How We Got The Holy Bible

Written by Stephen Kingery


Have you ever stopped to consider whatrepparttar Bible really is. For sure, it isrepparttar 140691 word of God. But it is more than that. It is history, poetry, proverbs, parables, allegories, biography, correspondence, diaries, prophecy, and apocalyptic literature. But it is still more. From Genesis 1:1 allrepparttar 140692 way through torepparttar 140693 last verse of Revelation there is a plan by which man can receive salvation andrepparttar 140694 promise of God for eternal life with Jesus Christ. This plan is like a scarlet cord which runs allrepparttar 140695 way throughrepparttar 140696 Old and New Testaments. But still, it is more. The Bible is God's love letter to mankind.

The Bible isrepparttar 140697 most wonderful book inrepparttar 140698 world, for it is trulyrepparttar 140699 Word of God. If I could only have one book, it would berepparttar 140700 Bible.

Throughoutrepparttar 140701 centuries many critics have tried to destroyrepparttar 140702 Bible and its relevance to man. However, with God's protection it has withstoodrepparttar 140703 attacks of these unbelievers and remainsrepparttar 140704 world's best seller.

The Bible was written by forty different authors all inspired by God. These authors lived over a span of more than 1500 years, in thirteen different countries and three continents (Asia, Europe, and Africa). The original texts were written in three different languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. And these authors were called by God from a variety of different occupations: doctors, farmers, fishermen, kings, tax collectors, shepherds, and tent makers.

Even thoughrepparttar 140705 Bible was actually written by so many individuals, over such a long period of time, in three languages and on three continents, it does not contain even one proven contradiction. Onrepparttar 140706 other hand, its historical accuracy has been confirmed time and time again by archaeological finds. These same archaeological discoveries have yet to prove one aspect ofrepparttar 140707 Bible incorrect. These facts point torepparttar 140708 infallibility ofrepparttar 140709 Bible andrepparttar 140710 confirmation that it was inspired by God.

The Bible contains sixty-six books; thirty-nine inrepparttar 140711 Old Testament and twenty-seven inrepparttar 140712 New Testament. The Old Testament contains five books of law, twelve books of history, five books of poetry, and seventeen books of prophecy. The New Testament contains four biography books, one book of history, twenty-one epistles (or books of instruction on Christian living), and one book of prophecy.

Our first reaction may be one of amazement that this could actually be true. But when we stop to consider that it was God who orchestratedrepparttar 140713 writing of His word, we should not be amazed that it has been preserved for us by Him. Remember, with God all things are possible.

So, how wasrepparttar 140714 Bible handed down to our generation? The men through whom God spoke to His people, did so in word and writing. God directed Moses to go to Mt. Sinai to receiverepparttar 140715 law. Moses also learned ofrepparttar 140716 early history ofrepparttar 140717 world,repparttar 140718 creation, andrepparttar 140719 nation of Israel. All these things Moses put in writing.

Later, such men as Joshua, Samuel, and Ezra would writerepparttar 140720 history of Israel. They were guided byrepparttar 140721 Holy Spirit so that their writings would be free from error. Also various prophets were called by God to preach torepparttar 140722 people of Israel. They preserved their messages in writing as directed by God. "Now it came to pass inrepparttar 140723 fourth year of Jehoiakimrepparttar 140724 son of Josiah, king of Judah, that this word came to Jeremiah fromrepparttar 140725 Lord, saying: 'Take a scroll of a book and write on it allrepparttar 140726 words that I have spoken to you against Israel, against Judah, and against allrepparttar 140727 nations, fromrepparttar 140728 day I spoke to you, fromrepparttar 140729 days of Josiah even to this day.'" (Jeremiah 36:1,2)

These books (or scrolls) were kept byrepparttar 140730 people and used as instruction from God. If not duringrepparttar 140731 time they were written, then later afterrepparttar 140732 deaths ofrepparttar 140733 various writers. This is proven again inrepparttar 140734 book of Jeremiah, chapter 26 asrepparttar 140735 elders quoted fromrepparttar 140736 book of Micah to show that Jeremiah was correct. This was more than a century after Micah lived.

We know by readingrepparttar 140737 New Testament that duringrepparttar 140738 time that Jesus was on earthrepparttar 140739 Jews considered all of what we know asrepparttar 140740 Old Testament to be authoritative. Jesus quoted from Psalms 118 and called it Scripture. (See Mark 12:10,11) Jesus also quoted many times fromrepparttar 140741 Prophets andrepparttar 140742 Law.

