Chi sono io? Io sono un destinatario indegno dell'amore di Dio.

Introduzione alla dottrina di Cristo

La dottrina di Cristo (o di cristologia) si concentra sulla persona e l'opera di Gesù Cristo. La comprensione di chi è Gesù e quello che ha fatto è essenziale per una visione corretta della nostra identità di cristiani.

Come indicato nella Introduzione a questo corso, stiamo cercando di rispondere alle domande "Chi sono io?" E "Perché sono qui?" Se non fosse per chi è Gesù e ciò che Egli ha compiuto, il nostro compito sarebbe finito per abbiamo già imparato che siamo fuori di Cristo i peccatori che hanno offeso il loro Creatore. Saremmo rimasti senza una risposta alla nostra seconda domanda, per una vita persa nel peccato è privo di significato. In Cristo, però, Dio stesso è diventato un uomo, al fine di vincere il peccato e, quindi, dare un senso alla vita.

Questa sezione si baserà su concetti già appresi nelle lezioni precedenti. Dato che sia Dio e uomo, la persona di Cristo rifletterà quello che abbiamo appreso riguardo a Dio e l'uomo. L'opera di Cristo attingere molto di ciò che abbiamo imparato sul carattere di Dio (per esempio, la Sua giustizia richiede che il peccato sia punito) e la situazione dell'uomo (egli è un peccatore ha bisogno di un Salvatore). Che lo studio di questa dottrina ci danno un maggiore apprezzamento per chi è Cristo e per ciò che Egli ha fatto per nostro conto.

Lezione 13: La Persona di Cristo

Gesù Cristo è assolutamente unico. La Bibbia insegna che Egli è al tempo stesso pienamente Dio e pienamente uomo. Anche se una completa comprensione della persona di Cristo è oltre la nostra comprensione, la Bibbia insegna chiaramente la sorprendente verità del Dio-uomo.

Questa lezione prenderà in esame le prove bibliche per la duplice natura di Gesù Cristo.

[Con "doppia natura" si intende che Cristo possiede sia una natura umana e divina. Vale a dire, Egli è al tempo stesso umano e Dio allo stesso tempo. Egli possiede caratteristiche sia perché Egli è al tempo stesso. Questa lezione esamina la persona di Cristo, cioè chi è.]

La Bibbia insegna che:

1. Cristo è Dio.

2. Gesù è l'uomo.

3. Gesù Cristo è il Dio-uomo.

Nota: Si noterà corso di questa lezione che il nome "Cristo" viene utilizzato quando sottolinea la divinità del Dio-uomo, mentre "Gesù" viene utilizzata quando ci si riferisce alla sua umanità. Quando questi due nomi (Gesù e Cristo) sono combinati, che significano entrambi la sua divinità e umanità.

I. Cristo è Dio.

L'affermazione "Cristo è Dio", significa che Cristo possiede tutti gli attributi (qualità di caratteri) che appartengono a Dio.. In altre parole, tutto ciò che è vero di Dio, vale anche per Cristo. La "divinità" parola descrive uno che possiede gli attributi di Dio. In Lezione Uno, abbiamo imparato che ci sono tre persone che possiedono gli attributi della divinità: Dio Padre, il Figlio di Dio, e Dio lo Spirito Santo. Questa lezione si occupa della seconda persona della Triunità , Dio Figlio.

A. La Bibbia insegna che Cristo è Dio.

1. Cristo sia esistito prima della nascita di Gesù.

Molti erroneamente credono che Cristo è venuto in esistenza al momento della nascita di Gesù. Tuttavia, la Bibbia insegna che Cristo è eterno. Come Dio, non c'è mai stato un tempo in cui Egli non era.

uno. Cristo sia esistito prima della creazione.

In principio era il Verbo e il Verbo era presso Dio e il Verbo era Dio. Giovanni 1:1

[Il contesto di questo versetto indica chiaramente che la Parola / Dio si riferisce a Gesù. Cristo, come la seconda persona della Trinità, eternamente esistito.]

b. Cristo era attivo nella creazione.

Attraverso di lui tutte le cose sono state fatte; senza di lui niente è stato fatto che è stato fatto. Giovanni 1:3 (Vedi anche Colossesi 1:16).

Nota: Poiché Cristo è il Creatore, Egli non avrebbe potuto essere parte della creazione.

c. Cristo è apparso in forma umana temporanea tutto l'Antico Testamento.

L'angelo del Signore Hagar trovato nei pressi di una sorgente nel deserto. Genesi 16:07

Chi era l'Angelo del Signore?

Molti fatti hanno portato molti studiosi a identificare "l'angelo del Signore" con Cristo:

1) L'uso dell'articolo determinativo ("il" angelo)-Apparizioni di altri messaggeri divini di solito non includono l'articolo (Luca 02:09 e Atti 12:7).

2) L'angelo del Signore è identificata con Dio e adorato come Dio (Esodo 3:1-5).

3) non l'angelo del Signore appare dopo che Gesù è nato.

d. Cristo ha affermato di essere esistito prima di Abramo.

Gesù rispose: "prima che Abramo fosse, Io Sono!" Giovanni 8:58

[Quando Abraham vivere? Molto prima di Cristo, anche davanti a Mosè. La dichiarazione implicita più del fatto che Cristo ha vissuto prima di Abramo. Qual è l'implicazione delle parole di Gesù '"sono io?" Egli stesso è l'equipollenza con il Dio dell'Antico Testamento. In altre parole, fa valere il nome di Dio per lui. Guarda le versetti successivi per vedere come gli ebrei hanno risposto a questa - hanno capito che si stava equiparando con Dio, e volevano lapidarlo per questo].

2. Cristo è chiamato il "Figlio di Dio".

Nella Scrittura, "figlio di" spesso significa "possedere le qualità del carattere di" una persona o un oggetto. Ad esempio, in Genesi 5:32 ebraico dice letteralmente che Noè era il "figlio di 500 anni." Atti 4:36 dice che il nome di "Barnaba" significa "Figlio di incoraggiamento." La "Figlio di Dio" del titolo indica che Cristo possiede gli attributi di Dio, un fatto che anche i nemici di Cristo riconosciuto:

"Non ti lapidiamo per uno di questi," rispose gli ebrei ", ma per la bestemmia, perché tu, un semplice uomo, pretendono di essere Dio". Gesù rispose loro: ". . . Perché, allora, mi accusano di blasfemia perché ho ​​detto: 'Io sono il Figlio di Dio'? "John 10:33 36

3. Cristo è pienamente Dio.

Per in Cristo tutta la pienezza della divinità vive in forma corporea. Colossesi 2:9

Il Figlio è lo splendore della gloria di Dio e la rappresentazione esatta del suo essere. Ebrei 1:3

[Alcuni culti / religioni insegnano che Cristo è "un dio" o in qualche modo non pienamente uguale a Dio Padre. La Bibbia insegna che Egli è Dio, pieno e paritario.]

B. Cristo ha dimostrato che Egli era Dio.

1. Cristo ha dimostrato che era onnipotente.

Si alzò, sgridò il vento e disse alle onde, "Tranquillo! Essere ancora! "Poi il vento cessò e fu completamente calmo. -Mark 04:39

2. Cristo ha dimostrato che era onnisciente.

Gesù conosceva i loro pensieri. - Matteo 12:25

3. Cristo ha dimostrato che Egli era sovrano.

Allora Gesù si avvicinò e disse: "ogni potere in cielo e in terra è stato dato a me." Matteo 28:18

4. Cristo ha dimostrato che era santo.

Cristo non cedere alle tentazioni di Satana (Matteo 4:1-11 e Luca 4:1-13).

Questi sono gli stessi attributi che abbiamo studiato nella Sezione Prima (la dottrina di Dio).

II. Gesù è l'Uomo.

La dichiarazione, "Gesù è l'uomo," significa che Egli possiede tutti gli attributi che appartengono all'uomo. In altre parole, tutto ciò che è intrinsecamente vero dell'umanità vale anche per Jesus. Questo non include tuttavia peccato. Adamo ed Eva furono creati veramente umano, ma non sono stati creati peccaminoso. Pertanto, il peccato non è essenziale dell'essere umano. Gesù, anche se pienamente umana, non era peccaminoso.

[Si potrebbe dire che Adamo, Eva, e Gesù erano solo gli esseri umani veramente umani. Tutti gli altri ha subito gli effetti dannosi del peccato e sono quindi meno di quello che sono stati originariamente creati per essere.]

