Romans 1:16-17
James E. Farley Have you known people who you thought might never obey the gospel? Maybe they are family members, neighbors, or co-workers. Their lifestyles–and sometimes their open distain for the Truth–often cause us to say, “That person will never become a Christian!” Consider. Acts 6:7 gives us the “key” to church growth – at any place and at any time. The key is that the Word of God must increase. The result is the number of disciples will multiply. Notice the latter part of that verse: “…and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.” Think of the power of the gospel! Many religious leaders were converted to the way of the meek and lowly Jesus. If it happened then, it can happen today. The “key,” again, is an increase in “the seed” so that more “crop” will result. (Luke 8:11). Think of the power of the gospel when the church of Christ was established in the city of Corinth. (Acts 18). Paul was there for eighteen months preaching and teaching that Jesus is the Christ. Many of the Jews rejected the message, but “…Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.” (vs. 8). After a time, another ruler of the synagogue there opposed Paul, and the Jews rose up against the apostle. They “…brought him before the judgment-seat.” (vs. 12). That is, they took Paul to court, albeit on trumped up and obviously meaningless charges. It seems that a man named “Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue” was ring-leader of all this, for when the proconsul, Gallio, made them leave the court house, some took Sosthenes and “beat him before the judgment seat.” (vss. 12-17). Here was a man that many might have said, “He will never become a Christian; he is just too much against the Truth. Look what he did to Paul.” However, as we read 1 Corinthians 1:1, we are amazed: “Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother …” The gospel is powerful; it can turn enemies of the cross into brethren! Paul was arrested and, eventually, taken to Rome as a prisoner. Many were evidently distressed over these matters, but Paul wrote about it with these words: “But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places …” (Philippians 1:12-13). He mentioned this point again at the end of the book. “Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you. All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar’s household.” (Philippians 4:21-22). Think of it! The power of the gospel to convert precious souls! The great power that is in God’s Word is seen clearly in the conversion of Paul himself. Saul of Tarsus was a self-proclaimed enemy of the cross. He was “exceedingly mad against” the church of our Lord. (Acts 26:11). He pursued them, arrested them, bound them, had them beaten, caused them to blaspheme, and killed them. All the while, he thought he was right. (Acts 7:58-60; 8:1, 3; 9:1-2; 22:3-5; 26:9-11; Galatians 1:13-14; etc.). Yet, we read from Acts chapters 9, 22, and 26 that this enemy of the Lord and of the Lord’s people was converted through the power of the gospel of Christ. It is no wonder he wrote as he did in Romans 1:16-17 and 1 Corinthians 1:18, 21. Do not give up on your friends and family members who have not yet submitted to Jesus’ way as right. Teach them and encourage them at every opportunity that you have. They may yet obey the gospel. INTRODUCTION 1. In this series (“Give Me The Bible”), thus far we have explored… a. The Problem Of Biblical Illiteracy b. Why I Read The Bible c. Why I Believe The Bible d. Why I Love The Bible 2. But it does us no good to… a. Read the Bible b. Believe the Bible c. Love the Bible — If we are unwilling to obey the Bible! [To drive this point home, let’s first take a close look at…]
I. THE NECESSITY OF OBEDIENCE A. AS TAUGHT BY JESUS… 1. Necessary to enter the kingdom of heaven – Mt 7:21-23; Lk 6:46 a. It is not enough to believe in Jesus as Lord b. Not even to do many things in His name c. We must do the will of His Father in heaven d. We must do what Jesus says! 2. Necessary to qualify as good soil – Lk 8:15 a. It is not enough to hear (read) the Word of God b. Not even to initially do what the Word says c. We must receive the Word with good and noble hearts d. We must bear fruit with patience! 3. Necessary to be faithful disciples of Christ – Mt 28:18-20 a. It is not enough to simply believe in Jesus b. Not even to be baptized into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit c. We must be disciples of Christ (i.e., adherents) d. We must observe (do) what He says! B. AS TAUGHT BY HIS APOSTLES… 1. Necessary in order to be saved – He 5:9 a. Jesus is the author (source) of eternal salvation b. But for those who obey Him! 2. Necessary to avoid God’s wrath – Ro 2:4-11 a. The goodness of God is designed to lead one to repent b. The righteous judgment of God is coming, a day of wrath! c. Eternal life is for “those who keep on doing good” (NLT) d. Indignation and wrath is for those who do not obey the truth! 