I. The Bible

So 19 beginning a 7. The law of the Lord is perfect refreshing the soul the statutes of the Lord of trustworthy making wise the simple the precepts of the Lord of right giving Joy to the heart the commands of the Lord of giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure enduring forever the decrees of the Lord of firm and all of them are righteous. There are more precious than gold and much pure gold. They're sweeter than honey. Then honey from the honeycomb the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be unto God you may be seated.

So this should come as no surprise, but the Bible is the best-selling book of all time. And I find it fascinating that how many of you have heard two of the Guinness Book of World Records before I used to collect those in middle school and high school every year nice thick hardcover book the time. I went to the library always went straight to those on school field trips and right reading about the Hall of Records in the world, but I find it fascinating that even a secular organization like that. They even acknowledge that the Bible is the best-selling non-fiction book of all time on a fascinating read of the Bible is nonfiction and estimates around it's sold upwards of five billion copies. It's pretty sounding The Bible is also a massive book. I mentioned this before but if you were to print out the Bible on normal pieces of paper that you would typically find it a hard or soft cover. Hardback book The Bible would be about this long or this is why the stick about the length of the series of the Harry Potter books the Bible it so it's massive very long. It was written by about 40 authors across three different continents in three different languages spanning about a thousand years. The Bible has no shortage of literary genres for the Bible includes history prophecy letters poetry Parables Proverbs architectural blueprints apocalipsis gospels laws store men's formal Covenant treaties and travel narratives just to name a few of which contained in the Bible. As one author put it this book that we are opening. Hopefully you have your hands. This book has been translated forbidden feared argued over abused by 4 and above all it is been treasured. And also in 1839 our Founders in the Hillsborough Constitution and Covenant when I found hers listed the doctrinal beliefs that they wanted to Rally around and hold you as a church the very first thing they put was this first we believe the scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the revealed word or will of God and the Only Rule of faith and practice. To church as you and I as we continue our Trek through the Baptist faith and message today, we're looking at the doctrine of bibliology you've ever heard of that term bibliology. It's simply the doctrine of the Bible to study the teaching of the Bible itself and throughout all the things that were going to cover today, which is going to be informative part apologetic. Hopefully it encouraging to your soul as well. But this is the one thing I want you to remember and it comes from our texts and soul 19 the word of God is perfect and it refreshes the soul. The word of God is perfect and it refreshes the soul. I want to make sure you got that to church if you'll repeat it with me. I'll write the word of God is perfect and it refreshes the soul are good you and I might better see this Perfection five angles were going to look at today about the Bible number one the source of the Bible number to the scope of the Bible number 3 the inerrancy of the Bible number for the superiority of the Bible and then finally the purpose of the Bible. number one Where do we get it from? I'm not talking about the history yet. I'll dress that in just a moment, but who wrote the Bible? Who's the author? God okay. Well, how did we get the Bible?

To God is the author, right? But how do we actually get it? Who are the instruments that God used in the easier for you? people Mankind, so God wrote the Bible.

There's a basic Point not too hard to grasp. But let's look at scripture in and pick it apart a little bit 2nd Timothy, 3:16 and 17. I'm going to be referring to this passage quite often the sermon 2nd Timothy 3:16. All scripture is god-breathed. All scripture is god-breathed is from the mouth of God and think about Luke 6:45. What did Jesus say? They're the mouth with a heart full of Soul scripture is god-breathed is from the mouth of God God speaks what his heart is full of so if you will the word of God comes from them. the Lord God is the source but as we know and as we just said God gave us the Bible through the hands of men 2nd Peter chapter 1 verses 22 21 is quite clear on this note. Listen to 2nd Peter above all you must understand that no prophecy of scripture came about by The Prophet's own interpretation of things. Other words human beings men they did not just sit at the desk and think about what is some truth. I can write down. It did not come about by The Prophet's own interpretation of things. It's more clear for prophecy. Never had its origin in the human will but profits though. Human spoke from God as they were carried Along by the Holy Spirit. Do it the way I think about it and see if I got one on me now. I don't know I was looking for pain, but my point is

