Scriptural Thought:

"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the WORD OF GOD which ye heard of us, ye received [it] not [as] the word of men, but as it is in TRUTH, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe." 1Thess. 2:13

“The Scriptures were given to men, not in a continuous chain of unbroken utterances, but piece by piece through successive generations, as God in His providence saw a fitting opportunity to impress man at sundry times and divers places. Men wrote as they were moved upon by the Holy Ghost.” (1SM 19.4)

D. How It was Delivered? The Inspiration: 2 Tim. 3:16

The harmonious record of the scriptures, its content, context, coverage, and communication of specific or general information signifies a forensic inspiration that leads to its accuracy and relativity to all ages.

a. The Writer may have a Direct Inspiration (Rev. 14:13; Ezek. 13:18; Deut. 18:18)

Those who loved God and who realized the danger that lay in the struggle for wealth and power, longed for Heaven's enlightenment. They longed for a message direct from the heavenly courts. The heavenly inspiration was begotten, and men began to feel after God, if haply they might find Him. {ST, May 17, 1905 par. 10}

But there are not many of you that really know what is contained in the Testimonies. You are not familiar with the Scriptures. If you had made God's Word your study, with a desire to reach the Bible standard and attain to Christian perfection, you would not have needed the Testimonies. It is because you have neglected to acquaint yourselves with God's inspired Book that He has sought to reach you by simple, direct testimonies, calling your attention to the words of inspiration which you had neglected to obey, and urging you to fashion your lives in accordance with its pure and elevated teachings. {CCh 92.5}

b. The Writer may have an Inspiring Idea (The Book of Proverbs)

Consequently it is to be expected that now, more than ever before, all of us are to meet with the fiercest opposition. So called great men, having not so much even as a spark of Divine light, will, acting like mad men, hastily spread confusion everywhere. This they will do by engendering prejudice, by exalting baseless theories, by fabricating and propagating falsehood, by hurling scorn and ridicule, by mongering gossip and hearsay, and by engaging in character assassination. But none of this will phase those whose fortress is the Lord, and who heed His priceless, precious, inspiring counsel in the following passages:

"...Do not be unbelieving. The more you are jostled, misapprehended, misstated, misrepresented, the more evidence you have that you are doing a work for the Master, and the more closely you must cling to your Saviour." -- (8T 130)

"All who in that evil day would faithfully serve God according to the dictates of conscience, will need courage, firmness, and a knowledge of God and His word; for those who are true to God will be persecuted, their motives will be impugned, their best efforts misinterpreted, and their name cast out as evil." --(GW 264)

c. The Writer may have selective inspiration (Luke 1:3)

It is not essential for you to know and be able to define just what the Holy Spirit is. Christ tells us that the Holy Spirit is the Comforter, and the Comforter is the Holy Ghost, "the Spirit of truth, which the Father shall send in My name." "I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" [John 14:16, 17]. This refers to the omnipresence of the Spirit of Christ, called the Comforter. Again Jesus says, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth" [John 16:12, 13]. {14MR 179.2}

There are many mysteries which I do not seek to understand or to explain; they are too high for me, and too high for you. On some of these points, silence is golden. Piety, devotion, sanctification of soul, body, and spirit--this is essential for us all. "This is life eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent" [John 17:3]. "This is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life" [John 6:40]. {14MR 179.3}

E. How it was written and Gathered? The Writing Process: Jer. 30:2

The Reasons Why God wanted His WORD to be Written

a. To live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Mat. 4:4, 7) - For "IT IS WRITTEN"

b. To have an individual search and personal knowledge of Christ (John 5:39)

c. To teach, read and study in harmony with the principle set forth in the scripture (Isa. 28:9-13)

d. Every writer build or laid foundation for the others.

In the written form many people can read it.

1 Cor. 3:10 -- "According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon."

The Christian's life is, as it were, a building under construction. One messenger of God lays the foundation, another builds thereupon. Thus to no one messenger is given all the material with which to build. (2TG 27.7)

e. It is preserve through the ages.

f. It can be reviewed, reread and memorized them.

