Transcript Document

Title Page
Lesson One
II Peter 1:14-16
II Peter 1:14-16
14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my
tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath
shewed me.
15 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be
able after my decease to have these things
always in remembrance.
16 For we have not followed cunningly devised
fables, when we made known unto you the
power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but
were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
II Peter 1:17-19
II Peter 1:17-19
17 For he received from God the Father honour
and glory, when there came such a voice to him
from the excellent glory, This is my beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased.
18 And this voice which came from heaven
we heard, when we were with him in the
holy mount.
19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy;
whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto
a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day
dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
II Peter 1:20-21
II Peter 1:20-21
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the
scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the
will of man: but holy men of God spake as they
were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Focus Verses
II Timothy 3:16-17
All scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction
in righteousness:
That the man of God may be perfect,
throughly furnished unto all good works.
Focus Thought
The Bible is inspired (God-breathed),
inerrant, and infallible. We should base
our lives on it, for it will be the final
standard of judgment.
Introduction
Introduction
The inspiration of the Scripture is one of the most
critical issues today. Never before has our culture
or world needed the solid foundation of the Word
of God more than we do right now. This is the
basic foundation upon which everything
worthwhile stands.
Introduction
If the Bible is truly the inspired and infallible Word
of God, then it is the mother and guardian of all
doctrine—the foundation upon which everything
depends. If the Bible is not inspired and infallible,
then nothing else matters. If that were the case, we
could put our Bibles on the fiction shelf of the
library and forget about them.
Introduction
If only parts of the Bible were true and inspired,
then we would never know what to trust and what
to ignore. To accept either of these two extreme
positions is to be forever confused and lost.
Introduction
However, the Word of God is inspired, infallible,
and true. We can exercise complete confidence in
the Word of God, knowing that it is the basis and
foundation for all truth, and it will never fail.
Inspiration
I. Inspiration
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (II Timothy 3:16).
A. God the Author
I.
Inspiration
(A)
From Moses to the apostle John fifteen centuries
later, at least forty individuals from Egypt, Israel,
Babylon, Asia Minor, and the Roman provinces in
Europe had a part in penning and recording the
words of the Bible. These individuals included a
military general, historians and scribes, kings,
prophets, fishermen, a doctor, a tax collector, and a
Jewish Hebrew of Hebrews turned missionary for
Jesus Christ—the apostle Paul.
I.
Inspiration
(A)
However, the common thread through all of these
scribes is that God Himself is the real author. Even
common people, under the inspiration of God,
recorded what God wanted us to know.
I.
Inspiration
(A)
The word inspiration in the Focus Verse translates
from the Greek word theopneustus, which means
“God-breathed.” The very Spirit of God directed,
prompted, and anointed the writers. Just as the
Spirit of prophecy can anoint a person to prophesy,
so the Spirit of God inspired the writers to record
an anointed script that was destined to become the
Word of God.
I.
Inspiration
(A)
In at least 450 passages in the Bible, the writer
testified that he was writing under the instruction or
direction of God. “God said,” “Thus saith the
Lord,” “The word of the Lord came . . . saying,” or
similar words repeatedly claim the direct control of
God over the written Word.
II Peter 1:20-21
“Knowing this first, that no prophecy
of the scripture is of any private
interpretation. For the prophecy came
not in old time by the will of man: but
holy men of God spake as they were
moved by the Holy Ghost”
(II Peter 1:20-21).
Hebrews 1:1
“God . . . at sundry times and in
divers manners spake in time past
unto the fathers by the prophets”
(Hebrews 1:1).
I.
Inspiration
(A)
Although the Spirit of God inspired the writers to
record what He wanted written, this still did not
preclude the writers from manifesting their
individual personalities and various styles. This
added a human dimension to the divinely inspired
Word.
I.
Inspiration
(A)
Just as Jesus Christ, the living Word, was both
divine and human, so the inspired Scripture shows
both divine and human aspects. Yet the human
characteristics never compromise the divinely
inspired nature of Scripture.
B. The Final Authority
I. Inspiration (B)
More than just a guide, the Bible is our sole
authority for all doctrine and matters of life. We
should follow it explicitly in every detail. Rather
than picking and choosing, we should obey the
entire Bible.
from Genesis to Maps
One man said that he
believed the whole Bible
“from Genesis to Maps.”