does a fancy pen to write so The way to think about it is if I write a letter. You're getting some big letters here so you can see. If I write a letter right here and I'll read that. Hello. This is the beauty of my handwriting right? This is what it looks like on small print too if I write this. It's my mind. It's my heart. It's my thoughts. It's my words that I put down on paper yet the exact same time. It came through the instrument of his pain. And the pain is unique that it has a unique build and depending upon how deep you going to the pin world. The tip of a pin is called a nib to every nib has Different Stroke right time or fine summer medium summer large Strokes different colored ink writing got red blue black lime green. If you're that crazy different kind of unique aspects to every single pin. Has unique characteristics to it. So when God if you will wrote the Bible, he used men as the pin has a 10:00 and every man that he used Weatherby Daniel or David or John or James every single human being had their own unique characteristics to them their own unique personalities came through the writings. That's why there's such a variety even in the Book of Psalms as David ASAP Ethan and others and Moses that each wrote some storms, right every song is uniquely voiced to reflect the personality of the one who wrote it. That's part of the beauty the literary beauty of God's word. Thank you. This is you have to think about it. Also, this is a general truth of how God worked. How does God accomplish his work in the

I would say primarily. I think I could use primarily through people. I've heard of numerous testimonies of growing up in a pastor's home interact with a lot of different pastors and ministers and what not. It seems like

Years ago so many I talked to they're always like while we were just scraping by like we barely had anything in the bank account. It just seems like an equalist testimony that the Lord is faithful but it's how many testimonies I've heard of ministers who could not pay their next mortgage payment the next month. And then the very day where they needed a payment what happened? There was a check in the mail. For the exact amount, right? If you don't believe in miracles, I've heard too many testimonies of this kind of thing happening the precise amount in the mail, but it was my point. That check didn't come out of nowhere. I somebody wrote it. God works through men and that's the same thing with God's word the Bible. We have the Bible Through The Sovereign hand of God working through men. For example Acts chapter 4 verse 25 it tells us God spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouths of your servant Our Father David. For Bob's at 4:25. Let me read it again. God spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouths of your servant Our Father David. Also numbers 26 verse 13. These are the commands and regulations the lord gave through Moses to the Israelites. Okay. God wrote the Bible through the first point. That's the source of the Bible number to the scope of the Bible. This one the address is a little more of the history of how we got it the scope of the Bible stated differently. The 66 books that we have in the Bible 39 in the Old 27 in the new the 66 books or 66 letters that we have are what's known as the Canon of scripture. I never heard that term before referring to the Bible. It's called the Canon of scripture if you like. What is that mean cannon cannon refers to a ruler or standard to basically every book is every letter measure up to a certain standard. Does it mean a certain criteria of authenticity of being from God almighty? It's important to ask this question. Why do we have 66 books? Why not 67 why not 65 how did this list that we have this compilation? How do we get this? How did this come about because I hope you know the Bible did not just fall out of the sky as a bound book 66 books as we have it today. The formation of the Bible was a very fascinating study with very rich history. So it's important to ask. How did we get the Bible as we know it today? Here's a simple answer right? This is a very legitimate question for a Christian and especially non-christians to ask here's a simple answer. I'm going to try to unpack it for you. The Christian Church received and recognized the 66 books we have is being God breathed. Camping very precise in my language okay with seafood and recognized the 66 books we have as being from God almighty. Very specific language. Let me try to explain. Contrary to popular belief. The narrative in the secular world and even among some Christians is that we got the Bible from different councils sitting around a table thinking. You know what I like the Gospel of Luke but I don't like the Gospel of Thomas. So it's chalk that one and let's just stick with the gospel of Luke that is not at all how the Bible's formats a very simplistic likes new one. That's how the Bible came about the church received and recognized. What was Canon. What was true? What was truly from God? Help illustrate this point who likes money in here. Tell me to be honest. Okay, you sure in the back. I'm coming back to you. All right.

message for Jimmy.

Love you. You can see me back here. I've got two pieces of paper.

both of them

What do you think? What's some observations about it? Walgreens fake which one Okay, this one is fake. This one is real be confident that okay.

Don't take money before not talk about Monopoly money somebody else. You can feel it out the Oh Nana.

All right, real or fake. Now I will say let it show I did feel quite guilty printing this out. All right, just let the record show Unity Temple and never in any way try to use this is real money as legal tender, right? Why do I bring this up in missing this? Do I as an individual as a citizen of the United States? Do I have the authority to declare or determine? What is real and what is not?

