LESSON ONE

From The Editors... Welcome to the Tomorrow’s Worl d Bible Study Course! As someone who is interested in this course, you surely know you are a bit “different” from the vast majority of people in this world, who do not hunger to find out why they are here, and who are not interested in what the Bible really teaches. But you want to learn more. Perhaps you are one of those whom God is calling at this time who will remain faithful to Him even in the midst of this sin-sick society (Matthew 22:14; Revelation 17:14). The 24 lessons of this course were developed by the late Mr. John Ogwyn, whose articles you may have read in the Tomorrow’s World magazine, and whom you may have seen for several years on the Tomorrow’s World telecast. Mr. Ogwyn had a real gift for presenting God’s Truth in a fresh and lively way to help people understand the mysteries of the Bible. We are sure you will enjoy—and benefit from—his gifts as a teacher. But Mr. Ogwyn cannot do your work for you. Unless you open your Bible and look up for yourself the scriptures he cites, you will not be able to prove for yourself the precious truths of the Bible. God wants His people to be like the Bereans, who “received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). The format of this course is simple. The 24 lessons of this course are grouped into six sets of four lessons each. At the end of each four-lesson part, there is a multiple-choice test, which can be completed online, after which you will be able to advance to the next four lessons. To prepare you for that multiplechoice test, each lesson consists of four sections, with study questions that will expose you to profound Bible truths that you may never have learned before. Many students report that they learn the most when they take a separate sheet of paper (or a small notebook) and write down for themselves the scriptures cited in each part of the lessons, as well as their answers to each lesson’s questions. This may sound like a lot of work, but the Bible explains that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). When you complete this course, you will not be rewarded with a certificate or credential (this is not a ministerial training course); rather, you will receive the far more valuable reward of God’s Truth and the tools for applying it in your life. What could be more rewarding, and worthy of your time and attention? Though there are many places we could have chosen to begin such a course of study, we have chosen to start by focusing on Bible prophecy. We want you to understand that the Bible is the word of our Creator, the One who declares “the end from the beginning.” Let’s begin exploring God’s word through this Bible Study Course! We hope and pray that you will approach this course with zeal as you deepen your understanding of God’s precious gift to humanity—the Holy Bible. AUTHOR John H. Ogwyn (1949–2005) EDITOR IN CHIEF Roderick C. Meredith EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Richard F. Ames EXECUTIVE EDITOR William Bowmer CONTRIBUTING WRITER Daniel Hall FRENCH EDITION EDITOR Dibar Apartian SPANISH EDITION EDITOR Mario Hernandez ART DIRECTOR Donna Prejean PROOFREADERS Sandy Davis, Linda Ehman, June Olsen NEWS BUREAU Don Davis BUSINESS MANAGER J. Davy Crockett, III

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Tomorrow’s World Bible Study Course has no subscription price. Its free distribution is made possible by tithes and offerings of members of the Living Church of God, and by others who have chosen to become co-workers with us in proclaiming Christ's true Gospel to all nations. Contributions are gratefully acknowledged and may be tax-deductible in the United States, Canada and other countries. Tomorrow’s World Bible Study Course is published by the Living Church of God, 2301 Crown Centre Drive, Charlotte, NC 28227. ©2006 Living Church of God™. Printed in the U.S.A. All rights reserved. Canada subscriptions: Canada Post Agreement Number 40034253. Send change of address information and blocks of undeliverable copies to P.O. Box 409, Mississauga, ON L5M 2B9. Postage paid at Charlotte, NC and at additional mailing offices.

Postmaster: Send address changes to Tomorrow’s World, P.O. Box 3810, Charlotte, NC 28227. All scriptural references are from the New King James Version, (©Thomas Nelson, Inc., publishers) unless otherwise noted.

BC01-04 Edition 1.0, November 2006

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HOW YOU CAN BENEFIT FROM THIS BIBLE STUDY COURSE Can anyone really understand the Bible? The very fact that you have requested this Bible Study Course shows that you want to understand the Bible. That is exactly what this publication is designed to help you do. If you properly use this course in the months ahead, we are confident that you will grow in your ability to understand the Bible and its vital message.