3. Necessary to avoid eternal destruction – 1Pe 4:17; 2Th 1:7-9 a. What will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel? b. Vengeance in the form of everlasting destruction! [Of course, we must understand that obedience does not earn or merit salvation (cf. Ep 2:8-9; Tit 3:4-7; Lk 17:10), but obedience is necessary nonetheless. Especially so when one considers…] II. THE BLESSINGS OF OBEDIENCE A. AS TAUGHT BY JESUS… 1. Enables one to withstand the storms of life – Mt 7:24-27 a. It is not enough to hear the sayings of Jesus b. We must both hear and keep His says c. Only then will we be blessed to stand strong against the storms of life! 2. Qualifies one to be in the family of God – Lk 8:21 a. It is not enough to simply listen to the Word of God b. We must both hear and do it c. Only then will we blessed to be a member of the family of God! 3. The key to blessedness (joy) – Jn 13:17 a. It is not enough to know what Jesus teaches b. We must do what He teaches c. The blessedness (joy) of following Jesus is in the doing! B. AS TAUGHT BY HIS APOSTLES… 1. Delivers from the bondage of sin – Ro 6:16-18 a. We are slaves to that which we obey b. When one obeys from the heart the doctrine of God, they are set free from sin! 2. Purifies one’s soul – 1Pe 1:22-23 a. Obeying the truth purifies our souls b. It leads to being born again by the Word of God 3. Saves and blesses one’s soul – Jm 1:21-25 a. The Word has the potential to save our souls b. But we must doers, not hearers only c. Again, the blessedness (joy) is in the doing! CONCLUSION 1. Why do I obey the Bible? Because obedience is necessary… a. If we truly love Jesus – Jn 14:15 b. If we want Jesus and His Father to abide in us – Jn 14:21-24; 15:10 c. If we want to truly know the Lord and experience the love of God – 1Jn 2:3-5 2. Again, such obedience is not an effort to earn or merit salvation… a. Salvation is by grace through faith, not of works – Ep 2:8-9 b. But grace does not preclude obedience done in faith – He 5:9 c. We obey the Word of God, not to earn salvation, but to receive salvation! As Jesus stated on one occasion: “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Lk 11:28). Are you keeping (obeying) the Word of God in order to be blessed…? BY WAYNE JACKSON
“I do not understand why ministers will teach that one passage in the Bible is ‘literal,’ while they say that another one is ‘figurative.’For instance, in one of your articles you argue that the ‘days’ of the creation week are literal (twenty-four hour days).On the other hand, you say that the ‘1,000 years’ mentioned in Revelation, chapter 20, is ‘figurative.’Why do you go back and forth from literal to figurative?” Your question is a very reasonable one and we are happy to clarify this matter. The Scriptures abound with a great variety of figures of speech.In 1899, E.W. Bullinger produced a massive work of more than 1,100 pages dealing with biblical figures of speech. Therein he classified some 200 different figures, many of which were subdivided into different variations, so that the total number catalogued finally was more than 500 (Bullinger, Figures of Speech Used in the Bible, Grand Rapids: Baker, p. ix). A Figure Defined A figure of speech occurs when a word, phrase, or sentence is employed in a sense other than the usual or literal sense it has naturally.The purpose behind the use of a figurative expression is to intensify the idea being conveyed.The figure adds emphasis, feeling, and color to the thought presented.It is a mistake to assume that when a figure of speech is utilized the force of the statement or argument is weakened; actually, just the reverse is true. It is very important, however, to be able to distinguish the figurative from the literal.A failure to discern the difference, in various biblical contexts, has resulted in much error. How to Identify Figurative Language Just as “beauty” is said to be “in the eye of the beholder,” unfortunately the identification of figurative language in the Scriptures is sometimes “in the eye” of the interpreter.By this we mean there is considerable confusion in the religious world in the matter of distinguishing between literal and symbolic terminology.There are, however, some common sense principles which may (and must) be employed in the identification process. Words must be interpreted literally unless the sense implies an impossibility. For example, John closes his Gospel account with the declaration that should all the deeds of Jesus, during his earthly ministry, be fully recorded, not even the world itself could hold the books that might catalog them (Jn. 21:25).This language is acknowledged as “hyperbole”,“hyperbolic”. A hyperbole (meaning “to throw above”) is an exaggeration for the purpose of emphasis.John’s design was to show that the miracles delineated in his inspired narrative were merely representative of what the Savior did; the list of only seven signs that the apostle mentioned was far from exhaustive. Words must be interpreted literally unless the sense implies a contradiction. In the book of Revelation, the final abode of the redeemed is depicted as a “holy city” (cf. Heb. 11:10,16).One of the features of that city was its wall, that rested on “twelve foundations,” upon which were written the names of the “twelve apostles” (Rev. 21:14).The numeral “twelve,” as used here, cannot be literal, for there were thirteen apostles (the original twelve, minus Judas, plus Matthias, plus Paul).The number “twelve” came to be used as a symbol of the apostolic group, even when the number “twelve” was not precise.After Judas died, yet before Matthias was chosen, Jesus (following his resurrection) appeared to “the twelve” (1 Cor. 15:5).