Editor's Note: With this issue of Bible Insight we began a six part series that will contrast and compare the God of the Bible with the gods that man has devised over the centuries. We will need to be willing to "dig deep" as we study together over the next month and a half.
God With A Capital "G" (Part 1 of 6) By Allan Turner (http://allanturner.com/)
This study is about God with a capital "G," that one state of being God (Deuteronomy 6:4), consisting of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (as we now know them), that is like no other state of being: self-existent, eternal, infinite, and immutable. As created beings, we need to know our Creator in order to be pleasing to Him. In fact, salvation and true worship are not possible without a proper knowledge of who and what God is.
Salvation Is Not Possible Without Knowing God
Salvation is not possible without a knowledge of God. I know this is true because when Jesus prayed for His disciples, He said, "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3). In other words, one's eternal destiny depends upon knowing God, the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ. This means that the study of God and the study of Christ are absolutely essential pursuits for the one who wants to go to heaven. Furthermore, in addition to knowing the Father and the Son, there are other passages that inform us that the Holy Spirit is to be included in this intimate, knowledgeable relationship (cf. Acts 5:32). In fact, upon a confession of one's faith in Christ Jesus, a penitent believer is baptized into a relationship with the Godhead, namely, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). All in this saving relationship "Know the Lord...from the least to the greatest" (Hebrews 8:11). Finally, and it is not without great significance, "when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire," He will be "taking vengeance on those who do not know God" (II Thessalonians 1:7,8).
True Worship Is Not Possible Without Knowing God
True worship, which is the only kind of worship that is pleasing to God, must be in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). This means that true worship must not just be with the right attitude or spirit, but it must be intelligent and knowledgeable as well. For example, although there were many reasons why the Samaritan woman's worship was not acceptable to God, the primary reason was stated by Jesus, when He said, "You worship that which you do not know" (John 4:22). In the same manner, the Athenians vainly worshipped at the altar "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD." The Bible makes it clear that this kind of worship is unacceptable because it is "worship without knowing" (Acts 17:23b).
Ignorance of God Is a Current Problem
It is sad that modern society knows very little about the true God. According to Langdon Gilkey, in his book, Maker of Heaven and Earth, the prevailing picture of God, among those in our culture who still believe in Him, is that of "a large, powerful, kindly elder statesman who treats us much as a doting grandfather might do, with occasional moods of needed judgment but with a balance of indulgence" (p. 81). Add to this the fact that many Christians today, reflecting the ignorance of God so prevalent in this age, are, like the ancient Athenians, attempting to worship an "UNKNOWN GOD," and you have the potential for a major apostasy brewing in our midst.
If what I am reading in the religious papers can be trusted, if preachers and elders I have spoken with have a sense of what is happening in their midst, then few Christians today study their Bibles on a daily basis. It would be my guess that fewer still have ever engaged in a private study of the nature and person of God. If this is truly indicative of what is going on in the church of Christ, then many Christians actually know very little about God's attributes and characteristics. Such ignorance is, according to an inspired apostle, a "shame" (cf. I Corinthians 15:34). Just as a lack of knowledge about God made the Corinthians susceptible to false teaching about the resurrection, many Christians today, knowing little about the nature of God, are vulnerable to vain philosophy and empty deceit (Colossians 2:8).
Having placed this study in its proper perspective, it is now time to turn our attention to a study of God the Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer of the world.
God Is
The Psalmist said, "The heavens declare the glory of God;
and the firmament shows His handiwork" (Psalm 19:1), and
the apostle Paul declared, "For since the creation of the
world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood
by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead,
so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1:20).
With these passages in mind, it is interesting to note that, down through the ages; men who were not even associated with the Bible have looked at God's magnificent creation and have understood there must be a Creator. This realization is called "the teleological argument for God," and is the argument from design, inferring an intelligent designer of the universe, just like one infers that a product (a watch) has a producer (a watchmaker). Incidentally, if someone were to show us a watch, telling us that no one made it, but that it was the result of an explosion that had taken place accidentally in a scrap metal factory, we would think that person was either "pulling our leg" or mighty foolish. Why, then, should it be any different when we think about the greatest product ever created? In fact, the Bible says, "The fool has said in his heart, `There is no God'" (Psalm 14:1).
According to Plato, one of the things that makes one believe in the Creator is the argument "from the order of the motion of the stars, and of all things under the dominion of the mind that ordered the universe" (Plato, Laws). According to Plato, there had to be a "maker and father of all." In addition, Aristotle, based upon his observation of the creation, concluded there had to be a First Unmoved Mover who is God, a living, intelligent, incorporeal, eternal, and most good being who is the source of the order in the universe (Aristotle, Metaphysica and On Philosophy).
In making note of the observations of these two men, I am not advocating the philosophies of either. Instead, I am simply pointing out that the greatest minds of antiquity understood the force of the teleological argument. As the Bible so plainly says, man is "without excuse" for not knowing that God is (Romans 1:20).
How the Writings Became Scripture (Part 1 of 2) by Jon W.
Quinn (Reprinted from The Expository Files: http://www.flash.net/~wberkley/)
The New Testament was not written all at once. It was written
over a period of years. A great deal of the things Paul wrote
is Scripture, but not everything he wrote is (i.e. an earlier
letter he had sent to Corinth; I Cor. 5:9). Some of what he wrote
never made it into the pages of the New Testament. No doubt the
same thing could be said about other writers of portions of the
New Testament. And other early Christians also wrote things of
a religious nature which never made it into the New Testament.
And in fact, some pretenders even wrote some things as if they
were Paul, Peter, Thomas, Andrew or some other notable disciple.
So how did writings come to be recognized as Scripture and when
the New Testament was compiled wound up being a part of it, while
others failed the test? Who actually made the decisions? Did they
make it during the first century or much later? Did they just
guess or flip a coin? Of course not!
Definitions
"But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture
is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever
made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit
spoke from God." (II Pet. 1:20,21). What does the word "Scripture"
mean? The Greek word (graphe) occurs about 50 times in the New
Testament and always refers to the written record of the utterances
of God. This includes writings that make up both the Old and New
Testaments.
The English word "canon" (Greek: kanon) came to mean
standard or rule. When one speaks of the canon of Scripture he
is referring to those writings that met the standard and are regarded
as being legitimate and authoritative and therefore have been
included in the Bible.
The Word Delivered
"For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered
to you..." (I Cor. 11:23). The writers of the New Testament
wrote by inspiration. They wrote things as given to them by direct
revelation from God (II Tim. 3:16,17). Scripture is not a result
of guesswork but rather Divine plan and action. When one rejects
the teachings of the Bible, he has rejected God Himself.
God told the writers of the Bible what to say and when to say
it. Regarding the New Testament, there are actually eight human
agents through whom Jesus revealed His New Covenant by the written
word. They are Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, James, Peter and
Jude. While God also revealed His will through the spoken word
(through both apostles and prophets), He did not cause it all
to be written down in permanent form. What He did cause to be
written is adequate for our spiritual needs and guidance. It is
complete, and is referred to as Scripture.
We now have a pretty good idea concerning the approximate dates
of writing for most of the New Testament.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Our weekly services are held at 1318 Griffin Road, Leesburg, Florida
34748.
Phone: (352) 365-9946 for times of services.
Web site: http://www.careydillinger.com/cocbs/cocbshp.htm
MONTHLY BIBLE READING: Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Lamentations
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS
BIBLE INSIGHT is published
for the members of, and visitors to, the Church of Christ at Beverly
Shores, Leesburg, Florida, USA.
Carey Dillinger is the editor. He can be reached at the church
address or via e-mail: webmaster@careydillinger.com