I. Inspiration (B)
The Bible delves into hundreds of controversial
topics, and we look to it to settle all questions. No
matter what the subject, if the Bible speaks about it
at all, whatever it says is true.
Revelation 20:12
“And I saw the dead, small and great,
stand before God; and the books were
opened: and another book was
opened, which is the book of life: and
the dead were judged out of those
things which were written in the
books, according to their works”
(Revelation 20:12).
I. Inspiration (B)
The Bible is the standard of judgment that we will
face in the end. At the final judgment when we
stand before the Great White Throne, our lives will
be reviewed and compared to what the Bible
requires.
I. Inspiration (B)
Our works, our deeds, our thoughts, and even our
motives will be measured by God’s standard: “For
nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest;
neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and
come abroad” (Luke 8:17).
I.
Inspiration
(B)
“He that rejecteth me, and receiveth
not my words, hath one that judgeth
him: the word that I have spoken, the
same shall judge him in the last
day” (John 12:48).
The purpose of Scripture is to make God known
to mankind. It is God’s primary way of
communicating with us. God can impress us and
lead us by His Holy Spirit within, but every
communication of God through any means will be
completely compatible with His Word; He never
violates His Word.
I. Inspiration (B)
The Scripture reveals the will of God and His
eternal purpose, showing us the way to live. It
reveals the plan of redemption and the way to
have eternal life in fellowship with God. The
Bible is a covenant between God and mankind. If
we will keep this covenant, God will keep His
part of the covenant and bless us. (See Exodus
19:5-6; Deuteronomy 28.)
I. Inspiration (B)
The Truth
II. The Truth (A)
When Jesus said, “Every one that is of the truth
heareth my voice,” Pilate responded, “What is
truth?” (John 18:37-38). Likewise, most people
today have no idea what truth is, for our present
generation has lost the meaning of the word.
A. Absolute and Exclusive
II.
The
Truth
(A)
Truth is absolute. It is not relative or subjective. It
does not yield to opinions, trends, or popularity
polls. It does not vary from one situation to
another, or from one person to another.
II.
The
Truth
(A)
Truth is revelatory. The source of truth is not
within us; it is not the product of our own
experience or thoughts. We cannot create it. Truth
must come from somewhere outside of us. Truth
has to be revealed to us by God and by His Word.
If God does not reveal truth to us, we will never
know truth because He is its source.
II.
The
Truth
(A)
Truth is timeless. Truth does not change from
generation to generation. It does not conform to the
latest fad. If it was true in ancient times, if it was
true for Grandpa, then it is still true for us today,
and it will be true tomorrow.
II.
The
Truth
(A)
Truth is universal. Anywhere we go in the world,
truth remains the same for all people of all nations.
It does not change to conform to culture, society, or
worldviews.
II.
The
Truth
(A)
Truth is unchanging. It is immutable. There are no
exceptions. It is not subject to debate, vote, or
public opinion polls. The Word is forever settled in
heaven.
II.
The
Truth
(A)
Truth is exclusive. By its very nature, truth defines
itself and delineates what is and is not true. That
which is not true is false. By the same token,
anything false is never truth.
II.
The
Truth
(A)
The law of non-contradiction purports that two
contrary statements cannot both be true at the same
time. If one proposition is true, its opposite must be
false. There is no such thing as my truth and your
truth.
II.
The
Truth
(A)
Our post-modern culture, in the name of tolerance
and treating all viewpoints equally, has abandoned
all recognition of absolute truth, including the
knowledge of right and wrong. This approach
defies the logic of the law of non-contradiction.
II.
The
Truth
(A)
The Bible alone is God’s Word. Accepting the
divine inspiration of the Bible leads one to
conclude that no other work shares the same
inspired status; no other religious tome can possess
divine inspiration as the Word of God.
II.
The
Truth
(A)
Moreover, any other writing that contradicts the
Bible cannot be true—even if it claims to be a holy
book or scripture. The Bible makes exclusive
claims regarding God, salvation, truth, and
revelation that would exclude all other books.
Indeed, every teaching that contradicts the Bible is
false.
