1. How close was man's first fellowship with God?
Genesis 3:8-9 "And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: ........... And the LORD God called unto Adam, ...."
2. What caused the break in this intimate communion?
Isaiah 59:2 "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."
3. After sin entered the world, what modified method of communication with man did God adopt?
Hebrews 1:1 "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,"
4. What nation id God single out to be the special instrument of His revelations?
Romans 3:1-2 " What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God."
Romans 9:4 "Who are Israelite s; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;"
Note(JB) Then Israel covered the three major trading routes, from three continents, so they were well placed to spread the Word of God, which they failed to do!
5. What further provision did God make for keeping the knowledge of His will before His chosen people?
Exodus 17:14 "And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will..."
Exodus 24:4 "And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel."
NOTE: --In His providence God gathered up the record of the past and communicated it to Moses, instructing him to write in the book to form the nucleus of a written revelation which could be handed down from generation to generation. By divine inspiration Moses wrote the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, which became known as "The Book of Moses" [2 Chronicles 25:4]
NOTE (JB) If anyone sweeps away the authority as an inspiration, one then undermines the entire Bible, and look what it says about rejections of Scripture-----
Proverbs 13:13 "Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded."
Winston S. Churchill , in his book "Thoughts and Adventures" p. 249 Wrote this: "We may be sure that all these things happened just ass they are set out according to the Holy Writ."
6. Who was commissioned to continue the sacred record after the death of Moses at the age of 120 years?
Joshua 24:26 "And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God, and took a great stone, and set it up there under an oak, that was by the sanctuary of the LORD?
7. Who were chosen by the Lord to give guidance and reproof to His people after Israel settled in Canaan?
.
2 Kings 17:13 "Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets."
Note: - During the period of the monarchy there were added to the Books of Moses and Joshua the books of Samuel, the earlier parts of the Kings and the Chronicles, the Psalms of David, the Proverbs, and the Song of Solomon, $Ecclesiastes, and the writings of the earlier prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah Hosea, Joel and Amos.
8. During the captivity of Israel and Judah or immediately after the captives' return to their homes, what new books were incorporated into scripture?
Ezekiel, Daniel, Obadiah, Nahum, Habukkuk, Zepheniah and perhaps the latter parts of the books of the Kings and the Chronicles.
9. How did the children of Israel who returned from captivity indicate their desire to understand the words of the Lord?
Nehemiah 8:1 "And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel." [please read verses 1-8]
10. What books were added in post-captivity days to complete the Old Testament Scriptures, as we now have it?
Note: The Book of Malachi, written about 400 B.C., the canon of the Old Testament was completed. It had been in process of formation for more than a 1000 years.
NOTE: (JB), Please know that neither Jesus Christ, nor ANY of the Apostles ever referred to, nor ever quoted any of the books we know as the Apocrypha, the 14 books found ONLY in the Catholic Bibles, because it backs up a few of their dogmas, of prayers to , and for, the dead, and purgatory. Thus are but "Traditions of men!" Matthew 15:3 "But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? ---- Colossians 2:8 "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."
As one can see, plainly, the word of God, proves itself within itself! It is its own expositor!
11. How did Jesus refer to the Old Testament Scriptures?
Luke 24:44 "And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me."
Note: This three-fold division was the customary classification of the Old Testament books in the days of Jesus: "The Law of Moses," included the five books of the Pentateuch; "The Prophets", comprising Joshua, Judges, First and Second Samuel, First and Second Kings [ NOTE (JB) the Douay Bible has the last four books as 1-4 Kings, but no matter, any Bible student, can teach our God's path to Salvation so far to date, from any Bible! BUT not for any other god!]--Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve {so-called} Minor Prophets,, Job, Song of Solomon, Ruth and first and second Chronicles.
