Understanding the Bible Workshop

Introduction

Who I am

About the workshop

1 John 2:27 NKJV

But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

The Problem:

- its not in chronological order

- its a big book

- lots of stories

- lots of poems, wise sayings

- lots of prophecy

-lots of commands,

it can be overwhelming to understand.

I compare it trying to understand a forest by looking at a leaf.

So today we are going to start zoomed out and look at the full forest of the Bible

and we will narrow in

Big Picture:

7 things

1. The word Bible

Greek word that never appears in the Bible.

The English word “Bible” is from the Greek word “Byblos” and the Latin “biblia” and both mean “books.”

so it is a collection of books, to be exact 66 books (39 OT, 27 NT)

2. The authors

God used 40 different authors in a 1500 year time period from 3 different continents (Asia, Europe, Africa - shem, ham japheth) in 3 different languages

each of these authors wrote as God led them:

2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

Can i just point out that it is impossible to get 40 people, from 3 different in 1600 years time to tell one story so beautifully.

shoot I challenge you to have just 3 friends write a stroy in the same language, same country, at the same time and see if how well that story comes out...

The Word of God is just so beautifully put together.

It is orchestrated with so much precision, and detail that it must be composed by God

It lives past the lives of its writers as if it it writing itself.

and not only that but as Heb 4:12 says:

Hebrews 4:12 NKJV

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Let me just show you 5 great/unique things about God’s Word

1. “God puts His Word above His name” Psalm 138:2

- The scribes understood this:

- The rules for the scribe (made copies of OT) when writing God’s name washed their hands

- they used a pen designated for writing His name.

- When writing Gods name they would use only the consonants (no vowels).

-and once they began to write His name, even if a King addressed him he couldn't stop.

- after writing His name he would wash his hands again

- Apostle Peter understood how great His name was and said

Acts 4:12 “…for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

- so by His name we are saved from hell.

and yet God said He puts His Word above His Name.

which leads me to ask… how well should you treat His Word.

Often times we treat it like any other book.

2. His Word is eternal

John 1:1 says, that the Word of God was there before the beginning of time

Isaiah 40:8 says, “8The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”

Jesus said in Mark 13:31 “31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

There is no start or end to His Word

Here is another question… if you live by His Word how long will you live?

The answer is seen in 1 Peter 1:23 “23 For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.

God’s Word is able to teach, correct, change, and instruct you. 2 Timothy 3

God’s Word sanctifies - Eph. 5:26 & James 1:21

God’s Word keeps you from stumbling Psalm 17:4-5

God’s Word is able to judge the thought and intents of your heart by piercing your heart and soul. Hebrew 4:12

God’s Word causes repentance (Nehemiah 8:1–12)

God’s Word gives you strength if you pay attention to it -Psalm 103:20

God’s Word cleanses a young mans way if he honors it - Psalm 119

God’s Word causes knowledge of perfection (as you learn more about God) so that we can follow in its teaching (Epistles)

God’s word is a test for others. Psalm 105:19

God’s Word in our hearts keeps us from sin Psalm 119:11

God’s Word causes hope to those being perfected because of its promises to perfect the world (Prophecies/Revelation)

God’s Word gives us faith by hearing it. - Romans 10:17

God’s Word gives us hope - Romans 15

This is why Jesus said in Matt 4:4 ““Man shall live…by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ 

I also like what Will H. Houghton (ex-president of Moody Bible Institute) said

“Lay hold of the Bible until the Bible lays hold of you.”

But so many don’t and if were honest with ourselves maybe you don't either…

because it is easier to choose the words from Satan more then we chose the Words from God:

We are more interested in a gossip then a story that took God 1,600 years to write.

We are more interested in what a person’s Vlog or blog has to say to the world then what the 40 different authors God used to speak to you has to say.

We are more interested in people who are not interested in us… then God who was so interested in us He created a book for us.

We often walk passed our Bibles daily.

Yet God every single day for the last 4,000 years God has made sure His Words are not destroyed. (persecution or naturally)

God’s Word is meant to blow our minds, guide our lives, and touch our hearts.

