Sabbath: Jesus and the Apostles’ View of the Bible
Image © Pacific Press
Sabbath Afternoon
Read for This Week’s Study: Matt. 4:1-11; Matt. 22:37-40; Luke 24:13-35, Luke 24:44-45; Luke 4:25-27; Acts 4:24-26.
Memory Text: “But He answered and said, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” ’ ” (Matthew 4:4, NKJV).
Unfortunately, in this post-modern age, the Bible has been largely reinterpreted through the lens of a philosophy that questions both its inspiration and its authority. In fact, the Bible is seen as merely the ideas of human beings living in a relatively primitive culture who couldn’t possibly understand the world as we do today. At the same time, the supernatural element has been either downplayed or even removed from the picture, turning the Bible into a document that, instead of being God’s view of man, has become man’s view of God. And the result is that, for many, the Bible has become largely irrelevant in an age of Darwinian thinking and modern philosophy.
However, we completely reject that position. Instead, in the New Testament, we can see the inspired way to view the entire Scripture by studying how Jesus and the apostles understood the Old Testament, the only Bible that they had at that time. How did they relate to the people, places, and events described? What were their assumptions and subsequent methods of interpretation? Let’s follow them and their understanding, in contrast to the misconceptions of uninspired humans whose assumptions lead only to skepticism and doubt about the Word of God.
Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, April 18.
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Jesus and the apostles refered to the available script to them that time as a prophesy and writtings inspired by God
“Relativism: Does It Contain Any Truth?
Does our personal version of “truth” (relativism) trump God’s objective truth?
In our current “Truth is what I say it is” culture, we have to ask if the issue of truth really matters. I mean, we all seem to be doing okay in life with our own version of truth, right?
Actually, no. When a society embraces a slippery slope of “truth,” its foundation turns from firm to shaky. A culture’s attack on truth ultimately affects the culture itself. People may hate the supposed strictness of God’s objective truth, but we have only to look around to see that societal morals that were once black and white have muddied to endless shades of gray. To ignore the negative side effects of this is to certainly put one’s head in the sand.”
https://www.josh.org/truth-versus-relativism/
Do not leave your head in the sand. See the effects of sin turn from your evil ways and be ye saved spiritually and physically.
The effects of covid19 has brought immense changes to life as we know it. There is nothing normal about life anymore. No! Everything has changed drastically, and in some cases; the changes are radical and permanent.
The flip side is that Covid19 cannot and will not be able to change a particular component of life as we know it. Covid19 is powerless in this arena that cannot be sustained or maintained by the devisings of humankind. What is that aspect of life that is untouchable? Covid19 is unparalleled when comes to The Living Word and The Written Word.
The divinely inspired Word is unalterable. God is everlasting and is His Word is eternal. Let us follow the Word daily and not be mislead by “the misconceptions of uninspired humans whose assumptions lead only to skepticism and doubt about the Word of God.”(Adult Sabbath School Quarterly, April 11, 2020)
In New Testament times about the only "books" that were consistently available in Palestime were the Old Testament Scriptures - to a large extent much the same as the modern Christian Old Testament. These books were venerated. They were valued as part of Jewish heritage. Most synagogues had a Torah scroll as well as some of the other scriptures depending on their wealth. Typically these scrolls occupied pride of place in the synagogue and were locked in an ark for safekeeping. Individual homes did not have copies of the scripture but may have portions of them written on papyrus. Where synagogues were associated with a rabbinical school, students learned large portions of scripture by rote as part of their schooling.
It is a large leap from the religious nation of Judaism to modern society where the Bible is no longer considered as a sacred book in the same national sense. True, it features in oath-taking and other ceremonial events but its contents are largely ignored and considered anachronistic in modern society.
While we can learn lessons from how Jesus viewed the Bible we should remember that we live in a secular society and we are to a large extent the "viewing glass" by which others will see the relevance of the Biblical message.
Jesus message to the Jews at their time was that the Bible pointed to him - a rather arrogant claim, if he was just a man, but understandable, if he is, as he claimed, the Son of God. We need to keep that in mind when we look to the Bible for doctrinal purity. All our looking is in vain if we do not act as a mirror reflecting the love of Jesus into the lives of those around us. It is not up to us to "prove" the Bible is correct, but to live a life consistent with the principles of its true author.
Stay safe this coming week! If you have been affected either directly or indirectly by the COVID-19 virus let us know. We want you to know that you are loved and supported by your Sabbath School Net community.
Misson and missions will prove that we truly believe in the written scriptures, for we are called to serve not to be served, let it be our prayers that we are found pointing people to Christ through our deeds and lives we live, thanks for reminding us.
