God the glory. 

·        17:22-23: Gentiles (the nations, the families of the peoples) tend to be religious.  But they have not found the true God.  Yet!

·        17:24-28:  The true God made everything and gave life to all.  He is, as the Psalmist said, a God of honor, majesty, strength and beauty.  He has made us and enriched our lives so that we might seek Him.

·        17:29: They ought not to think God is like their useless images.

·        17:30: Rather they should repent, turn away from that ignorance and turn to the true God.

·        17:30: Because the day is coming when they will stand before the judge, the Man who was God come in the flesh, the Lord Jesus Christ.

You see how the Apostle declared God’s glory to the nations.  That is how our testimony should begin: by word and deed that indicates we are living for the glory of God!  Declare His glory among the nations.  Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.  For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised.  Like Israel we, the redeemed Church, are God’s witnesses to the nations.  

Read Job 38:1-11, The Authority of the Bible (8)

Before we move to another subject I want to mention one other issue with archaeology and that’s the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls.  Up until the discovery of these scrolls the oldest manuscript of the Old Testament dated around 925 AD.  The scrolls, discovered over several years beginning in 1947, provided manuscripts that dated to between 200 BC and 100AD.  The assumption was that these scrolls were going to show that the Bible, being so distant from the original writings, was going to be shown to be unreliable.  But amazingly, the Dead Sea Scrolls proved the reliability of the Bible.  Thus they gave a strong confirmation of the authority of the Bible.

Contrast this with the story of the Book of Mormon.  The story is that Joseph Smith translated it from gold plates, in private, and that the plates were returned to the Angel Moroni.  What this means is that there was one translation and can never be another because there are no manuscripts, no gold plates.  Further we are told the writing on the plates was in “reformed Egyptian hieroglyphics”.  I am not sure what that meant and neither was anyone else.  Archaeology has never heard of such a thing.  There simply is no consistency between Mormonism and archaeology.

i)      Consistent with true science.

Again, we are raising a huge topic.  Again, we will briefly call attention to some thoughts.  First, when we say true science we are referring to the scientific method.  For example, evolution is a theory in my view.  I believe in a Creator, based on my trust in God’s word.  Someone may hold to evolution but it will be a faith proposition, not a scientifically proven fact.  The same can be said about anthropology and whether humanity began from one person/couple or multiple people. 

Second, archaeology is, of course, a science.  We have already singled that out because of its great relevance to books that tell ancient stories and treats them as concrete events.  Another area of science that has developed in modern times is genetics.  The Bible speaks often of generations and is to a great extent the history of a particular family, the descendents of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Science has sought to identify various markers unique to certain people groups, a system that could be used to confirm or deny important aspects of the stories.  The Bible is on record in identifying the families of the earth, especially in Gen. 10 after the flood.  Genetics has confirmed, for example, the modern-day Canaanites as found in Lebanon.  The various Semitic groups (e.g. Arabs and Jews) are identified as consistent with the Bible’s description of their common origin.  On the other hand, genetics denies the narrative of the Book of Mormon.  The narrative there is of three people groups, two of which are descended from Israel, including American Indians.  But genetics is clear that Native Americans have roots in Asia, not in Israel.

A third area to think about has to do with the Bible’s consistency in terms of explanation of things like the origin of the universe and the world wide flood event of Gen. 6-9.  The Bible is not a scientific book but it does speak consistently about these things.  In contrast the Book of Mormon seems quite confusing on such issues.  For example, Jesus is said to be the Creator of all things; yet His Father lived on earth as a mortal. 

Authority demands truth.  Science goes a long way to confirm the Bible as true.  It does not disprove the Bible as is the case with the Book of Mormon.  We do not rest in the fact that “science is on our side.”  We rest in the Lord our God and the fact that He has revealed Himself in the Bible.  The result of that trust is that the Bible is true and thus it will always be at peace with true science.

Read Isaiah 40:6-8, 25-31, The Authority of the Bible (7)

Why is geography so important in the Bible?  Why is it so often front and center in the text?  In the Bible readings yesterday and today there were detailed references to places with names as well as the layout of the land of Israel.   we noted yesterday, while not all these named places have been found so many of them have been that it speaks of the Bible’s consistency with archaeology and history.  Time and again, when you are in Israel, you see even today how the stories fit the topography in front of you.