Lets allow it…

We often condemn the Pharisees & Sadducees for not realizing who Jesus was

But we are not any better when we don't recognize the Word of God

We don't recognize His Word when we say things like…“I have a busy day today, ill read later” “

I am too tired to read it now”

“I already know what it says, so I am okay”

“Ill just read double tomorrow”

But we would call God unjust and all kinds of names if God did the same thing to you

for example if you needed Him to hear your prayers He says “ I am tired, ill listen to you later.” ; “I am having a busy day, lets do this later” ;“Ill listen to you longer tomorrow”

but heres the truth….God could say this to you, and still be God….

He doesn't have to listen or speak to you through His Word but He does….

but if we treat the Author of the Bible like any other author we ruin ourselves.

In the years of the martyrs Christians fled into the underground caverns outside Rome in almost 600 miles of mole like tunnels.

Ten generations of Christians were buried in the catacombs (under ground cemetery) during approximately 300 years of persecution.

No one knows the exact number, but archaeologists estimate between 1,750,000 - 4,000,000 Christians were placed in a grave in these dark tunnels.

Inscriptions of Scripture can still be seen on the catacomb walls.

One of the most frequent inscriptions is the sign of the fish.

But the inscription which best describes who they were says:

“The Word of God is not bound.”

May the same be for us in this class….

That the Word of God was not bound in our lives.

There is three words we can listen to: God’s words, Satan’s and man’s

Satan’s is easy to listen to but will destroy you

God’s is hard to listen to but will give you life

Man’s words will reflect what it listens.

so what words will you reflect the most?

May the Word of God not be bound.

3. The Acronym - Basic, Instructions, Before, Leave, Earth

I like that because first 2 and last 2 chapters of the Bible is perfection, while the rest of the Bible explains why perfection ended and how it will be perfected again.

4. The intended readers:

For the 3 types of people & for 3 reasons:

3 types of people:

the sinners - to be saved

the saved - to be sanctified

the sanctified - to have hope

3 main reasons (to give history, laws, and promises)

The history speaks of the past, the laws speak of the present, and the promises speak of the future.

5. The Bible is the Word of God, and Jesus is the Word:

John 1:14 NKJV

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

- The beginning of the world was spoken by the Word of God (Gen 1-2)

- & John 1:1 & Colossians 1:15–18 says everything was made through Him

in Rev 1:1 it says the end is all about Jesus

We don't know how but we do know that He is the Word of God

That from beginning, middle and end it is all about Jesus.

Here is an opportunity for some application:

Most people think that… if they were alive 2,000 years ago during the time of Jesus that they wouldn't have treated Jesus like the others did….

But if you are honest with your self… chances are how you would have treated Jesus then is how you treat your Bible now.

6. The key verse to understanding the whole Bible:

Jesus said in John 5:39 that all of the scripture is about Him

John 5:39 NLT

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me!

7.The Back of the Cover:

“The Bible is a record of the detailed steps God made to save the world…

with a message for perfecting the saved, and a prophecy of hope to those being perfected.”

Divide

The Right Way to Divide: keeping the 1 story in mind:

note that while we look at many different divisions we are seeing the perfect story of the Bible.

There is no such thing as a perfect division, but the Word is perfect.

All we seek to do in dividing scripture is to better understand the perfect story a little better.

Each division helps tell the story in a better way than the other.

So the more accurate divisions we look at the the more we will gain in understanding the perfection of God’s Word

It is my hope in this class that you will no longer be like most who don't understand structure of scripture.

2 Timothy 2:15

AMP “15 Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.”

So we will start with some big picture divisions and narrow it down.

like the forest and we will narrow down to a tree.

A very classic division:

Three divisions

1. Old Testament (Genesis - Malachi) Looks forward to Jesus

2. Gospel (Matthew - John)Jesus the Savior of the World

3. New Testament (Acts - Revelation)The results of Jesus

A "perfect” Division:

Three divisions:

1. Genesis 1-2: Perfection

2. Genesis 3 - Revelation 20 - A battle against man’s sin & Satan vs.God

3. Revelation 21-22: Perfection

Story of the Bible (Key Events) - personal favorite.

