The Purpose of the Bible

[amadeus]

Yes, I was kinda joking around : )


Ok, now this would be a bit of a different argument; a differentiation between Rhema and Logos. But I think the word of God is still the word of God even when it is not believed by others. As the scripture says, "Let God be true and every man a liar." For instance, I think the prophecies regarding the end-times are true and will come to pass, even if most of the unbelieving world currently does not.


For me it goes back to let every man be a liar, which Satan is notoriously for, and the Father of. :) When Satan quoted scripture he misinterpreted it, so Jesus did not rebuke him for the Scriptures themselves which he quoted but for how he interpreted them. The solution is in discerning the word of God from the falsehoods men and the Devil insert into it.

When any man quotes scripture leading himself rather than being led by the Holy Spirit, isn't he misinterpreting? The words spoken that way have no Life in them, so they are Not the Word of God. The Word of God is always Alive!

 

[Hidden In Him]

When any man quotes scripture leading himself rather than being led by the Holy Spirit, isn't he misinterpreting?

Yes.

The words spoken that way have no Life in them, so they are Not the Word of God. The Word of God is always Alive!

They have no Life because they are being misinterpreted, but they are still the word of God. To those who interpret the same words properly, they have Life because the Spirit is breathing Life into them.

Same words, just a different Spirit interpreting and revealing them. :cool:

 

[amadeus]

Yes.


They have no Life because they are being misinterpreted, but they are still the word of God. To those who interpret the same words properly, they have Life because the Spirit is breathing Life into them.

Same words, just a different Spirit interpreting and revealing them. :cool:

I don't like that definition of the Word of God. But... we may not really be in disagreement except for that. What I call the Word of God is always Living! When it is not Living, as in the book unread or in us unquickened, to me it is Not the Word of God although the raw material is there.

Similarly, was the raw material there in Ezekiel 37. Until the breath of God was received it was a bunch of dead bodies... like Jesus hanging dead on the cross before he resurrected.

Wrong purpose, wrong attitude, wrong spirit, then it even that oh so blessed book is like Nehushtan. If every word that every man quoted from the Bible were Alive, there would not be a multitude of denominations based on the same Bible. Nehushtan Bibles may be a big part of the problem of Christians today.

 

[ScottA]

Is the purpose of the Bible to help us to know God better, or is that we should do everything the Bible tells us to do? If you say, "Both," which would you consider to be more important?

Of course it is all that and more.

But the main thing that it is, is the revelation of Jesus Christ and the accounts of the fall, God's judgement, mercy, and His plan for salvation, wherein we see repetitions of the evils of men and His judgements, that relate to our own.

As for what is most important: It is most important to heed the warning and make a change (repent), and know that He is God.

Ultimately, there is so much more to it. But for our times, I recommend honestly comparing our own behavior to the examples given in the Bible, and ask ourselves if we are not making the same mistakes. History does repeat itself, and it does because we don't learn from it. But I said "our times" for a reason: The first coming (advent) of Christ was mostly unexpected in the manner in which it came about...and the result was, they crucified Him. So, what do you think...are we better than those He chose to be His people? Is anything new under the sun? Is He going to set lesser things into motion for we who are not His first choice, but must be grafted in?

I tell you, if Israel had considered what was furthest from their minds...they would not have crucified Christ when He first came.

Consider the scriptures and what is instore for the second coming (advent). It is now our turn to consider His coming, and just how it shall come to pass...and it is not what most would think or say.

 

[Hidden In Him]

Similarly, was the raw material there in Ezekiel 37. Until the breath of God was received it was a bunch of dead bodies...

But this is in reference to people, not the written word. :)

I believe the word is either received as such or it isn't, but it remains the word of God regardless. It's like when Paul said, "If we deny Him, He cannot deny Himself."

 

[ScottA]

Yes.


They have no Life because they are being misinterpreted, but they are still the word of God. To those who interpret the same words properly, they have Life because the Spirit is breathing Life into them.