Why Study the Bible? The Bible has been burned, banned and ignored. Scholars have attempted to minimize its value, some even claiming it is only “quaint” prose, and not of any useful purpose. Yet it just does not go away! It was the first book printed by Gutenberg in 1456 and it is still, year after year, the world’s best-selling book. It has influenced Western culture profoundly, and has been translated into more languages and dialects than any other book. Yet, for all of this, the Bible is read by few and really understood by almost none! Why should the Bible continue to be read or studied in today’s modern world? How could this ancient book really be relevant today? In the course of this lesson we will see that the Bible is even more up-to-date than today’s newspaper! Why is the Bible relevant? Simply put, the Bible is the Creator’s “Instruction Book”—and His instructions are always relevant. When God created the universe, He established it with a set of principles that govern everything in it, including human life. The principles or laws that govern human life are just as dependable as the laws that govern physics! Not only does the Bible reveal the universal principles of human conduct and relationships, it also reveals the Creator’s great master plan. People look at the pain and suffering in this world and wonder: What is life all about? What lies beyond this temporary physical existence? The Bible is the only

source that reveals the great purpose of why we were born! In addition to addressing the really big questions of life and explaining the ultimate destiny of mankind, the Bible tells us where we are headed in today’s world. Bible prophecy makes plain the real meaning of today’s headlines. The Bible not only contains information that is absolutely relevant to us today, but it is also verifiable as God’s inspired word. The proofs of fulfilled prophecy, internal consistency in its message, and its interwoven pattern, all contribute to verify the Bible as God’s book. Contrary to what many have assumed, the Bible can be understood. If you take its message to heart and seek to apply it, it will transform your life here and now and lead you to life everlasting. It is God’s book and it contains the words of life. The Tomorrow’s World Bible Study Course is designed to give you a chance to develop your understanding of the Bible, and assess the growth of that understanding. Each lesson you receive will cover a different topic of vital importance to your life and your understanding of the Bible. Every fourth lesson, beginning with Lesson Four, includes a test for you to complete online or return to us by mail. How can you get the most benefit from this course? First you should realize that it is designed only as a tool or a guide in your study of God’s book, the Bible. If you are really going to understand the Bible’s teaching on a subject, then you must read the scriptures themselves. It is vitally important that you actually look up each verse referred to in the text. In this way, you can see for yourself what the Bible really says, and you can also read it in its context. Research has shown that the more of our senses we employ, the more deeply we learn. This course is not written simply to tell you about the Bible, but to get you in the habit of looking up the answers for yourself. In this way, you will develop the habit of search3

Bible Study Course ing the scriptures to find in them the answers to life’s really big questions. We are all creatures of habit. Build the habit of consistency into your Bible study by selecting a time of day and a place for your study where you can concentrate. Then, try to set aside a specific time every day, at least 20 or 30 minutes, when you can use this course to delve into the contents of your very own Bible. Have your notebook, your Bible (or Bibles) and a dictionary, as well as any other Bible helps, readily available when you sit down to study. We strongly

Lesson One urge you to keep the lessons together after you are through with them, along with notebook paper on which you have taken notes and written out the Bible’s answer to each question, along with your own thoughts and comments. In this course we will occasionally include comments and explanatory notes on technical points. These, along with the pertinent articles and booklets mentioned throughout this course, are intended to add depth to your understanding of each of the subjects you will study.

Keys to Understanding the Bible The most important key to understanding the Bible is attitude! Isaiah 66:2 (also cf. Isaiah 57:15) explains that God works with those of a humble, repentant spirit. We must be teachable and we must stand in awe of God and desire to be corrected by Him. Proverbs 9:10 shows us that the fear of God (which means literally awe, deep reverence and respect for God) is the starting point for wisdom.

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of other verses on the same subject. Just as in most subjects, knowledge of the Bible is cumulative and must be built by adding, “line upon line” and “precept upon precept” (Isaiah 28:10).

A second key is obedience to God. Psalms 111:10 explains that it is those who keep the commandments who have good understanding. We grow in spiritual maturity as we seek to apply the principles of God’s law in our daily decisions and choices (Hebrews 5:12–14).

A fourth key is that we must start with the plain, clear verses on any subject. We should be guided in our understanding of obscure or “difficult” scriptures by those that are clear. For instance, Peter explains in 2 Peter 3:15–16 that Paul wrote some things that were a little difficult to understand and which were often twisted out of context. When in doubt, read a verse in more than one translation and use a dictionary to look up words so as to understand clearly meanings and usage.