How to Teach the Written Word?

Please click this link:

https://sites.google.com/view/meatindueseason/teaching-techniques-the-bible-instructor?authuser=0

F. What was written? The Word: John 1:1

❖ John introduced Jesus as God’s Word incarnate. There’s a parallelism between Christ and the Bible.

— Both have a supernatural origin.

— Both combine divinity and humanity.

— The work of both covers the whole humanity.

— Both came in a specific moment and culture, but their work goes beyond time and space.

— Both come down to a human level so we can understand their message.

❖ There are also difference between them. The Bible is not God incarnate, and it cannot be worshipped. It just testifies of Jesus (John 5:39)

The Son of God stooped to uplift the fallen. For this He left the sinless worlds on high, the ninety and nine that loved Him, and came to this earth to be "wounded for our transgressions" and "bruised for our iniquities." Isaiah 53:5. He was in all things made like unto His brethren. He became flesh, even as we are. He knew what it meant to be hungry and thirsty and weary. He was sustained by food and refreshed by sleep. He was a stranger and a sojourner on the earth--in the world, but not of the world; tempted and tried as men and women of today are tempted and tried, yet living a life free from sin. Tender, compassionate, sympathetic, ever considerate of others, He represented the character of God. "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, . . . full of grace and truth." John 1:14. {AA 472.1}

Christ was the revealer of truth to the world. By Him the incorruptible seed--the word of God--was sown in the hearts of men. But many of the most precious lessons of the Great Teacher were spoken to those who did not then understand them. When, after His ascension, the Holy Spirit brought His teachings to the remembrance of the disciples, their slumbering senses awoke. The meaning of these truths flashed upon their minds as a new revelation, and truth, pure and unadulterated, made a place for itself. Then the wonderful experience of His life became theirs. The Word bore testimony through them, the men of His appointment, and they proclaimed the mighty truth, "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, . . . full of grace and truth." "And of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace." John 1:14, 16. {AA 520.2}

G. How it should be Interpreted? The Interpretation: 2 Pet. 1:20

The Bible shouldn’t be studied or interpreted as any other book.

❖ Then how should we interpret the Bible?

❖ Above all, we must remember that it is the Word of God, so faith is necessary (Hebrews 11:6).

❖ The Holy Spirit inspired the Bible writers, and we must let Him also inspire us as we read it.

❖ Therefore, we should pray before reading the Bible, asking for the inspiration of the Holy Spirit so we can understand it correctly

Therefore, to understand that book is to understand the Bible. "The One who reveals the mysteries to John will give to the diligent searcher for truth a foretaste of Heavenly things. Those whose hearts are open to the reception of truth will be enabled to understand its teachings, and will be granted the blessing promised to those who 'hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein'." -- "The Acts of the Apostles," pp. 584, 585. Thus, when the Revelation is understood, it will unlock the great Store House and bring to light all the prophetic mysteries that are stored in it. (2SR 9.2)

In the last analysis, however, the title Messenger of the Covenant belongs to the Holy Spirit. For example, 1 Peter 3:18-20 states that Christ preached to the antediluvians by the same "Spirit" Who "quickened" Him. But as He preached by the Spirit in the person of Noah, not of Himself, He thereby unfolded the truth that the Holy Spirit is in all His messengers alike.

Thus "holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Pet. 1:21. Briefly summarized, the term Messenger of the Covenant means the Holy Spirit (the invisible Christ) in Heaven's visible representative--be it Moses, John, Christ, Elijah, or some other. (1Ans. 79.1, 2)

"'The rebuke of the Lord will rest upon those who would bar the way, that clearer light shall not come to the people. A great work is to be done, and God sees that our leading men have need of more light, that they may unite with the messengers whom He sends to accomplish the work that He designs shall be done...' -- Gospel Workers, p. 304.

Thus they insisted that God wants our leading men to unite with the messengers whom He sends, not the messengers to unite with the leading men.

