How To Understand The Bible - Lesson 3

Lesson 3 of How To Understand The Bible

Understanding The Layout Of The Bible

I.                    The Divisions

a. The Old Testament

b. The New Testament

II.                  What is The Purpose Of The Divisions?

a. Testament – proof, formal statement of beliefs, same as will, covenant between God and humankind

b. It is the division that shows what God’s covenant was in the old, and then now what His covenant is with Christ

III.                The Division Layouts

a. Old Testament (39 Books)

          i. 5 – Books of the Law

         ii. 12 – Books of History

        iii. 5 – Books of Poetry

       iv. 5 – Major Prophets

        v. 12 – Minor Prophets 

b. New Testament (27 Books)

          i. 4 – Gospels

         ii. 1 – History

        iii. 13 – Pauline Epistles

        iv. 8 – General Epistles

         v. 1 – Book of Victory

IV.                What does the Bible layout as a timeline?

a)      3 Different Ages

  i. Patriarchal Age – 2500 Years

 ii. Mosaical Age – 1500 Years

iii. Christian Age – Current

b)      What makes each one of these ages distinctive?

i. Patriarchal

1.       Patriarch = Father

2.       Oral Law

3.       God spoke to the Fathers of the household directly

(Ex. God to Abraham)

4.       No specific place of worship

5.       Started from the Beginning of time – Mount Sinai for all man (Gentiles continued under this law until death of Christ – Rom. 2:14)

                              ii. Mosaical Age

1.       Came from God through Moses

2.       Written Law

3.       Spritual Laws with Governing Laws

4.       They had the Tabernacle and Temple

5.       Jerusalem was the place of worship

6.       Started at Mount Sinai – Death of Christ (Ex. 20)

                             iii. Christian Age

1.       Started from the teachings of Christ

2.       The Church is the focus

3.       No specific place of worship other than with God’s people

4.       Written law put into the hearts of man (Jer. 31:33)

5.       Started on Day of Pentecost – Present Day (Acts 2)

c)       What Are The Detailed Historical Periods Of The Bible?

                                                                    i.            Pre-flood Period (Genesis 1-7)

                                                                  ii.            After Flood Period (Genesis 8-11)

                                                                iii.            The Hebrew Family (Genesis 12-50)

                                                                 iv.            The Egyptian Bondage (Exodus 1-13)

                                                                   v.            The Wilderness Wanderings (Exodus 14 – Deuteronomy 34)

                                                                 vi.            Conquest and Settlement of Canaan (Joshua – 1 Samuel 8)

                                                               vii.            The United Kingdom (1 Samuel 9 – 1 Kings 11)

                                                             viii.            The Divided Kingdom (1 Kings 12 – 2 Kings 17)

                                                                 ix.            Babylonian Captivity and Restoration (2 Kings 25 – Nehemiah)

                                                                   x.            The Inter-Biblical Period (Persion, Greek, Roman Periods mentioned in Daniel)

                                                                 xi.            The Life Of Christ (Matthew – John)

                                                               xii.            The Establishment and Expansion of Christianity (Acts – Revelation)

How To Understand The Bible - Lesson 2

Lesson 2 of How To Understand The Bible

Can We Understand

I.                    Is the Bible able to be understood?

a.       Understanding is detrimental to do His commands (Psalm 11:10)

b.      Happiness comes through Understanding (Proverbs 3:13)

c.       Commanded to get Understanding (Proverbs 4:5)

d.      Commanded to get Understanding (Proverbs 4:7)

e.      Understanding is to be close to kinsmen (Proverbs 7:4)

f.        Understanding is pleading out (Proverbs 8:1)

g.       Understanding is to have knowledge of the Holy (Proverbs 9:10)

h.      Understanding gives favor (Proverbs 13:15)

i.        It is better to get Understanding than gold (Proverbs 16:16)

j.        We are to buy Understanding (Proverbs 23:23)

k.       When you read, you may Understand (Ephesians 3:4)

l.        The word EVIDENCE in Hebrews 11:1 implies something that can be seen, therefore it is something that can be understood!

i.                    You cannot have faith without Understanding!