Infinity precise with my language I don't. I don't have the authority to say this is money. I don't have the authority to say that to declare that to make it happen. I can discern correct and to use the language I was using earlier. The only thing I can do is recognize which real And you all know what the real marks of money are what real money is, right, you know the particular feel of it, you know, maybe you know the smell of it. I don't share done that for, you know, that real money has a watermark when you hold it up to the light, you know, real money has the micro prints around it. And if you got Frankie you got that blue holographic line in the middle, right? That's pretty pretty intriguing. So the only thing we can do as US citizens and that's consumers is recognized. What is legitimate recognized. What is true? The same way when it comes to the 66 letters of the Bible. 66 letters of scripture, the only thing that Christians and the church as a whole can do is recognize and receive what is legitimate. The church has no authority to declare. This is God's word. This is not the church can only receive and recognize. What is truly from God. Legitimate question. Far-right I got that Jimmy D's what are some of the criteria they looked for what are some of the marks of authenticity that the church's look for? I'm glad you asked him. I'm glad you care free Mark South Mission Number One pasta Elizabeth apostolicity. What do I mean by that what that is did these riding in? For the sake of time Old Testament little more nuanced lot of more Dimensions to it. Let me just focus on the moment because if the New Testament is true give me conference the old as well as the New Testament apostolicity by that. I mean was this letter written during the apostolic age? Was it compiled and written composed during the first century? But if it came during the third Century fourth Century so on and so forth immediately discounted meet Lee discredited. Number to Casa licity catholicity. I'm not referring to the Roman Catholic Church Catholic City simply means Universal. another words

Church for example If there let's just say there were 250 congregations, if one of the congregation said, you know what I liked this book the letter of Barnabas we like this book, but the 249 other churches said now, we don't buy that one was immediately discredited. It had to have Universal recognition amongst all the churches. If only 20 churches agreed or 50 even half even majority had to be universally agreed upon that this was recognized that it was from God finally number three, Orthodoxy. Leslie a letter is Merit a letter of authenticity was seen and determined by or discerned by rather. Is it faithful to the teachings of Jesus? Is a faithful to the teachings of Jesus? And if you were to use the three criteria in your own study time, and if you I mean, I don't really think there's a whole lot of Point doing it. But if you are truly intrigued and want to go down that road with some of the other letters and books out there, you'll find it those other letters contradict at least one of them. If not all three usually all three of those criteria and you can be confident when I say you can be confident that the 27 letters that we have in the New Testament or God's word that they are from the mouth of God and the other disputed books. They don't even come close to matching the content the unity be coming from the first century. They don't even come close to that.

You may know or heard of the Apocrypha before the Catholic context the Apocrypha. There's several other books that Catholics have in their Bible in the Old Testament. The only thing I'll say this is a huge apologetic issue again talking about the defense of the face. The only thing I'll say is this The New Testament letters, they never quote from the Apocrypha. A quote from every other book of the Bible with the exception of I believe Esther could be wrong on that one. But the New Testament never quotes from the Apocrypha just something to keep in mind and I encourage you you can be confident today. If you want to talk about this more you want some books and resources to figure out this study of how we got this I'd be glad to recommend some but you can be confident the 66 books we have are from the Lord. They are God breathed. I'm a free man, Aaron see the inerrancy of the distance from Sol 19. And of all the Psalms 150 chapters cell 19 is easily in my top five love the song and it's been said there is no more succinct summation of the power and precision of God's written word anywhere in the Bible referring to Psalm 19. Look at versus 7 to 10 if you're there, if not, follow along.

What is God's word that has?

Says God's word is perfect. It's trustworthy. It's right. It's radiant. It's pure it's firm. What's God's word do that's what it is. But what is it due to you and I well refreshes. The soul makes wise the simple gives Joy to the heart gives light to the eyes. It endures forever and all of God's words God's laws God's truth. All of it is righteous. Proverbs chapter 13 verses 5 and 6 every word of God is flawless. Psalm 12 or 6 the words of the Lord are flawless like silver purified in a crucible like gold refined 7 times.

This song Psalm 19 these few verses you can summarize all of that truth into one word inerrancy. The inerrancy of the Bible the inerrancy of the word and what does that mean? It's one of those Christian Church terms. What does that mean? It means the Bible contains no historical blunders. No scientific errors, no factual inaccuracies and no fallacies of any kind. It is perfect. It's Flawless and it's free from fault or error. In church, you have to listen, this is extremely important for you and I to be clear about and for United stick.

There can be some wiggle room some disagreement. I would say baptism was one of them. But this is one of those days we cannot change we cannot differ on I will plant.

Why is that cuz the inerrancy of scripture in part the inerrancy of scripture is being assaulted in today's world. The Perfection of God's word. What do I mean by that? Practically speaking? How many have you heard this thought of the sentiment what the Bible says about Injustice? In about helping those in poverty and about peacefully forgiving others. That's good. What the when the Bible starts talking about my sex life in my sexual and sexual morality or immorality. Well, it's wrong. It's not quite right. It's outdated its repressive. It's regressive. How many of you have ever heard that sentiment before? or another way to say I know the Bible is true, but fill in the blank that undermines the Perfection the goodness the truthfulness of God's word to church. I'm very clear all of scripture from cover to cover is perfect and we must stand upon the truth of his word. number for superiority of the word

what I mean by that

other ones false

Common ways. You could answer that. Well, the Bible is historically accurate. It contains hundreds of filled prophecies. It's internally consistent and doesn't contradict its.