A. La Bibbia insegna che Gesù è un uomo.

1. Gesù è chiamato un uomo.

Ma Cristo è effettivamente stato risuscitato dai morti, primizia di coloro che sono morti. Infatti, poiché la morte è venuto attraverso un uomo, la risurrezione dei morti arriva anche attraverso un uomo. 1 Corinzi 15:20 21

2. Gesù ha i componenti dell'umanità (vedi Lezione Dieci.).

1. Gesù ha un corpo umano.

Ma il tempio aveva parlato del suo corpo. Giovanni 2:21

[Alcuni hanno insegnato che Gesù era un fantasma / fantasma. La Bibbia presenta chiaramente Gesù come un uomo come gli altri. Non ha ancora un corpo? Sì.]

b. Gesù ha uno spirito umano.

Gesù gridò a gran voce: "Padre, nelle tue mani consegno il mio spirito"., Luca 23:46

3. Gesù è chiamato il "Figlio dell'uomo".

Proprio come il Figlio dell'uomo non è venuto per essere servito, ma per servire e dare la propria vita in riscatto per molti. Matteo 20:28

Nota: Vedi sopra per il significato della frase "figlio di".

B. Gesù ha dimostrato che egli era un uomo.

1. Gesù ha sperimentato una nascita umana.

Vedere Matteo 1 e Luca 2.

2. Gesù ha sperimentato mentale, fisico, crescita spirituale, e sociale.

E Gesù cresceva in sapienza, in statura e in grazia davanti a Dio e agli uomini. Luca 2:52

3. Gesù ha sperimentato le emozioni umane.

Gesù scoppiò in pianto. Giovanni 11:35

4. Gesù ha sperimentato limiti umani.

Gesù dunque, stanco com'era dal viaggio, sedeva presso il pozzo. Giovanni 4:6

[Tali dichiarazioni che implicano Gesù 'cambiare, crescere, essendo ignorante, ecc, devono essere collegati con / sulla base dei limiti dell'umanità. Come Dio, Gesù non sarebbe potuto crescere intellettualmente o sono stati ignoranti. Ma come l'uomo che poteva avere. Pertanto, qualsiasi crescita o lo sviluppo deve essere a causa della sua umanità.]

Gesù è pienamente uomo. Tuttavia, le Scritture insegnano che Cristo è pienamente Dio. Questo ci dà una visione completa delle due nature del Dio-uomo, umana e divina. Non si dovrebbe concludere da questo, però, che Gesù Cristo è di due persone. La Bibbia è chiaro che Egli è una sola persona in possesso di due nature.

[Le due nature di Cristo (divina e umana) sono distinti gli uni dagli altri tho uniti in una sola persona. L'unione ipostatica rimasta intatta attraverso la morte. Le due nature sono unite in una sola persona, senza confusione, la conversione, la divisione o la separazione. Dobbiamo dividere né la persona né confondere le nature. La sua divinità non ha fatto "fuga" nella sua umanità, o viceversa.]

III. Gesù Cristo è l'Uomo Dio.

Al fine di combinare le nature divina e umana in una sola persona, Dio ha fatto qualcosa di unico.

A. Le due nature sono stati uniti in occasione dell'incarnazione.

L '"incarnazione" significa "di incarnare in carne". Teologi usare questa parola per descrivere ingresso di Cristo nella razza umana. Giovanni 1:14 dice: "Il Verbo si fece carne". La Bibbia descrive come l'incarnazione ha avuto luogo:

1. L'incarnazione si è svolta per mezzo del concepimento e la nascita vergine.

Ma l'angelo le disse: "Non temere, Maria, perché hai trovato grazia presso Dio.. Sarete incinta e partorirà un figlio, e tu lo chiamerai Gesù.. Egli sarà grande e verrà chiamato Figlio dell'Altissimo. . . . "" Come è possibile, "Maria disse all'angelo:" poiché io non conosco uomo? "Rispose l'angelo:" Lo Spirito Santo scenderà su di te e la potenza dell'Altissimo ti coprirà. Così il santo che nascerà sarà chiamato Figlio di Dio ". Luca 01:30 35

Nota: La concezione vergine era necessario per evitare una natura di peccato possano essere trasmesse a Cristo (vedere Lezione Dieci sulla procreazione come mezzo di trasmissione della natura peccaminosa.).

2. L'incarnazione si è svolta per mezzo di uno svuotamento.

Il vostro atteggiamento dovrebbe essere la stessa di quella di Gesù Cristo: quale, pur essendo in molto la natura di Dio, non considerò l'uguaglianza con Dio per essere afferrato, ma si è fatto nulla [letteralmente, "spogliò se stesso"], prendendo la natura stessa di una servo, divenendo simile agli uomini. Filippesi 2:05 7

Nel incarnazione, Cristo ha dato la uso indipendente dei Suoi attributi divini. Questo non vuol dire che Cristo ha dato la Sua divinità, ma piuttosto la visualizzazione indipendente della Sua divinità. Gesù volte mostrato la sua divinità, ma non farlo a parte la volontà di Dio Padre.

Cristo ha continuato ad essere uguale in sostanza con le altre persone della Divinità. Tuttavia, egli ha dimostrato un ruolo subalterno e funzione nel incarnazione (1 Corinzi 11:3).

B. L'unione delle due nature è permanente.

Infatti c'è un solo Dio e un solo mediatore fra Dio e gli uomini, Cristo Gesù uomo. - 1 Timoteo 2:5

Si noti che questo versetto si riferisce a Cristo come un uomo dopo il suo ministero terreno.

[E 'importante per noi a confondere né le nature di Cristo, né dividere la persona di Cristo. La sua umanità non limitare la sua divinità, e la sua divinità non ha cambiato la sua umanità. La sua personalità (la "I") risiedeva nella sua divinità, come la seconda persona della Trinità / il Verbo. Non aveva due personalità distinte.]

Richiudere e Recensione

In questa lezione, abbiamo imparato:

1. Cristo è Dio. Egli possiede tutti gli attributi della divinità.

2. Gesù è l'uomo. Egli possiede tutti gli attributi dell'umanità.

3. Gesù Cristo è il Dio-uomo. Egli è allo stesso tempo pienamente Dio e pienamente uomo, allo stesso tempo. Lui è una persona in possesso di due nature.

Learning to Live It

1. Durante il pranzo a scuola, si è coinvolti in una discussione su varie religioni del mondo. Un amico dice: "Penso che tutte le religioni sono buone e sono state fondate da uomini buoni. Nessuno meglio, nessuno è peggio. "Come si deve rispondere?

Gesù era più di un uomo-Egli era Dio. Inoltre, Gesù chiedeva culto esclusivo (Giovanni 14:6), ponendo così il cristianesimo a un livello diverso da tutte le altre religioni. O Gesù è che Egli disse che era ed è, quindi, di essere adorato esclusivamente o era un bugiardo ed è, quindi, non va bene.

2. Un predicatore TV [Kenneth Copeland] proclamata ad un pubblico nazionale qualche anno fa: "Gesù disse: 'Io sono', e benediciamo Dio sono troppo" Cosa implica questo predicatore?

Era la pretesa di essere divino facendo riferimento a se stesso con il nome divino "Io sono". Alcuni carismatici insegnano che i credenti sono dei piccoli. Ma possediamo gli attributi della divinità? No.

Lezione 12: la peccaminosità dell'uomo

Eleven lezione incentrata sugli aspetti unici della caduta di Adamo nel peccato. Nonostante la caduta e le sue conseguenze erano unici, ci sono risultati costanti che riguardano tutte le persone da Adam. A causa della disobbedienza di Adamo, il peccato ha permeato la razza umana. Ognuno è un peccatore (Romani 3:23).

Alcuni dicono che il peccato è soltanto una malattia. Altri sostengono che si tratta di una debolezza. [Alla gente piace ridefinire cosa è il peccato. Ad esempio, stile di vita alternativo, malattia, errore. ] Che cosa è il peccato? Nei casi in cui il peccato viene? Quali sono i suoi effetti? Questa lezione rispondere a queste domande studiando il seguente:

1. La natura del peccato (Che cos'è?)

2. L'imputazione del peccato (dove proviene?)

3. L'entità del peccato (Quali sono i suoi effetti?)

I. la natura del peccato

[Ricordate che, quando parliamo della natura di qualcosa, stiamo parlando di caratteristiche di base di una cosa o qualità.]

A. L'espressione del peccato

Sin può essere espressa in termini di essere, pensiero o azione. Si può peccare di essere, di pensare, o fare male o non essere, di pensare, o facendo bene.

