1-The Bible - RSV

1. The Bible Is Inspired by God.
2 Peter 1:21 Because no ______________ ever came by the ____________ of man, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for __________________, and for training in _______________________,

2. The Bible, As God's Word, Is True and Dependable.
Psalms 119:160 The sum of thy word is truth; and every one of thy ________________ __________________ endures for ever.

Psalms 12:6-7 The promises of the LORD are promises that are pure, silver refined in a furnace on the ground, ______________ seven times. [7] Do thou, O LORD, protect us, guard us ever from this __________________.

3. God's Word Is Eternal.
Matthew 24:35 __________ and earth will pass away, but my _________ will not pass away.

4. God Gives Us the Scriptures for Various Reasons.
Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that by _______________________ and by the _______________________ of the scriptures we might have hope.

2 Timothy 3:15 And how from childhood you have been __________________ with the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for ________________ through faith in Christ Jesus.

5. The Scriptures Point to Jesus.
John 5:39 You search the __________________, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear ____________ to me;

6. The Holy Spirit Will Help Us to Understand.
John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own ________________, but ______________ he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

7. Our Hearts Must Be Open to Spiritual Things.
1 Corinthians 2:13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, _____________________ ________________ truths to those who possess the Spirit.

8. We Must Compare Scripture with Scripture.
Isaiah 28:9-10 "Whom will he teach ________________, and to whom will he ____________ the ____________? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast? [10] For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little."

9. Truth Comes to Open Minds.
John 17:17 ______________ them in the truth; thy _______ is truth.

John 7:17 If any man's will is to do his will, he shall know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am ______________ 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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