1-The Bible - NIV

1. The Bible Is Inspired by God.
2 Peter 1:21 For _prophecy_ never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were _carried_ along by the Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, _correcting_ and training in _righteousness_,

2. The Bible, As God's Word, Is True and Dependable.
Psalms 119:160 All your words are true; all your _righteous_ laws are _eternal_.

Psalms 12:6-7 And the words of the LORD are _flawless_, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, _purified_ seven times. [7] O LORD, you will keep us safe and protect us from such people forever.

3. God's Word Is Eternal.
Matthew 24:35 _Heaven_ and earth will pass away, but my words will _never_ pass away.

4. God Gives Us the Scriptures for Various Reasons.
Romans 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the _encouragement_ of the _Scriptures_ we might have hope.

2 Timothy 3:15 And how from infancy you have known the holy _Scriptures_, which are able to make you wise for _salvation_ through faith in Christ Jesus.

5. The Scriptures Point to Jesus.
John 5:39 You _diligently_ study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that _testify_ about me,

6. The Holy Spirit Will Help Us to Understand.
John 16:13 But when he, the _Spirit_ of truth, comes, he will _guide_ you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

7. Our Hearts Must Be Open to Spiritual Things.
1 Corinthians 2:13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, _expressing_ spiritual _truths_ in spiritual words.

8. We Must Compare Scripture with Scripture.
Isaiah 28:9-10 "Who is it he is trying to teach? To whom is he _explaining_ his _message_? To _children_ weaned from their milk, to those just taken from the breast? [10] For it is: Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a little here, a little there."

9. Truth Comes to Open Minds.
John 17:17 _Sanctify_ them by the truth; your _word_ is truth.

John 7:17 If anyone _chooses_ to do God's will, he will find out whether my _teaching_ comes from God or whether I speak on my own.

10. Important Characteristics of the Bible.
(1) Its unity: The Bible at first sight appears to be merely a collection of ancient literature. However, considering that it was written by approximately forty authors over a period of nearly sixteen hundred years, its unity is amazing. The plan of salvation is revealed progressively from Genesis to Revelation. There is unity in its theme: The Messiah is promised throughout the Old Testament and declared in every New Testament book to have come in the person of Jesus Christ. And there is complete harmony of teaching: The doctrines of the Old and New Testament are the same.

(2) The history it portrays: The Old Testament embodies the oldest history of any people in the world. William F. Albright, the greatest archaeologist of the twentieth century, wrote, "hebrew national tradition excels all other in its clear picture of tribal and family origins. In Egypt and Babylonia, in Assyria and Phoenicia, in Greece and Rome, we look in vain for anything comparable. There is nothing like it in the tradition of the Germanic peoples. Neither India nor China can produce anything similar. "-The Biblical Period From Abraham to Ezra (new York: Harper, Torch Book, 1963), p. 27.

(3) Its survival: The Bible, compared with other ancient writings, has more manuscript evidence than any other piece of classical literature-in spite of early attempts by Roman emperors to destroy it. For example, there are more than five thousand known Greek manuscripts of the New Testament in existence. Homer's Iliad is second with only 643 manuscripts that have survived.

The reason for this phenomenon is the Holy Spirit, the real author of God's Word. He inspired all the human authors and ensured that the biblical historians presented an accurate picture. He watched over the history and preservation of the Bible.

Contributed by: Gerard Pfandl, Associate Director of the Biblical Research Institute of the General Conference. Taken from "the Prophetic Gift", Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide, December 31, 2008.

Next Bible Study: 2-Who God Is

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