Six divisions

1. God Creates Earth for Relationship (Genesis 1-2)

2. Sin enters world (Genesis 3)

3. God’s Followers (Israel) (Genesis 12- Esther)

4. God Comes to Earth to Provide a Relationship (Matthew - John)

5. Christ Followers (Acts)

6. Removal of Sin, and evil (Revelation)

Story of the Bible (Israel and Church)

five divisions

1. God Builds Israel for Providing Redemption (Genesis 12 - 1 Kings 10)

2. God corrects His rebellious people using Assyria and Babylon when they began to seek God again He restored them (1 Kings 11 - 2 Chronicles 36)

3. God Comes to Israel and Israel Rejects Him (Matthew - John)

4. God Builds His Church (Acts)

5. God Fills Earth with His Glory (Revelation)

Story of the Bible (Focused on Salvation)

six divisions

1.Salvation Needed (Genesis)

2. Salvation Prepared (Exodus - Song of Solomon)

3. Salvation Prophesied and promised (Isaiah - Malachi)

4. Salvation Purchased (Matthew - John)

5. Salvation Proclaimed (Acts - Jude)

6. Salvation Fulfilled (Revelation)

Story of the Bible (Time)

1. First 2,000 years - From Creation - Abraham

Sin is made and the promise for salvation is made

2. Next 2,000 years - From Abraham to Jesus

God creates and builds a nation to bring the Savior of the world

3. Next 2,000 years - Jesus to us

Jesus builds His church who spreads the Gospel and prepares for end of the world

We are going to zoom in more now:

The Christian Division of Scripture (how our Bibles are divided):

8 divisions

1. Pentateuch books (Gen - Dt)

In these books we learn why need a Savior, and that God has a plan to use a small nation called Israel to provide the Savior

and so in these books He is building and preparing that nation

by growing them, and giving them laws.

since every nation needs laws but also

Galatians 3:19 NLT

Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people.

2. History (Josh - Esther) -

In these books we see God trying have a relationship with His people and prepare them but Israel keeps rebelling, and wanting to be like everyone else.

So God uses the other nations to correct them to show them that it really is bondage without God

Hebrews 12:6 NLT

For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.”

So God has to discipline us too,

so that we dont put ourselves into bondage of sin, and the things in this world.

that we can live in the great plan He has for us just like with Israel.

3. Poetic (Job - Song of Solomon) -

These books are awesome because it gets to the heart of the problem

It shows us three hearts:

The heart God has towards us

The rebellious heart we tend to have towards God

The heart we should have towards God

4. Prophetic (Isaiah to Malachi) -

These book tell us God plan

either to correct the nation out of running from God

or to show them how God is going to give them what He promised them (Salvation)

5. Gospels (Mt -Jhn) -

Here God provides Salvation but Israel rejects Him...

so God uses the disciples to build up a new peoples called the church.

6. History (Acts) -

This book is about how the church grew

Acts 1-12 - God starts the church from Jewish men

Acts 13-28 - The message of Jesus spreads to every nation.

Acts 29 - is today

7. Epistles (Romans - Jude) -

In these books we learn what the result of Salvation should be. and how we should live

8. Apocalypse (Revelation) -

This book teaches us 1 main thing

That God has restored relationship with His people, and will destory all sin and evil.

Mean while those who didnt want anything to do with God will never be with God or expereince anything godly like joy, peace, goodness, etc.

Now lets pass through the trees and walk through the forest....

The Bible

1. Starts with creation (Gen 1-2)

2. God gives man a choice to love Him or not (Gen 2:16-17)

3. Man chooses to separate self from God and so ungodliness (sin) enters the world(Gen 3)

4. God immediately makes a plan to remove sin in the world, and provide restoration to the relationship between God and man (Gen 3:14-16)

5. God builds mankind but Satan corrupts it to extreme evil to where God destroys Earth with a flood but preserves the last righteous family (Gen 4-10)

6. Mankind regrows again but tries to make itself like God so God scatters people all over the earth and nations and languages were created (Gen 11)

most scholars believe that Job was written at this point

7. God calls out a righteous man (Abraham) to leave everything to be used to create a nation that will give the other nations a Savior. (Gen 12:1-3)

