The Bible is not a series of disconnected utterances, or a compilation of men’s random thoughts concerning the existence of God. The Bible is the inspired word of God. Hence the Bible is a continual revelation of Divine origin which unfolds a continuous Divine purpose from beginning to end. The source of the Scriptures is not the men who penned the words, men were merely the instrument in the hand of its true Author. It is written, “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.” (2 Peter 1:21)
The Divine Author of the Bible declares Himself to be omniscient (all knowing). Therefore what He inspired men to write in the early books of the Bible, was with a full knowledge of what He would inspire men to write in the latter books. It is written of the Most High, “Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.” (Acts 15:18). God is not having one thing revealed in one part of the Bible, and then contradicting Himself in another section of the Bible. It is written of Him, “For I am the Lord, I change not,” and again, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.” (Malachi 3:6; Hebrews 13:8) The flaw that lends itself to the confusion of conflicting views of Scripture passages is not in God nor in His word. The deficiency is in our limited understanding, and with some it is misplaced self-confidence in the ability of the finite intellect to comprehend God’s infinite purposes without His help.
Being that the Bible is not a collection of men’s personal viewpoints of God, but men speaking and writing under the direction of the Holy Ghost, we are warned, “no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” (2 Peter 1:20). The same Holy Spirit that produced the Scriptures, is the same Holy Spirit promised to guide us into the true understanding of the Scriptures. And it is He that is to teach us God’s purpose in the revelation of his word. It is written, “Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth,” and again, “The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things.” (John 16:13;14:26)
When the Holy Spirit guides the learner through the Scriptures, what is discovered are patterns of truth that form tapestries that begin in Genesis, then continue clear and connected throughout the pages of the Bible, which all intertwine and come to their completion in the book of Revelation. Every thought the Holy Spirit inspired to be written from Genesis to Revelation, was to be understood in the context of the Biblical narrative, which God ordained based on His perfect foreknowledge of all events. When passages are disconnected from the Lord’s narrative, and given an isolated interpretation, the result is speculation, conjecture, error, and confusion.
Briefly stated, the Bible narrative is the redemption story. It begins with the creation and fall, and Adam’s dominion being seized by satan. The promise of the Messiah who would reclaim dominion in mankind’s behalf. The birth, life, and death of the Messiah. The resurrection, the reclaiming of earth’s dominion, ascension, and intercession of the Messiah. The return of the Messiah and the destruction of the wicked. And the final restoration of the lost dominion.
In the backdrop of this narrative is the overarching theme of the conflict between Christ and satan, which began with the war in heaven, and culminates within the narrative of earth. Details of the main narrative and the overarching theme are scattered everywhere throughout the Scriptures in various different formats and arrangements that make the study of the Bible an inexhaustible source of discovery.
In the study of any topic of the Bible both the Old and New Testaments must be included. It is the opinion of some that the New Testament in which Jesus is revealed makes the Old Testament obsolete or disposable. Yet Paul taught, “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.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). So far from Christ teaching that His coming would somehow diminish the authority and force of the Old Testament, He stated emphatically, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” (Matthew 5:17-18).
There is a quote that summarizes and captures the relation between the Old and New Testaments most eloquently, (forgive me for not remembering the exact author or source) “the Old Testament is the New Testament concealed, and the New Testament is the Old Testament revealed.” Over the course of time studying the Scriptures this insight is found to be true. Both the Old and New Testaments work together in the fulfillment of God’s purpose. The chief purpose of the Scriptures was plainly stated by Christ Himself when He said, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” (John 5:39). Keep in mind that Christ made this statement at a time before the New Testament had been written and compiled, and only the Old Testament Scriptures were in existence. A companion Scripture to the one found in John 5:39 is found in the gospel of Luke. “And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.” “And he [Jesus] said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.” (Luke 24:27, 44). Jesus testified that from the writings of Moses all the way through to the last Old Testament prophet, the Scriptures give a revelation of His role in the redemption of mankind. Through precepts, types, illustrations, visions, and dreams, the Old Testament is testifying of Christ. It is the purpose of the Scriptures to exalt Christ, and it should be the motive of every teacher of the Scriptures to exalt Christ.
It is the wrong motive to study to prove a personal view correct or an opposing view to be error. Our motive in the study of Scripture should be in harmony with the teaching of Paul when he said, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God,” and in meeting God’s approval we will become, “a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15).
Another purpose of God in the Scripture record is stated by Paul when he said, “all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” (1 Corinthians 10:11). Keep in mind, Paul made this statement in the context of giving details of the Old Testament. The results of both obedience and disobedience are recorded in detail as warning for everyone born after, especially those alive at the time when “the ends of the world are come.”
Studying the Old and New Testaments as two parts of one whole story proves that God knew the end from the beginning, and was “declaring the end from the beginning.” (Isaiah 46:10). Every topic we address will be approached with the above stated sentiments in mind, and studied in connection to the Biblical narrative from beginning to end, and not in the isolation of several passages. Upon this solid foundation laid here in the introduction, each chapter of this pamphlet will build brick by brick an edifice of facts that houses the irrefutable truth.
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