GOD AND THE BIBLE
Q: Why should I read the whole Bible?
A : The Bible is God’s primary method of communicating with His creation, mankind. It is His revealed Word and will to man. Through reading and studying the Bible, you can meet, get to know, and establish a one-on-one relationship with the one true God, your Creator. As such, the Bible can be your best friend.
Its two major divisions, the Old Testament and the New Testament, both point to Jesus as the Redeemer of the human race. The Old Testament prepared the way for Jesus, and the New Testament prepares a people to receive Him.
That’s why it’s so important for you to read every book in the Bible—you can behold Jesus in every book of the Bible! Each book reveals to you Jesus and His love for you. When you read the whole Bible, you will recognize the unity of the Bible, and can apply its truths to every area of your life.
Q: How do you know God wrote the Bible?
A: The Bible claims God as its author, and a knowledge of the Word makes this apparent. There are 66 books in the Bible—written by more than 30 different persons over a period of thousands of years, and yet there is a consistent theme running from Genesis to Revelation. The Bible describes the fall of man, his utter sinfulness, and God’s redemptive plan through the blood sacrifice of His Son. If the scriptures were not written by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the mortal men who penned them surely would not present man as totally depraved and in need of salvation.
Man’s “religion” always teaches access to God through human effort, but the Bible clearly states that mankind is dead in trespasses and sin. Dead men can’t work their way to God; they can only accept God’s provision of a new life in Christ Jesus.
Each of the prophets declared that it was the Word of the Lord that came to them; and with the exception of end-time prophecy, all prophecy has been fulfilled to the letter—even as God said it would be (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:20, 21).
Q: Is the Bible really God’s infallible Word?
A: Yes, the Bible is God’s infallible Word. Even though there are scriptures which, when read, may seem “inconsistent,” one must know the whole counsel of God’s Word to see there is no contradiction.
Q: What is the difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament?
A: The purpose of the Old Testament is to show us man’s creation, his sin (fall), and to show us God’s preparation for a Redeemer to come Who would make salvation available to all men. This Redeemer (Jesus) came through the Jewish nation; thus, the Old Testament is the story of their history—good and bad.
In the New Testament we have the manifestation of the Redeemer and His manifestation through His people (those who receive Him). We also see the culmination of God’s plan of redemption in the book of Revelation.
Q: Which version of the Bible do you believe is the most accurate?
A: From the time that God confused language at the tower of Babel until now, the human race has been trying to communicate through the imperfect vehicle of foreign languages. The Bible was written in Hebrews, Aramaic, and Greek. Because different words can be translated in a variety of ways, we have different Bible versions, which essentially are different translations.
Modern translations are taken from the original Greek and Hebrew; but even so, there is still a problem in that one word can have various shades and meanings and thereby can be translated differently. So, each person who translates a work must do it on the basis of the context in which the word is written in order to determine the original meaning. Different scholars have different opinions on how these words should be translated; thus, we have a variety of translations, and all of these translations depend upon the text from which that particular language was translated.
The NEW AMERICAN STANDARD VERSION and the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION are considered by many Bible scholars to be the most accurate English translation available today. However, my personal preference is still the KING JAMES VERSION.
Q: What does it mean to walk with God every day? How can I walk with Him every day?
A: “To walk with God” means to live your life in harmony with Christ’s life in you. This comes about through prayer and Bible study. Speak to God in prayer, and let Him speak to you through the Bible.
Q: How do we know Jesus is God?
A: The Bible, which is the final authority for every Christian, says in John 1:1, 14 NKJV, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…” Philippians 2:6, 7 NKJV “Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.” These verses refer to Jesus Christ. They tell us that Jesus is God Who became man and lived here on earth.
If Jesus is not God, then we, of all people—that is to say Christians—are the most to be pitied. If Jesus is not God, then we have no hope for eternal life because a mere man could not ascend into heaven and sit at the Father’s right hand as the Scriptures record.
I would encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to open up your eyes to the fact that Jesus Christ is true God and true man. Come before Him in prayer and ask Him to reveal Himself to you in a personal way. If you are honestly seeking for the truth, then I know that He will do this for you.
Q: Marilyn, please explain the Trinity. If Jesus is God and the Holy Spirit is God and God the Father is God, how can Jesus sit at the right hand of Himself?
A: The concept of the Trinity (three-in-one and one-in-three) is ultimately a mystery to our human, finite minds! I can only tell you what I understand about it as I read through the Bible. Ultimately the truth about the Godhead must be accepted by faith so long as we are in these human bodies.
Although the word “trinity” is never mentioned in the Bible, its existence is clearly spoken of in Matthew 28:19 and 2 Corinthians 13:14. God is one (Deuteronomy 6:4), yet made up of three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Just as a family is one unit made up of several family members, so the Godhead is one unit with three members. Each person of the Trinity has a specific role, differing from the other two; and yet together, they make up a single unit with a single purpose, carrying out a perfect and complete plan.
The Heavenly Father is the architect or planner of the Trinity; Jesus is the contractor or the One Who carries out the plan; and the Holy Spirit is the laborer or the One Who gives life to the plan. Let’s look at the creation record. The Father planned it, Jesus did it, and the Holy Spirit gave it life. These three distinct roles, or ministries, of the Trinity can be seen in the creation of man and the birth and resurrection of Jesus in the flesh. (See Genesis 1:2; 1:26; and John 1:2).
The Old Testament scriptures which refer to God as one God, literally mean that He is a unit, not that He is only one individual. When you see this relationship, you can understand that Jesus the Son can sit at the right-hand of the Father.
Q: Please explain for me, Marilyn, what is the grace of God?
A: “Grace” comes from the Hebrew word chanan which means “to stoop in kindness to an inferior.” The grace of God conveys that same idea in that we receive unmerited, unearned, undeserved favor from God. God’s gifts are based on His undying mercies not on some kind of reward system for our works. God’s kindness is not only present in Him in great measure but is manifest to us in abundance.
One of the best ways to remember what grace means is in an acrostic made of each letter in the word GRACE— “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.” Without Christ’s sacrifice none of us could receive God’s grace.
Take the gift of grace today; and as you receive from Him that grace, give it away also that you may be ever abounding in His never-ending grace (Romans 5:15-21).
Q: What is the meaning of the “fear of the Lord?”
A: The word fear comes from a Hebrew root word which means “to reverence, trust, and stand in awe.” So, this word is talking about the deep reverence and awe we should have for God. It is in this same trust, awe, and reverence that we should worship, love and honor God.