Introduction to the Bible Part 5 by Victor Torres

Transcription

1 Introduction to the Bible Part 5 by Victor Torres Hello children. For the last two weeks, we have learned that it is really important for you to learn the Bible as a child. We have also learned that there are people out there that wants to teach you the Bible but you shouldn't listen to them if you know they are teaching their wrong understanding of the Bible. Today, we will learn more about this quality of the word of God: 2Ti 3:16 Everything in the Scriptures is God's Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. So the Bible is useful for teaching. Children who listen to their parents' teaching and correction are called wise by the Bible: Pro 13:1 A wise son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. In the verse above, a wise son [or daughter] is compared to a scoffer. A scoffer is someone who doesn't listen to his or her parents. Rebuke means correction, so our parents' instructions include correction. Some children obey their parents only after much complaining, and sometimes, only after being threatened with spanking. Do you believe the Bible? Then prove it by listening to your parents. There are three evil things you can do when your parents are teaching you and correcting you: [1] ignore them, [2] argue with them and [3] complain to them. Here is how the CEV (Contemporary English Version) translated Pro 13:1: Pro 13:1 Children with good sense accept correction from their parents, but stubborn children ignore it completely. Here is what the apostle Paul teaches us about complaining or arguing: Php 2:14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing. Php 2:15 Then you will be the pure and innocent children of God. You live among people who are crooked and evil, but you must not do anything that they can say is wrong. Try to shine as lights among the people of this world, If we do everything without complaining or arguing, Philippians 2:15 tells us we will be the pure and innocent children of God. These verses also tell us that if we do everything without complaining or arguing, we will shine as lights among the

2 people of this world. Why? Because we live among crooked and evil people, in other words, people who live in darkness. Below is what God taught the people of Israel, in how to treat His words. Before we see those verses, I want you to know that Israel is a physical type of the people of God. Israel is a physical nation that was chosen by God and He taught them how to live through their leaders like Moses and Joshua. But Israel rebelled against God and He has a chosen a new group of people. They are called the elect or the body of Christ. Rom 11:7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, Back then, you have to belong to the physical nation of Israel to be taught by God. Today you have to belong to the spiritual Israel, the elect, to be taught by God and understand His words. Luk 8:10 he said, "To you [the elect] it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that 'seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.' Most of the Old Testament is about the physical nation of Israel. The Old Testament is a lot longer than the New Testament. I saw some statistics that shows how the Old Testament is more than ¾ of the Bible as far as number of words. There is a very good reason why God inspired those men who wrote the Old Testament to write the very lengthy history of Israel. The reason is this: everything that happened to Israel, including their rebellion, were written as a warning to God's people today. 1Co 10:11 These things happened to them [the physical nation of Israel] as a warning to us [the spiritual nation of Israel]. All this was written in the Scriptures to teach us who live in these last days. 1Co 10:11 And all these things as types did happen to those persons, and they were written for our admonition, to whom the end of the ages did come, Israel is a type of us because we will make mistakes like they did. Remember this kids, as we go through what happened to them. All of the things that happened to them were written in the Scriptures to teach us who live in these last days. Here is what God told Israel (so this is what He is telling us today): Deu 4:1 "And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes [commandments] and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.

3 Listen and do His teachings. This is how the New Testament tells us the same thing: Jas 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving [fooling] yourselves. What's our reward for listening to God and our parents and doing their commands? That you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the LORD is giving you. Living, if you remember from our study of Adam and Eve, has a spiritual meaning. We are all born spiritually dead [we are all like Adam, made of the earth], and only by listening to God's teachers and our parents we are able to spiritually live. Joh 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. Land is code word for our body. The promised land is code word for the spiritual body that will replace this earthy, sinful body. 1Co 15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. God continues to teach Israel on how to treat His words: Deu 4:2 You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you. This is how the New Testament tell us the same thing: Rev 22:18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues [diseases and disasters] described in this book, Rev 22:19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life [Jesus Christ] and in the holy city [His body], which are described in this book. Some people has literally added words to the Bible, like what the Catholic church has done to this verse: Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

4 In Matthew 28:19, the Catholic church changed the wording from in the name of Jesus Christ to the words Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the second century. They admitted this in their own Catholic Encyclopedia II, page 263. So Matthew 28:19 should really say: Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Jesus Christ. If you study the Bible regularly, you will find that the apostles never baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Here's how they did it: Act 2:38 And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Act 19:4 And Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus." Act 19:5 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Other verses that you can read on your own are: Rom 6:3, Gal 3:27, Luk 24:47 So that is one way of adding to the word of God, by literally adding words to verses. The other way of adding to His words is adding our own understanding to what the Bible really teaches. We have seen that when people mistranslated the word aion into forever to prove the false doctrine of hell and eternal punishment. How about taking away from His words? How do we take away from His words? We do that when we deny any part of the Bible. Remember that 2Ti 3:16 teaches us that all of the Bible is useful for teaching, for helping others, for correction and for showing them how to live. If we deny that is true with any part of the Bible, we are taking away from His words. Look at these words from our Lord Jesus Christ: Mat 4:4 But He answered and said, It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." Here is what this verse is saying in a different way: 1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all will be made alive. Anyone who says that they will not die spiritually is taking away from the words of God. Anyone who says that some people will not be saved or made spiritually alive in Christ, is taking away from the words of God.

