Know Your Bible

VOL. 15 December 17, 2017 NO. 38

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THE AUTHORITY OF THE BIBLE

The authority of God, Christ, and the apostles is very clearly taught in the Scriptures (Psa. 50:10-12; Heb. 1:1-2; Mt. 16:19, 17:5, 18:18; 2 Cor. 5:20; Phil. 4:9). Also, the Holy Spirit played a role as He guided the apostles "unto all truth." Consider now the authority of the Scriptures.

The apostles were given authority to reveal God's Will to man (Mt. 18:18; Jn. 16:8). However, the apostles eventually died. How then are we to be guided today? Our guide is the inspired Word of God -- the Bible.

Consider the teaching of Paul in Ephesians 3:3-5. This says, "How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit." The particular “mystery" that Paul has in mind is found in verse 6 ("that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body") but what he says would be true generally. This mystery was revealed to him, as an inspired writer, and he wrote it down so that it could be read and understood. This was called a "mystery" in the sense that previously it had not been revealed. Paul, and other inspired individuals, guided by the Holy Spirit, revealed the mind of God to man through the written word.

I Corinthians 2:12-13 says, "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual." The NASB renders the last part "combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words."

In I Thessalonians 2:13, Paul wrote, "For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe." Negatively, he states that they had not received his preaching "as the word of men"; positively, they had received it as the "Word of God." Paul was thankful that they had received him as an inspired teacher of God's Word.

There are other passages in I Thessalonians where Paul points out that his message was from God. In chapter 4, he revealed that the commandments which were taught were "through the Lord Jesus," and the person who rejected their teaching "does not reject man, but God who has also given us his Holy Spirit" (vs. 2, 3, 8). Later, when instructing them about the second coming of Christ (4:15) Paul said, "For this we say to you by the word of the Lord.... "

In I Corinthians 14:33 Paul said, "If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord." Paul, and other inspired people, revealed God's commandments through the written word.

The Bible is the inspired Will of God (2 Tim. 3:16-17). It is the "oracles of God" (II Pet. 1:3); it is the final revelation for us (Jude 3); it is all that we need (Jas. 1:25); it will save us eternally (Rom. 1:16, James 1:21) if we obey it (James 1:22).

—Mike Johnson

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Categories Of Atheists

1) Angry Atheists - those who either consciously or sub-consciously blame God for personal tragedies or human tragedy in general (death, wars, suffering, hunger etc.) which is proof positive to them that there is NO God.

2) Amused Atheists - those who consider themselves 'Enlightened' and transcend other humans who exhibit 'Faith' and consider them simpletons, while considering themselves intellectually and morally superior.

3) Behavioral Atheists - a prime example are homosexuals, who find themselves in contradiction to natural law and blame their deviancy on God or anything other than chosen behavior. These Atheists are against any concept that does not endorse their behavior - if God endorsed Homosexuality, Homosexuals would be the most strident believers in God.

4) Argumentum ad ignorantiam Atheists - those that hold something is false only because it hasn't been proved true (God), or that something is true only because it has not been proved false (AGW). [Anthropogenic Global Warming - aka - Human Caused Global Warming), ERH]

5) Atheistic Contrarians - those humans who are always against anything that is commonly held, if 99% of humans were Atheists - they would believe in God.

6) Marxist Atheists et al - those who believe that Government by humans and for humans, must have the highest allegiance and anything else (God) must be secondary and therefore inferior or non-existent by definition. They believe that man can make a Utopia on Earth without any spiritual help.

7) Amoralistic Egoism or 'Individualist Atheist' - those who believe their freedom to do anything 'freely chosen', supersedes any guideline, creed, commandments or moral restrictions, placed on them by God, or anything or anyone else. (our president and our congress)

8) Narcissistic Atheists - those who believe that anything they do not know or are capable of knowing is therefore false and patently intellectually dishonest.

If God does NOT exist, why do so many Humans fight against God? (Great question!!!)

—author unknown

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