The Bible is God's Word to mankind. It is a book of SPIRITUAL TRUTH, so it must be understood through the Holy Spirit that indwells each believer. It greatly helps if the student has a genuine interest in the Word, is willing to study, and is willing to obey what He learns. The Bible should be taken literally whenever it makes sense to do so.
The real KEY is to rightly divide the Word of Truth, as in 2nd Timothy 2:15
Let's memorize this verse: "Study to show thyself approved unto God, A workman that needeth not to be ashamed, Rightly dividing the word of truth."
Most people divide the Bible into Old and New Testament. This is not God's design.
The plan that God laid out for dividing the Bible is found in Ephesians 2.
1. How does God say we should divide the Bible?
TIME PAST - Ephesians 2:11 Has to do with Israel and the EARTH, Distinction was made between the Jew and the Gentile, between the Circumcision and the Uncircumcision. Gentiles were without Christ and God, Israel was the favored nation.
BUT NOW - Ephesians 2:13. This is about the present time and concerns God's HEAVENLY program with the Body of Christ. No distinction between Jew and Gentile, the Gentile who was a far off is now made nigh (near). A change has taken place in God's dealings with mankind. What happened to Israel? Roman's 11:7-11. The Body of Christ is a HEAVENLY people. Ephesians 2:6 and Philippines 3:20, We have ALREADY been blessed. Ephesians 1:3
AGES TO COME - Ephesians 2:7 This has to do with Israel once again and tells of her future upon the EARTH. The Tribulation. The Millenial reign of Christ in His Kingdom on the EARTH. Eternity future.
2. How does Genesis 1:1 help us to understand this division?
HEAVEN and EARTH are the two realms that God is dealing with in the past, present, and future. Satan has usurped God's power in both realms. His rebellion in HEAVEN. His rebellion on the EARTH. John 12:31, John 14:30, John 16:11, Ephesians 2:2; and 6:12.
3. How does the layout of the Bible help us understand this division?
TIME PAST - Genesis to Malachi. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Early Acts (Chapters 1-8).
BUT NOW - Acts Chapters 9-28. Romans thru Philemon.
AGES TO COME - Hebrews thru Revelation.
4. What terms does the Bible use for these divisions?
PROPHECY - God reveals or makes His plans known ahead of time. To Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:15; To Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3; To David in 2nd Samuel 7:12, 13; To Israel thru Daniel in Daniel 2:44; and Christ to the disciples in Matthew 24.
MYSTERY - God kept His plans a secret until He revealed them to Paul for us. Ephesians 3:1-9; 1st Corinthians 14:37; Galatians 1:11, 12; Romans 16:25; and Colossians 1:26.
The key to understanding your Bible is very simple. Believe it! Some people say, "well, I just can't understand the Bible." The problem is NOT that you can't understand the Bible. The problem for most people is that the Bible says things that simply don't fit into a person's preprogrammed denominational thinking. In other words, in many cases, the Bible simply does not say what people think it says, or have been taught to believe that it says. The Bible is easy to understand....even the so-called "archaic" words you run across from time to time can be understood.
If you see a word you don't really understand...all you have to do is learn the meaning of the word....and then you understand it. Start believe the Bible and God will GIVE YOU the understanding. The key to understanding is believing. Simply read the Bible, BELIEVING that the words mean WHAT THEY SAY, WHERE THEY SAY IT......AS THEY SAY IT. When the plain sense of the Bible makes common sense...there is no sense in trying to make any other sense.
Also, the Bible is the word of God. No man composed the Bible. The Apostle Peter says, "holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." And Paul says, "the things I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord." The plan of salvation for all mankind is revealed in the pages of the Bible. No man could have come up with such a plan. No man COULD HAVE written the Bible if he WOULD HAVE....nor WOULD HAVE if he COULD HAVE. It is not in the nature of man to write such things as you find written in the word of God.
And on that note, that's just what the Bible is....THE WORD OF GOD. God thinks very highly of His word. God even says that His word holds a position even above HIS NAME. Psalm 138:2 says that God has "magnified his word above all his name." The Bible is INSPIRED. That means "God-breathed." The words of the Bible are God's words. They are pure words. The Bible says, in Psalm 12:6, "The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times."
The Bible is the revealed word of God. The Bible is the written word of God. And the Bible is the PRESERVED word of God. The Bible contains the VERY WORDS God wants us to hear. The Bible is the word of God and contains the WORDS OF GOD. Psalm 12:7 says, "Thou shalt keep them Oh Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation FOR EVER."
When you come to the Bible you have to the Holy Word of God. In it is God's plan for the ages. All that God has ever revealed to man is written in the Bible. Read the Bible. Believe the Bible. Trust the Bible. Listen with an open mind to what a Bible teacher tells you....but ALWAYS confirm the things you hear from preachers and teachers with the WORD OF GOD.
The Apostle Paul says that he was made a minister, according to the dispensation of God given to him for us.....TO FULFIL THE WORD OF GOD. (Collosians 1:25) The word of God is now complete. All that God has to say, all revelations from God, are written in His Holy Word. Trust it.....and believe it. Your eternal destiny depends on it!
**Content adapted from a Grace Bible Courses handout. Grace Bible Cources - Calvert City, Kentucky
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