1. Sin si esprime nell'essere dell'uomo.

Tutti gli uomini sono nati peccatori e persistere in uno stato di peccato per tutta la vita.

Sicuramente era peccaminoso alla nascita, peccato dal momento in cui mia madre mi ha concepito. Salmo 51:5

Sin [può essere uno stato o condizione. L'uomo è caratterizzato dal peccato, è peccato. Si tratta di una condizione. Pecchiamo perché siamo peccatori, non viceversa.]

2. Il peccato è espressa nel pensiero dell'uomo.

Poiché dal cuore provengono i propositi malvagi, gli omicidi, gli adulteri, dell'immoralità sessuale, furti, false testimonianze, le bestemmie. Matteo 15:19

[Cf. anche Giacomo 1:14. Sin inizia nella mente. Pensieri precedere l'azione. Nessuno ha mai commesso un peccato che non pensava prima.]

3. Sin si esprime in azioni dell'uomo.

Il male che non voglio fare questo continuo a fare. Romani 7:19

Di solito associamo peccato con iniquità, che, facendo ciò che non sono tenuti a fare. La Bibbia, però, insegna che il peccato, inoltre, non include fare ciò che siamo tenuti a fare. Il primo si chiama peccati di commissione, i peccati di omissione secondo.

Chiunque, quindi, che conosce il bene che deve fare e non lo fa, i peccati. Giacomo 4:17

B. Il criterio del peccato [criterio è uno standard o misura]

Ciò che rende certi pensieri e azioni peccaminose e altri no? Il criterio per giudicare la colpevolezza di qualcosa è la sua conformità a Dio o mancanza della stessa. Così, tutto ciò che non corrisponde al carattere di Dio è il peccato.

Siate voi dunque perfetti come il Padre vostro celeste è perfetto. - Matteo 5:48

[Questo è il modo in cui giudicare l'accettabilità delle cose discutibili, vale a dire, le cose non affrontate nella Bibbia - cinema, danza, gioco d'azzardo, ecc giudicare una pratica o di un'idea di se o non conforme o è in linea con il carattere di Dio. .]

C. Una definizione di peccato

Il peccato è l'incapacità di essere, pensare o agire come Dio. [In campo morale e in modo limitato, cioè, non possiamo essere esattamente come Dio è.]

[Come facciamo a sapere ciò che Dio è come? Con la sua parola. Così, quando disobbedire parola di Dio, non stiamo riuscendo ad agire come Dio. Lo standard, basato sul personaggio di Dio, è pura perfezione. Niente di meno è il peccato. Così si può vedere che il peccato è un'idea piuttosto ampia.]

II. L'imputazione del peccato

Perciò, come il peccato entrò nel mondo attraverso un uomo, e la morte per mezzo del peccato, la morte e in questo modo è venuto a tutti gli uomini, perché tutti hanno peccato per la prima legge fu data, il peccato era nel mondo. Ma il peccato non viene presa in considerazione quando non c'è legge. Tuttavia, la morte regnò dal tempo di Adamo al tempo di Mosè, anche su chi non ha peccato rompendo un comando, come ha fatto Adamo, che era un modello di quella a venire. Ma il dono non è come la trasgressione. Infatti, se i tanti morti per violazione di un solo uomo, quanto più ha fatto la grazia di Dio e il dono che è venuto per la grazia di un solo uomo, Gesù Cristo, di overflow ai molti! Ancora una volta, il dono di Dio non è come il risultato del peccato di uno solo: la sentenza fa seguito ad un peccato e ha portato la condanna, ma il dono seguito molte colpe e la giustificazione portata. Infatti, se, per la trasgressione di un solo uomo, la morte ha regnato attraverso quel solo uomo, quanto più coloro che ricevono disposizione abbondanza della grazia di Dio e del dono del regno di giustizia nella vita per mezzo del solo Gesù Cristo. Di conseguenza, così come il risultato di una sola trasgressione la condanna per tutti gli uomini, così anche il risultato di un atto di giustizia è la giustificazione che dà vita per tutti gli uomini. Infatti, come per la disubbidienza di un solo uomo i molti sono stati costituiti peccatori, così anche per l'obbedienza di un solo uomo i molti saranno costituiti giusti. Romani 5:12 19

A. Una definizione di imputazione

Imputazione significa "far pagare al proprio account." Dio, il contabile Divino, i crediti sul conto di ogni persona il debito che egli deve.

[Si tratta di un termine finanziario, come la carica qualcosa al tuo account. ]

La Bibbia parla di tre imputazioni (offerte di questa lezione con la prima): 1) il peccato di Adamo è imputata a tutti gli uomini 2) il peccato dell'umanità è imputata a Cristo (2 Corinzi 5:21 e 1 Pietro 2:24), e 3) Cristo

giustizia viene imputata ai credenti (Romani 4:3, 22 24).

Nel primo atto di imputazione, Dio pagano il peccato di Adamo per tenere conto di ogni uomo. Nel secondo atto di imputazione, Dio cancellato la voce facendo pagare a causa di Cristo. Nel terzo atto di imputazione, Dio è entrato giustizia di Cristo sul libro mastro del credente. A causa di questa meravigliosa dottrina di imputazione, il credente ha una posizione positiva di fronte a Dio. Esamineremo queste grandi verità in lezioni future. In questa lezione, tuttavia, si esaminerà l'imputazione primo più da vicino.

[Perché è necessario avere una posizione positiva? Non viene perdonato per il peccato abbastanza? No. Bisogna avere merito positivo per andare in paradiso. L'unico modo per ottenere questo merito è attraverso l'imputazione della giustizia di Cristo al tuo account -. Giustificazione]

B. il peccato di Adamo è stata imputata l'intera razza umana.

Perché Adam rappresentata l'intera razza umana, la condanna venne su tutti gli uomini quando peccò. A causa della caduta, tutti gli uomini davanti a Dio dichiaro colpevole. Ogni individuo in realtà non peccare quando Adamo peccato. I discendenti di Adamo non ha, con alcun atto di propria volontà, mangiare il frutto proibito, non esisteva nemmeno in quel momento. Tuttavia, poiché Adamo era il padre di tutto il genere umano, la pena che Dio ha pronunciato su di lui si posò su di tutta l'umanità.

[La maggior parte le persone salvate non si rendono conto della gravità della loro condizione di peccato. Solo perché non fanno terribili atti di peccato non vuol dire che non siamo peccatori e può essere punito. ]

III. Il grado di Sin

A. Sin si estende a tutta la gara.

In Romani 1:18 03:20, Paolo chiarisce che tutti gli uomini, senza eccezione, sono peccatori. Egli afferma che entrambi i pagani ed ebrei sono peccatori, concludendo con queste parole:

Cosa dovremmo concludere allora? Siamo di meglio? Niente affatto! Abbiamo già fatto l'accusa che gli ebrei e gentili sono tutti sotto il peccato. Come sta scritto: "Non c'è giusto, neppure uno, non c'è nessuno che capisca, nessuno che cerca Dio. Tutti si sono allontanati, hanno insieme diventano inutili, non c'è nessuno che faccia il bene, neppure uno "Romani 3:09 12.

Ogni membro della razza umana non è stata all'altezza dello standard di Dio.. Tutti si perdono nel peccato. Sono universalmente condannato da Dio a causa del peccato.

Non c'è nessuno che non pecchi. 1 Re 08:46

B. Il peccato si estende ad ogni individuo.

1. Il peccato è individuale a causa del peccato originale.

La Bibbia insegna che ogni uomo nasce peccatore a causa della imputazione del peccato di Adamo. Questa è la dottrina del peccato originale.

Sicuramente era peccaminoso alla nascita, peccato dal momento in cui mia madre mi ha concepito. Salmo 51:5

[Può un bambino fare una scelta di disobbedire? No. Così non hanno peccati personali. Come qualcuno potrebbe essere peccaminosa alla nascita? Anche i bambini sono peccatori a causa della imputazione del peccato di Adamo.]

2. Il peccato è individuale a causa del peccato personale. Ogni persona in quanto Adam (se non Gesù Cristo) è danneggiato a causa del suo peccato individuale.