So why must the Bible be a book full of geographical and topographical statements?  It is because of who God is and how we are saved.  To begin with, the God of the Bible is the Creator of heaven and earth.  This is how He was differentiated from the territorial gods of the nations around Israel.  In the story of Jonah the sailors all cried out to their own gods (Jonah 1:5) but when Jonah came up on deck he declared his God (the Hebrew God) was the creator of the sea and land and this caused the others to be afraid (Jonah 1:9-10).  Did you see in today’s reading how God spoke of His uniqueness in terms of His being Creator of all things?  The Psalms regularly speak of God’s work in Creating all we can see.  God is eternal; matter is not eternal (Isa. 40:6-8).  We are alarmed these days by those who call themselves evangelical who have concluded that the story of Creation (Gen. 1-2) is myth or historical myth.  The religions of the world may have depended on myth but the Bible depends on the story of Creation being true.  Again and again the authority of the Bible is tied to the fact that the God of the Bible is the Creator.

But then geography becomes even more critical (is that possible?) when we see how God has made it possible for sinful men to come to Him.  He did it by leaving the glories of heaven and coming to earth as a Man, born in Bethlehem, raised in Nazareth, baptized in the Jordan River, preaching around Galilee, and crucified and raised from the dead just outside of Jerusalem.  There is no salvation apart from geography.  And the prophecies that are yet to be fulfilled center around His return to earth, not at New York City or Tokyo or Salt Lake City but to Jerusalem and Israel.

Having noted how important geography is to the Bible, what about the Book of Mormon?  That supposed “holy book” speaks of a ridiculous story, that Jesus made another appearance on earth in the Western Hemisphere.  Am I speaking out of line to call this story ridiculous?  No!  There has never been a shred of evidence to confirm this story.  There is no reference in history or archaeology of Lamanites or Nephites or Jaredites.  No archaeological evidence to confirm any of it.  And you cannot get any clues from the Book of Mormon that would tell you where to look. 

We do not look to archaeology or history to prove the Bible to be the Word of God.  We simply expect that these disciplines will, when skillfully used, confirm the truth of the Bible.  If we totally lack that “external consistency” then we would have to conclude that it is either a lie or a fable.  We cannot say that about the Bible to be sure.

Read Genesis 15:12-21, The Authority of the Bible (6)

We are considering the Bible’s authority and doing it in contrast to the Book of Mormon.  We believe the Bible can be compared to any holy book and be found to be incomparable.  We have considered authority in terms of internal consistency.  A book claiming to be the Word of God must not be contradictory to itself.  The critical areas are the book’s description of God, explanation of how one can be saved (right with God), and its ability to speak truth with respect to the future (that is essential if the book is to provide confident expectation particularly after death).  All these subjects are huge and we have attempted to lay out basic principles and limited examples to support our conviction that the Bible speaks with the authority of God.

Let us not move to the matter of external consistency.  We will again speak of topics that are too much for our limited space.  But we do want to present a basic approach to each and to give some illustrations that will again demonstrate the authority of the Bible and the significant flaws in the Book of Mormon.

b)    External consistency.

i)      Consistent with archaeology.

This particular topic excites me when I think of the Bible because we have been privileged by the Lord to spend a significant part of our lives in Israel, commonly called the Land of the Bible.  So here is a common experience.  Let’s say we are sitting on a mound (tel) between Hebron and the Mediterranean Sea.  The mound has been demonstrated to be an important city in Israel in Bible times, the city of Lachish.  We are very near Kyriat Gat (the location of the Philistine city of Gath) and Beit Guvrin National Park (location of the Biblical city of Marashah).  In this paragraph I have already mentioned several Biblical sites that archaeology has confirmed were in this area.  On the other hand, you would think we could see Marasheh Gath (the hometown of the prophet Micah) but we don’t know.  Archaeology has not located that town that should be between Gath and Marashah.  It’s location is uncertain.