“Twelve,” therefore, in Revelation 21:14 is employed symbolically for the apostolic company, without literal, mathematical precision. Words must be interpreted literally unless the sense implies an absurdity. The Scriptures use the term “face” dozens of times in a figurative sense, e.g., face of the deep (Gen. 1:2), face of the earth (Gen. 1:29), face of the ground (Gen. 2:6), etc.Obviously, to press the word “face,” in a literal sense, would imply an absurdity with reference to the sea, the earth, etc.Clearly, then, these uses are figurative. The nature of a biblical book may provide a clue, suggesting that the student is to watch for an abundance of figures of speech. This is true of certain Old Testament books, such as portions of Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zechariah.But there is no clearer example of this than that of the concluding book of the New Testament, Revelation. The apocaplyptic document begins with the notation that Christ “signified” the message, via his messenger, to the apostle John (1:1).The verb “signified” derives from semaino, which in early Greek meant “to show by a sign, indicate, make known, point out” (Liddell-Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon, 1869, p. 1448). Vincent cites John’s use of the term in his Gospel (12:33) where Jesus, in symbolic fashion, identified the method of his death by means of the expression “lifted up,” which hinted of the crucifixion (cf. also Jn. 21:19).He further notes that the term “signified” is “appropriate to the symbolic character of the revelation” (Word Studies in the New Testament, Wilmington, DE: Associated Publishers, 1972, p. 564). What About the “Days” of Genesis? Now regarding the original question, how is one able to say that the “days” of the creation week are literal days, while the “1,000 years” of Revelation 20:1ff represents a figure of speech? The answer is this: by the respective contexts of the two portions of Scripture, and the language considerations found therein. The “days” of the creation week are divided into periods of light and darkness (vv. 4-5).The “days” are distinguished from “years” (v. 14). And the “days” are subsequently defined by Moses as the same type of “day” as the Sabbath which the Hebrews were required to observe (Ex. 20:11).There are other reasons for the view that the creation days must be literal, but this should suffice for the present. See our “Archives” section for June 15, 2000 (The Creation “Days” —Literal or Figurative. Regarding the “thousand years” of Revelation 20, it should be observed that the opening of the book itself provides caution that this is a document characterized by symbols (see “signified” – 1:1). In addition, the “thousand years” of Revelation 20 is nestled in the midst of a number of other dramatic figures —a pit, a great chain, the dragon/serpent, thrones, a beast, a mysterious “mark,” resurrections, etc. Why should the pit, chain, dragon, etc., be viewed as figures, and yet the “thousand years” be singled out as literal?That defies common sense. The fact is, the numeral “thousand” is found more than twenty times in Revelation, and not once is it employed in a literal sense. In Chapter 20, the most likely interpretation of the number is that of “completeness.” As William Milligan observed: “‘[T]he thousand years’ mentioned in the passage express no period of time?. They embody an idea; and that idea, whether applied to the subjugation of Satan or to the triumph of the saints is the idea of completeness or perfection” (An Exposition of the Bible, Hartford, CT: S.S. Scranton, 1903, Vol. VI, p. 913). There are, therefore, sound exegetical reasons for making a distinction between the literal “days” of Genesis 1, and the figurative “years” of Revelation 20. SCRIPTURE REFERENCES John 21:25; Hebrews 11:10, 16; Revelation 21:14; 1 Corinthians 15:5; Genesis 1:2; Genesis 1:29; Genesis 2:6; John 21:19; Revelation 20:1; Exodus 20:11; Revelation 20; Genesis 1 “THE HAND OF THE LORD MY GOD WAS UPON ME”