The Jews had tremendous respect forrepparttar 140743 manuscripts ofrepparttar 140744 Old Testament. When a manuscript became too old or fragile to use, with respect,repparttar 140745 Jews would burnrepparttar 140746 manuscript. Because of this, for centuriesrepparttar 140747 oldest Old Testament manuscript was datedrepparttar 140748 ninth century A.D. Many skeptics used this in an attempt to discreditrepparttar 140749 Old Testament texts. They saidrepparttar 140750 with so many transcriptions overrepparttar 140751 centuries,repparttar 140752 text would most certainly have to be filled with error. Then in 1947repparttar 140753 Dead Sea Scrolls were found. These scrolls contained almost allrepparttar 140754 texts ofrepparttar 140755 Old Testament. The scrolls were datedrepparttar 140756 second century B.C., or about 1100 years beforerepparttar 140757 earliest manuscript of that time.

Holiness

Written by Stephen Kingery


A subject which seem to have been all but forgotten in America today is Holiness. As a matter of fact, in some circles it has almost taken on a negative connotation. I'm sure you have heardrepparttar phrase "holier than thou" used before to speak of someone. Perhaps that person was really trying to have holiness in his/her life. But because ofrepparttar 140690 negative thoughts and attitudes of others, it was perceived as an undesirable trait rather than an admirable one.

What is holiness? Is it something that we as Christians should strive for, or is it something that a humble person would not want to be considered?

Inrepparttar 140691 scriptures, when something was referred to as "holy" it was set apart forrepparttar 140692 service of God. These things were dedicated and used exclusively for God's glory. For example,repparttar 140693 temple was holy because it wasrepparttar 140694 place which was set apart exclusively forrepparttar 140695 worship of God. We read ofrepparttar 140696 beauty of Solomon's Temple and we can seerepparttar 140697 devotion whichrepparttar 140698 nation of Israel had (at that time) forrepparttar 140699 temple as a holy place.

"Then he said to them, 'This is whatrepparttar 140700 LORD has said: "Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath torepparttar 140701 LORD. . ."'" (Exodus 16:23) There were days or seasons which were also holy. The Sabbath was a holy day because it was set apart as a memorial of God's creation. God had createdrepparttar 140702 universe in six days, and rested onrepparttar 140703 seventh. He therefore established that seventh day asrepparttar 140704 Sabbath and a day of rest forrepparttar 140705 nation of Israel as well as a day to remember that God was our Creator.

"And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation..." (Exodus 19:6) The priests which conductedrepparttar 140706 various functions inrepparttar 140707 temple and tabernacle were also set apart forrepparttar 140708 service ofrepparttar 140709 Lord. They were holy.

"And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty." (Exodus 28:2) Objects were holy. Garments, anointing oil and other objects used inrepparttar 140710 temple were set apart forrepparttar 140711 service of worshipingrepparttar 140712 Lord.

The nation of Israel was also holy. It wasrepparttar 140713 nation of Israel which God had determined would berepparttar 140714 nation through which He would bring His Son intorepparttar 140715 world as our savior.

So, is it then possible for us as Christians to be holy? Can we be set apart to glorify God? Let's see whatrepparttar 140716 Bible has to say about Christians and being holy.

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, byrepparttar 140717 mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." (Romans 12:1) We are certainly expected to be a holy people. Paul admonishes us to do those things which will make us acceptable to God as being set apart for His service. We are to live our lives as "a living sacrifice" or in other words to conduct ourselves in such a manner that we could be considered a living sacrifice. When we consider that we are to make our bodies a living sacrifice to God we understand that our physical being is to be dedicated to live a life which will bring glory and honor to god. This means rejecting all those things which do not bring glory to God: obscene, vulgar, immoral and profane behavior as examples.

"If anyone defilesrepparttar 140718 temple of God, God will destroy him. Forrepparttar 140719 temple of God is holy, which temple you are." (1 Corinthians 3:17) "Or do you not know that your body isrepparttar 140720 temple ofrepparttar 140721 Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?" (1 Corinthians 6:19) We see hererepparttar 140722 command from God to keep our bodies as a holy temple of God for indeedrepparttar 140723 Holy Spirit indwells each Christian. This is further evidence that we are to consider our bodies as holy or set apart forrepparttar 140724 service of and glory to God. As a matter of fact, we as individual Christians are a part ofrepparttar 140725 church which is also described inrepparttar 140726 Bible asrepparttar 140727 dwelling place of God. (Ephesians 2:19-22)

We have seen inrepparttar 140728 previous paragraph that we are to keep our bodies as a holy temple to God, but what about our actions? Can and should they also be holy? "Therefore, asrepparttar 140729 elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which isrepparttar 140730 bond of perfection." (Colossians 3:12-14) We can, indeed we must, have conduct which is holy if we are to truly serve God. How can we be a Christian and not have those qualities which this Scripture talks about? Tender mercies, kindness, meekness, patience and love is what a Christian has in their lives. You simply cannot be a Christian and not have these qualities. You can claim to be a Christian, go to church, say allrepparttar 140731 right things, do allrepparttar 140732 right things, go to allrepparttar 140733 right places; but without truly having these qualities manifested in your life, you are not a Christian.

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