What should we say?  Should we say the Bible is suspect because we have not found some of the cities in this district?  Or should we say the Bible is amazingly accurate because we have confirmed its geographical statements in many situations.  Common sense says the latter.  The Bible has been shown to be accurate in so many situations that we are happy to wait for more confirmations in the future.  That’s the way Israeli archaeologists handle this.  They trust the Bible’s geography and the result is that they are regularly discovering some of those heretofore hidden sites.  In our next post we will note something about the Bible that tells us why geography is important.  And we will note something about the Book of Mormon as well.

Read, Joel 2:13f; Gen. 15:1-6, The Authority of the Bible (5)

We are considering the consistency of the Bible in how a person can be saved.  We noted that Paul’s arguments for salvation by grace through faith are based in the OT.  The key example is, in Rom. 4 (and Galatians 3) in his repeated reference to Gen. 15:6: And Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.  Abraham is the very definition of faith in Scripture and his faith saved him, not his works.  Did God call Abraham to walk in a blameless manner?  Yes, of course (Gen. 18:1).  But Paul made no mention of this in Rom. 4 because that was not the way Abraham came to be in a right relationship with his Creator.  In Rom. 4 Paul also makes a reference to David as being saved in the same manner, by a God who imputes righteousness to him through faith. 

The only alternative to salvation by grace through faith is salvation through measuring up to some law.  Either we reach God’s standard or Someone else reaches the standard for us and their righteousness is put to our account.  So not only is the Bible consistent that we are saved through what Christ did; it is also consistent that salvation was never and is not now and will never be by our attaining to God’s standard, however you may state that standard.  Again, in Rom. 10:5-12, in Paul’s clear statement of faith and not any heroic efforts on our part, he bases the entire argument on Lev. 18:5 and Deut. 10:12-14.  Leviticus and Deuteronomy are two of the five books of Moses and are arguably the strongest of the Pentateuch in terms of defining and clarifying the Law of Moses. 

It can be accurately said that the Bible’s answer to the salvation question is different that any other supposed “holy book” of any religion anywhere and anytime.  But the Bible’s is consistent throughout.  The teaching of Mormonism is not gospel, not good news.  It contradicts the Bible and it requires an impossible goal.  Meanwhile, from beginning to end, the Bible has a consistent message.  That’s what you would expect in a Book that is the Word of God.

iii)      A consistent fulfillment of prophecy. 

Again, here is a subject far to big to handle here.  But it is important as it is a profound mark of the Book that claims to be the Word of God.  This is a strong contrast between the Bible and the Book of Mormon.  The latter supposedly has a prophecy of the Civil War tucked in it somewhere.  The Bible, on the other hand, is filled with prophecies from the OT that are filled in the OT (e.g. those having to do with the years in slavery in Egypt, Gen. 15:13; those having to do with the Assyrian and Babylonian actions taken against the divided kingdom).  The Bible is also full of predictions in the OT that are fulfilled in the NT (especially, of course, those involving Jesus of Nazareth, His birthplace, virgin birth, and so forth).  There are NT prophecies that have already been fulfilled (the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD, Luke 19:41-44).  At some point in the future we will post a study of the fulfillments of prophecy in the Gospel of Matthew.  There are many and they are quite interesting.  When you look closely you will see the consistency, that the fulfillment in Matthew is of a passage that is perfectly fitting when seen in the OT context.  There is amazing consistency, as you would expect in a Book that claims to be the Word of God. 

Read Ex. 34:6f; Num. 14:18f; Hos. 11:8f, Authority of the Bible (4)

1)    The Bible bears the marks of inspiration.  By this we mean to say that the Bible has such a character to it as to make it easy to see that it is the word of our Creator.

a)    Internal consistency.

i)      A consistent picture of God. 

          You may have heard, and perhaps it might have even seemed to you, that the “God of the Old Testament” is not the same as the “God of the New Testament.”  The former is vengeful, always on the warpath, while the latter is loving and gracious.  Such an idea does not reflect the view of someone who has actually studied the Bible.  The OT view of God is dominated by Ex. 34:6-7 where God describes Himself as a God who is full of mercy and forgiveness but who will punish sin.  This passage is referenced thereafter in the OT on many occasions (e.g. Micah 7:18-19; Jonah 4:2 and many, many other times). 

