08 2. How We Got Our Bible

2. How We Got Our Bible How We Got Our Bible

INTRODUCTION The Bible claims to be the word of God to man. While there are statements in it from Satan and of wicked men, God had them put there that we may shun the ways of Satan and see the degrading influence of sin. There are things in the Bible no man could have known had not God revealed them to him. The Bible is, therefore, a revelation of the thoughts of God, or statements from others which God led the writers of the Bible to record.

HOW THE OLD TESTAMENT WAS WRITTEN The Old Testament writers were inspired. 2 Peter 1:21 says: "For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit." This is speaking of prophecies we find in the Old Testament. The Old Testament writers let it be known that they were writing as God’s Spirit directed them. (1) Isaiah says: "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for Jehovah hath spoken." (Isaiah 1:2.) (2) Jeremiah 1:1-2 says: "The words of Jeremiah . . . to whom the word of Jehovah came." Ezekiel 1:3 says: "The word of Jehovah came expressly unto Ezekiel." The writers thus let it be known that they did not write or speak of themselves, but that God guided them byhis Spirit.

God’s Spirit guided the people in the Old Testament through the writers of that Testament. Nehemiah 9:20 says: "Thou gayest also thy good Spirit to instruct them." But verse 30 of the same chapter says: "Yet many years didst thou bear with them, and testifiedst against them by thy Spirit through thy prophets." The Old Testament is sometimes spoken of as "the law of Moses." "For the law was given through Moses." (John 1:17.) But Moses was guided by God’s Spirit in giving this law to the people. God wrote with his own finger the law on tables of stone. (Exodus 31:18.) God’s Spirit guided Moses in writing all other things of the law after the tenor of those words. God’s Spirit was in Moses in a degree which others did not possess. When he complained that his burden was too heavy for him, that he needed help, he was commanded to gather before Jehovah seventy elders from among his brethren, and Jehovah said: "I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee." (Numbers 11:16-17.) You can see that the people were led by God’s Spirit by hearing and obeying their Spirit-guided leaders. David wrote his part of the Old Testament by inspiration. In 2 Samuel 23:2 David himself declared: "The Spirit of Jehovah spake by me, and his word was upon my tongue." The writer of the Hebrew letter, quoting from David in Psalms 95:7-11 says: "Wherefore, even as the Holy Spirit saith." (See Hebrews 3:7-11.) It was the Holy Spirit speaking through David. The prophecies found in the Old Testament, when used by the New Testament writers to prove certain points, are declared to be the "witness of the Spirit." (Read Hebrews 10:15-17.) Here we have a quotation from Jeremiah 31:33. This passage is used to prove that a new covenant would be established, and, referring to it, the New Testament writer said: "The Holy Spirit also beareth witness to us." It was the Holy Spirit speaking or testifying through Jeremiah. The three main divisions of the Old Testament are recognized by Jesus in Luke 24:44.. He says: "These are my words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and the rophets, and the psalms, concerning me."

HOW THE NEW TESTAMENT WAS GIVEN In the Old Testament God speaks through Moses and the prophets, but in the New Testament he speaks through his Son, Jesus Christ. "God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the prophets by divers portions and in divers manners, hath at the end of these days spoken unto us in his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things. (See Hebrews 1:1-2.)

Christ speaks through his apostles. (Read Matthew 10:1-20.) Verses 19, 20 read: "For it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you." Christ gave these apostles his words. "The words which thou gayest me I have given unto them." (John 17:8.) In verse 20 of the same chapter Christ prays for all who believe in him "through their word." The apostles had the words of God, and "belief cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17.) The Holy Spirit was promised to these apostles. "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth: for he shall not speak from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, these shall he speak: and he shall declare unto you the things that are to come." (John 16:13.) The Spirit came upon the apostles, after our Lord’s ascension, on the day of Pentecost, as you will see in Acts 2, and they declared that the Spirit did guide them into the knowledge of all things pertaining to salvation. "Seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness." (See 2 Peter 1:3.) "Every scripture inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness: that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17.) These Scriptures were given by the Holy Spirit and contain all the doctrine God wants taught and all the reproof and correction the human race needs. The apostles are ambassadors for Christ. "We are ambassadors therefore on behalf of Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:20.) An ambassador is one selected to speak for his government or ruler. Christ selected these apostles to speak for him the word of reconciliation which was "committed" unto them. (2 Corinthians 5:19.) They were "earthen vessels," and the gospel given them by the Holy Spirit was called "this treasure in earthen vessels." ( See 2 Corinthians 4:7. ) The preaching of these apostles was confirmed by signs and wonders. "And these signs shall accompany them that believe" has reference to the apostles. "So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken unto them, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they [the apostles] went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed." (See Mark 16:17-20.) Connect with this passage Paul’s statement in Hebrews 2:3-4 : "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation? which having at the first been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them [the apostles] that heard; God also bearing witness with them, both by signs and wonders, and by manifold powers, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will." In 2 Corinthians 12:12 Paul says: "Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, by signs and wonders and mighty works." Every sign and wonder performed from the day the apostles were baptized in the Holy Spirit on Pentecost was performed by an apostle or someone who had come in contact with the apostles, hence was the sign or proof that these men had a message from God that none should dare refuse. Thus the New Testament was given and confirmed unto man as God’s last will and testament unto man. It is to last until Christ comes again. His final words to the apostles were: "And Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:16-20.)