C. Sin si estende a tutta la persona.

Quelli che vivono secondo la natura peccaminosa hanno impostato le loro menti su ciò che i desideri della natura. . . . La mente dell'uomo peccatore è la morte. . . la mente peccatore è ostile a Dio. Essa non sottomettersi alla legge di Dio, né può farlo. Quelle controllate dalla natura peccaminosa non possono piacere a Dio.. Romani 08:05 8

Allora vi dico questo, e insistere su di essa nel Signore, che non deve più vivere come fanno i pagani nella vanità dei loro pensieri. Essi sono oscurate nella loro comprensione e separata dalla vita di Dio a causa dell'ignoranza che è in loro causa l'indurimento dei loro cuori. Avendo perso ogni sensibilità, che si sono abbandonati alla sensualità in modo da indulgere in ogni tipo di impurità, con una voglia continua di più. Efesini 4:17 19

Sin [influenza l'aspetto materiale e immateriale dell'uomo. ]

Teologi usare le parole "depravazione totale" per riferirsi al fatto che l'uomo è totalmente peccatore.

1. Depravazione totale non significa:

uno. Gli uomini commettono ogni peccato.

2. Gli uomini non fanno mai niente di buono in senso relativo (Luca 6:33).

[Cioè, anche le persone salvate fa il "bene" le cose. Non sono meritoria agli occhi di Dio, ma sono buoni / benefici piuttosto che male / distruttiva. ]

c. Gli uomini sono sempre così male come potrebbe essere (2 Timoteo 3:13).

2. Depravazione totale vuol dire:

uno. Sin colpisce tutte le parti della natura umana o di essere.

Colpisce il suo corpo, mente, emozione, e la volontà (Romani 1:28 32).

b. Nulla di ciò che gli uomini non salvati fare è veramente gradito a Dio.

Alcune delle loro azioni possono essere relativamente buona, ma nessuno di loro è veramente buono. Anche le loro azioni cosiddette buone sono influenzati dalla loro depravazione.

Tutti noi siamo diventati come una cosa impura, e tutte le nostre opere di giustizia sono come un abito sporco. Isaia 64:6

[La gente non salvati sono in grado di bene civico o culturale, non bene nel senso morale o spirituale. Si può fare nulla per piacere a Dio, anche quando esse obbediscono alla Bibbia (andando in chiesa, dando, essere gentile, ecc) In realtà, Dio non si lascia impressionare da, né si accetta, gli atti di culto dato da persone non salvate . Vedi Prov 15:08, 21:27, 28:9]

c. L'uomo è completamente incapace di elevarsi dalla sua condizione decaduta.

Proprio come un uomo morto che giace in una tomba non è in grado di contribuire qualcosa della sua risurrezione, così gli uomini che sono morti nel peccato sono assolutamente in grado di esercitare la fede salvifica a parte il lavoro dello Spirito Santo in loro.

Quanto a voi, eravate morti per i vostri peccati e trasgressioni. . . . Come il resto, siamo stati da oggetti della natura d'ira. Ma a causa del suo grande amore per noi, Dio, che è ricco di misericordia, ci ha fatti rivivere con Cristo, anche quando eravamo morti in trasgressioni. Efesini 2:1,3 5

[Questo è il motivo per la salvezza deve essere opera di Dio.. L'uomo è morto. Egli non vuole avere niente a che fare con Dio.. Egli non cercherà mai di Dio, per conto suo. Dio deve compiere i primi passi nel salvataggio di una persona.]

Questa è la condizione dell'uomo dal punto di vista di Dio.. Egli vede l'uomo come corrotto con la colpa figurativo del primo peccato di Adamo. A causa della sua natura corrotta, l'uomo commette peccati individuali senza numero ed è totalmente incapace di piacere a Dio. Dio vede l'umanità come una gara persa nel peccato e meritevoli del giudizio divino. Chi sono io? Io sono un peccatore che ha profondamente offeso il Dio che ha creato a riflettere la sua immagine un peccatore che merita pena del peccato, la morte sia fisica che spirituale. E 'in questo contesto che ora passa al grande dottrina di Cristo e la Sua opera sulla croce per noi.

Learning to Live It

1. I seguenti commenti sono spesso ascoltati. Quali errori sono ciascuna di queste affermazioni rivelano sulla visualizzazione di una persona del peccato?

uno. "Peccati tutti, ma io non sono così male."

1. Questo individuo si sta confrontando con altri peccatori, piuttosto che con Dio. Rispetto a Dio, ognuno è assolutamente malvagio. 2. Il fatto che tutti gli altri peccati in alcun modo diminuisce la gravità del tuo peccato.

b. "Va tutto bene se si guarda, ma non toccare".

Il peccato è più di un semplice atto. Esso comprende i pensieri malvagi che portano al gesto o solo i pensieri da sola, senza l'atto. Per la lussuria dopo che qualcuno è peccaminoso come fare l'atto, per l'odio è peccaminoso come omicidio.

2. Un predicatore popolare della televisione [Robert Schuller] ha scritto, "Il peccato è qualsiasi atto o pensato che ruba me o un altro essere umano della sua autostima." E aggiunge: "Una persona è in inferno quando ha perso la sua autostima. "Infine, secondo il predicatore, la risposta al peccato e l'inferno è" fede ", che egli definisce come un senso di" autostima ". Secondo questo predicatore, il peccato è un'offesa in primo luogo contro Dio o l'uomo?

contro l'uomo

In che modo questa definizione del peccato confrontare con la definizione biblica?

Essa contraddice totalmente la definizione biblica. Secondo la Bibbia, il peccato è un'offesa nei confronti di un Dio santo. Il predicatore fa la sua propria definizione per il peccato. Se si può fare nulla significa nulla, allora tutto non significa niente.

Come facciamo a sapere che la fede non è il recupero di un senso di autostima?

La Bibbia non viene nemmeno vicino alla definizione di fede in questo modo.

3. Una chiesa grande città ha tenuto un servizio speciale il giorno di nuovi insegnanti della scuola domenicale veniva introdotto in ufficio. Il messaggio predicato quel giorno affrontato con l'approccio della Chiesa di educazione religiosa. Il pastore ha dichiarato che ci sono due nozioni circa l'insegnamento dei bambini in Domenica School. La "vecchia nozione" è che i bambini devono essere insegnato che sono i peccatori che hanno bisogno di un Salvatore. Ha continuato a dire che la chiesa ha abbandonato questa idea vecchia e ora si rende conto che il lavoro del docente è quello di coltivare "la tenera pianticella della natura religiosa del bambino in modo che essa possa portare frutto in una vita normale e sana religiosa. "I bambini nati buono o cattivo?

male

Non hanno bisogno di un Salvatore?

sì

I bambini bisogno di aiuto per far emergere ciò che è naturalmente al suo interno?

no

Qual è all'interno?

Sin. Jer 17:09-un cuore pieno di inganno e di iniquità.

Lezione 11: The Fall of Man

La caduta dell'uomo ha avuto luogo quando Adamo ed Eva caddero dal loro stato di non confermate [cioè, non testato, in libertà vigilata] santità in uno stato di peccato. Prima di esaminare gli aspetti unici della caduta in questa lezione, si dovrebbe tenere presente quanto segue:

1. Sin era presente nell'universo prima della caduta dell'uomo. La caduta ha introdotto il peccato nel genere umano.

[Qual era il peccato prima? L'orgoglio di Satana. Vedi Isa 14, Ez 27. Quando è avvenuta? La Bibbia non lo dice. Ovviamente a volte tra la creazione e la caduta di Adamo. ]

2. Genesi 3 rivela che Eva ha preso il passo iniziale di disobbedienza. Tuttavia, Romani 5:12 19 e 1 Corinzi 15:21 22 indicano che Dio tiene Adamo responsabile per la caduta. Era il capo rappresentante della razza umana. Pertanto, questa lezione farà riferimento alla caduta in termini di peccato di Adamo, anche se Eva aveva una responsabilità pure.

3. La caduta dell'uomo nel peccato è stato un evento unico. Le circostanze della caduta non sono stati né saranno mai essere ripetuto. Tuttavia, la caduta colpisce profondamente l'umanità di oggi. Questa lezione metterà in evidenza sia le molte caratteristiche che erano riservate la Caduta ed i risultati continuano di questo evento di oggi.

I. Le circostanze della caduta erano unici.

Dio creò l'uomo. . . . Dio li benedisse e disse loro: «Siate fecondi e moltiplicatevi, riempite la terra e soggiogatela. Domini sui pesci del mare e sugli uccelli del cielo e su ogni essere vivente che si muove sulla terra. "Dio vide quanto aveva fatto, ed era cosa molto buona. Genesi 1:27 28, 31

Ora il Signore Dio plasmò dal suolo tutte le bestie dei campi e tutti gli uccelli del cielo. Egli li condusse all'uomo per vedere che cosa li avrebbe chiamati: in qualunque modo l'uomo avesse chiamato ogni essere vivente, che era il suo nome. Così l'uomo impose nomi a tutto il bestiame, gli uccelli del cielo e su tutte le bestie del campo. Genesi 2:19 20

A. Adam è stato dato comandi specifici, che era responsabile di obbedire.

Dio diede ad Adamo molti comandi che sono stati destinati a lui solo. Ad esempio, è stato responsabile per governare gli animali, dar loro un nome, e per prendersi cura del Giardino dell'Eden. Negativamente, è stato proibito di mangiare dell'albero della conoscenza del bene e del male.

