Bible Basics

“…and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able
to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching,
for reproof, for correction, and
for training in righteousness,
that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped
for every good work.”

2 Timothy 3:15-17

The intertwined themes of the posts I’ve been writing on the Bible have been—
What is the Bible? and What happens to those who read it? The effect of the Bible occurs because of what the Bible is.

The Bible is God’s revelation about who He is and who we are; how we can know Him and how we are to live before Him. The Bible was breathed out by God, (the word is usually translated inspired); as God’s Word, the Bible alone has authority that is infallible and inerrant. The Bible has sufficiency for all matters of faith and practice for the Christian, but we are incapable of accepting its teaching or understanding its message without the illumination of God’s Spirit. While some parts of the Bible are difficult to interpret, it’s perspicuity means that even a child can grasp its teaching about salvation, and all can comprehend how God commands us to live.

Those emphasized words are important. They name major doctrines about the Bible, and all Christians should be familiar with the words and understand their basic tenets.

I’ll have some quotes for you on these doctrines, but first take some time to read and think over the following passages from the Bible. Pray and ask God to teach you about His Word.

Psalm 19, Matthew 5:17-19, Matthew 7:24-29, Romans 1:18-21, 1 Corinthians 2:10-16,
2 Timothy 3:14-17, Hebrews 1:1-2 and 2 Peter 1:20-21.

“For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.”
1 Thessalonians 2:13

May God richly bless you.

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Coloured Glass: FreeFoto.com
2 Timothy 3:15-16: (ESV) English Standard Version.
2 Timothy 3:17: Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by
Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
R. C. Sproul, Knowing Scripture, 1977, p. 25.