In this series of messages we shall cover one central point—the kernel of the Bible. The Bible is a book of life. As a book of life, the Bible has a kernel, and within this kernel there is the life germ. One day I visited a very large farm. While I was there, I saw many things: mountains, soil, trees, and many types of plants. On the trees I saw fruit. This fruit had skin, meat, and seeds. Inside the shell of the seeds there was the kernel. Apart from that kernel, there was no life germ. Everything in this environment—the heavens, the earth, the mountains, the valleys, the soil, the farm, the trees, the plants, the fruit, and the shell—was just for the kernel. If there had been no kernel, everything else would have been meaningless.
The Bible, composed of sixty-six books, includes many things. For instance, there is a great deal of history recorded in the Bible. In the Bible we see the record of creation and the history of mankind, the Gentile nations, Israel, and the church. Eventually, the Bible unfolds the ultimate consummation of all these things.
The Bible also contains many doctrines. These doctrines make up what is commonly called theology. Theology teaches us all about God. It tells us what God is, what He can do, and what He has done, what He is doing, and what He will be doing. Along with theology, there is also the matter of religion, which tells us how to maintain a good relationship with God, how to worship God, how to serve God, how to love God, and how to do all for God.
In addition, the Bible also contains many ethical teachings. It speaks of love, kindness, patience, endurance, and humility. The Bible tells us that a man should love his wife and that a wife should submit to her husband. The Bible also says that children should honor their parents and that parents should take proper care of their children. It also contains ethical teachings about being good neighbors.
Are the history, doctrines, and ethics found in the Bible the kernel of the Bible? No, they definitely are not. You may be familiar with all the history, doctrine, religious teachings, and ethical instructions found in the Bible and still not know what the kernel is. Hence, it is absolutely crucial and vital that we see this kernel.
By considering the members of our physical body, we can appreciate how significant the kernel is. Although your right arm is very useful, you could still live if it were amputated. The same would be true if you lost your eyes. Although you would no longer be able to see, you would still have your life because the kernel within you would not have been damaged. The kernel in our physical body, of course, is our heart. If a person’s heart were taken away from him, he obviously could not live. Outwardly he would still be complete, having all his limbs and the other members of his body, but the life within him would be gone. By this we see that neither the arms nor the eyes are as crucial as the heart, because the heart is the kernel of our physical body.
I am sorry to say that many Christians know the Bible, but they have never seen the kernel of the Bible. Instead, they have merely touched the outward aspects of the Bible, such as the record of creation; the history of mankind, the Gentiles, Israel, and the church; and all the doctrines and ethical teachings. Many know theology, perhaps even possessing a doctor’s degree in theology, but they have never touched the kernel of the Bible. They may also know a great many teachings regarding religion, the worship of God, and the way to serve God and to love Him, but this does not mean that they have ever seen the kernel hidden within the Scriptures. Therefore, it is imperative to find out what the kernel of the Bible is.
Is the Bible a book of history? We must admit that the Bible is the best history book. If you major in history in college, but do not read the Bible, then you do not have an adequate knowledge of history. No other book besides the Bible tells us of the origin of the first generation of mankind. Hence, the Bible, a true history book, is the basis of all history. However, the history contained in the Bible is not the kernel of the Bible.
What about the doctrines in the Bible? Certainly there is no other book that contains more doctrines than the Bible does. The one word, God, includes hundreds of doctrines. Because there are so many doctrines in the Bible, we cannot deny that the Bible is a book of doctrine. If you say that the Bible is not a book of doctrine, you are heretical, for the Bible itself says that it is profitable for doctrine (2 Tim. 3:16). However, although the Bible is a book of doctrine, doctrine is not the kernel of the Bible.
The same is true regarding the ethical teachings in the Bible. When I was young, I studied the ethical teachings of Confucius. Because I had been born into Christianity, I also read the Bible and compared it with the teachings of Confucius. The ethics in the Bible are superior to the ethics of Confucius. No book on earth has better ethical teachings than the Bible. If you would know how to behave yourself as a wife, a husband, a child, a father, a mother, or a neighbor, you must read the Bible, an outstanding book of ethics. But no matter how excellent are the ethical teachings in the Bible, ethics is not the kernel of the Bible.