Ezra 7:28 INTRODUCTION 1. The Bible is filled with stories of people who lived their lives under the influence of God… a. Through deep faith and a willingness to serve, God used them to fulfill His purposes b. Ezra is one such example of what can happen: 1) When a person determines to seek God 2) And allows the Lord to use him 2. In 457 B.C., Ezra led a group of Jews from Babylonian captivity back to Jerusalem… a. About eighty years after a group led by Zerubbabel to rebuild the temple b. The mission of Ezra’s group was to restore the people of God 3. In the book of Ezra… a. The first six chapters describe the work of Zerubbabel b. The final four chapters relate Ezra’s arrival and the great restoration he brought about [The theme of Ezra’s life and work could be stated as “The Hand Of The Lord My God Was Upon Me,” for six times in two chapters he thus attributes his success. In our lesson, let’s first notice…] I. HOW THE HAND OF THE LORD WAS UPON EZRA A. IN RECEIVING REQUESTS FROM THE KING… 1. Notice Ezra 7:6 2. Because the hand of the Lord was upon Ezra, Artaxerxes allowed him: a. To go to Jerusalem – 7:12-13 b. To take silver and gold to buy animals for sacrifice – 7: 14-17 c. To buy what is needed for the service of the house of God – 7:18-23 d. To be free from taxation – 7:24 e. To set up magistrates and judges – 7:25-26 — Ezra recognized the hand of God was at work in his behalf! – 7:27-28 B. IN FINDING SERVANTS FOR THE TEMPLE… 1. Prepared to leave, Ezra noted none of sons of Levi – 8:15 2. He sends men to find some who will go with them – 8:16-17 — By the good hand of God upon them, they find 38 Levites and 220 Nethinim to assist them! – 8:18-20 C. IN PROVIDING SAFE JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM… 1. Ezra proclaimed a fast to seek from God the right way to travel – 8:21-23 2. Having told the king that God’s hand would be them, he was ashamed to ask for a military escort – 8:22 — God’s hand was upon them, and they safely arrived in Jerusalem! – 8:31-32 [From beginning to end the hand of the Lord was upon Ezra. Why did Ezra enjoy the blessing of God’s provision in his life? Is there anything we can glean from Ezra’s story that might ensure the hand of God in our own lives? I believe there is! Let me suggest some reasons…] II. WHY THE HAND OF THE LORD WAS UPON EZRA A. EZRA HAD PREPARED HIMSELF… 1. In a summary passage, we learn why God was with him – 7:9-10 2. God was with him “For (because) Ezra had prepared his heart” a. “to seek the Law of the Lord” (to learn what God wanted him to do) b. “to do it” (to apply it to himself first) c. “to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel” (and then teach others) — Ezra had first made himself “useful for the Master, prepared for every good work” – cf. 2 Ti 2:21 B. EZRA HAD SOUGHT THE LORD… 1. He believed that God would be with those who seek Him – 8:22 2. Thus he entreated God’s protection through fasting and prayer – 8:21-23 — Ezra believed that God rewarded those who diligently seek Him; such faith undoubtedly pleased God – cf. He 11:6 C. EZRA WAS WILLING TO STEP OUT IN FAITH… 1. Trusting the Lord would protect them, they began their perilous journey – 8:31 2. It was not easy, for there were enemies and potential for ambush along the way! — But Ezra illustrated that he had a living, working faith! – Ja 2:17,26; Ga 5:6 D. EZRA WAS WILLING TO FACE DIFFICULT SITUATIONS… 1. Upon his arrival, Ezra found a difficult situation – 9:1-2 a. Many of the Israelites had inter-married with Gentile women b. The rulers and leaders of Israel were the worst violators 2. He was moved to fasting and prayer – 9:3-15 a. Others joined him (“everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel”) b. He offered prayer confessing the sins of Israel 3. He accepted the responsibility that was his – 10:1-8 a. Encouraged by those willing to repent b. Leading the people to a great restoration! — It would have been so easy to rationalize away any need for the people to change; but Ezra did not let the emotionally charged issue deter him from doing God’s will! CONCLUSION 1. The hand of the Lord was upon Ezra because he… a. Had prepared himself b. Sought the Lord c. Was willing to step out in faith d. Was willing to face difficult situations 2. Ezra was not the only person who experienced the hand of the Lord upon him… a. The Lord was also with a contemporary, Nehemiah – cf. Neh 2:18 b. Sometimes the hand of the Lord was for the purpose of judgment – cf. 1 Sam 5:6 c. But here we have considered the working of God for good in the life of his servant 3. How will the hand of the Lord be for us? For our good, if we emulate Ezra by… a. Preparing ourselves to be useful to the Master! b. Seeking the Lord with diligence and faith! c. Stepping out in faith against the odds d. Facing difficult issues and situations head on Let the example of Ezra encourage us to so live in Christ, that one day we can look back at the events in our lives and say: “The Hand Of The Lord My God Was Upon Me!” BY WAYNE JACKSON
