Bible Studies

Part One

It is so easy to see the areas of weakness in everyone else, while being ignorant of, or living in denial of, our own.

The Bible was given to us, not to be considered a book of suggestions, but one of commands for anyone who desires to become a disciple. Regardless of our personal opinions or the opinions of others, it will be on the basis of what God has actually revealed to Man in Scripture that He will use to judge or evaluate each and every one of us.

The Matt. 7: 1 instructions not to judge so that you will not be judged is speaking about one’s interaction with other PEOPLE, not God.

EVERYONE will in fact either be judged at the Rev. 20: 13-15 event in the capacity of an unbeliever, or be evaluated at the 1Cor. 3: 12-15 event in the capacity of a born-again believer, after departing this world.

Sharing with others what God has to say about these two events is not “judging” anyone. It is a sin to possess, but then withhold, the information that someone else needs to hear in order for them to either be saved or edified. I don’t see how someone can claim to “love” someone else and not have a concern for his or her spiritual well-being.

This includes the love that we are commanded to have for our neighbors and enemies.

Most of what we now refer to as the Holy Bible began to take written form around 1500BC, with Moses being the human author. The fact that Moses not only wrote of things taking place in his own life span, but of things that took place before the creation of Man, is in itself evidence of divine inspiration.

Prior to it taking written form, the Word of God was passed down from one generation to the next through oral communication and tradition.

If it were not for the hand of God being involved, there might be cause for reasonable doubt as to its accuracy. The fact that God was involved, is what gives believers confidence to rely on its accuracy. The things of God will always require faith on the part of believers.

The devil, speaking through the serpent, was able to deceive the woman when the world’s population consisted of only two individuals in the chain of communication.

We are all familiar with the parlor game in which a clear statement is whispered in the ear of one person and then is passed along to the next until all has heard it. When the last recipient reads aloud the message he received, it is inevitably quite different from the original message, even though each participant believed he had received and passed along the accurate message.

But real life is not a game, and the blessings or consequences of our choices have eternal impact on ourselves and those around us. Having access to a Bible, we are not without the means to confirm the accuracy of messages (sermons/homilies/etc.) that are presented to us (1).

It is the work of God, through the minority (2 ) of believers in each generation of the Church Age that become Biblically-qualified pastor-teachers and advancing disciples, that He maintains the intergrity of thr unadulterated Gospel Message for salvation, and accurate doctrine relevant to the post salvation spiritual life of discipleship.

Biblical knowledge or ignorance, therefore, is a choice we make. Applying the knowledge we have been given is a choice we make. Let us not be found guilty by the choices we make.

(1) Acts 17: 11 (2) Matt. 7: 13, 14

End of Part One