It’s the Holy Ghost duty to guide people into all truth. Therefore guide me thou three in one.
I sincerely believe and know that the Holy Spirit speaks to everyone but some do not know or recognize his voice or some just don’t want to follow his ways because it just doesn’t make sense.
Quoting- ‘At the same time, the supernatural element has been either downplayed or even removed from the picture, turning the Bible into a document that’.
My question is- There are several Bibles and versions of Bible our there. Should we on this site tell or encourage others what Bible to read and what not to read, or should we leave it up to the church? What about the Gideon Bible? What about the RC church Bible? Do anyone thought reading from different religion Bible or versions contribute to the way people think?
What do you think???
Great is thy faithfulness oh Lord to me.
Why did I asked those questions is because of several reasons.
I know several people who I came in contact with. Muslim friends-one gave me a Quran.
Someone who was a leader and worker in the Gideon assoc. We spoke several times and I told his I dont quite believe in what he believe.
In 2016 I met an elder adult male, from different race, ethnicity, background etc. As we began to talk which we did several times, he open up to me about being born in the RC church and what the believe. I told him I am an Adventist and what we believe. He said to me something is bothering him for sometime. The thing was: if the bible says we should not have nor bow down to idols, what he was seeing he knows something was not right.
I asked him if he wants me to do bible study with him to clear up his concerns. We made all arrangements and studied began. He asked me for another bible and gave me his RC bible, I told him I dont want it but he insisted he wants me to have it.
For four yrs I have the bible, I was asking the Lord what to do with this book. I took it outside, I brought it back in the house, several times I tried to get rid of it, but for some reason I kept it.
It was that morning I decided to open it to see if it has any difference from the KJV bible. I observed while I open it, it stated: An indulgence for five years. An indulgence of three hundred days.
It has 46 books in the old testament with some differences from the other bibles. Some were questionable ones that is why the never made their way into the Holy Bible. Were those ones inspired?
I know many say bible is bible, but does using different bibles matters?
Is not this truth of Mathew 4:4 (man does not live by bread alone . .)the ongoing battle that all of us have faced and now, having been redeemed, still wrestle with?!
The Apostles wrote about this to be our ongoing spiritual battle.
Our bodies are tied to this earth, but our spirit is drawn to be one with our Maker. Our flesh is weak - Romans 7:22-25.
But our Maker has made a new covenant with His people - Hebr.10:15-17; Jeremiah 31:31-34.
Now, He has written His Truth into our hearts and minds. We are keeping and protecting it through our Faith. Rom.8:38+39.
The Bible might be destroyed or become unavailable.
His Truth, though, will remain with us forever - Math.24:35.
The usurper, the challenger to God's sovereign reign, is still busy tempting mankind's ego (self-determination) to find 'reason' to doubt our creator's perfect design for mankind.
Jesus pointed out a child's Trust as an example how the Heavenly Kingdom is ordered - Mathew 19:13+14.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding . . Prov. 3:5+6.
This battle will come to an end - stay strong, keep up the guard and protect your faith from being eroded by falling for the cunning design of the usurper's temptation - to use man's ability for logic and reason and turn it against God and with that loose his soul! Ephesians 6:10-18.
To God be the Kingdom, the Glory and Power for ever!
As to the quest for truth, I think it depends on our view of history. If it's just human history, we may arrive at some kind of relative truth. If it is divine salvation history we have absolute certainty of salvation in Christ Jesus. The measuring rod of human history has no access to eternity, the place where salvation history was predetermined in view of sin to enter Eden.(Revelation 13:8; Romans 16:25) The eternal invisible truth of salvation in eterniy is visible in human history in terms of promises being fulfiled, climaxing at cross, resurrection, ascension and final consummation with the second coming of Christ to eradicate sin in the final judgement, opening the door of an eternal new creation. Salvation history starts in eternity and ends in eternity. This infallible truth is not arrived at by philosophical reasining, nor by so called scientific interpretation of scripture. It is obtained by grace and faith alone. (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8) As to scienntific interpretaion of salvation history, it has its place in investigating the historical background of salvation history.
Winfried Stolpmann
By how it reads, the Word of God demands a response from the reader. It is given as truth and presents this truth as fact and is free from drama. When someone states "I made all things, and all things are mine. Obey my commandments", what is to be our reaction? This cannot be ignored. No one would make this claim who could not back it up, unless they were obviously "not right".
Trusting in God's word is the evidence of Trusting God.
We need no evidence to verify this Word, for it's evidence/truth is contained within all that has been given. Just as creation had God's "fingerprints" all over it, so does His Word.