Without question, the Bible is the most influential book in the history of the world. Some of the most brilliant minds of which the human race can boast have been drawn to this ancient volume. In this article we call attention to several great truths regarding the Bible which are vitally important. Origin As to its origin, the Bible is ultimately from God. Mankind alone could not have written it if he would and he would not have composed it if he could. The Holy Scriptures are the word of God! The psalmist declared, “Thy word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against thee” (Psalm 119:11; cf. 119:89, 105, 130). Our Lord himself announced that “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). And Paul had words of praise for the saints at Thessalonica in that they received the gospel message, not as the word of men, “but, as it is in truth, the word of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:13). It is, of course, true that Jehovah employed men in conveying his word to the human family (some forty persons were used in writing the Scriptures), nevertheless, the ultimate source of the divine document is Almighty God himself, and the Bible simply cannot be explained upon any other basis! Inspiration But suppose it is conceded that the biblical message is ultimately from the Lord—can we be sure that the writers who penned the original manuscripts did so infallibly? Yes we can, and the process by which Jehovah protected the integrity of his word is called “inspiration.” Paul reminded Timothy that “every scripture is inspired of God” (2 Timothy 3:16). The expression “inspired of God” (literally in the Greek Testament, “God-breathed”) suggests that the divine author of the sacred writings breathed into the minds of his select penmen the exact message he wanted conveyed to mankind. And the biblical writers happily acknowledged this; they did not claim originality for their productions. David, for example, affirmed: “The Spirit of Jehovah spake by me, and his word was upon my tongue” (2 Samuel 23:2). Jesus declared that David, “in the Spirit,” referred to the coming Messiah as “Lord” (Matthew 22:43; cf. Acts 1:16). Paul wrote that the things “we [apostles] speak [are] not in words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth” (1 Corinthians 2:13). This is what scholars refer to when they speak of the verbal inspiration of the Bible; they mean that the very words of the Scriptures are God-given. It is true, of course, that Jehovah utilized the talents, backgrounds, personalities, etc. of the inspired writers to convey his divine message. Nonetheless, it is an indisputable fact that the Lord so guided the sacred writers that they expressed Heaven’s will with absolute precision. We have amply documented a great number of evidences for the Bible’s inspiration in our book, Fortify Your Faith, and we would encourage the reader to carefully study this material. Transmission The original writings, which collectively came to be called the “Bible,” have faded into oblivion. Not a single one of those original autographs remains—and doubtless for good reason. Men, had they access to those ancient scrolls, would likely worship them rather than their author. And so, in the providence of God, they have long since vanished. Does that suggest, though, that the copies we now possess are not reliable as depositories of divine truth? Not in the least. Sacred oversight has seen to it that the Scriptures have been remarkably and accurately preserved—and the biblical record bears testimony to this. For instance, Paul states that Timothy, from his earliest years, had known the sacred writings which were able to make the young man wise unto salvation (2 Timothy 3:15). The “sacred writings” to which Paul referred are the books of the Old Testament. (None of the New Testament writings had been penned as yet when Timothy was a “babe.”) Timothy had perhaps been guided by his godly mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5) who doubtless took him to synagogue services whenever opportunity presented itself. Though there is no mention of a synagogue in Lystra, Timothy’s hometown (Acts 16:1), there was one in Iconium (Acts 14:1), some twenty-one miles away. In the synagogue, the sacred text would be read. Obviously, however, those ancient synagogues possessed only copies of the original Old Testament autographs. The integrity of those narratives was so preserved, though, that Paul could affirm that their original design remained in tact, that is, making men wise unto salvation. Translation The original text of the Bible was in three languages. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew (with some minor portions in Aramaic) and the New Testament was penned in Greek. Since most people do not read their Bibles in the original languages, they are dependent upon a translation. The question is therefore appropriate: can one know that he is reading the genuine word of God even though he is employing a translation? Of course he can, and we need only to appeal to the New Testament itself to prove the point. The most important version of the Old Testament was the Septuagint. In about 250 B.C., down in Alexandria, Egypt, the Hebrew Pentateuch was translated into Greek. The remainder of the Old Testament was done in piecemeal fashion, being completed by at least 117 B.C. At the time Christ came to earth, this Greek translation