Great one it's true. But I got some people just before some Christians. How do you know the Bible is true? Because the Bible says it's true. Yeah, but that's mean any other book and say is true and and Authority that doesn't prove it. What does the truth Manju regarding all of those specifics there's lots of different rabbit holes. You can chase with all of them. That is a very big question. How do you know the Bible is true if be truth? I like the approach Tim Keller uses.

How do I know the Bible is true focus on the resurrection of Jesus? focus on the resurrection of Jesus so many people will try to find rabbit Trails trying to pick a part especially some Old Testament narratives and what not. And whatnot. That's true. That's just absurd. Okay, you can hold that for a second. Look at the resurrection of Jesus. Did Jesus really rise from the dead? If he did if Jesus is who he says he is that means everything changes because of Jesus is who he says he is Jesus rose from the dead. How did Jesus feed the Old Testament? As the authority as coming from God himself as being the truth. So if Jesus did not rise from the dead if that was faked if that's a lie if that's a historical inaccuracy with and who cares about the Old Testament. but if incense right since Jesus rose from the dead That is strong strong undisputable evidence that all of God's word Genesis to Revelation is the full complete truth of God. Almighty. Today's not Easter right Southeastern season 4 say I can talk to you and give you some evidences and strong historically reliable evidence of why Jesus rose from the dead that's another story for another time. But that's how do you know the Bible is true? What's the answer to church where you should point for this? Did Jesus rise from the dead? Begin there and then you can address some other Joan on Noah so on and so forth. number 5 lastly the purpose of God's word

Why do we have the Bible?

Titus Chapter 1 verses 1 and 2 is this a little hint? The Apostle Paul is writing to Titus. Into the church's where Titus is serving as a pastor. Soul Eater Paul said I'm writing this letter to you to further the face of God's elect to deepen the face to strengthen the face of God's people. And to deepen their knowledge of the truth that leads to Godliness. Why do you and I have the Bible in front of us? Why do we open it week after week? Why do we want to know God's word is our mission statement talk about also that our faith might be strengthened. And also frankly so that we might have more knowledge. It's good to know the truth. It's good to cognitively and mentally know the truth. But as you're seeing that verse knowledge of the truth that what Leads to Godliness. God does not want us to just have big heads, but they have full hearts and live out the truth.

I know is that the entire picture though? quite a few in there you could thank you know what got

that my speech that's not the sole reason that's part of it God's word guide us in the right way. We should live. But God gave us this book also so that we might know him. 2nd Timothy 3 15 to 17 in that wonderful Right highly encourage you to memorize if you don't know what yet? 2nd Timothy 3 verse 15

Is it helps us to know Christ? It's the only way.

The worstest know the truth of the text more so we want to know the Living Word Jesus Christ. That's why we spend time this book to know God to know him. God gave us the written word so that we know the Living Word he gave us the Bible so that we might believe in the Christ he gave us the scriptures so that we might be safe from our sun. The church in conclusion. I want you to remember today. The word of God is what? The word of God is perfect. And what does it do for you? If refreshes the soul.

Mustang with you conclusion Let's see. If you want to go to the next slide. And one thing I'd like to do is read what's on text in the Baptist faith and message to read it collectively. Again, just what is the Bible? What was the point of it? Why do we have it? It's the nature of it. So if you will read this out loud with me and then will close and in the dark.

The Holy Bible was written by men divinely-inspired and is God's revelation of himself to man. It is a perfect Treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author salvation for its end and truth without any mixture of error for its matter. Therefore. All scripture is totally true and trustworthy it reveals the principles by which God judges us and therefore it is and will remain to the end of the world the true Center of Christian union in the Supreme standard by which all human conduct fries and religious opinions should be trod all scripture is a testimony to Christ who is himself the focus of divine revelation. amen Our Father maybe go out now in peace Maybe go out now with confidence. Maybe go out now with love in our hearts. I love for you. I love for your word and I love for people. May this love beginning our families might extend to our friends or neighbors and our coworkers. Jesus please cleanse us help us to be at church that stands upon the beautiful truth of your word. We need your Holy Spirit. Please help us in your name. We pray. Amen.