A vital third key to understanding the Bible is to understand specific verses in the context of the rest of the Bible. The Apostle Peter explains in 2 Peter 1:20–21 that no scripture is of a “private” interpretation. God inspired the whole book, and one verse on a subject must be understood in light

Our congratulations to you as you undertake one of life’s most profitable and exciting journeys. It is a journey that will take you to a deeper understanding of God’s revelation to mankind and to a fuller appreciation of His great plan and purpose for all of mankind and for you personally.

Lesson 1, part A

The Bible: A Book for Today! Many people think of the Bible as simply an old book that talks about long-ago things and long-ago people. How is the Bible relevant to our “post-modern” world at the dawn of a new century? Could the Bible possibly talk about world conditions in our time? Jesus Christ was the greatest newscaster ever! Instead of merely talking about yesterday’s news, as do conventional newscasters, He announced tomorrow’s news in advance. He discussed the state of the world in the years immediately preceding His return to this earth to establish the Kingdom of God. The Bible is much more than a book of ancient stories and poetry; it is a vital book for today. Reminder: The questions in this lesson are meant to aid you in your personal Bible study. Please do not send us your answers to the questions below. Your first Bible Study Course test begins on page 43 of this booklet. 1.

Was Daniel ever told that his writings were not intended for his day, but were sealed until the end time? (Daniel 12:9).

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Did Christ want His servants to know the general time of His return to the earth? See Matthew 24:32–33.

2.

In the end time, who would understand what Daniel had written? (Daniel 12:10).

9.

3.

What does Solomon tell us, in Proverbs 9:10, is the starting point of wisdom?

Did the Apostle Paul expect the Day of the Lord to come upon true Christians as “a thief in the night” or did he teach that Christians would be able, through Scripture, to understand the general times and not be caught totally by suprise? See 1 Thessalonians 5:1–5.

4.

Check Proverbs 8:13, 15:33 and 16:6 for the biblical explanation of “the fear of God.” (Note: the word “fear” in this context refers primarily to awe, not terror.)

5.

Psalm 111:10 gives us what important key to understanding God’s Word?

6.

Did Christ’s disciples ever ask him about “the end of the world?” See Matthew 24:3. (Note: the Greek word for world is aeon in this verse and means “age.” There are two other words also translated “world” in the New Testament, kosmos, which refers to society, and oikoumene which refers to the land, or globe.)

7.

Does God know the future? Does He reveal that knowledge in His Word? See Isaiah 46:9–11.

10. Does God alone know His exact timing? Matthew 24:36.

The Arrangement of the Bible There is an inspired order of the Bible as preserved in the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. While our English Bibles contain all of these books, the order is different and therefore the pattern of arrangement is not as evident. The Old Testament (OT) consists of three divisions, while the New Testament consists of four. This makes a total of seven; the number God uses in Scripture to indicate completion and perfection. The Jews anciently counted the books of the OT as 22 in number. When the 22 books of the OT were added to the 27 of the New Testament, the total is 49, seven times seven. God’s hand is found in the arrangement of this remarkable book. 5

Lesson 1, part B

Man’s Search for God, or God’s Revelation to Man? What, really, is the Bible? It claims, contrary to the assertions of the critics, to be not merely the story of man’s search for God, but rather to be God’s revelation to man! Think about it. Surely a loving God would want you to know about Him. As you begin your study of the Bible using this course, we should first look at what claims the Bible actually makes. Is the Bible inspired? Is it historically accurate? Let us clearly understand what the Bible reveals about itself. 1.

In 2 Timothy 3:16, where does Paul say that scripture originated?

2.

Look up in a dictionary the meaning of the word “inspire.” Note that it is the English translation of the Greek theopneustos, which literally means “God-breathed.”

3.

According to Jesus Christ in Matthew 4:4, how much of God’s Word should we seek to live by?

4.

According to Christ’s prayer in John 17:17, what will set apart or sanctify God’s people? Where do we find God’s truth?

5.

Is the Genesis creation account true? What does Psalm 119:160 tell us about the early part of God’s Word?

