Getting to Know the Bible

By Bob Myhan

The most common excuse for not studying the Bible seems to be “I just cannot understand it!” The truth is, while it is certainly a challenge, we nev­ertheless can and must understand it!

First, the Bible says we can under­stand it.

“Those who hunger and thirst for right­eousness … shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6)

“Jesus answered them and said, ‘My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God’ (John 7:16-17). “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).

“Therefore do not be foolish, but un­derstand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17)

“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple” (Psalm 19:7)

Second, we are exhorted to study the word of God.

“Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they re­ceived the word with all eagerness, examin­ing the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore be­lieved, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men” (Acts 17:11-12)

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2)

“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is writ­ten in it” (Revelation 1:3).

Third, we will be judged by the word of God, as spoken by Jesus, in the last day.

“The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day” (John 12:48)

“…on that day when, according to my gos­pel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus” (Romans 2:16)

 “…in flaming fire, in­flicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus” (2 Thessa­lonians 1:8)

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Hebrews 1:1-2)

Fourth, God gave the Bible to show us how to be saved.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for sal­vation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16)

“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believ­ing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31)

“Therefore put away all filthi­ness and rampant wickedness and re­ceive with meek­ness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21)

“So put away all malice and all de­ceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slan­der. Like newborn in­fants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation” (1 Peter 2:1-2).

Fifth, God wants all people to be saved.

“For the grace of God has appeared, bring­ing salvation for all people” (Titus 2:11)

“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9)

“This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:3-4)

Sixth, God has revealed His will in the way that will best facilitate our understanding of it. He told the serpent, in the hearing of Adam and Eve,

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your off­spring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15).

If the Son of God had come into the world immediately after the first man and woman sinned, there is no way anyone could ever have appreciated the love of God. So God intro­duced the idea of sacrificial relig­ion, and ad­vanced it in stages - Patriarchal, Mosaic, Christian - until the sac­rifice of His Son - as the ultimate demon­stration of His love - could be appreciated and reciprocated by the objects thereof. Do you ap­preciate it? Do you want to recipro­cate it? Why not study God’s word? &

 (Above quotations are from the English Standard Version of 2001)

A Godly Man in Wicked Surroundings

By Bill Hall

Elijah was a man who reached true greatness in the Lord's service. He was always ready to go where God would send him (l Kings 18:1; 19:15); to pray whenever prayer was needed (1 Kings 17:20, 21; 18:36, 37), and to confront evil whenever confrontation was necessary (I Kings 18:17-24; 21:17-19). He was trans­lated without seeing death, and he, along with Moses, was chosen to appear with the Lord on the mount of transfiguration.

The remarkable thing about Elijah is that he attained this greatness while living in a wicked and hostile environment. Had he lived in Judah during the righteous reign of Hezekiah or Josiah, we might not be sur­prised at Elijah's attainments. But he lived instead in Israel during the wicked reign of Ahab. He was subjected to the cruel intents of Jezebel. He was under constant harass­ment and threat of death. He became so discouraged at one point that he asked to die, but he never denied his God.

In this wicked environment Elijah was able to influence others. The widow of Zarephath was blessed through Elijah (I Kings 17:8-24). The multitudes on Mount Carmel were led to cry, "The Lord, He is God!" through his courageous efforts (I Kings 18:39). Elisha, his successor, must have been greatly influ­enced by him. And even Ahab was brought to humility on one occasion, clothing himself in sackcloth as a result of Elijah's rebuke (1 Kings 21:27-29). The message of Elijah is clear. You can live a godly life and influence others for good in a wicked and hostile envi­ronment.

When one hears the excuses people make today, it is obvious that Elijah's message is badly needed in this generation. People ex­cuse their failure to teach others the gospel with, "People are so prejudiced around here they just won't listen"; when the truth is, lit­tle effort has been made. If they are ap­proached about their ungodly conduct, they explain that "You just don't know how terri­ble the people are that I have to work around every day." If their children go astray their explanation is, "Our children are faced with pressures that we didn't have growing up." Such statements, repeated often enough, become too many a "license" to do wrong and a salve to soothe their troubled consciences.

We must throw aside our excuses and make up our minds to do right. Elijah could serve God in wicked surroundings. And so can us. &

Applying the Scriptures

By Gilbert Alexander

Understanding what a passage of scripture says and means is one thing; applying that passage prop­erly to certain situations is quite another thing. Understanding what Jesus said to the thief on the cross and what it meant to the thief seems to be easily understood, but many people err in applying the passage to the situation of men today, since the circum­stances and the law are not the same. Un­derstanding what Jesus said to the rich young man in Matthew 19:21 is a simple matter, but to apply it as an injunction to all people is to err in application.

We need to be extremely careful in our ap­plication of the scriptures, so as not to mis­apply them and thus to teach error. Many mistakes are made by misapplying passages and by overextending an application, reach­ing beyond the purpose God intended in an example or illustration. The context of a passage helps in determining its proper ap­plication. When determining the application of a passage, we need to observe who said it, to whom it was spoken, the circum­stances, and under which covenant it ap­plied. Good common sense and basic read­ing principles are a part of Bible study, too.

Let us read and apply properly God's message. & (From the Pathfinder, Volume 17, Number 9, September, 1985)