The Word of God

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Permalink Reply by Amanda on August 28, 2013 at 2:13pm

I agree, Roy.

I believe that God the Word became flesh and gave His life for us. I believe that all true believers will come to faith in Jesus. I'm not sure how it happens. Jesus has given the Great Commission. Romans 10:8-17 speaks of the message of faith and faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

Matthew 28:
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Do people have to come to faith in Jesus according to the Scriptures (the Jesus of the Bible)? I'm not going to say anymore that they have to (sounds too legalistic) but it is my belief that they will.

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Permalink Reply by RoyW on August 28, 2013 at 2:51pm

Amanda,

The following is my opinion: There is only one Jesus and that is the Jesus of the Holy Bible. He is the Jesus in both Testaments. To reject the Bible is to reject the Jesus of the Bible. The Jesus spoken of in history is not the true Jesus as more often than not, He is not correctly represented by historical accounts. Even if one reads about Jesus in history, he still must go to the Bible to learn more about Him. There is no contradiction between the Jesus of the Bible and the Jesus presented to the multitudes in the early church before the Bible became available to the church. If a Jesus other than the One presented in Scripture was presented, the wrong Jesus was being presented and could save no one from their sins. 

The Mormon Jesus cannot save. The JW Jesus cannot save. Any other Jesus cannot save. There is only one Savior and He is represented in all of Scripture. To reject Scripture is to reject Him. 

Yes, I believe people have to come to faith in the Jesus of the Bible to be saved. 

Gal 1:8-9
8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! NIV

How  is it even remotely possible to know if we are hearing the true Gospel? We must go to the Bible. Nothing else can save. God was good enough to write it down for us to make sure we got the Gospel that can save. Why would anyone that says they believe in Jesus reject the Gospel message.

Pretty rough words from Paul here, heh?

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Permalink Reply by Amanda on August 28, 2013 at 3:00pm

People get mad at me whenever I tell them they "have to" and my legalistic background gets thrown up into my face quite a bit. So I've stopped saying "have to" to people. My belief is that they will, no ifs ands or buts about it. :) For true believers.

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Permalink Reply by Colby on August 25, 2013 at 9:59am

        The bottom line as to what is foundational about the Bible centers on these three areas: 1) Its origin, 2) its authority, and 3) its interpretation.  

        There are essentially two "either-or" frameworks for reading and understanding the Bible. 

• First, the traditional Christian view that it is sacred scripture, reliable and trustworthy as the Word of God, revealing his will and plan of salvation to us.   God's Spirit speaking through human authors is recorded and manifested in its writings.

• Second, a secular or postmodern view that the Bible a collection of fables (albeit with a good moral) written by men living in ancient times from a small patch of territory along the eastern Mediterranean Sea.  It is a collection of writings about man's beliefs concerning God, not the revealed Word of God.  As such, these writings are time-bound and culture-bound with little (if any) relevance to how we live in the 21st century.

        Here is my take on things. 

1.  Origin - - The Bible is the Word of God, written by holy men, inspired by the Holy Spirit.  It is sacred scripture that comes from God and, therefore, is not a human product.
   
   
2. Authority - - It logically follows that if the Bible comes from God, it must be true and reliable and taken seriously as the final authority on what to believe (doctrine) and how to live (m0rality and ethics).
   
   
3. Interpretation - - If the Bible's writings were inspired by God, then God guided the writing of the Bible directly or indirectly from Genesis through Revelation.  What we read in the Bible is, therefore, reliably and authoritatively the revealed Word of God, and not the mere opinions of the men who wrote it.  Accordingly, if the Bible is the Word of God, it follows that when we read from Romans or Ephesians, for example, Paul is telling us what God says and not how Paul sees things. There is a huge difference here.

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Permalink Reply by RoyW on August 28, 2013 at 3:07pm

Amen. Nothing else makes any sense to me.

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Permalink Reply by Charles Burwell on August 27, 2013 at 4:04pm

LT

 

I completely agree that the bible is the Word of God but need to add one point . I believe ( as several churches include in their statements of faith) that the scriptures are inerrant in the original writings. I simply say this to clarify that several 'translations' or paraphrases that are out (the New World translation for one) deviate from most other 'bibles' in a couple of very significant areas.

 

I say this to simple caution that not all books that have 'Holy Bible' on the front are inerrant in their content  because they have not diligently ( or perhaps intentionally) translated from the original documents. The original documents of the writers of scripture are , without a doubt, delivered to us by God through the Holy Spirit by the pen of men.

 

God bless

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on August 27, 2013 at 4:29pm

Charles,

Excellent point of clarification. Thanks.