6.

Did Jesus Christ personally testify to the historicity of Noah and the universal flood that came in Noah’s day? See Matthew 24:37–39; Luke 17:26–27.

7.

Did Christ ever refer to the swallowing of Jonah by the great fish as a historical occurrence? See Matthew 12:40.

8.

Does the New Testament refer to Adam as a literal historical man? What information do we gain

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from the following scriptures? Luke 3:38; Romans 5:14; 1 Corinthians 15:45; 1 Timothy 2:13; Jude 14. 9.

The Jews have traditionally preserved the books of the Old Testament in a three-fold division: the Law, the Prophets and the Writings (or Psalms). Did Jesus Christ endorse this collection of writings as the Scripture extant at His time? See Luke 24:44–45.

10. Did the authors of the Bible simply record their own ideas? Notice what Peter revealed in 2 Peter 1:21.

Science Looks at the Bible Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, many archaeological discoveries shed new light on the Bible and the accounts contained in it. U.S. News and World Report magazine reported in its August 24, 1981 issue that such discoveries were “affirming that the Bible is more historically accurate than many scholars thought.” Most critics and scholars long ago dismissed as myth the account of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The very existence of the cities themselves was widely doubted. “Now two highly regarded American archaeologists, Walter E. Rast and R. Thomas Schaub, believe they may have found the remains of those cities, plus the three other settlements referred to in Genesis as the ‘cities of the plain.’ The

Bible Study Course

Lesson One

ruins lie where the Bible indicates they would be— within a few miles of the Dead Sea. Moreover, at least three of the cities appear to have been destroyed by fire, which the Bible says was rained down by God in vengeance” (USN&WR, Sept. 24, 1981, pp. 38–39). Another discovery that not only corroborates the existence of Sodom and Gomorrah as historical cities, but also sheds light on many other Biblical narratives, is the clay tablets of Ebla. The ancient city of Ebla was excavated in the northern part of what is today Syria. An Italian professor, Giovanni Pettinato, has translated cuneiform tablets found there containing commercial transactions involving both the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. As Time magazine noted: “Findings from Ebla may have an even broader impact. Many liberal Bible scholars treat Abraham not as a historical figure but as a sort of Semitic King Arthur. Their view is that the stories about Abraham and the other Patriarchs must have been written down more than 1,000 years later than the events they purport to describe. Now in the area of the world that produced the Bible, Ebla has established that sophisticated and extensive written culture existed well before Moses and even Abraham... After Ebla, we’ve got to take the Bible much more seriously as a historical document” (Sept. 21, 1981, p. 77).

Other tablets at Ebla have provided information about the Exodus, when Israel fled from Egypt. Hans Goedicke, a prominent Egyptologist from Johns Hopkins University, has identified a tablet describing the Exodus from the Egyptian perspective, and dating the event to approximately 1475BC. That date is two centuries earlier than many of the world’s scholars accept, yet is in accord with the time-frame set by the Bible itself! What about scholars who say that one author, Moses, did not write the first five books of the Bible? According to Time magazine, Bible scholar Yehuda Radday of Haifa’s Israel Institute of Technology reports that a five-year computer study of the book of Genesis shows that it is the work of a single writer. Professor Radday and three associates studied the words of the Hebrew text and concentrated on 56 criteria of language behavior that are outside the conscious control of an author. He has reached the conclusion from his analysis that Genesis is the work of a single writer and that the “JEDP hypothesis” (the theory that Genesis is the work of multiple authors over a period of centuries) should be rejected. We could go on and on. What we find, when we shine the light of scientific scrutiny on the Bible, is that the critics are the ones shown to be lacking, not the Bible.

