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A. INTRODUCTION
i. What are the different forms of the Word of God?
ii. What is meant by the phrase The Word of God?
As born again Christians, we need to understand what the Word of God is, that is, what
is meant by the phrase The Word of God. When a preacher, Bible teacher, an
Evangelist or a Pastor speaks about the Word of God they usually are referring to the
different forms/usages/appearances of the Word of God. The Bible (the written Word of
God), contains much that is literally the Word of and from the LORD/GOD and so it is
called the Word of the LORD.
In the New Testament the Word of the LORD or Word of GOD (Acts 4:29; 6:2;
1Thessalonians 1:8) is primarily good news from GOD (Acts 15:7), it is the Word
concerning Jesus Christ and Gods Kingdom in and through Him (Acts 16:31-32;
17:13); and it is also the Word of the cross (1Corinthians 1:18), of reconciliation
(2Corinthians 5:19), of eternal life (Philippians 2;16), and of salvation (Acts
13:26).
A. Gods Decrees
It is an official order given by a person with power or by government. It is also an
official decision made by a court of law. A decree is a word that causes something to
happen. In this case Gods decrees are his powerful creative words and thus cause
things/something to occur. Gods decrees also include the continuing existence of all
things. (Genesis 1:3, 24; Psalm 33:6-9; Hebrews 1:3).
The Languages
Most of the OT was written originally in Hebrew, the language mainly spoken by the
Israelites in Canaan before Babylonian captivity. After exile, the Hebrew language gave
way to Aramaic, a related dialect and thus a few part of the OT were written in Aramaic
Ezra 4:8-7, 26; Jeremiah 10:11; Daniel 2:4-7:25. Most of the NT was composed in
Greek except for a few words and sentences. Later the Bible was translated into English
and now can be found in quite a large number of other languages.
The Old Testament predicts a Messiah (see Isaiah 53), and the New Testament reveals
who the Messiah is (John 4:2526). The Old Testament records the giving of Gods
Law, and the New Testament shows how Jesus the Messiah fulfilled that Law (Matthew
5:17; Hebrews 10:9). In the Old Testament, Gods dealings are mainly with His chosen
people, the Jews; in the New Testament, Gods dealings are mainly with His church
(Matthew 16:18). Physical blessings promised under the Old Covenant (Deuteronomy
29:9) give way to spiritual blessings under the New Covenant (Ephesians 1:3).
The Old Testament prophecies related to the coming of Christ, although incredibly
detailed, contain a certain amount of ambiguity that is cleared up in the New Testament.
For example, the prophet Isaiah spoke of the death of the Messiah (Isaiah 53) and the
establishing of the Messiahs kingdom (Isaiah 26) with no clues concerning the
chronology of the two eventsno hints that the suffering and the kingdom-building
might be separated by millennia. In the New Testament, it becomes clear that the
Messiah would have two advents: in the first He suffered, died and rose again and in the
second He will establish His kingdom.
Because Gods revelation in Scripture is progressive, the New Testament brings into
sharper focus principles that were introduced in the Old Testament. The book of
Hebrews describes how Jesus is the true High Priest and how His one sacrifice replaces
all previous sacrifices, which were mere foreshadowings. The Passover lamb of the Old
Testament (Ezra 6:20) becomes the Lamb of God in the New Testament (John 1:29).
The Old Testament gives the Law. The New Testament clarifies that the Law was meant
to show men their need of salvation and was never intended to be the means of
salvation (Romans 3:19).
The Old Testament saw paradise lost for Adam; the New Testament shows how paradise
is regained through the second Adam (Christ). The Old Testament declares that man
was separated from God through sin (Genesis 3), and the New Testament declares that
man can be restored in his relationship to God (Romans 36). The Old Testament
predicted the Messiahs life. The Gospels record Jesus life, and the Epistles interpret His
life and how we are to respond to all He has done.
In summary, the Old Testament lays the foundation for the coming of the Messiah who
would sacrifice Himself for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). The New Testament
records the ministry of Jesus Christ and then looks back on what He did and how we are
to respond. Both testaments reveal the same holy, merciful, and righteous God who
condemns sin but desires to save sinners through an atoning sacrifice. In both
testaments, God reveals Himself to us and shows us how we are to come to Him through
faith (Genesis 15:6; Ephesians 2:8).