[Adam deve aver chiamato tutti gli animali in un giorno (sei giorni). ]

B. Adamo possedeva la santità non confermato.

Adamo era in uno stato di purezza morale che è stato confermato, cioè, la sua santità ha dovuto superare un test di prova di obbedienza in modo per lui di essere confermato in quello stato.

[Come facciamo a sapere che Adamo era santo? Perché Dio ha creato tutto ciò che era "molto buono". Era esattamente ciò che Dio voleva che fosse. Pertanto, Adamo non era in uno stato di neutralità, era positivamente buono / santa, avere la vita spirituale e comunione con Dio. Alcuni hanno chiamato questo stato "confermato creaturale santità."

Anche se la Bibbia non dice così, se A & E, non avesse peccato, ma probabilmente non sarebbe morto. Avrebbero eternamente mantenuto la loro condizione di santo.

Colui che è in libertà vigilata viene sottoposto a test per vedere quello che è realmente come.]

C. Adamo aveva una volontà libera ed era in grado di pesare le scelte.

Dio diede ad Adamo il libero arbitrio con il quale poteva scegliere di obbedire (e, quindi, essere confermata in purezza morale) o scegliere di peccato. Adam, of his own will, chose the latter.

[Prior to the fall: they were righteous, but able to sin. After the fall and prior to salvation: man is unrighteous and unable not to sin. After salvation and prior to glorification: man is righteous (positionally) and able not to sin. After glorification: man is righteous and unable to sin. ]

Note the following:

1. Adam was the only man to ever have a free choice.

Every decision that man has made since the Fall has been influenced by his sinful nature. Since Adam had no sinful nature prior to the Fall, he was the only man (other than Christ) ever to make a choice without being influenced by sin.

[Actually, even Christ operated on earth within the sphere of sin's influence. Adam's sin shows that even in the very best of conditions/ circumstances, man will choose to do evil. Thus changing one's circumstances will not necessarily change the man.]

2. The Fall was planned by God.

Nothing is outside of God's eternal plan. Adam's choice of disobedience did not surprise God. Since God planned Christ's death on the cross for man's salvation before the creation of the world (Acts 2:23; 1 Peter 1:18 20; Revelation 13:8), the Fall must have been a part of God's foreordained plan as well. However,

because Adam committed the first sin within the confines of God's sovereign will, his choice was not absolutely free.

[So when we say that Adam had a free will, we simply mean that he was not influenced by the sinful nature. This is the primary way Adam's will is different than ours. God is the only being with an absolutely free will, and even God has limited Himself to do what He said He would and act in a manner consistent with His character. For man, there is no such thing as an absolutely free will.

Three levels of freedom: Absolute freedom: only God has this; freedom not influenced by a sin nature: only Adam, Eve, and Jesus had this; freedom influenced by sin: everyone else. ]

3. God was not the author of Adam's sin, nor was He responsible for it.

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. James 1:13 14

Although God is not the author of sin, He allowed man to fall. This is the mystery of evil; it is a problem which mankind cannot solve. Only God knows the solution to this mystery. It is clear, however, that man had no excuse when he fell. Exercising the freedom of his own will, he fell from the state of perfection in which he was created by sinning against God.

[The "mystery" is how can God foreordain something like the fall of Satan or of man and still not be responsible for it. This comes down to the seeming contradiction between the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. Although God is in control of all things and has planned all events, He still holds man responsible for his actions. How can this be? That's the mystery. An even bigger mystery is why God allowed sin in the first place. ]

II. The Test of Adam Was Unique.

Now the LORD God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” Genesis 2:8 9, 15 17

The test was whether or not Adam would obey God by not eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Although Adam was given many commands, disobeying this command would result in death. Though men must still obey God today, they do not face a test in the same way that Adam did. Only Adam had the opportunity to be confirmed in holiness by an act of obedience.

[Again, although the Bible doesn't say so, it seems that if Adam and Eve had obeyed, they would have been confirmed in their holy condition. ]

III. The Temptation of Adam Was Unique.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, `You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, `You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'” “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Genesis 3:1 6

A. The means of the temptation was unique.

The great dragon was hurled down–that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. Revelation 12:9

A master deceiver, Satan approached Eve by means of a serpent. Although Satan still uses various means to tempt mankind, this was the only time he used a

talking animal .

Note: Eve did not sin by being tempted, but rather by yielding to the temptation.

[Being tempted is not sin. Giving in is. Jesus was tempted (Matt 4). Temptation is strongest for those who don't give in to it.

Note also that Eve was deceived, but Adam was not. He went into the sin knowing exactly what he was doing. Thus God holds Adam, not Eve, responsible.]

B. The potential consequences of the temptation were unique.

As representative head of the race, Adam's response to the temptation had far-reaching implications for all mankind. When someone is tempted today, there are potential results for himself and others , but not for the entire human race.

[Read Romans 5:12, 18. Adam's sin somehow passes on to the entire race. Because Adam was the representative of the entire race, his sin affects everyone after him. ]

IV. The Consequences of the Fall Were Unique.

So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, `You must not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Genesis 3:14 19

By eating the forbidden fruit, Adam gained a knowledge he did not have before. Prior to the Fall, he knew by experience only good, but now he knew both good and evil. This new knowledge, however, brought with it a changed attitude toward God. Whereas Adam delighted in God's presence prior to the Fall, he now hid from Him, experiencing the feelings of guilt, fear, and shame which accompany sin. In addition to these results, God immediately imposed judgment on the following:

A. The serpent (Genesis 3:14)

The serpent was condemned to crawl.

B. Satan (Genesis 3:15)

An individual from the woman's seed (Jesus Christ) would deal a death blow to Satan's head (at the cross), while Satan would cause Christ to suffer (“strike his heel”).

The prophecy of Genesis 3:15 was only partially fulfilled at the cross, as Satan is still active today. One day it will be completely fulfilled. Because of Christ's death, Satan will be defeated once and for all. Christ's resurrection sealed Satan's doom (1 Corinthians 15).

C. The woman (Genesis 3:16)

1. Women will have pain in childbirth.

2. Though a woman's desire will be to rule her husband, sinful men will exercise oppressive rule over their wives.

D. The man (Genesis 3:17)

Though man had to work prior to the Fall (Genesis 2:15), the difficulty of his work greatly increased after the Fall.

[Work is pre-fall. It's not part of the curse. Man was made to labor/work.]

E. The earth (Genesis 3:17 18)

The ground would grow thorns and thistles, increasing the effort required to make it produce food.

[Creation as a whole came into the "bondage of corruption" Rom 8:19-22. The whole universe is suffering the effects of sin and it will continue that way until the millennium and the eternal state.]

F. Mankind in general (Genesis 3:19)

God told Adam that when he ate from the forbidden tree he would surely die. God's justice required that man's sin be punished by death (Romans 6:23). That death was both physical and spiritual.

1. Man became mortal the day of the Fall, becoming subject to physical death.

If Adam and Eve had not sinned, they would not have died physically. Because of the Fall, Adam and all mankind would one day return to the dust of the ground. This physical death involves the separation of the material aspect of man from the immaterial.

2. Man became spiritually dead the day of the Fall, becoming separated from God.

Adam was the representative head of the human race, and when he sinned, all mankind became “dead in transgressions and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). Since the Fall, each individual is born spiritually dead.

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned. Romans 5:12

[The “one man” is Adam. The construction of the words “all sinned” implies that this was a one-time event, the fall of Adam. Also note that Paul regards Adam as a real, literal person, not a figurative character.]

Spiritual death is a break in fellowship with God and was symbolized by Adam and Eve being driven from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23 24). The only remedy for spiritual death is regeneration , the impartation of spiritual life to the spiritually dead.

But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 5:20 21

The Fall affected all human beings, bringing many grave consequences. It was the darkest hour of human history. Once the sin was committed, it could never be undone.

Learning to Live It

While at camp, you hear an evangelist preach on the sin of Adam and Eve as recorded in Genesis 3:1 7. As he preaches, he makes the statements listed below. Read them and answer the accompanying questions.