Charting the Bible THE OLD TESTAMENT I. THE LAW 1 Genesis 2 Exodus 3 Leviticus 4 Numbers 5 Deuteronomy II. THE PROPHETS 6 Joshua-Judges 7 Samuel-Kings 8 Isaiah 9 Jeremiah 10 Ezekiel 11 The Twelve (Minor Prophets) III. THE WRITINGS 12 Psalms 13 Proverbs 14 Job 15 Song of Solomon

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

Ruth Lamentations Ecclesiastes Esther Daniel Ezra-Nehemiah Chronicles

THE NEW TESTAMENT IV. THE GOSPELS & ACTS 1 Matthew 2 Mark 3 Luke 4 John 5 Acts V. GENERAL EPISTLES 6 James 7 1 Peter 8 2 Peter 9 1 John

10 2 John 11 3 John 12 Jude VI. PAUL’S EPISTLES 13 Romans 14 1 Corinthians 15 2 Corinthians 16 Galatians 17 Ephesians 18 Philippians 19 Colossians 20 1 Thessalonians 21 2 Thessalonians 22 Hebrews 23 1 Timothy 24 2 Timothy 25 Titus 26 Philemon VII.PROPHECY 27 Revelation 7

Lesson 1, part C

Is the Old Testament Relevant for Today? The Old Testament comprises more than two-thirds of the entire Bible. How relevant is it to us today? Some claim that the only value of the Old Testament is in the history it contains, or perhaps the inspirational poetry. What about it? Should the Old Testament be studied in the same way as the New Testament? How do these two sections of the Bible—the Hebrew Scriptures and the Greek Scriptures—interrelate? It is important to understand the Bible answers to these basic concepts before we proceed further in our study of God’s word, the Holy Bible. Though the Jews have preserved the Old Testament revelation, do they really understand its full message? Notice Paul’s explanation in 2 Corinthians 3:14–18.

1.

Reread 2 Timothy 3:14–17. What scriptures had been extant during Timothy’s childhood? (Note: the New Testament was only in the process of being written during Timothy’s adulthood!)

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2.

Did Paul tell Timothy that the (Old Testament) scriptures were profitable for doctrine as well as correction, reproof and instruction in righteousness?

3.

How does the Bible define righteousness? (cf. Psalm 119:172).

10. What did Jesus Christ come to do in relationship to the Old Testament? See Matthew 5:17. (Note: the Greek word for fulfil, pleroo, is also used in Matthew 13:48 “full,” Luke 2:40 “filled,” and Ephesians 3:19 “filled” as well as other places).

4.

Where did the commandments of the Old Testament originate, with Moses or with God? Note the following scriptures: Exodus 19:7; 20:1; 24:4, 12; Leviticus 26:46; Deuteronomy 4:5.

5.

Are the examples recorded in the Old Testament still relevant for us today? What did Paul say about this in 1 Corinthians 10:6, 11?

6.

Does the Old Testament contain information about salvation through Christ? See 2 Timothy 3:15.

7.

Did the Ethiopian eunuch find the message of salvation in the Old Testament? See Acts 8:27–35.

8.

Was he able to fully understand the meaning of the Old Testament apart from added revelation of the New, received through the direct explanation of Philip? Notice Acts 8:35.

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Bible Manuscripts and Translations The copies of the Bible that we study in English are translations from the original languages in which the Bible was written. For the Old Testament this was Hebrew, with small portions of later books written in Aramaic, a kindred language. Our New Testament has been translated from the Greek language. The Old Testament scriptures were entrusted by God to the Jewish community for preservation (Romans 3:1–3). They have been faithfully preserved in handwritten manuscripts by scribes called Masoretes. The official text preserved by the Jews is called the Masoretic text. These ancient scribes went to great lengths to preserve the accuracy of the text. They maintained a count of all of the words in a given book, as well as of all of the letters. They knew which word and which letter was, for instance, the middle of a given book. When making handwritten copies of a book, they would compare the count to