 

Lord Bless,

LT

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Permalink Reply by David Velasquez on January 26, 2014 at 9:29pm

The Westminster Confession of Faith

Chapter I

Of the Holy Scripture

I. Although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men unexcusable;[1] yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of His will, which is necessary unto salvation.[2] Therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal Himself, and to declare that His will unto His Church;[3] and afterwards for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the Church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing;[4] which makes the Holy Scripture to be most necessary;[5] those former ways of God's revealing His will unto His people being now ceased.[6]

II. Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testament, which are these: Of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I Samuel, II Samuel, I Kings, II Kings, I Chronicles, II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, The Song of Songs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. Of the New Testament: The Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, The Acts of the Apostles, Paul's Epistles to the Romans, Corinthians I, Corinthians II, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians I , Thessalonians II , To Timothy I , To Timothy II, To Titus, To Philemon, The Epistle to the Hebrews, The Epistle of James, The first and second Epistles of Peter, The first, second, and third Epistles of John, The Epistle of Jude, The Revelation of John. All which are given by inspiration of God to be the rule of faith and life.[7]

III. The books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon of the Scripture, and therefore are of no authority in the Church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved, or made use of, than other human writings.[8]

IV. The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, and obeyed, depends not upon the testimony of any man, or Church; but wholly upon God (who is truth itself) the author thereof: and therefore it is to be received, because it is the Word of God.[9]

V. We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the Church to an high and reverent esteem of the Holy Scripture.[10] And the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole (which is, to give all glory to God), the full discovery it makes of the only way of man's salvation, the many other incomparable excellencies, and the entire perfection thereof, are arguments whereby it does abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God: yet notwithstanding, our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth and divine authority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts.[11]

VI. The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man's salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men.[12] Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word:[13] and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature, and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed.[14]

VII. All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all:[15] yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation are so clearly propounded, and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them.[16]

VIII. The Old Testament in Hebrew (which was the native language of the people of God of old), and the New Testament in Greek (which, at the time of the writing of it, was most generally known to the nations), being immediately inspired by God, and, by His singular care and providence, kept pure in all ages, are therefore authentical;[17] so as, in all controversies of religion, the Church is finally to appeal unto them.[18] But, because these original tongues are not known to all the people of God, who have right unto, and interest in the Scriptures, and are commanded, in the fear of God, to read and search them,[19] therefore they are to be translated in to the vulgar language of every nation unto which they come,[20] that, the Word of God dwelling plentifully in all, they may worship Him in an acceptable manner;[21] and, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, may have hope.[22]

IX. The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself: and therefore, when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture (which is not manifold, but one), it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly.[23]

X. The supreme judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of

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Permalink Reply by journeyman on January 27, 2014 at 7:35am

Amen. Thank you my dear Brother LT.

with great love your Brother,

jm

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on January 27, 2014 at 12:48pm

That same love and respect back at you my brother :-)

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Permalink Reply by a servant (Chris) on January 27, 2014 at 5:24pm

LT

I join in with the others to Thank you for posting this clarification.  This continues to show that you are led by The Spirit in Obedience to The Father’s Will.  So there be no room for the enemy to plant seeds of doubt in anyone.  Which if ignored could grow into divisions.

We have The Words of Jesus, “How, then, would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?” Matt 26:54  Then He told them, “These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you —that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Luke 24:44

24 If I had not done the works among them that no one else has done, they would not have sin. Now they have seen and hated both Me and My Father. 25 But this happened so that the statement written in their scripture might be fulfilled: They hated Me for no reason. 26 “When the  Counselor comes, the One I will send to you from the Father —the Spirit of Truth who proceeds from the Father —He will testify about Me. 27 You also will testify, because you have been with Me from the beginning.  John 15:24-27  

We also have The Words of Jesus confirmed, “When the  Counselor comes, the One I will send to you from The Father —The Spirit of Truth who proceeds from The Father —He will testify about Me. 27 You also will testify, because you have been with Me from the beginning.”     We have the Gospels and the men chosen to construct The New Testament.    5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in Power, in The Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we were among you for your benefit, 6 and you became imitators of us and of the Lord when, in spite of severe persecution, you welcomed the message with joy from The Holy Spirit. 1 Thess 1:5-6

15 and you know that from childhood you have known The Sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you Wisdom for Salvation through Faith In Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is Profitable for Teaching, for Rebuking, for Correcting, for Training in Righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Tim 3:15-17

20 First of all, you should know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were moved by The Holy Spirit. 2 Pet 1:20-21

13 This is why we constantly thank God, because when you received the message about God that you heard from us, you welcomed it not as a human message, but as it truly is, the message of God, which also works effectively in you believers 1 Thess 2:13     2000’s + yrs and still completing The Work in all who put their Hope and Trust in Jesus.

 

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