May 31, 2026

A Series on Our Beliefs

Week 1: God Has Spoken

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1.      What is your Worldview?

The Bible is the inspired, infallible Word of God.

It is an eyewitness account of history and is accurate in everything it says.

It is the authority for Christian life and practice and is a foundation on which believers must build their thinking.

2.      The meaning of Bible

The English word bible is derived from the Greek word biblion, which means “book” or “roll.”

3.      Bible facts 

Chapters were added in 1228 AD.

OT verses were added in 1551 AD.

NT verses were added in 1560 AD.

Shortest verse of the New Testament:

"Jesus wept." John 11:35;

"Rejoice evermore" 1 Thessalonians 5:16

Longest verse in the Bible: Esther 8:9

Chapters:

·       Old Testament: 929

·       New Testament: 260

·       Entire Bible: 1,189

4.      Purpose of the Bible

To glorify God as seen in creation, fall and restoration of sinful humanity through the death and resurrection and the coming again of Jesus Christ.

5.      Word of God

5.1.    God’s words in speech

Matthew 3:17

Exodus 20:1–3

Genesis 1:3

5.2.    God’s words through others

Jeremiah 1:7

Isaiah 30:12–13

5.3.    Logos of God - John 1:1–5

1. “In the beginning” – arche – meaning “origin”

2. Word – “Logos”

The Greek Logos:

Ancient philosophers viewed the Logos as an impersonal, cosmic force of harmony.

Creator and Life-Source:

Because "all things were made through him", Jesus is the uncreated architect of the universe.

Ultimate Revelation:

Jesus is called the “Word” because He is the perfect and personal revelation of God. Rather than knowing God only through commands or creation, we come to know Him supremely in Jesus Christ.

5.4.    God’s words in written form (Bible)

Exodus 31:18

Deuteronomy 31:9

1 Corinthians 14:37

6.      Revelation of the Bible

6.1.    General Revelation

           Truths about God revealed through nature, history and conscience.

Psalm 19:1

Matthew 5:45

Romans 2:15

6.2.    Special Revelation

The giving of truth from God to mankind that man could not otherwise know through Jesus Christ and the Bible.

6.3.    Jesus Christ

           Jesus was the epitome of God’s revelation.

Romans 16:25

6.4.    Bible

1 Corinthians 2:13

2 Peter 1:20–21

No man ever believes that the Bible means what it says: He is always convinced that it says what he means. George Bernard Shaw

Carried along – the Greek word is also used in Acts 27:15 describing how the wind blows a sailing ship across the waters.

The Bible always has only one intended interpretation but many applications. More on that in the future.

Two approaches to the credibility of the revelation of the Bible.

1. Fideists

Scripture and the revelation it contains is self-authenticating, that is, autopistic.

2. Empiricists

The basic credibility of the revelation of the Bible as being worthy of belief, that is, axiopistic.

           Prophetic truth

About ¼ of the Bible was prophetic when it was written.

There are 333 prophecies concerning Jesus.

109 were fulfilled at His first coming. All coming true exactly as predicted.

Suppose you wanted 100 heads out of 100 tosses. The probability of doing this is less than one in 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000!

For someone to predict 100 future events especially hundreds of years before the event and all come true is 1 with 30 0s.

General revelation

God reveals Himself through creation, providence, and conscience.

Special revelation

God reveals Himself savingly and specifically through Scripture and ultimately through Christ.

Purpose of revelation

Revelation is necessary because man cannot discover saving truth about God by reason alone.

7.      Inspiration of the Bible

7.1.    Definition           - “God breathed”

It is the Holy Spirit superintending over the writers of the Bible so that while they are writing in their own styles and personalities, the result was God’s Word. It is authoritative, trustworthy and free from error in the original writings.

2 Timothy 3:16–17

      Inspired – The air that was being expelled out of the lungs of God.

Profitable                          – enhance your well being

Teaching                          – what is right

Rebuking                          – what is wrong

Correcting                        – How to get right

Training                           – How to stay right

Complete/equipped             – thoroughly furnished

Good works                      – to bring glory to God!

Let’s write that in reverse.

Without Scripture, we cannot enhance our well-being and don’t know what is right, what is wrong, how to get right or how to stay right.

Inspiration is divine    — Scripture is God-breathed.

Inspiration is human   — God used real authors, personalities, styles, and                                                   circumstances.

Inspiration is verbal    — the words of Scripture are inspired, not merely the ideas.

Inspiration is plenary   — all Scripture is inspired, not only selected portions.

Inspiration applies to the original writings — inerrancy is tied to the autographs.

Application:

1 Peter 1:24–25

Psalm 119:89

Matthew 5:18

God IS speaking to you. His will is for you do know Him, love Him and worship Him according to His principles and truth. His plan for your life is in this book!

Every time we open the Bible – this is what we need to commit to God:

•  I will believe what it says.

•  I will obey what its commands.

•  I will claim it’s promises.

•  I will live out it’s truths in my life.

This book will keep you from sin and sin will keep you from this book. – DL Moody