Same words, just a different Spirit interpreting and revealing them. :cool:

Indeed, the scriptures are a word from God or from His servants whom He sends, but reading them makes for different possibilities.

"To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life." 2 Corinthians 2:16
​

This is the nature of interpretations.

 

[Bob Estey]

Ok, this is good. But now, the reason I was asking is because if you acknowledge that God spoke through the apostles, then you at least have to honor the concept that some of what the apostles wrote in scripture is the word of God. And then it becomes a matter of deciphering what things they said were the word of God and what things they said were merely the word of men. This creates as situation where you are essentially rewriting scripture, which is IMO a mistake that leads to and has led in the past to heretical teaching. The Gnostics were terrible about this. "This verse is inspired, this verse is not," and then twist the daylights out even the ones they said were to fit into an occult interpretation and reinvention of what "Christianity" actually was.

I can't condone a Christianity that opens the door to that. For me, either the True and Living God was able to establish through the early church what was truly the word of God or He wasn't. As Paul told the Thessalonians, "We also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men but the word of God, as it is in truth."

We need to reduce our dependency on scripture and increase our dependency on the Lord.

 

[Bob Estey]

Of course it is all that and more.

But the main thing that it is, is the revelation of Jesus Christ and the accounts of the fall, God's judgement, mercy, and His plan for salvation, wherein we see repetitions of the evils of men and His judgements, that relate to our own.

As for what is most important: It is most important to heed the warning and make a change (repent), and know that He is God.

Ultimately, there is so much more to it. But for our times, I recommend honestly comparing our own behavior to the examples given in the Bible, and ask ourselves if we are not making the same mistakes. History does repeat itself, and it does because we don't do that very thing, and learn from it. But I said "our times" for a reason: The first coming (advent) of Christ was mostly unexpected in the manner in which it came about...and the result was, they crucified Him. So, what do you think...are we better than those He chose to be His people? Is anything new under the sun? Is He going to set lesser things into motion for we who are not His first choice, but must be grafted in?

I tell you, if Israel had considered what was furthest from their minds...they would not have crucified Christ when He first came.

Consider the scriptures and what is instore for the second coming (advent). It is now our turn to considering His coming, and just how it shall come to pass...and it is not what most would think or say.

I was very impressed with the first half of your post. I would add to it that I believe the reason Jesus was crucified was that the leaders were jealous of the attention he was getting.

You made mention of "those He chose to be His people." Are you referring to the Jews? I don't see us as being "grafted in." If we obey the Lord's commandments, we will simply find the gate open.

I think each generation is judged on its own merits - I don't think we are in any way superior to generations that preceded Jesus, unless we conduct ourselves better than they. It doesn't seem to me the world is conducting itself very well at the moment. And no, I see nothing new under the sun.

When people sin, trouble enters their lives - and they don't even know it's happening.

 

[amadeus]

But this is in reference to people, not the written word. :)

I believe the word is either received as such or it isn't, but it remains the word of God regardless. It's like when Paul said, "If we deny Him, He cannot deny Himself."

To me, too much faith in the written word, even though it is in a Bible is one reason for all of the conflicts and disagreements and even confrontations among believers. People mix what they read carnally with what really is the Word of God. The lesson of the Samaritans!

 

[quietthinker]

To me, too much faith in the written word, even though it is in a Bible is one reason for all of the conflicts and disagreements and even confrontations among believers. People mix what they read carnally with what really is the Word of God. The lesson of the Samaritans!

If Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever we need to rethink much of how we understand what is written.
It is imperative we have an anchor otherwise cherry picking to support anything becomes the norm.
Slavery was justified by the southerners of your country using the bible. There are many examples of injustices being justified and perpetrated by selectively using the scriptures. Isn't that how the Jews justified killing Jesus?

We need an anchor of understanding which is immovable, an anchor by which all of scripture is understood.

 

[Hidden In Him]

To me, too much faith in the written word, even though it is in a Bible is one reason for all of the conflicts and disagreements and even confrontations among believers. People mix what they read carnally with what really is the Word of God. The lesson of the Samaritans!