8. God prepares Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to grow a nation (Gen 12:4-29:30)

9. The sons of Jacob are born that will becomes the tribes of Israel (Gen 29:31-30:24)

10. The sons of Jacob are learning to be of God (Gen 30:25-50)

11. God grows the 12 sons into tribes that form a nation in the safety of Egypt (Exodus 1)

12. God grooms a righteous leader (Moses) to lead them in being God’s people and to take them out of Egypt to become their own nation (Exodus 2-19)

13 The nation receives their constitution (the 10 commandments) (Exodus 20)

14. The nation learns to follow God (Exodus 20-40)

15. The nation is given rules on how to be made right with God individually, and how to worship God (Leviticus)

16 The nation grows and is practicing having a relationship with God in wilderness but while trying to enter into the land God has for them they doubt him (Numbers)

17. God gives to a new generation in the wilderness the same laws and raises up Joshua (Deuteronomy)

18. God gives the nation a land to call its own and the tribes of Israel take their territories (Joshua)

19. While in the land the nation struggles in its relationship with God, and a cycle of rebellion and repentance continue throughout the book. (Judges)

20. Meanwhile its at this time the book of Ruth takes place that gives a picture of salvation.(Ruth)

21. God raises up the nations first prophet (Samuel) to lead them in following God as they rebel (1 Samuel 1-15)

22. Samuel anoints David to be the king to lead the people politically in honoring God (1Samuel 16:1-13

from this point on the Psalms are being written

23. David rises to becomes king and conquers and takes posession over Jerusalem (1 Samuel 16:14- 2 Samuel 5)

24 David becomes a righteous warrior King (2 Samuel 5-10)

at this point God makes a very specific promise that the Savior will come through David

25. David allows sin to creep in which results in the birth of His son Solomon but also a decline in the power of Davids kingdom until his death (2 Samuel 11- 1 Kings 1:27)

26. Solomon becomes king and becomes the most triumphant king Israel has ever had and builds God’s Temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 1:28-10:29)

it is at this point that some Psalms are being written by Solomon, Proverbs is being written, Song of Solomon is being written, and the events described in Ecclesiastes being lived out.

27. Solomons heart turns from the Lord and he dies (1 Kings 11)

28. The 12 tribes of Israel get divided in 2 because of political disagreements: Israel in the North with 10 tribes, and Judah in the south with 2 tribes (Judah and Benjamin) (1 Kings 12 (930BC)

29. From 1 Kings 12 all through 2 Kings it documents the growing wickedness of Israel in the north with wicked kings, and it documents the sometimes righteous, mostly wicked Judah. (1 Kings 12-2Kings 25)

at this point 1 and 2 Chronicles begins to document the same history except it is focused on the 2 tribes of Judah since from Judah the Savior will come.

at this point God begins using the prophets to bring the nations to a relationship with Him by giving them promises, corrections, and warnings.

The prophets for Israel in order: Abijah, Jehu, Micaiah, Elijah, Elisha, Amos, Hosea, Jonah, Nahum.

The prophets for Judah in order: Shemaiah, Hanania, Joel, Isaiah, Micah, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Jeremiah,

In 722Bc Israels as warned by prophets is destroyed by Assyria because as Israel wanted God left them to be without Him (2 Kings 17)

Prophets at this time in order: Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel

30. In 586Bc just liked with Israel, Judah also rejects the warnings and they are destroyed and taken captive by Babylon (2 Chron 36:1-21)

31 In 53BC Persian King Cyrus allows for Jews who want to follow God to return to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 36:22-Ezra 1:4)

32. Jews ready to follow and serve God go to Jerusalem to rebuild it and the Temple (Ezra-1:5-Nehemiah 13:28

Prophets at this time in order: Haggai, Zachariah, Malachi

33. God proves He is with them still after protecting them from a Persian attack by using Queen Esther (Esther)

34. The Savior is born, performs miracles, teaches, and pays the price for Salvation (Matt-John)

35. News of Salvation spreads from Jews to ALL nations (Acts)

36. Believers from all over learn how to have a relationship with God and to hold onto the Gospel (Romans-Jude)

37. God permanently restores mankind by removing all sin, suffering, and evil for all those that wanted a relationship with God and trusted in Jesus to be their Savior.