II.
The
Truth
(A)
The Koran, the holy book of Islam, denies the deity
of Christ and His atoning work on the cross and
contradicts many verses of Scripture. The Hindu
Vedas are polytheistic, and the Upanishads are
pantheistic with an impersonal essence for deity
instead of a personal God.
II.
The
Truth
(A)
The Pali Canon of Buddhism teaches a pantheistic
or naturalistic philosophy. The Book of Mormon is
full of personal revelations contrary to the Bible.
None of these books deserves to be classified as
divinely inspired.
B. Revealed
II. The Truth (B)
We do not find truth by looking within ourselves,
nor is it the product of our own thinking, feelings,
emotions, or experiences. It is not invented by
meditation. Truth must be revealed to us; it must be
brought to us from a source outside ourselves. We
cannot be our own authority, nor can we be our
own source of truth.
II. The Truth (B)
The apostle Paul spoke of the “mystery” of the
eternal purpose of God, “which in other ages was
not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now
revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the
Spirit” (Ephesians 3:5). Truth must come from God
Himself, who is “the truth” (John 14:6), through
His inspired Word.
C. Inerrant and Infallible
II. The Truth (C)
The Bible is not a history text, yet every detail is
historically accurate. It is not a science book, but
everything it mentions is scientifically true.
II. The Truth (C)
It is neither a psychology text nor a philosophy
book nor a medical journal, but every solution it
offers for life’s problems works. The archeologist,
the scientist, and the doctor can depend on its
revelations. Moreover, the teacher and the professor
should know that it is true.
II. The Truth (C)
The word inerrant means it is without error; it has
no mistakes. The subject of inerrancy is a major
issue debated by today’s scholars in many churches,
denominations, and movements. Some would say
that the Bible “contains” truth, but it is not inerrant.
II. The Truth (C)
They weaken its trustworthiness by believing that
inspiration applies only to certain passages,
subjects, doctrines, or concepts, while assuming its
truths are mixed with “unscientific” legends.
II. The Truth (C)
This limited and unacceptable view of inspiration
creates perpetual, unanswerable questions and
confusion, and when embraced it causes one never
to know for sure what parts of Scripture are
trustworthy.
II. The Truth (C)
Plenary inspiration means the complete Bible is
inspired in all its parts—every story, every subject,
every detail, every chapter, every verse. Verbal
inspiration emphasizes that God supernaturally
guided the wording of the text, not just the general
ideas.
D. Not of Personal
II.Interpretation
The Truth (D)
The saying, “That’s just your interpretation” is
heard commonly today, as if one person may
interpret a verse to mean one thing while someone
else interprets it differently. However, Peter
declared, “No prophecy of the scripture is of any
private interpretation” (II Peter 1:20).
II. The Truth (D)
We are not free to add to or take away from the
inspired wording of the Scriptures. We take the
words of Scripture at face value. The Bible means
what it says and it says what it means. It contains
no hidden agendas, no secret codes, and no
DaVincilike, coverup conspiracies. Trying to find
hidden messages and esoteric interpretations is a
gross misuse of Scripture.
II. The Truth (D)
Some individuals often employ the art of Scripture
twisting to make the Bible say what they want it to
say. Peter spoke of some who did not want to accept
what they read in Paul’s epistles: “They that are
unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the
other scriptures, unto their own destruction” (II
Peter 3:16).
The
Written
Word
III. The Written Word
“And he gave unto Moses, when
he had made an end of
communing with him upon mount
Sinai, two tables of testimony,
tables of stone, written with the
finger of God”
(Exodus 31:18).
Exodus 32:16
“And the tables were the work of
God, and the writing was the writing
of God, graven upon the tables”
(Exodus 32:16).
A. Recorded for All
III.Abraham
The Written
Word (A)
came from Chaldea where the writing
was in cuneiform script and the dominant language
was Akkadian, which Abraham probably spoke.
Moses was reared in Egypt where the Egyptian and
Ethiopic languages were known.
III.Egypt
ThewasWritten
Word (A)
an advanced and highly developed
civilization but had a literacy rate of less than one
percent. Only a small elite class of professional
scribes and priests could read the hieratic script,
and still fewer knew hieroglyphics.