          This is exactly the same God who is at the center of the gospel story which comes to its fullness in the NT.  God is, in fact, judging sin in Christ and thus is being merciful and forgiving to mankind.  It is the same God!  And if you think that Jesus is all about love and never about wrath you have certainly not really read the Gospels (e.g. Jn. 2:11-22). 

          On the other hand, the Book of Mormon and the other sacred books of Mormonism lack this consistency.  The “god” of the LDS once was not (i.e. he had a beginning was born).  He is growing in knowledge.  And, of course, there is the strange and idolatrous devaluation of Christ who is a god, Yahweh and not Elohim (Alma 11:22,27f,38f is one of many confusing passages in the Book of Mormon’s view of God).  And when you take all this and then realize that the Bible is, in fact, supposed to be one of Mormonism’s holy books, the confusion that results from the outright contradictions make the Book of Mormon out to be the writings of someone who did not know the God of the Bible.

ii)   A consistent picture of salvation. 

Mormonism has a standard view of how a person can be saved: “it is by grace we are saved after all we can do” (note what 2 Nephi 25:23 says about this: it is impossible).  That statement is a profound contradiction to the Bible.  Take just one verse: Romans 11:6: And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. 

That’s not the only place because the Bible’s view of how to be saved never changed.  This is a huge subject and we cannot cover every illustration of this.  But I think one of the most profound truths is that the Apostle Paul, in Rom. 4 and 10, in establishing the doctrine of salvation by grace, through faith, and not of works based his entire presentation in the Old Testament.  Let us pick this up in our next post.

Read 1 Pt. 1:10-12; 2 Pt. 1:16-21; 3:1-2, 14-16, The Authority of the Bible (3)

2)    Jesus had an absolute reliance on the Bible.

Before we see this point in Scripture let us answer the obvious question many people have.  They ask, “Wasn’t Jesus only talking about the Old Testament?  After all, that’s the only Scripture He had.”  Jesus, like His Apostles, was in the process of ‘making Scripture,’ if you will.  But furthermore, Jesus made it clear that His Disciples (meaning the Twelve, the Apostles, of which Paul made a clear claim that he was one of those Apostles) would have the same “Scripture writing” ability from God that the various prophets had in former days.  See this in John 16:13-15.  He is speaking to the Twelve in the upper room.  And if you have any question that this is what Jesus was promising them, just read Peter’s letters.  Did you see in today’s reading how Peter spoke of the prophets side-by-side with himself and the others as Apostles, including Paul (2 Pt. 3:14-16). 

a)    Jesus testified as to the authority of Scripture.  We have spoken of this recently, referring to passages such as Mt. 5:17-18 (not one jot or tittle … until all the Law be fulfilled); and Mt. 24:35 (My word shall not pass away); and again, John 10:35 (and the Scriptures cannot be broken).  He said everything must be fulfilled that is written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms (Luke 24:44).  Thus He also said in Gethsemane that He would not call legions of angels to help Him or how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen way (Mt. 26:52-54).  Several times we hear Jesus say fulfilled.  That is a significant term when we are thinking about authority.  The point is that if it is said in the Bible then it is the Word of God and it will come to pass because God is always faithful to His word.  That is why it was so sad for John that no one was found to open the book, and why the hosts of heaven rejoiced when the Lamb was found who was worthy to open the book (Rev. 5).  It needed to be said.

b)    Jesus constantly used and quoted Scripture.

c)    Jesus confirmed many Old Testament stories as true.

d)    Jesus prepared the way for inspiration of the Apostles ahead of time (as we have noted; cf. Jn. 14:25-26; 16:12-13).

e)    Jesus often based arguments on a single expression.  He proved the fact of the resurrection with one quote in Mt. 22:32. Later, in the same chapter (vs. 43-45) He proved His deity with a reference to something many would miss in the words of David.

f)      Jesus recognized the Old Testament Scriptures as sufficient to lead a man to salvation (Luke 16:29).

Again, there is more to say in speaking to this issue.  But how powerful is it to hear the words of Jesus and see how He had such trust in every word of Scripture.  He recognized the authority of the word of God!