God has given us two great spiritual inheritances: the invisible Holy Spirit within us and the visible Bible in our hand.
This lesson will guide you into the rich treasury which God has prepared for you in the Bible.
“...the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:15-16
What God speaks to man today is based on what He has already spoken. Hence, if a believer desires to know God well, he must read the Bible.
“You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life, and it is these that testify concerning Me.” John 5:39
The Lord Jesus is the subject and content of the Bible. The Bible is the explanation and expression of the Lord Jesus. Through the Bible, the Lord Jesus is known and understood by man in a concrete way.
1. THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD
“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of one’s own interpretation; for no prophecy was ever borne by the will of man, but men spoke from God, being borne by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:20-21
All the words of the Bible are spoken by men being borne by the Holy Spirit, just as a sailboat is propelled forward by the wind.
These words of the Bible explain:
(1) The Triune God (the Father, Son, and Spirit)
(2) The economy of God—a. His plan, b. His work
(3) The creation, fall, and redemption of man
(4) The history of the universe
2. THE BIBLE IS THE REVELATION OF GOD
“In many portions and in many ways. God, having spoken of old to the fathers in the prophets, has at the last of these days spoken to us in the Son.” Hebrews 1:1-2
The whole Bible is the complete revelation of God; every word and every sentence is inspired by God.
God has spoken, and has revealed Himself.
3. THE BIBLE IS THE BREATH OF GOD
“All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16
“The words which I have spoken unto you are spirit and are life.” John 6:63b
God is Spirit, and whatever is breathed out by Him must also be spirit. Therefore, the very element and substance of the Bible is Spirit, just as phosphorous is the basic substance of matches.
We must use our spirit to strike the Spirit of the Bible to catch the divine fire.
1. The Old Testament—It was written mostly in the Hebrew language. There are altogether 39 books, which took about 1100 years to complete. According to its structure it can be divided into (refer to the list of the books in the Bible):
(1) The Pentateuch, consisting of five books
(2) History: a total of twelve books
(3) Psalms: a total of six books
(4) The Prophets: a total of sixteen books
2. The New Testament—It was written in Greek. There are altogether 27 books, which took over 50 years to complete. According to its structure it can be divided into: the four Gospels (a total of four books), Acts, the Epistles (a total of twenty-one books), and Revelation.