III.UpThe
Written Word (A)
to the time of Moses, all writing was in
pictograph form with symbols that represented
words. With Egyptian hieroglyphics and the
cuneiform protowriting of Mesopotamia, different
pictograms for each word required readers to
memorize several thousand symbols.
Consequently, only the highly educated and trained
scribes could read or write.
III.The
The
Written Word (A)
new concept of an alphabet changed
everything. Symbols represented phonetic sounds
instead of whole words. With only twentytwo
letters, anyone could learn to read and write.
Because of the alphabet, written communication
was suddenly opened to the masses.
III.When
TheGodWritten
Word (A)
was ready to institute His written Word,
He chose His timing carefully to coincide with the
invention of the alphabet. When and where was the
alphabet invented? It first appeared at the
crossroads of the world where traders and
merchants from Asia, Africa, and Europe met and
dozens of languages and cultures intermingled.
III.Ugarit,
TheonWritten
Word (A)
Syria’s northern coast, invented a thirtyletter alphabet using cuneiform script. But the
twenty-two letters of Phoenician and Canaanite
script that developed around Byblos caught on and
spread widely. The earliest archeological find of
Canaanite alphabet script was discovered in the
turquoise mines near Mount Sinai.
III.The
The
Written Word (A)
World Book Encyclopedia summed it up in one
sentence: “The alphabet was invented by Semites
in the Sinai about 1500 BC.” This was
approximately the same time that Moses (a Semite)
received the commandments on Mount Sinai. What
an amazing coincidence! Could it be that God gave
Moses an alphabet at Mount Sinai? If not, God
certainly timed the giving of His law just right to
take advantage of the latest technology.
B. Permanent and Preserved
III.During
ThetheWritten
Word (B)
times of early civilization, God used
various means to communicate directly to
individuals. He used an audible voice, visions,
dreams, and angels to deliver His messages.
III.God
The
Written Word (B)
sometimes revealed His will by the casting of
lots, by the Urim and Thummim, and by signs and
wonders. However, God chose “a more excellent
way” of communicating His will to mankind—a
permanent medium—by giving us an unchangeable
written record through the Holy Bible.
III.While
Theit isWritten
Word (B)
possible that God may continue to speak
to individuals through various miraculous channels
of communication, He now chooses to subjugate
all His communication to His permanent, holy
Scriptures.
III.Peter
The
Written Word (B)
assured us that he was not passing on
“cunningly devised fables,” but eyewitness
accounts (II Peter 1:16). As an illustration, he used
the time that he heard the audible voice of God
from heaven: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased” (II Peter 1:17).
III.Then
The
Written Word (B)
Peter went on to say, “We have also a more
sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that
ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark
place” (II Peter 1:19). Thus, he assured us that the
recorded written Scripture is far superior to hearing
an audible voice from heaven—or any other
supernatural means of communication.
III.Recorded
The Written
Word (B)
written communication has several
advantages:
Permanence. It is forever “set in stone” and will
always repeat the original record.
III.Precision.
The Written
Word (B)
Thoughts become more precise when
expressed in written form where they can be
studied, verified, analyzed, dissected, and debated.
Precise records overcome faulty memories and
misunderstandings. It always is better to “make a
note of it” or “put it on record.” The value of
written precision is shown by the well-known
experiment of a word-of-mouth story passed
around a circle of people that produces surprising
variations within just minutes.
III.Propagation.
The Written
Word (B)
Written records can be copied and
reproduced and thus distributed to wide audiences
in distant locations. They can be translated and
published in other languages. They can be stored
and left waiting for future students to discover.
Passing on a written record is much more accurate
than repeating oral traditions.
III.Preservation.
The Written
Word (B)
Written records can be preserved for
years and even for many generations. Manuscripts
of the books of the Bible up to two thousand years
old preserve exactly what was written. Time does
not destroy the Word, nor does it alter it.
The tablets of stone were kept in the ark of the
covenant in the Most Holy Place. This Ark of the
Covenant became the depository for all Scripture.
The rest of the law, recorded by Moses, also was
placed there. (See Deuteronomy 31:24-26.) As
future Scripture was given to the prophets, the
priest in charge of preserving the Word of God
added these autographs—the original copies—to
the collection in the ark. It is no wonder that this
ark of the covenant became the most holy item in
the nation of Israel!