12. In what form were the earliest writings of the New Testament set down?
1 Thessalonians 5:27-28 " I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Note: As time passed, it became more and more difficult for the 12 apostles personally to visit all the groups of christian believers which were springing up. In order to meet the need for further instruction in faith, to combat error, and to warn against strange and heretic teachers, the apostles were led to send forth messages warnings and exhortations. See 1 Corinthians 1:1-2. Galatians 1:1,2; Ehphesians 1:1; James 1:1 and
1 Peter 1:1-2 "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."
13. What portions of the New Testament were next written?
Luke 1:1-4 "Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, Even as they delivered them unto us, which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed."
Note: Some 35 years had passed since Jesus ascended to Heaven, and persecutions were decimating the ranks of the disciples. Soon there would be no one who had been with Jesus who could tell {first hand} the story of His life and teachings. Therefore several men were led to the prepare authoritative accounts, and the Gospels or "Good News", came into being. The earliest was written by Mark; Matthew wrote his gospel soon after, followed by Luke. John's Gospel came much latter as was one of the last of the New testament books to be written.
NOTE (JB) John was not only the last apostle, but was the ONLY one to die a natural death even-though the the Romans tried to kill him by boiling him in a kettle of boiling oil, God protected his just as well as He protected the Daniel's three friends in fiery furnace!
Daniel 3:23-27 "And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them."
NOTE: Don't believe this? Then read the next verse....
Proverbs 13:13 "Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed: but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded."
If you do not believe in the worthiness of God or His Word, tell HIM so in prayer, He's love to hear from YOU!
14. In addition to his Gospel what further record was Luke giving an account of to the early church leaders as they went forth to fulfill the great commission given them by Jesus.?
Acts 1:8 "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."
15. With what prophetic communication was the New Testament completed?
Revelation 1:1 "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:"
NOTE (JB) Many a church and pastor refuse to teach from the Books of Revelation, many holding, "It's not for man to know"! However if this is the case in YOUR church ask, your Pastor/Priest, the reason for this verse........
Revelation 1:3 "Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand."
Then ask: "Why are you robbing us of this blessing"? By the way, you are most likely in a Sunday worship church so I ask you why, in view of this.... in Christ's own words---- John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments."
Along with this: Genesis 2:1-3 "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made."
God only, and only God can make a day, Holy, not man!
Exodus 20:8-11 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it." To verify please read Exodus 16th chapter, and Luke 23's last few verses and the first few in 24th chapter, to fix the Sabbath day, in time!
By 100 A.D. all the Books were together in the New Testament.
16. How did God intend that Bible should be used?
Jeremiah 36:6 "Therefore go thou, and read in the roll, which thou hast written from my mouth, the words of the LORD in the ears of the people in the LORD'S house upon the fasting day: and also thou shalt read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of their cities. "
Nehemiah 8:8 "So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading."
2 Timothy 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
NOTE (JB) There's in my mind, a huge difference between reading and studying any book especially one such as The Word of God!
Joseph Haroutunian "The Bible and the word of god" Interpretations, Vol..1. No.3,p .295. "in the Bible, I must read the word of God to me in my specific situation. I must read it as one listening to God, in order to learn His will concerning me and my duty as I face a particular decision. I must read it as one who is at the parting of ways, as one who must choose between good and evil, between life and death."
NOTE (JB) life and death both can be eternal! This is for each to choose, and it is ours!
17. What blessed result will follow the wholehearted acceptance of the word?
John 20:31 " But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."
NOTE: Is there a promise we can cling too?
John 14:1-6 "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
NOTE: No , not by Mary, nor any other name under heaven! Nor via any MAN_MADE religion beyond Christ's teachings!
NEXT: "Is our Bible complete"?
Thanking YOU for your time. Questions? Comments? John at servant@frontier.com
Want More? Visit your seventh-day Adventist church any Saturday/Sabbath, at 9-10 AM, and be surprised just how Jesus loves YOU!
Other sites: aftv.org; blbn.org; amazingfdiscoveries.org www.servantsite@wordpress.com
jb
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