ARRANGEMENT OF THE CURRENT BIBLE: OLD & NEW
TESTAMENTS
Old Testament
1. THE PENTATEUCH (The Law/ Teaching): Comprises of the following
books: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
2. THE HISTORICAL BOOKS: These begin with Joshua, then Judges, followed
by Ruth, 1st and 2nd Samuel, 1st and 2nd Kings, 1st and 2nd Chronicles, Ezra,
Nehemiah and ending with Esther.
3. THE POETICAL BOOKS: These are Job, the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes
and the Song of Solomon (Song of Songs)
4. THE PROPHETS: 1st Major Prophet: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel,
and Daniel. 2nd Minor Prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah,
Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.
The Major Prophets are called as major because their books are longer/larger and
the content has broad even global implications. The Minor Prophets are described as
minor because their books are shorter (although Hosea and Zechariah are almost as
long as Daniel) and the content is more narrowly focused. However, this does not
mean that the Minor Prophets are any less inspired than the Major Prophets. Its
simply a matter of God choosing to reveal more to the Major Prophets than He did to
the Minor Prophets.
New Testament
1. THE GOSPELS: These are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
2. THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
3. THE LETTERS TO THE CHURCHES:
i. Letters of the apostle Paul
ii. General letters
4. REVELATION
CONCLUSION
The two Testaments form two volumes of one work. The first (OT) is incomplete without
the second (NT). The second (NT) cannot be fully understood without the first (OT).
Together they are Gods revelation to His people of the provision He has made for their
salvation.
INSPIRATION OF SCRIPTURE
Christian Scripture (OT and NT) is inspired by God 2Timothy 3:16; 2Peter 1:20-21.
This simply means that God is the author of the Bible. He enabled men through His
divine power and will to write down the revelation. God moved through the personalities
and abilities of the Biblical writers in such a way that what they wrote was without error
and was correct in everything that it addressed. This make the Bible inerrant and
infallible.
The reason why the Bible (Christian Scripture) was/is inspired by God is given to us in
2Timothy 3:16(b)-17:
i. TEACHING/DOCTRINE
ii. REBUKING/REPROOF
iii. CORRECTING
iv. TRAINNING/INSTRUCTING
WHY?
So that the man of God may
i. Become RIGHTEOUS/PERFECT
ii. THOROUGHLY EQUIPPED for EVERY GOOD WORK.
Affirmation in the OT
God put words in the prophets mouths Deuteronomy 18:18; Isaiah 5:16;
Jeremiah 1:9;
The Spirit of God spoke through king David 2Samuel 23:2;
This is what the LORD says Isaiah 43:1; Jeremiah 6:16;
The Word of the LORD came to. 1Kings 17:2; Ezekiel 1:3.
Affirmation in the NT
David spoke by the Holy Spirit Matthew 12:36; Acts 4:25;
God spoke in the OT Hebrews 4:3,7; 8:8;
The Spirit of God speaks in the OT Acts 28:25; Hebrews 3:7;
In the OT, It is written Matthew 4:4,6,10; 1Corinthians 1:19,31;
We are informed that God breathed the Scriptures 2Timothy 3:16;
The Holy Spirit carried along the men who wrote down the Scriptures 2Peter
1:20-21.
CHARATERISTICS OF THE INSPIRED WORD OF
GOD
1. Gods Word is TRUSTWORTHY/RELIABLE 2Samuel 7:28; Psalm 111:7-8;
2. Gods Word is TRUE-THE TRUTH 1Kings 17:24; Psalm 119:151,160;John
14:6; 17:17 Ephesians 1:13; James 1:18;
3. Gods Word is FLAWLESS Psalm 12:6; Proverbs 30:5;
4. Gods Word is ETERNAL/ENDURES/PERMANENT thus cannot be broken(Its
unbreakable) It will be fulfilled, it will abide forever, it is everlasting and forever,
heaven and earth will pass away but Gods Word will not pass away Psalm
119:89, 160; Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 5:18; 24:35; John 10:35;
5. Gods Word is EFFECTIVE IN ITS PURPOSE Job 23:29; Isaiah 55:10-11;
Hebrews 4:12;
6. Gods Word is A SURE GUIDE FOR LIFE Psalm 119:9, 11, 99, 104, 105, 130;
Proverbs 6:23; 2Timothy 3:16-17.
7. Gods Word is ALIVE and ACTIVE Jeremiah 23:29; Hebrews 4:12.