III. The Written Word (B)
C. Unchangeable and Eternal
III.The
The
Written Word (C)
Bible is the all-time best seller. It is the most
published and the most circulated book. It has been
translated into far more languages than any other
published work. Yet the Bible is also the most
hated book ever. Through the centuries, and even
in many places today, the Bible is banned,
confiscated, burned, and destroyed.
III.Emperors
The Written
Word (C)
have sent their armies to round up and
arrest anyone possessing a Bible, destroying all
copies. Yet the Bible not only survives but abounds
in the world. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall
pass away, but my words shall not pass away”
(Matthew 24:35).
Psalm 119:89
“For ever, O LORD, thy word is
settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89).
The New Testament
IV.“Forasmuch
The New
Testament
as many
have taken in hand to
set forth in order a declaration of those
things which are most surely believed
among us, even as they delivered them unto
us, which from the beginning were
eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word; it
seemed good to me also, having had perfect
understanding of all things from the very
first, to write unto thee in order, most
excellent Theophilus, that thou mightest
know the certainty of those things, wherein
thou hast been instructed” (Luke 1:1-4).
IV.
A. The Reason for
the
New
Testament
The New Testament (A)
The Old Covenant became a legalistic list of rigid
rules carved into stone, along with ritual sacrifices
to maintain fellowship with God. It revealed the
will of God but could not provide sinful mankind
with the power to change his life. (See Romans 7:724.)
IV. The New Testament (A)
The New Covenant, however, would put the law
into our minds and hearts and make it a part of us.
(See Jeremiah 31:31-33; Ezekiel 36:2627; II
Corinthians 3:3; Hebrews 8:10.) This personal
experience, though powerful, needed to be codified
to ensure unity from one place to another, from one
group to another, and from one generation to
another.
IV. The New Testament (A)
The gospel must be written: “But these are written,
that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of God; and that believing ye might have life
through his name” (John 20:31). “These things have
I written unto you . . . that ye may know that ye
have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the
name of the Son of God” (I John 5:13).
IV. The New Testament (A)
While the apostles were alive, believers could lean
upon their oversight and guidance. However, when
space and time began to distance believers from
direct apostolic influence, the necessity of the
written Word grew more evident. The apostles
realized that when they passed away, they would
need to leave behind a permanent written record.
specifically
stated:
“I think it meet,
as long as
IV. Peter
The
New
Testament
(A)
I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you
in remembrance. . . . Moreover I will endeavour
that ye may be able after my decease to have these
things always in remembrance” (II Peter 1:13, 15).
He wanted to make sure that future generations
would not follow “cunningly devised fables” but “a
more sure word of prophecy” by eyewitnesses (II
Peter 1:16, 19).
IV.
B. The Divisions of
NewTestament
Testament (B)
Thethe
New
The New Testament is a collection of twenty-seven
books having apostolic authority— written by or
under the supervision or approval of the apostles.
These books are divided into three groups.
IV. The New Testament (B)
1. Gospels. This is the story of Jesus. The word
gospel stems from the Anglo-Saxon word godspel,
which means “god-message” (and later came to
mean “good news”). Three synoptic Gospels
present three views of the life of Christ, His birth,
His teachings, His miracles, His crucifixion, and
His resurrection.
IV. The New Testament (B)
Matthew wrote in Hebrew (or Aramaic) to the Jews
presenting Jesus as their Messiah and King; Mark
wrote in Greek to Gentiles showing the servant
ministry of Jesus as the Son of God; Luke produced
an accurate historical account presenting Jesus to
the world as the Son of Man.
IV. The New Testament (B)
A fourth Gospel, written by John in his old age
(after AD 90) after all other apostles had died,
differs in form from the other three and is a
theological account of Jesus Christ as God in flesh.
The Gospels find no parallel in world literature.
IV. The New Testament (B)
2. Acts of the Apostles. This one unique book stands
alone as apostolic history. The first half of the book
records a history of the first decade of the church,
while the second half traces the ministry of the
apostle Paul. Acts is the only book in the New
Testament that recorded instances of converts being
saved.