Original Writings and Translation

THE PROPHETS WHOM GOD INSPIRED TO WRITE THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE USED THE LANGUAGES OF THEIR DAY—HEBREW, ARAMAIC, AND GREEK. BUT THESE LANGUAGES WERE NOT UNDERSTOOD BY ALL, HENCE TRANSLATIONS WERE NEEDED. TO MAKE THE OLD TESTAMENT AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE UNACQUAINTED WITH HEBREW AND ARAMAIC, JEWISH SCHOLARS SEVERAL CENTURIES BEFORE THE TIME OF CHRIST PRODUCED A GREEK VERSION KNOWN AS THE SEPTUAGINT. FROM THIS BEGINNING THE SCRIPTURES HAVE BEEN TRANSLATED INTO MORE THAN A THOUSAND LANGUAGES. AND BEYOND THAT, NUMEROUS VERSIONS HAVE BEEN PRODUCED IN A SINGLE LANGUAGE. {CTr 6.5}

The Dead Sea Scrolls (also the Qumran Caves Scrolls) are ancient Jewish and Hebrew religious manuscripts first found in 1946/47 at the Qumran Caves in what was then Mandatory Palestine, near Ein Feshkha in the West Bank, on the northern shore of the Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea Scrolls are considered one of the most important finds in the history of archaeology, and have great historical, religious, and linguistic significance because they include the oldest surviving manuscripts of entire books later included in the biblical canons, along with deuterocanonical and extra-biblical manuscripts which preserve evidence of the diversity of religious thought in late Second Temple Judaism, while at the same time casting new light on the emergence of Christianity and of Rabbinic Judaism.^[2] Most of the scrolls are held by the State of Israel in the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum, but some of them had been taken to Jordan and are now displayed at The Jordan Museum in Amman. Ownership of the scrolls, however, is claimed by the State of Palestine.

For more information on how the Bible should be interpreted:

1. https://sites.google.com/view/meatindueseason/11-the-golden-bowl-zec-4?authuser=0

2. https://sites.google.com/view/meatindueseason/13-the-grains-of-ezekiel-4?authuser=0

TITLES OF CHRIST

In the Old Testament

Seed of the woman. Gen. 3:15.

Mine Angel. Ex. 23:23.

A Star out of Jacob. Num. 24:17.

A Prophet. Deut. 18 : 15, 18.

Captain of the host of the Lord. Joshua 5:14.

A Friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Prov. 18:24.

My Beloved. Song of Solomon 2:10.

Chiefest among ten thousand. Song of Solomon 5:10.

(One) altogether lovely. Song of Solomon 5:16.

The Mighty God. Isa. 9 : 6.

The Everlasting Father. Isa. 9 : 6.

The Prince of Peace. Isa. 9: 6.

The Lord Our Righteousness. Jer. 23: 5, 6.

The Son of God. Dan. 3 : 25.

The Son of Man. Dan. 7 : 13.

Michael, . . . the Great Prince. Dan. 12:1.

The Branch. Zech. 6: 12, 13.

The Messenger of the covenant. Mal. 3 : 1.

The Sun of Righteousness. Mal. 4:2.

TITLES OF CHRIST

In the New Testament

The Word. John 1:1.

The Lamb of God. John 1:29.

The Bread of life. John 6:35.

The Light of the world. John 8:12.

The Door of the Sheep. John 10:7.

The Good Shepherd. Verse 11.

The Resurrection and the Life. John 11:25.

The Way, the Truth, and the Life. John 14:6.

The True Vine. John 15:1.

That Rock. 1 Cor. 10:4.

The last Adam. 1 Cor. 15:45.

The Chief Corner-stone. Eph. 2 : 20.

The Man Christ Jesus. 1 Tim. 2:5.

A Great High Priest. Heb. 4:14.

The Author and Finisher of our faith. Heb. 12:2.

The Chief Shepherd. 1 Peter 5:4.

An Advocate. 1 John 2:1.

Michael, the Archangel. Jude 9.

The Lion of the tribe of Judah. Rev. 5:5.

The Morning Star. Rev. 22:16.

King of kings, and Lord of lords. Rev. 19:16.