Bible Study Course make sure that there was not so much as a one-letter variation in the text. Jesus Christ bore witness of their carefulness in preserving the text by stating in Matthew 5:18 that not “one jot or one tittle” would be lost. The “jot” referred to the letter yod, the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet, which is similar to an apostrophe. The “tittle” referred to the decorative flourish on certain letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The authoritative Hebrew text is the one officially preserved in the Jewish community, the Masoretic text. Anciently written on vellum made from specially treated sheepskins, these texts were hand-copied by carefully trained scribes and preserved as scrolls. While many sects maintained their own copies of the Scriptures, none of these should be accorded the respect given the official Masoretic text. Our New Testament was completed by the Apostle John just prior to his death at the end of the first century. At that time he was living in Ephesus, a Greekspeaking city located near the western coast of ancient Asia Minor (modern Turkey). This is the same city which had served as the repository of the copies of Paul’s writings decades earlier (2 Timothy 4:13, 21). It is the city used in Revelation 2 to represent the entire first stage of the Church of God. The Greek manuscripts, which originated in Asia Minor, are classified by modern scholars as the Antiochian or Byzantine type. This was the text used in the Greek world, differing somewhat from the Western and Alexandrian types preserved in Rome and Egypt. Copies of the Byzantine texts were brought west by scholars fleeing from the Turkish invasion in the 15th century. Many of these Greek scholars, and the manuscripts that they brought with them, ended up in the area of Basel, Switzerland after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. It is from these manuscripts that printed texts of Erasmus (1516) and Stephen (1520) were primarily derived. Stephen’s text was known as the Textus Receptus (Received Text) and was the accepted standard of the Greek New Testament for about three centuries. With widespread acceptance of the theory of evolution, and the advent of “higher criticism” in scholarly circles in the latter nineteenth century, Bible translation underwent a change. Dismissing the idea that the Bible was supernaturally inspired and preserved, scholars decided that the oldest manuscripts, whatever their source, were closer to the original and therefore must be more accurate. They then began to give special credence to texts and text fragments that had

Lesson One hitherto been regarded as inferior. Most 20th century Bible translators have used texts touted by the higher critics, and relegated the readings of officially preserved texts to footnotes. The Authorized Version or King James Version, long the standard in the English-speaking world, was first printed in 1611 after a seven-year effort by 54 scholars. It was primarily translated from the Hebrew Masoretic text and the Greek Received Text, drawing on the work of earlier scholars such as William Tyndale. Though there are a few serious errors—for instance, the use of “Easter” instead of “Passover” to translate the Greek pascha in Acts 12:4—the KJV translators strove to be carefully faithful to the texts available to them. The primary problem with the KJV for many modern readers is the use of English words that are no longer common in our language (thee and thou, for instance), or English words that have actually changed in meaning in the four centuries since translation began. As an example, the word “let” in 2 Thessalonians 2:7 meant “to prevent or hinder” to the King James translators. Though still retaining this meaning in specialized legal usage, in virtually all other modern contexts this word means “to allow”— the very opposite of its earlier meaning. Completed in 1982, the New King James Version represents an attempt to update the original KJV. It is easier to use for most modern readers, yet retains much of the beauty and faithfulness to the text of the original KJV. It is the translation most commonly quoted by Tomorrow’s World. Most other recent translations, such as the Revised Standard Version, the New English Bible, the New American Standard and the New International Version, give precedence to manuscripts favored by the “higher critics.” Though the overwhelming majority of the content of all manuscripts is the same, there are a few significant variations in certain passages. While these translations can be useful, they should not be used to establish doctrine in areas where they disagree with the KJV. There are many other translations that are really paraphrases. That is, they represent the author’s attempt to simplify the text by putting it into his own words, using contemporary language. While these often make for easy reading, they are not reliable for the study of technical subjects or to establish doctrine. Some other paraphrases are trendy and simply cater to special interest groups and modern prejudices. Examples of paraphrases are the Living Bible and the Contemporary English Version. 9

Lesson 1, part D

The Information Book The time period in which we are living is often called the Information Age. There is an unprecedented amount of information available about seemingly every subject. Yet the paradox is that as man’s apparent knowledge and information have multiplied, so have his problems and troubles. One of the main reasons is that God’s revelation has been increasingly labeled irrelevant in our modern world. The reality is that the Bible contains not only the precious knowledge of salvation and God’s great plan for mankind, but many other important subjects as well. It contains information on life and love, health and happiness, and covers every aspect of human life and relationships, at least in principle. Some topics are covered by direct command, while others are taught by examples or by revealed principles of wisdom. Let us look more closely at some of the different kinds of information included in the Bible. 1.

According to Deuteronomy 6:24, why does God want us to obey His laws? See also Deuteronomy 5:29, 32–33.

2.

How did Jesus summarize God’s law in Matthew 22:36–40? (Note: the first four of the Ten Commandments tell us how to love God, while the last six tell us how to love our neighbor.)

3.

What does Paul tell us, in Romans 7:12–14, about the law? What does Roman 3:31 reveal regarding the mistaken idea that faith in Christ makes the law irrelevant?

