The Absolute Importance & Indispensability Of Scriptures.
The Absolute Importance & Indispensability Of Scriptures.
While commenting on a post i made last week, someone asked/wrote thus:
"Which Bible did the Patriarchs; Abraham & Co read?
There is a spirit in man, the inspiration of the Almighty gives them understanding."
Here's My Response:
In the old testament/covenant, God in relating to men, dwelt in thick darkness as veiled and not yet revealed to men. Even to Moses, whom God often spoke with face to face, God manifested as dwelling in thick darkness.
"And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was" Exodus 20:21.
In 1 Kings 8:12 the Lord said that he will dwell in thick darkness.
Little wonder why despite all the manifestations of God to men in the old testament, the apostle John by the inspiration of the HolySpirit wrote thus: "No man has seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." (John 1:18). The word 'Declared' as used in the verse is the word 'Exegeomai' in the original greek, which means to lead out, to draw out, to unfold, to tell.
The God who throughout his manifestations to men in the old, dwelt in thick darkness as veiled and unrevealed; has now been led out, drawn out and brought to light as manifested in his only begotten Son.
To his disciples, Jesus could say "he that has seen me, has seen the Father" for no man could reveal/unveil the Father but the Son; neither could any man see the Father but to whomsoever the Son reveals/shows him. John 14:7-9; Matthew 11:27.
The transition from the darkness of the old to the light of the new, is what the apostle, John also referred to in 1 John 2:8 "Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth."
The darkness/veil of the old has been done away with in Christ, and now in the new testament, the true light now shines.
2 Corinthians 3:14; 4:6.
In the darkness of the old, Abraham, Moses and Co did not have any bible to read, but now in the light of the new, we have the whole counsel of God delivered to us through the pages of inspired scriptures; we thus cannot continue in darkness by taking the position of not needing the scriptures, and merely depending on the spirit in man.
The scripture itself recognises that there were times of ignorance, when the whole counsel/manifold wisdom of God had not yet been delivered, and God winked at/overlooked the times of such ignorance (Acts 17:30).
Paul in his epistles acknowledged a dispensation of God for the completion of the word of God, and that he was called/became a minister according to that special dispensation/stewardship unto the completion/fullness of God's word(Colossians 1:25).
In his epistles, he also made mention of the mystery of Christ which in other ages was not disclosed to the sons of men, as it was in his day/time being revealed unto the apostles and prophets by the Spirit(Ephesians 3:4-10).
Romans 16:25-26 reveals that the preaching of Jesus Christ is according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but is now made manifest; and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith. See also 2 Peter 1:19-21 concerning the scriptures of the prophets of old.
The fourth verse of the chapter preceding Romans 16 states that: "whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope" Romans 15:4.
It will be to our peril to ignore the things written aforetime and assume we can do without them in our time; we are they upon whom the ends of the ages have come; we have the riches of a history of thousands of years written and delivered to us.
"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the age are come." 1 Corinthians 10:11.
God is not going to repeat the history of the Bible times, when by the inspiration of his Spirit he moved men to write and deliver the prophecy of scriptures.
You have learnt and gained knowledge of the names you mentioned(Abraham & Co), and the encounters they had with God, simply because you read the literal account of their experiences in scriptures. If there was nothing like the bible, you won't be citing Abraham and Co.
While commenting on a post i made last week, someone asked/wrote thus:
"Which Bible did the Patriarchs; Abraham & Co read?
There is a spirit in man, the inspiration of the Almighty gives them understanding."
Here's My Response:
In the old testament/covenant, God in relating to men, dwelt in thick darkness as veiled and not yet revealed to men. Even to Moses, whom God often spoke with face to face, God manifested as dwelling in thick darkness.
"And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was" Exodus 20:21.
In 1 Kings 8:12 the Lord said that he will dwell in thick darkness.
Little wonder why despite all the manifestations of God to men in the old testament, the apostle John by the inspiration of the HolySpirit wrote thus: "No man has seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." (John 1:18). The word 'Declared' as used in the verse is the word 'Exegeomai' in the original greek, which means to lead out, to draw out, to unfold, to tell.
The God who throughout his manifestations to men in the old, dwelt in thick darkness as veiled and unrevealed; has now been led out, drawn out and brought to light as manifested in his only begotten Son.
To his disciples, Jesus could say "he that has seen me, has seen the Father" for no man could reveal/unveil the Father but the Son; neither could any man see the Father but to whomsoever the Son reveals/shows him. John 14:7-9; Matthew 11:27.
The transition from the darkness of the old to the light of the new, is what the apostle, John also referred to in 1 John 2:8 "Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth."
The darkness/veil of the old has been done away with in Christ, and now in the new testament, the true light now shines.
2 Corinthians 3:14; 4:6.
In the darkness of the old, Abraham, Moses and Co did not have any bible to read, but now in the light of the new, we have the whole counsel of God delivered to us through the pages of inspired scriptures; we thus cannot continue in darkness by taking the position of not needing the scriptures, and merely depending on the spirit in man.
The scripture itself recognises that there were times of ignorance, when the whole counsel/manifold wisdom of God had not yet been delivered, and God winked at/overlooked the times of such ignorance (Acts 17:30).
Paul in his epistles acknowledged a dispensation of God for the completion of the word of God, and that he was called/became a minister according to that special dispensation/stewardship unto the completion/fullness of God's word(Colossians 1:25).
In his epistles, he also made mention of the mystery of Christ which in other ages was not disclosed to the sons of men, as it was in his day/time being revealed unto the apostles and prophets by the Spirit(Ephesians 3:4-10).
Romans 16:25-26 reveals that the preaching of Jesus Christ is according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but is now made manifest; and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith. See also 2 Peter 1:19-21 concerning the scriptures of the prophets of old.
The fourth verse of the chapter preceding Romans 16 states that: "whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope" Romans 15:4.
It will be to our peril to ignore the things written aforetime and assume we can do without them in our time; we are they upon whom the ends of the ages have come; we have the riches of a history of thousands of years written and delivered to us.
"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the age are come." 1 Corinthians 10:11.
God is not going to repeat the history of the Bible times, when by the inspiration of his Spirit he moved men to write and deliver the prophecy of scriptures.
You have learnt and gained knowledge of the names you mentioned(Abraham & Co), and the encounters they had with God, simply because you read the literal account of their experiences in scriptures. If there was nothing like the bible, you won't be citing Abraham and Co.
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