1. “Adam and Eve had absolutely free wills and so do you!” Did Adam and Eve have absolutely free wills? Perché o perché no?

no, not absolutely free; Their wills were limited by factors over which they had no control.

Do you have an absolutely free will? Perché o perché no?

no; Besides the above, you have a sin nature which often causes you to choose contrary to your will (Rom 7:14-20). In the case of an unsaved person, he is unable to choose the right–he will always choose the wrong.

2. “Just like Adam and Eve, you are faced with a moral choice. You must choose to obey God or to be a sinner. You must choose between spiritual life or spiritual death. You must choose between heaven or hell.” Are these statements accurate? Perché o perché no?

no; You are already a sinner and, if unsaved, are already spiritually dead and destined for hell. Besides, you really aren't the one who chooses–God is. You make the choice to accept Christ because God has drawn you to Himself. Nobody would choose God in and of themselves

3. “If you reject God and walk out of this service, you will be separated from God, just like Adam and Eve.” This statement seems accurate at first glance. Upon closer examination, however, what is wrong with it?

If unsaved, you are already separated from God.

Who am I? I am a sinner who has offended the God who created me to reflect His image.

Introduction to the Doctrine of Man

“What is man?” is a question that has prompted several answers. Some say that man is only a body; others say that man's body is nothing but an idea; still others say that we cannot know anything about man's make-up. Then the question of sin arises. Some say that men are basically good and that the answers to our problems are within us; others say that morality is subjective each individual determines for himself what is right or wrong. But how does the Bible answer these questions?

We have learned in previous lessons that the Bible reveals God as the infinite Creator of finite mankind. In spite of this Creator/creature distinction, God has chosen to reveal information about Himself to men through His Word. This study of the doctrine of man (or Anthropology) will give a biblical answer to the question, “What is man?”

Lesson Ten: The Creation of Man

In order to adequately answer the question, “Who am I?,” one must understand the origin, nature, and fall of man, along with the effects of his fall.

[Notice that we start a discussion of man with what the Bible says, not with man's experience, psychology, history, etc. One knows who he is because God has said who he is.]

This lesson will examine:

1. The origin of mankind

2. The nature of mankind [A “nature” is the basic facts or characteristics of something. ]

I. The Origin of Mankind [Ie, where did man come from?]

A. The creation of man was instantaneous and immediate on the sixth day of Creation.

[“Instantaneous” means that it happened in an instant. “Immediate” means that there was no drawn out process involved. Ie, no evolutionary process is responsible for the origin of man. This also rules out theistic evolution, the idea that God used the evolutionary process to create man.]

The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7

Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man. Genesis 2:21 22

Many people believe that man is a product of evolution. However, God created man immediately , that is, Creation was a direct act of God apart from any intermediate process such as evolution.

[Can one be a Christian and still believe in a form of evolution? Sì. Many Christians believe that God created the world through a process of evolution. But the only way to accommodate the evolutionary viewpoint is to change our interpretation of Genesis 1-11. If these chapters are figurative/metaphorical, then we could accept evolution. But is there any reason to think that the author of Genesis meant the first 11 chapters to be figurative/non-literal? No. The intent seems to be a description of what occurred, ie, a historical account. Why is it so important that we maintain a literal view of Gen 1-11? Because Jesus and the NT authors did. What if they were wrong? Then our view of the Bible and Christianity is wrong. ]

Note: Though Adam and Eve were created directly by God, all other men (except Jesus Christ) descend from Adam and Eve by procreation (Genesis 3:20 and Acts 17:26).

["Procreation" = the normal method of conception and birth.]

B. Mankind was created in the image of God .

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness . . . .” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:26 27 (See also Genesis 5:1 and 9:6.)

Unlike everything else God created, man was created “in the image of God.” This image includes both a personal and moral resemblance to God.

[We are, or can be, like God in some ways. This distinguishes man from animals. ]

1. It is a personal resemblance to God. Like God, man has personality.

["Personality" is not referring to one's attitude (eg, outgoing, shy, funny.) Personality is person-hood, the fact that one is a person rather than an animal or a plant or an inanimate object. This is the basic make-up of the image of God. It is the primary thing that sets man apart from animals.]

uno. Like God, man possesses intellect, will, and emotion.

The three components of personhood, intellect, will, and emotion, operate in a logical sequence. One can visualize this sequence in the following way:

Mind ? Will ? Emotion

Mind comes first because the other two are dependent upon it. Information must enter one's mind before it can be responded to. Will comes before emotion, not vice versa. We run into difficulty when we reverse the order by allowing our emotions to dictate our actions.

[Notice how often people mention how they feel rather than what they think. People often make decisions based on feelings/emotions rather than reason.]

b. Like God, man has the ability to use language .

Since man was the only creature made in God's image, only he has the ability to communicate via language like God.

Note: In the garden, Adam and Eve conversed with God audibly (Genesis 3). Today, God speaks to man through His Word, while man speaks to God through prayer.

[God does not speak audibly (out loud) to people today. Why not? Because we have God's Word to tell us what to do.]

2. It is a moral resemblance to God. Like God, man has the ability to discern right from wrong.

Mankind was created in a state of moral purity (Genesis 1:31) and possessed the ability to discern right from wrong (Genesis 3:2-3). This image of God in man was marred by man's fall into sin but not lost ; it was effaced but not erased. Thus, men still possess the ability to discern right from wrong.

[Analogy: words on a page smudged but still readable. All men still possess the image of God, although not to the same degree that Adam and Eve or Jesus had it. Sin has marred or defaced mankind. Note: even unsaved people bear the image of God (Gen 9:6; James 3:9).]

Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them. – Romans 2:14 15

Note: The marring of the image of God in man does not reduce man's responsibility to God.

[Man is the only creature who has this ability. Can animals discern between right and wrong? No. Also, part of this moral likeness to God is the capacity for spiritual things. Man can possess spiritual life, fellowship with God, etc.]

C. Mankind was created in a state of unconfirmed holiness .

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. Genesis 1:31

God made mankind upright. Ecclesiastes 7:29

God did not create sin, nor did He create mankind sinful. Mankind was created morally pure (not neutral) and without sin. However, that purity was unconfirmed and, when put to the test by God via Satan's temptation, Adam and Eve chose to disobey God.

[Had Adam and Eve passed the test, they likely would have been confirmed in holiness and there would not have been a fall.]

Note: God chose Adam to represent the entire human race. Therefore, when he chose to sin, he plunged all mankind into sin. However, one cannot blame Adam for his individual acts of sin, because each individual chooses to sin (Romans 3:23).

[In later lessons we will look at the imputation of Adam's sin, that is, how Adam's sin affects us.]

II. The Nature of Mankind

When we talk about man's nature, we are referring to man's basic or essential characteristics. The Bible speaks of individuals as being “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). Modern medicine recognizes that each person has several physical systems (nervous system, digestive system, etc.). Though each of these function separately, man still functions as a single person.

In referring to man, the Bible uses several different words (body, soul, spirit, heart, mind, etc.). At the same time, it stresses that each human being is a unity of the different parts a whole person (Psalm 63:1 and 84:2). One can separate the various components of man's nature into two categories:

[We take a dichotomist view, that is, man is composed of two parts. Some hold a trichotomist view, that man has three parts: body, soul, and spirit. But the terms “soul” and “spirit” are pretty much synonymous in the Bible, so we don't make a distinction between soul and spirit. ]

A. Mankind's nature has a material aspect.

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. Psalm 139:15 16

The material aspect of man is his body .

[Some people say that the body is all there is. That is, they claim that all activities that seem to originate in the soul/spirit are really only physical and chemical process in the brain or glands. Is this what the Bible teaches? No. There are processes going on in every person that cannot be attributed to material causes.]

B. Mankind's nature has an immaterial aspect.

The immaterial aspect of man is often referred to as his spirit or soul . Some say that man is made up of three parts: body, soul, and spirit. However, both soul and spirit are used interchangeably throughout Scripture to refer to the immaterial part of man (Matthew 10:28; 26:41; 1 Corinthians 7:34; James 2:26). Thus, one should not make hard and fast distinctions between spirit, soul, heart, and mind, all of which describe the immaterial aspect of man.

Note: A person's human identity results from the union of the material and immaterial (Genesis 2:7). These two parts unite to make a complete human being. At death, the material part of man decays, but the immaterial part lives on in conscious existence.