4.

Does the Bible teach that there are consequences in our life based upon obedience or disobedience to God’s laws? See Deuteronomy 11:26–28.

5.

According to Proverbs 1:1–4, why did Solomon write the book of Proverbs?

6.

In recent years, medical doctors have learned about the role of stress in causing disease. Thousands of years ago, what did God inspire Solomon to explain about this principle in Proverbs 17:22?

7.

What practical principles are revealed in Proverbs about choosing our friends and associ-

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ates? See Proverbs 6:23–26; 13:20; 22:24–25; 23:19–21. 8.

Does the Bible give vital information about the way husbands and wives should respond to one another in order to promote a happy home? See 1 Peter 3:1–11.

9.

Some will come to us seeking information about what we believe and why. What are we told in 1 Peter 3:15?

10. In Hebrews 5:12–14, Paul uses the analogy of digestion to describe our ability to understand God’s Word. How does he say we can improve our digestion? Note verse 14.

Practical Resources for Bible Study Paul praised the Jews in the city of Berea who listened to his preaching because they “searched [examined, investigated] the scriptures daily, to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Today, we have a variety of Bible resources and helps available to make our examination of God’s Word far more easy and convenient than it was for the first-century Bereans. The following page lists some basic Bible study resources that you may find useful. Please remember that they are only resources, not the study by themselves.

Bible Concordances The task of trying to find a Bible verse or remembering a specific passage can sometimes be very frustrating. With the help of an exhaustive concordance, you can easily look up any word in the Bible and find its location in the text. Some concordances show the original Hebrew or Greek words, their correct pronunciations, and their definitions. There are several excellent Bible concordances on the market today that can offer valuable help in your study of the Bible. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance lists each word in the Bible and all the scriptural references where each word may be found. In addition, there is a Hebrew and Greek dictionary (or lexicon) at the end.

The Englishman’s Greek Concordance of the New Testament and The Englishman’s Hebrew Concordance are both keyed to the words in Strong’s Concordance. Therefore, they can be used by students with no knowledge of the Greek and Hebrew alphabets. These two concordances are based upon the usage of each Greek and Hebrew word, and not upon the English words by which they are translated. Several different Greek or Hebrew words, each with slightly different meanings, may all be translated by one single English word. Sometimes different English words are used to translate the same Greek or Hebrew term. These concordances help to locate every passage where a specific Greek or Hebrew word is used, regardless of the English term used to translate it.

Bible Atlases, Dictionaries and Commentaries Exploring God’s Word can be like journeying into a strange, new world. In searching for the truth of the Bible, you will come across unfamiliar customs and the mention of peoples and countries that you are unable to locate on any modern map. Who were the Pharisees and the Sadducees? Why were the Samaritans and the Jews of Jesus’ day enemies? Where were the ancient empires of the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Persians located? The historical, geographical, and social background is very important to understanding many otherwise obscure verses. A Bible atlas helps to locate ancient peoples, cities, and empires. It will show you the Roman world through which Paul traveled and raised up churches or the location of the twelve tribes of Israel during the days of Joshua and the Judges. It is very useful in helping to visualize the world as it existed during various epochs discussed in the Bible. Bible dictionaries and Bible commentaries help explain ancient social customs, archaeological discoveries, and secular historical connections with events mentioned in the Bible. Each of these works, however, is limited by the prejudices and preconceived notions of its author. Understanding the perspective of those who prepare any given work will enable the reader to properly compensate. The following is a sample of different types of reference works that are commonly available to Bible students. This list is not exhaustive nor does it constitute an endorsement by Tomorrow’s World of all of the material contained in each reference. While you may wish to obtain one or all of these works for your own personal library, most of them will be available for use in the reference section of your public library. Atlas of the Bible Lands (Hammond, Inc.) Oxford Bible Atlas (Oxford University Press) The Dictionary of Bible and Religion (Abingdon Press) Smith’s Bible Dictionary (Hendrickson Press) The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible (Abingdon Press, multi-volume set)

The New Bible Commentary (InterVarsity Press) Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary (Zondervan) The Expositors’ Bible Commentary (Zondervan, multi-volume set) Soncino Books of the Bible (Soncino Press, Old Testament only)

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