IV. The New Testament (B)
It provides examples of people being baptized in
Jesus’ name and receiving the Holy Ghost speaking
with other tongues. If we want to know how to be
saved, we should study the Book of Acts.
IV. The New Testament (B)
3. The Epistles. These are letters from the apostles
to Christians and churches. Because they have
apostolic authority, they are included in the inspired
Scripture for all time. The epistles are further
divided into several groups.
IV. The New Testament (B)
• Pauline Epistles. These are comprised of fourteen
letters written by the apostle Paul. The names of
these epistles are the names of the churches or
persons to whom they were addressed. In our
English Bible, they are not arranged
chronologically but in order of the size and
importance of the city in which the church was
located (Romans first because Rome was the largest
city).
IV. The New Testament (B)
• General Epistles. This second group of seven
epistles each bears the name of the apostle who
wrote it.
• The Revelation. Although an epistle, it stands
alone as a unique book of prophecy.
The Place of
V. The Place
ofEpistles
the Epistles
the
“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”
(I Thessalonians 2:13).
I Thessalonians 2:13
“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”
(I Thessalonians 2:13).
A. The Epistles Are Scripture
V. The Place of the Epistles
In his first letter
(A)to the Corinthians, Paul defended
his statements on marriage relationships as “by
permission” of the Lord, exercising apostolic
authority and equating it with other Old Testament
commandments and Scripture. The apostles
considered their pronouncements authoritative, and
their letters were to be received as Scripture. Paul
sometimes reminded churches who received his
epistles to share them with other churches. (See
Colossians 4:16.)
V. The
Place
In I Timothy
5:18,of
Paulthe
quotedEpistles
Luke and identified
the quotation as “the Scripture.” Peter referred to
(A) of us the apostles of the Lord
“the commandment
and Saviour” as equal to those of the holy prophets
of old (II Peter 3:2). Peter also wrote of Paul’s
epistles, equating them with “other scriptures.”
“And account
that
the longsuffering of
II Peter
3:15-16
our Lord is salvation; even as our
beloved brother Paul also according to
the wisdom given unto him hath
written unto you; as also in all his
epistles, speaking in them of these
things; in which are some things hard
to be understood, which they that are
unlearned and unstable wrest, as they
do also the other scriptures, unto their
own destruction” (II Peter 3:15-16).
V.
B. The Epistles Were
TheWritten
Place of
the
Epistles
to Believers
(B)
Because the epistles were written to individual
believers and to churches, not to the world, the
sinner, the pagan, or the unsaved, some things are
not found in the epistles:
V. The
Place
of thetheEpistles
•No examples
of preaching
gospel to
sinners
(B)
• No instructions on how to be saved
• No examples of anyone being saved
• No examples of converts being baptized or
receiving the Holy Ghost
V. The
the Epistles
What doPlace
we find inof
the epistles?
We discover advice
from the apostles to Christians who already were
(B)
saved:
V. The
Place
of the
Epistles
• How to
live a victorious
life for
God
•How to persevere, grow, and mature in Christ
(B)
• How to resist the devil and overcome
•How to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit and keep
a right spirit and attitude
•How to develop the gifts of the Spirit and
spiritual ministry
•How to deal with church problems, divisions,
and people
• How to worship and conduct services
•How to choose bishops and deacons, giving
qualifications for leadership
Reflections
As the wise builder digs down to the solid rock to
build his house, we must build on the rock-solid
foundation of the apostles and prophets. (See
Ephesians 2:20.) The apostle Paul wrote, “I have
laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon.
But let every man take heed how he buildeth
thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay
than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (I
Corinthians 3:10-11).
Reflections
“Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD,
Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a
stone, a tried stone, a precious corner
stone, a sure foundation: he that
believeth shall not make haste”
(Isaiah 28:16).
Reflections
Jesus likened the wise builder who built on the
rock to “whosoever heareth these sayings of mine,
and doeth them.” He that “heareth these sayings of
mine, and doeth them not” is the foolish builder
who built on the sand without a foundation. (See
Matthew 7:24-27.)
Isaiah 28:16
“Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD,
Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation
a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner
stone, a sure foundation: he that
believeth shall not make haste”
(Isaiah 28:16).