[Dead believers seem to have some kind of bodily existence between the time of death and the resurrection. At the resurrection, the soul/spirit is reunited with some aspect of the physical body, and a glorified body is formed which will go on forever.]

C. Mankind's nature is passed on through procreation .

Adam . . . had a son in his own likeness, in his own image. Genesis 5:3

Although Adam was created in the image of God, Adam's children were generated in his image (which still bore God's image). The transmission of man's being was and is through natural generation or procreation. This is true of both the material and immaterial aspects of human nature.

[In other words, you received your total human nature from your parents. God did not create your soul separately and inject it into your body when you were born. Somehow the immaterial part of the human nature is passed from the parents to the child.

Note: The virgin birth of Christ was necessary to prevent the fallen human nature of Mary from being passed on to Jesus. ]

Note: God created Adam and Eve sinless, but every individual born since then has been conceived in sin (except Christ). All human beings receive their nature (both the material and the immaterial aspects) from their parents. Therefore, our sin nature does not come from God.

[You may have heard that the sin nature is passed down through the father's blood line. This is false. Sin does not reside in the blood. The sin nature is somehow passed on thru procreation, but the Bible does not explain exactly how this occurs.]

Learning to Live It

1. You have taken a field trip to the local museum. During the tour, your guide continually refers to man as evolving from a lower life form. You finally speak up, stating that according to the Bible, man was created by God as a being higher than animals. The guide laughs and says, “I would far rather believe the facts of science than the fairy tales of a book. Besides, your beliefs are based totally on faith, while mine are based on years of scientific study. Dare you dispute the findings of such scholarly men and women?” How should you answer him?

You don't dispute the facts, but his interpretation of the facts. You challenge his assumptions (such as uniformitarianism). You inform him that his views are also based on faith–did he see evolution take place? Further, t he theory evolution is by no means without problems.

2. When some preachers talk about someone who has heard and understood the gospel, yet has rejected it, they say that the individual has a head knowledge, but not a heart knowledge, or that the individual has “missed heaven by eighteen inches” (the distance between the head and the heart). What is wrong with such a statement?

Both the mind and the heart are part of the immaterial aspect of man, not two separate entities. Thus, you cannot separate the two–the individual has either both a “head” and a “heart” knowledge or neither. Further, it is equating the physical organ with the immaterial aspect of man. It would be better to say that the person knows the facts (meaning) but has not acted upon them (significance).

Lesson 9: The Practice of Biblical Interpretation

Lesson Eight showed that one must consider historical, literary, and grammatical factors in order to properly interpret any communication. Since the last book of the Bible was written 1,900 years ago, one must attempt to place a passage of Scripture in its historical, literary, and grammatical context in order to determine the author's intended meaning.

[Historical = why, when, where; literary = forms, figures of speech; grammatical = languages, grammatical units.

Remember that "context is king." Context is the main thing that tells us what a certain word or idea or sentence means. Words do not have meaning "in themselves." It is only in the context of other words that a word takes on a specific meaning.]

It is not enough for one simply to know the principles of interpretation. One must put them into practice . Lesson Six taught that God has revealed truth about Himself so that men might know His will and do it. To that end, this lesson is devoted to the practice of biblical interpretation. We will apply the principles learned in Lesson Eight to a chosen passage of Scripture in order to demonstrate how one should interpret the Bible. The passage we will study is 1 Corinthians 14:18 19:

I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.

This lesson will show that in order to determine the author's intended meaning of a passage, one must:

1. Study the words of the passage.

2. Study the sentences of the passage.

3. Study the paragraphs of the passage.

4. Study the book containing the passage.

5. Correlate the passage with other Scripture .

[As you can see, Bible interpretation takes time and effort. Finding the meaning of a passage is often no easy task. This explains why so many false/incorrect views and interpretations abound--the interpreter is not doing the work necessary to come to the proper conclusions. We must not be guilty of laziness when it comes to interpreting Scripture.]

I. Study the Words of the Passage.

A. Choose words to study.

1. Choose the key words in the passage.

Key words are those that indicate the topic of a passage. The passage at hand has to do with “ tongues .” Therefore, it would be helpful to know something about this word.

2. Choose unfamiliar words in the passage.

The occurrence of unfamiliar words should be rare in a modern translation. In our passage, the author prefers that his readers speak words that are

“ intelligible .” If this word is unfamiliar, one should look up its meaning.

B. Define words in the passage.

1. Consult an English dictionary.

When we want to know the definition of a word, we usually look it up in a dictionary. However, a dictionary offers several possible meanings for a word based on the word's usage in contemporary communication. Therefore, one must determine which, if any, definition is appropriate for the word being studied.

2. Consult a Bible dictionary.

[ Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words is a good one. There may be several potential meanings listed, that is, several that fit the context. But the author meant only one thing. The job of the interpreter is to get to that meaning.]

A Bible dictionary defines words as they are used in the Bible. A particular word may have several different usages throughout the Bible; however, as we learned in Lesson Eight, a word has only one meaning in a given context. Therefore, one must choose the definition most appropriate to the passage at hand. For example, we have chosen to define the word “tongue.” A Bible dictionary lists two primary uses of this word in Scripture: 1) the word is used literally of the physical organ of the mouth and 2) it is used of spoken languages . Which definition fits the passage at hand? Note that the author writes about “speaking in tongues” (indicating a language) rather than “speaking with tongues” (which would indicate the physical organ).

Most Bible dictionaries, however, do not define every word used in Scripture. Because “intelligible” is a rare word, it is not found in most Bible dictionaries.

3. Consult a Bible concordance .

A concordance lists the verses in which a given word is found. Once the student locates the desired word in the concordance, he can look up the verses in order to find the word's usage elsewhere in the Bible. The concordance indicates that “intelligible” is used again in the same chapter we are studying:

Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? 1 Corinthians 14:9

Thus, “intelligible” refers to words that allow the listener to “know what you are saying.” Intelligible words are words that one can understand .

Note: Be sure to consult an exhaustive concordance, one which lists every word in the Bible and every verse in which a particular word occurs.

[Young's or Strong's are the most popular. They are referenced to the KJV. You can do the same thing with computer programs which are faster and easier.]

II. Study the Sentences of the Passage.

A. Study the structure of each sentence.

All sentences are made up of parts of speech that give each word a function in the sentence. Nouns describe persons, places, or things, while verbs describe action or being, etc. Even seemingly insignificant words such as “to” perform a function. For example, the author of our passage states:

I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others.

In this verse, the word “to” indicates the author's reason for preferring words that are understandable: so that others may be instructed.

B. Study the relationship of the sentences to one another.

The relationship of sentences to one another is indicated by the use of words which communicate such a relationship. For example, in our passage the author begins the second sentence with the word “but” to indicate a contrast with the first sentence:

I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you. But in the church . . . .

Although the author has the ability to speak in languages that some might not understand, the purpose of speech in the church is to instruct others by speaking understandable words.

[Is this the way charismatic services are usually conducted? No. Usually many people are speaking in tongues all at once with no interpreter. This is not the biblical pattern.]

The following is a list of words used to connect sentences, along with their intended significations:

Word Signification

but contrast

just as comparison

because, for reason

therefore, then result

that, so that, in order that purpose

then, so conclusion

III. Study the Paragraphs of the Passage.

A. Determine the boundaries of each paragraph.

Just as words are logically arranged to form sentences, sentences are logically arranged to form paragraphs. A paragraph begins a new thought that contributes to the overall theme of the passage in which it is contained. Since the boundaries of a paragraph can be difficult to determine, one should keep the following facts in mind:

1. A new verse is not necessarily a new paragraph.

The original manuscripts of the Bible did not contain verse markings. These were added later to help locate passages of Scripture. Therefore, verses may or may not begin a new paragraph. Most modern translations either indent the text at the beginning of a new paragraph or place the number of the verse that begins a new paragraph in bold type.

2. Literary form affects paragraph structure.

As seen in Lesson Eight, the Bible contains various forms of literature: letters, poetry, narratives, etc. These literary forms may group sentences differently. For example, the book of Psalms is poetic . Therefore, the sentences therein are grouped according to the structure of Hebrew poetry. Most modern translations arrange the text to reflect such structure.

B. Determine the message of each paragraph.

Remember, the message of a given paragraph will support the overall theme of the passage in which it is found. For example, 1 Corinthians 14:18 19 forms a new thought supporting the author's argument that only understandable words are to be spoken in the church. The preceding paragraph (verses 13 17) contains illustrations which show the folly of speaking in unintelligible languages. The following paragraph (verses 20 21) challenges the readers to think maturely on this matter.