I understand your point better when you put it like this. :)

 

[Hidden In Him]

We need to reduce our dependency on scripture and increase our dependency on the Lord.

The thing is, there needs to be a balance between both, or you end up with people going completely off the deep end in the opposite direction and saying, "The Lord told me to do such and such," when it ends up being some whacked out thing that's completely opposite of what the written word teaches. I used to interpret dreams like a madman over at CF.com before joining over here, only I started running into that problem. People wanted to tell me that "the Lord" had given them a dream about how He was calling them to steal away a happily married man from another woman, and this was supposedly based upon what she was "hearing from God." She wasn't hearing from God, but was apparently oblivious to that fact because she either wasn't reading the word or was ignoring it.

 

[Hidden In Him]

We need an anchor of understanding which is immovable, an anchor by which all of scripture is understood.

What anchor? :)

 

[quietthinker]

What anchor? :)

ohhh, I see, at least we have the chain which we can flail each other with :)

 

[Bob Estey]

The thing is, there needs to be a balance between both, or you end up with people going completely off the deep end in the opposite direction and saying, "The Lord told me to do such and such," when it ends up being some whacked out thing that's completely opposite of what the written word teaches. I used to interpret dreams like a madman over at CF.com before joining over here, only I started running into that problem. People wanted to tell me that "the Lord" had given them a dream about how He was calling them to steal away a happily married man from another woman, and this was supposedly based upon what she was "hearing from God." She wasn't hearing from God, but was apparently oblivious to that fact because she either wasn't reading the word or was ignoring it.

As time goes by, more God, less Bible.

[39] You search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness to me;
[40] yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. John 5:39-40 RSV

 

[quietthinker]

As time goes by, more God, less Bible.

[39] You search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness to me;
[40] yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. John 5:39-40 RSV

ahhhh, did anybody say anything clear around here? What about all our dissertations, our lengthy proclamations of self flattery, and our 'indisputable' knowledge.....you mean we have to ditch all that? :)

 

[Enoch111]

Is the purpose of the Bible to help us to know God better, or is that we should do everything the Bible tells us to do? If you say, "Both," which would you consider to be more important?

Both is correct, and both are equally important. So here is the purpose of the Bible (2 Tim 3:16,17):
All Scripture
is given by inspiration of God, [is "God-breathed" (theopneustos)]
and is profitable
[1] for doctrine,
[2] for reproof,
[3] for correction,
[4] for instruction in righteousness:
[5] That the man of God may be perfect,
[6] throughly furnished unto all good works.

 

[amigo de christo]

Both is correct, and both are equally important. So here is the purpose of the Bible (2 Tim 3:16,17):
All Scripture
is given by inspiration of God, [is "God-breathed" (theopneustos)]
and is profitable
[1] for doctrine,
[2] for reproof,
[3] for correction,
[4] for instruction in righteousness:
[5] That the man of God may be perfect,
[6] throughly furnished unto all good works.

Stay GLUED IN IT MY FRIEND . For the time has come that many no longer endure sound doctrine .
And have long heaped up teachers , having itchy ears . YOU STAY PLANTED in the BIBLE . ALL OF US MUST .
march onwards in the LORD my friend . KEEP reminding them to be planted in those scriptures .

 

[amigo de christo]

As time goes by, more God, less Bible.

[39] You search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness to me;
[40] yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. John 5:39-40 RSV

That sure aint the message pual gave . I say more bible and stay refreshed in it all the time . We got us
many men in pulpits , many sensual seducing spirits at work . Stay planted in the bible . Learn it and love it .
GOD inspired it , WE should LOVE the TRUTH . IF we have the SPIRIT we would love the truth .

 

[amigo de christo]

What anchor? :)

THE ONLY TRUE ANCHOR of our SOUL . the GLORIOUS LORD JESUS CHRIST . Now let all that breathes
stay planted in those bibles as well .