II.                  What is required to have understanding?

a.       Apply your heart to Understanding (Proverbs 2:2)

b.      Lift up your voice for Understanding (Proverbs 2:3)

c.       Attend to know Understanding (Proverbs 4:1)

d.      Bow your ear to Understanding (Proverbs 5:1)

e.      Be of an Understanding heart (Proverbs 8:5)

f.        Want Understanding (Proverbs 9:4)

g.       Go in a way of Understanding (Proverbs 9:6)

h.      Be simple and want Understanding (Proverbs 9:16)

III.                Why do so many people claim that the Bible cannot be understood?

a.       Not taught correctly on this matter

b.      To justify their own beliefs or actions

c.       To not be offensive to others who believe other ways

d.      To please their mind in not wanting to say they are wrong

e.      To follow after family traditions

IV.                Is the Bible able to be understood alike?

a.       Illustration: Measurement, mathematics, etc.

b.      Would a JUST God give man something that is a matter of Life and Death for eternity that could not be understood alike? (John 8:31-32)

c.       Jesus prayed for unity and NOT Diversity (John 17:20-23)

d.      God’s plea for man is to be ONE and NOT Diverse (I Cor. 14:33)

e.      God is NOT the Author of Confusion (! Cor. 14:33)

f.        In what things are we commanded to be united

  i.  Speak the same thing (1 Cor. 1:10)

 ii.  Same Mind (1 Cor. 1:10)

iii. Same Judgment (1 Cor 1:10)

                     g.    Paul spoke the same thing to EVERY CONGREGATION and did not change it up (1 Cor. 4:17)

Conclusion:

1. Simple Logic and the Law of Rationality PROVES that we can understand the Bible and Understand it alike.

2. May we all put away our pride and thoughts and understand the Bible the way it is MEANT TO BE UNDERSTOOD.

How Do We Understand The Bible - Lesson 1

(This is a study we are doing at our Wednesday night services and I am sharing with permission. Since the source did not ask to be credited, I will withhold their name so as not to give my location away.)

Lesson 1 of How Do We Understand The Bible

Evidences For The Bible

I.                    Unity of the Bible – over 40 writers, over 1,600 years, and no contradictions.

II.                  Prophecy

a.       Over 300 prophecies of Christ and all were fulfilled

b.      Over 24 prophecies fulfilled in just on 24 hour time frame at the crucifixion

c.       Psalm 22

d.      Isaiah 53

e.      Etc.

III.                Factual Accuracy

a.       Historical Accuracy

b.      Tribes – been proven to have existed in the areas mentioned

c.       Geography – all areas mentioned are exactly where they are mentioned with no discrepancy.

IV.                Foreknowledge

a.       Acts 20:30 – Knowledge of how the breakoff would occur

b.      1 Timothy 4:1-5 – The Great Apostasy

c.       2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 – The Great Apostasy (The Catholic Church)

V.                  Scientific Accuracy With Foreknowledge

a.       Medicine

i.                    Genesis 17:12 = Circumcision on 8^th day (clotting highest)

ii.                  Numbers 19:16-18 = Antibacterial soap

iii.                Leviticus 17:11 = Life of the body is in the blood

iv.                 Leviticus 11:1-5 = Safe foods, don’t eat pork (parasites)

v.                   Leviticus 11:15 = Not eat natural dead animals (bacteria)

b.      Physics

i.                    Genesis 2:1 = Finished (action done in the past, never to occur again)

ii.                  Wearing out as a garment = Hebrews 1:11, Isaiah 51:6, Psalm 102:26

c.       Oceanography

i.                    Genesis 6:15 = Dimensions of the ark (sea worthy)

ii.                  Psalm 8:8 = Paths in the sea

iii.                Ecclesiastes 1:7 = All rivers run into the sea

iv.                 Job 38:16 = Fresh water springs in the ocean

d.      Astronomy

i.                    Isaiah 40:22 = Circle of the earth

ii.                  Psalm 19:4-6 = Sun has an orbit

iii.                Job 38:19 = Light travels in a way

iv.                 Job 38:24 = Light is parted

e.      Biology

i.                    After their own kind = Genesis 1:11, 12, 21, 24

ii.                  Acts 17:25 = God is the Giver of life

iii.                1 Corinthians 15:39 = 4 different fleshes

Do You Abide In The Doctrine Of Christ?

"Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son" - 2 John 9

Do you abide in the doctrine of Christ?

Doctrine: a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a church, political party, or other group
Synonyms of doctrine: creed, credo, dogma, belief, teaching, ideology, tenet, maxim, canon, principle, precept

Abide: accept or act in accordance with
Synonyms of abide: comply with, obey, observe, follow, keep to, hold to, conform to, adhere to, stick to, stand by, act in accordance with, uphold, heed, accept, go along with, acknowledge, respect, defer to

Ask yourself, do you:

Comply with the teaching of Christ?
Obey the teaching of Christ?
Observe the teaching of Christ?
Follow the teaching of Christ?
Keep to the teaching of Christ?
Hold to the teaching of Christ?
Conform to the teaching of Christ?
Adhere to the teaching of Christ?
Stick to the teaching of Christ?
Stand by the teaching of Christ?
Act in accordance with the teaching of Christ?
Uphold the teaching of Christ?
Heed the teaching of Christ?
Accept the teaching of Christ?
Go along with the teaching of Christ?
Acknowledge the teaching of Christ?
Respect the teaching of Christ?
Defer to the teaching of Christ?

"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves" - James 1:22