5 Adding to or taking away from the word of God are both thinking above what is written which we are told NOT to do: 1Co 4:6... learn in us not to think above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another. Here is how the English Standard Version (ESV) have translated this command that we must obey: 1Co 4:6 (ESV)... learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another. Of course we won't know how not to go beyond what is written if we don't know what is written. That's why studying the Bible is so important. If we don't study the Bible, we are ignoring God's word. If we ignore God's word, we will be making the mistake of thinking above what is written. Mat 22:29 Jesus answered them, "You are mistaken because you don't know the Scriptures or God's power, Let's summarize what we have learned so far on how to treat the words of God: (1) Listen to them (2) Do them (3) Do not ignore them, and obey without complaining or arguing (4) Do not add to them (5) Do not take away from them The Lord continues to teach Israel and us Deu 4:3 Your eyes have seen what the LORD did at Baal-peor, for the LORD your God destroyed from among you all the men who followed the Baal [false god] of Peor. Deu 4:4 But you who held fast to the LORD your God are all alive today. Following false gods include following our own understanding instead of asking teachers from the body of Christ when we don't know what a certain verse mean. The Bible teaches us not to depend on our own understanding, but to get guidance from the many members of the body of Christ. Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

6 Pro 11:14 Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. The members of the body of Christ always use Scripture to guide each other, to comfort each other when someone is sad or suffering. We also use them to encourage others to do good. We also use Scripture to correct those who continue to live in sin and believe in false teachings. Mat 18:15 If one of my followers sins against you, go and point out what was wrong [using Scriptures]. But do it in private, just between the two of you. If that person listens, you have won back a follower. Mat 18:16 But if that one refuses to listen, take along one or two others. The Scriptures teach that every complaint must be proven true by two or more witnesses. Mat 18:17 If the follower refuses to listen to them, report the matter to the church [we only correct those who are members of the church]. Anyone who refuses to listen to the church must be treated like an unbeliever or a tax collector. What additional things have we learned about the Scriptures: (6) Don't depend on your own understanding when you study it (7) Trust in the Lord and His body to guide you in how to understand it (8) Use it to comfort or encourage others (9) Use it to correct those who belong to Christ Let's continue learning about the Bible... Deu 4:5 See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the LORD my God commanded me [Moses is telling the Israelites here that he is just telling them what he was told, and not adding to or taking away from the Lord's words] Deu 4:6 Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' Deuteronomy 4:6 is saying something very important here that I don't want you to miss. Keeping and doing the commandments of God in the sight of the peoples is the same as using the Scripture to show others how to live. 2Ti 3:16 Everything in the Scriptures is God's Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live.

7 Teaching by example is the most powerful way of teaching others. suffered for us and denied Himself to leave us an example. That Lord 1Pe 2:21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. The apostle Paul was not only a teacher in words, but also in his actions. Php 4:9 Do those things which you have also learned and received and heard and seen in me. And the God of peace shall be with you. Let's continue... Deu 4:7 For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? Deu 4:8 And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today? Deu 4:9 "Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children Take care and keep your soul diligently means make every effort to attend these Bible studies. Make every effort to remember what we teach you. Ask your mom or your dad to print these studies so that you'll have something to review if you need to. Ask questions if there is any part of our teachings that you don't fully understand. Ask God to make you understand and remember His words so that they may keep you from sinning against Him. Psa 119:11 I have stored what you have said in my heart, so I won't sin against you. So what additional things have we learned about the Bible: (10) The most powerful way of teaching the Bible is by example (11) We must do our best to study it and remember His words (12) When you have children of your own, you must teach it to them

8 Lastly, thank God for giving you parents that love you so much to teach you the words of God. Deu 4:10 how on the day that you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, the LORD said to me, 'Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.' Here's the full list of what we learned about the words of God today: (1) Listen to them (2) Do them (3) Do not ignore them, and obey without complaining or arguing (4) Do not add to them (5) Do not take away from them (6) Don't depend on your own understanding when you study them (7) Trust in the Lord and His body to guide you in how to understand them (8) Use them to comfort or encourage others (9) Use them to correct those who belong to Christ (10) The most powerful of teaching them is by example (11) We must do our best to study and remember them (12) When you have children of your own, you must teach the Scriptures to them Questions: Fill in the blanks 1) Pro 13:1 A w son hears his father's instruction, but a scoffer does not listen to rebuke. 2) In the verse above, rebuke means c. 3) There are three evil things you can do when your parents are teaching you and correcting you: [1] i them, [2] argue with them and [3] complain to them. 4) I is a physical nation that was chosen by God and He taught them how to live through their leaders like Moses and Joshua. 5) All of the things that happened to Israel were written in the Scriptures to t us who live in these last days 6) God commands us not to a to His words or take away from it. 7) In order to not go beyond what is written, we must learn what is written. We do this by studying the B. 8) Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own u.

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