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WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
KEY BIBLE STUDIES IN BRIEF FOR THE FAMILY
Rev. Jim Davis, The Church Triumphant of Columbus
KEY
VERSE ~ 2 TIMOTHY 3:16
“All Scripture is God-breathed, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfected,
thoroughly furnished to every good work.”
(MKJV)
FOCUS ~
Mankind needed a guide that would be accurate,
impartial, and could be proven through time.
Jeremiah said it was like a fire and a hammer.
The Psalmist typified it as Truth, a lamp, pure, and settled
in heaven. We know that we can find our answers to life in the Word.
The people of Berea searched the word daily and received it;
thus, they were called “noble.” Whatever you are looking for is in
the Word.
God gave
us the Bible through holy writers (2 Peter 1:21).
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Scripture did not come from the creative work of the prophets’ own
invention or interpretation.
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God inspired the writers, so their message is authentic and
reliable.
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God used the talents, education, and cultural background of each
writer to insure that the message He intended was faithfully
communicated in the words they wrote.
God is the source of the Bible
(2 Timothy 3:16, 17).
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The Bible is not a collection of stories, fables, myths, or merely
human ideas about God.
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Through the Holy Spirit, God revealed Himself and His plan to
certain believers, who wrote down His message. This process is known
as inspiration.
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Although the writers used their own mind, talents, language, and
style, they wrote what God wanted them to write.
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Scripture is completely trustworthy because God was in control of
its writing. Its words are entirely authoritative for our faith and
lives.
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The Bible is “God-breathed.” We should read it and use it to guide
our conduct.
The Bible is a map to guide us
(Psalm 119:18, 19).
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The psalmist says that he is a “stranger on earth,” and so he needed
guidance.
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As we travel through life, the Word of God should be our road map,
pointing out safe routes, obstacles to avoid, and the way to Heaven.
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We must recognize ourselves as pilgrims; we are travelers here on
earth that need to study God’s map to learn the way. If we ignore
the map, we will wander aimlessly through life and risk missing our
heavenly destination.
The Bible gives us wisdom
(Psalm 119:97-100).
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God’s Word makes us wise—wiser than our enemies, and wiser than
anyone who ignores it, no matter how educated they may be.
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True wisdom goes beyond amassing knowledge.
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True wisdom is applying knowledge in a life-changing way.
Intelligent or experienced people are not necessarily wise. Wisdom
comes from allowing what God teaches to guide us.
The Bible is a light for our
life (Psalm 119:104, 105).
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To walk safely in the woods at night, we need a light so that we
don’t trip over tree roots or fall into holes.
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In this life, we walk through a dark forest of evil, but the Bible
can be our light, to show us the way ahead, so we will not stumble
as we walk.
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It reveals the entangling roots of false values and philosophies.
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We should study the Bible regularly, thus enabling us to see our way
clear enough to stay on the right path.
The Bible reveals to us Jesus
Christ and His salvation (Hebrews 1:1, 2)
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The book of Hebrews describes in detail how Jesus Christ fulfills
the promises and prophesies of the Old Testament.
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God used many approaches to send His messages
to people in Old Testament times, speaking to Patriarchs and
Prophets.
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To Abraham (Genesis 18)
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To Moses (Exodus 31:18)
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To Jacob in a dream
(Genesis 28:10-22)
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He spoke to Isaiah in
visions
(Isaiah 6)
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In spite of these messages, and after centuries
of rejection by Israel, God manifested Himself in the flesh through
the virgin birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the fulfillment and
culmination of God’s revelation through the centuries. When we
accept Him, we experience the New Testament atonement, providing
salvation to us as described in
Acts
2:38.
Additional scriptures to
study
Psalms 119:130
Psalms 119:116, 117
I Samuel 3:1-15
Joel 2:28
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