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What Is Found In The Bible Last month I wrote an article dealing with some things that cannot be found in the Bible. The Bible was not written to be a science textbook or to explain the history of all mankind. There are a lot of doctrines being taught which cannot be found in the Word of God. For instance one cannot find December as the birthday of Jesus, infant baptism, a 1000 year reign of Jesus on the throne of David in Jerusalem. This time we want to notice those things which can be found in the Bible when it is studied in a proper manner. The key is to "rightly divide the word of God," 2 Timothy 2.15. The Bible can be misquoted or abused so as to teach that which is not so, but it cannot be properly used to teach something which is false. The truth can be found in the Bible. The word of God by its very nature is true. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ, John 1.17. Jesus in His prayer said, "Your word is truth" in John 17.17b. Therefore, what the Bible says happened really did happen. It is historically correct. The nations which are mentioned in the Old Testament existed, the miracles recorded really happened. The Exodus out of Egypt and destruction of Pharaoh's army in the Red Sea happened just as the Bible says. The walls of Jericho fell down as recorded in Joshua. Those were not exaggerations or embellishments, but facts for us to learn. When the Bible quotes some person, that quote is accurate. Do not misunderstand me, I am not saying that every quote was true, for some men spoke lies, but the quote itself is accurate. The Bible is inerrant which means it reveals to us the very mind and will of God and not one verse is false or fact is false. In the Bible we read of the universe's creation, as God spoke everything into existence. Such happened in six day's due to God great and awesome power. Man's origin is also revealed in Genesis 1 & 2 as God created Adam and Eve. Adam was formed by the word of God; he did not evolve from some lower life form to become a man. Likewise, Eve was formed from Adam and not from some evolutionary slime pit. We read of man's first sin in the Garden of Eden and God's promise to Satan of his demise and man's Savior in Genesis 3. The flood recorded in Genesis 6- 8 is not some fairy tale, but God's judgment on mankind due to his great wickedness. We can find the very lineage of Jesus as the Bible gives us the lineage of Adam to Abraham and then from Abraham to Joseph and Mary in Matthew 1 and Luke 3. In the Old Testament we read of various prophecies concerning the Messiah's birth, life, death, and resurrection. In the New Testament we read of those prophecies being fulfilled as Jesus was born of a virgin, performed miracles, taught the word of God, promised to send the Holy Spirit, died on the cross, and was resurrected. In short we see God's plan for man's redemption. Reading the Book of Acts we see the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2.1ff the first Gospel sermon recorded in Acts 2 and man being added to the Lord's body in Acts 2.47. We find how man comes in contact with the blood of Jesus and is cleansed of his sins. Peter told the audience that they had to repent of their sins and be baptized for the remission of their sins in Acts 2.38. God's word reveals to us the spread of the Gospel on the Day of Pentecost at Jerusalem to Asia, Africa, and Europe by Acts 28. In the letters of the Apostles we find how the church was to work, worship, deal with problems, stand for the truth, grow, and how individuals are to live. That which is essential is found in the Bible "as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue" 2 Peter 1.3. Nothing else is necessary because nothing is left out. In short, in the Bible we find God. -- Dennis Tucker |