had become the Bible of the Jewish people. This is doubtless why the writers of the New Testament, when appealing to the Old Testament, most often quoted from the Septuagint. In fact, of the three hundred or more quotations in the New Testament, the vast majority agree with the Septuagint. The Lord Jesus himself frequently quoted from this version. Christ could even quote from the Greek translation and say, “Have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God” (Matthew 22:31, 32), thus demonstrating that the translation process did not destroy sacred truth. Any time, therefore, a verse is faithfully translated from the original text to another language, the inspiration, hence, the authoritativeness of the initial word of God, is preserved. Comprehension But here is another question of great importance: what if one grants that the Scriptures have been faithfully transmitted and translated, is it not a fact that man’s mind is so hopelessly corrupt, and the Bible is a book so shrouded in mystery, that one cannot understand it without supernatural guidance? No, that is not the truth (though it is commonly taught by both Catholic and Protestant theologians). Romanism alleges that the Bible “is but a dead letter calling for a divine interpreter” (Conway 1929, 76), which is supposed to be the clergy of the Catholic Church. And many sectarian groups contend that man is so depraved by sin that he cannot comprehend the teaching of the Bible; he is thus in “need of an inward supernatural teaching of the Spirit” (Hodge 1960, 671). Both of these views are quite erroneous. In the parable of the sower, Jesus said that the good soil is “he that hears the word, and understands it” (Matthew 13:23). Paul declared that those who read the words he wrote could “perceive” (understand) his understanding of the gospel system (Ephesians 3:4); later in the same letter he challenged: “[B]e ye not foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (5:17). It has never ceased to amaze me that a host of demoninationalists can all claim to have a supernatural, illuminating guidance of the Holy Spirit, and yet teach a hundred contradictory doctrines. What a reflection upon deity! Any person who has an honest heart and strong desire to understand the will of God, if he will but exercise enough discipline to study hard, applying sound principles of interpretation, can comprehend the plain and essential elements of the Scriptures. Demonstration A mere theoretical knowledge of the Bible is worthless. Christ declared, “[B]lessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it” (Luke 11:28). We must allow the word of God to work in us (1 Thessalonians 2:13), or as James has said, “[B]e ye doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22), for the word is able to build us up and give us the inheritance for which we long (Acts 20:32). When we extol the Bible as the truth of God, and yet we do not allow the word to richly dwell within us (Colossians 3:16), we do a great disservice to the cause of truth. For example, Paul notes that a lack of Christian conduct can cause the word of God to be blasphemed (Titus 2:5). By way of contrast, a faithful Christian life can attract favorable attention to the Scriptures (cf. 1 Peter 3:1). Our Lord was the perfect example of one who exercised truth, both in word and deed (Acts 1:1). Proclamation No one today has access to divine truth by means of any personal interview with deity. God does not speak in dreams, visions, or by a supernatural illumination of the Holy Spirit. Objective revelation has been made known through the completed Bible, and men will only be exposed to the message of the Scriptures as we distribute the sacred volume and proclaim its saving message. The Lord’s commission obligates us to preach the gospel to the whole creation (Mark 16:15). “Preach the word,” was the burning admonition of Paul to Timothy (2 Timothy 4:2). Every single Christian must take seriously his obligation to teach the Bible consistent with his divinely appointed role, ability, and opportunity. The church of today desperately needs to rekindle the passion of first-century evangelism. The Bible can only be effective when in contact with the human heart. Let us labor to sow the seed of the kingdom of heaven (Luke 8:11). REFERENCES Conway, Bertrand. 1929. The Question Box. San Francisco, CA: Catholic Truth Society. Hodge, Charles. 1960. Systematic Theology. Vol. 1. London, England: James Clarke & Co. Jackson, Wayne. 1974. Fortify Your Faith. Stockton, CA: Christian Courier Publications. SCRIPTURE REFERENCES Psalm 119:11; Matthew 4:4; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Samuel 23:2; Matthew 22:43; Acts 1:16; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15; 2 Timothy 1:5; Acts 16:1; Acts 14:1; Matthew 22:31, 32; Matthew 13:23; Ephesians 3:4; Luke 11:28; James 1:22; Acts 20:32; Colossians 3:16; Titus 2:5; 1 Peter 3:1; Acts 1:1; Mark 16:15; 2 Timothy 4:2; Luke 8:11 |
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