IV. Study the Book Containing the Passage.

A. Read the entire book.

One should read the entire book through in one sitting. This enables one to follow the author's flow of thought and to notice other factors which will aid interpretation. For example, a reading of 1 Corinthians reveals that the Corinthian Church had a number of problems, of which the tongues issue was only one. The book indicates that the root of these problems was pride , which resulted in a lack of love for others (chapters 8 13). This knowledge will help one better understand the situation in Corinth with regard to tongues.

B. Determine the author of the book.

In most cases, the author is identified in the book itself.

Paul, called to be an apostle . . . . 1 Corinthians 1:1

C. Determine the recipient(s) of the book.

Again, this is usually stated in the book.

. . . to the church of God in Corinth. 1 Corinthians 1:2

D. Determine the purpose of the book.

This is either stated in the book or implied by other factors. Paul implies the purpose for the book of 1 Corinthians in two places:

[S]ome from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. 1 Corinthians 1:11

Now for the matters you wrote about . . . . 1 Corinthians 7:1

Paul had been informed about issues in the Corinthian church to which he responded with the letter of 1 Corinthians. Tongues was one such issue.

As always, in those cases where the author, recipients, or purpose of a book is unclear, consult a commentary and/or study Bible.

V. Correlate the Passage with Other Scripture.

Because God is its ultimate author, the Bible does not contradict itself. Its teachings are consistent throughout. This means that one can compare Scripture with Scripture to determine the meaning of a passage. Other portions of Scripture may contain helpful background material or shed further light upon the passage being studied.

[In other words, one part of the Bible often explains another part or parts. This concept is called "the analogy of Scripture." Remember also that clear teaching should inform unclear teaching.]

A. Study related passages .

In Lesson Eight, we learned that the overall context of the Bible covers both content and time . That is, one must correlate both the message and the chronology of Bible passages.

1. Compare the content of related passages.

Survey the verses listed in a Bible dictionary, study Bible, concordance, or commentary to find any passages that contain information related to your passage. For example, in looking up references to the word “tongue,” an interesting passage in the book of Acts comes to light:

When the day of Pentecost came, they . . . began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. Acts 2:1 6

From this passage we learn that “speaking in tongues” refers to languages that were understandable to the hearers.

2. Compare the time of related passages.

Consult a study Bible or a commentary and you will see that the events of the book of Acts happened before the writing of 1 Corinthians. In the case at hand, the speaking in tongues on the Day of Pentecost preceded 1 Corinthians by approximately 25 years. Thus, since Acts 2 occurred first, it defines the purpose for speaking in tongues rather than 1 Corinthians.

[In other words, we learn what speaking in tongues is all about in Acts.

Regarding the time context of a passage, note that there is a large difference between the OT and the NT, especially regarding religious practice. OT passages are often not directly applicable to NT believers (eg, we don't sacrifice or go to the temple periodically), and vice versa. So be careful about cross referencing between the OT and the NT.]

B. Develop and apply related principles.

1. Develop principles from the passages.

As noted above, the events of Acts preceded the writing of 1 Corinthians. Further study of the phenomenon of “speaking in tongues” reveals that Acts 2 is the first recorded occurrence of such in the Bible. Therefore, the original purpose for tongues is clearly set forth in Acts 2: to communicate a message to others in their own language.

By the time 1 Corinthians was written, the practice had apparently degenerated to the point that unintelligible speech was considered to be a gift from God (1 Corinthians 12 13). Paul's letter to the Church at Corinth sought to correct this and other errors. The teaching of 1 Corinthians 14 on tongues is consistent with the original purpose set forth in Acts 2. This is why only words that “instruct others” are deemed by Paul to be appropriate for a church service. Thus, the principle of “edifying” or “building up” others is taught in this passage (1 Corinthians 14:4 5).

2. Apply the principles to your life.

[A passage has only one correct interpretation, but may have several legitimate applications. This is what makes the Bible timeless. Our main task is to discern eternal, unchanging principles taught in the Bible and apply them to our lives. Principlizing is especially important when dealing with narrative sections of the Bible. Remember the description vs. prescription idea.]

Activity which directly builds up or contributes to the building up of others is to be our primary concern in the church. Preaching, teaching, singing, etc. is to be done for the edification of others, not self glorification.

Suggested Bible study tools:

A. Good Bible translations: New International Version (NIV), New American Standard Bible (NASB), King James Version (KJV), New King James Version (NKJV)

B. Study Bibles: NIV Study Bible, Ryrie Study Bible

C. Bible dictionary: Unger's Bible Dictionary

D. Bible concordance: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

E. Bible commentaries: The Bible Knowledge Commentary , 2 volumes; Bible Study Commentary , 49 volumes; Everyman's Bible Commentary (multiple volumes); Expositor's Bible Commentary , 12 volumes

F. Bible encyclopedia: Baker's Encyclopedia of the Bible , 2 volumes

G. Bible doctrine resources: Basic Theology by Charles Ryrie; Moody Handbook of Theology by Paul Enns

H. Bible handbook: Halley's Bible Handbook

I. Bible atlas: Moody Atlas of the Bible

Richiudere e Recensione

In this lesson, we have learned that in order to determine the author's intended meaning of a passage, we must:

1. Study the words of the passage. Choose the key and unfamiliar words and define them by consulting an English dictionary, a Bible dictionary, and an exhaustive concordance.

2. Study the sentences of the passage. This includes both the structure of each sentence and the relationships between the sentences.

3. Study the paragraphs of the passage. After determining the boundaries of each paragraph, determine the meaning of each.

4. Study the book containing the passage. Read the entire book to become familiar with it and to determine its author, recipients, and purpose.

5. Correlate the passage with other Scripture. After studying related passages, noting the content and time of each, develop and apply principles from them.

[Let me reemphasize that Bible interp. is no quick and easy task. Pastors and teachers spend years honing their skills so they can better interpret the Bible. The better you are at things like grammar and syntax, the easier it will be for you to implement these steps. Think about that when you are studying grammar in English class.]

Learning to Live It

The following exercises will help you put into practice the material learned in the last two lessons.

1. One Protestant denomination refuses to have paid preachers on the basis of 1 Timothy 3:3 (“not a lover of money”). Is this a proper interpretation of this verse? How does 1 Timothy 5:17 18 relate to this issue?

no; It clearly teaches that pastors are to be paid for what they do.

2. You find out a friend is seriously dating and planning to marry an unbeliever. While pointing out passages like 2 Corinthians 6:14 17 to her, she responds by quoting 1 Corinthians 6:12 (“Everything is permissible for me.”). Is her understanding of this passage correct? What does the context indicate? What should you tell her?

no; that this is a Corinthian slogan (hence, italicized in the NIV), not Paul's words–Paul argues against it; that her interpretation is incorrect and that she should end the relationship based upon 2 Corinthians 6:14-17; you could use that slogan to validate anything.

3. Some people teach that Deuteronomy 22:5 (“A woman must not wear men's clothing.”) indicates that women today should not wear pants. Is this a valid interpretation? How would an understanding of men's and women's dress in that period help? Does an understanding of the original audience help? Does a knowledge of the other commands in chapters 21 22 contribute to a proper understanding of this verse?

no; both wore similar clothing; Moses is writing at a time when there were no such things as pants; yes–if Deuteronomy 22:5 is applicable to us today, so are the other commands in chapters 21 and 22, such as stoning rebellious sons (21:18-21), building a parapet around your roof (22:8), mixing seeds (22:9), mixing plowing animals (22:10), and mixing fabrics (22:11)

4. Some parents read Proverbs 22:6 (“Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it.”) and consider it an absolute promise from God that if they rear their children correctly, they will turn out well. Did Solomon intend for this to be interpreted as a guarantee? Are proverbs guarantees? (Does an apple a day always keep the doctor away?)

no; no (no)–Proverbs are general truths, not absolute ones.

5. Some people take Paul's statement in Acts 20:20 (that he taught “from house to house”) as a biblical example of door to door evangelism. Was Paul referring to door to door evangelism here? How would an understanding of Paul's normal evangelistic practice help? Does a knowledge of his original audience help? Does the context provide any helpful information?

no; Paul did not practice door-to-door evangelism. Rather, he went to the synagogue and into the marketplace.; yes–Paul is speaking to the Ephesian pastors; yes–He is speaking about edification, not evangelism. Furthermore, the houses spoken of were probably house-churches.

6. People in the charismatic/healing movement take Isaiah 53:5 (“By his wounds we are healed.”) to mean that when Christ died, He secured a life of perfect health for His children. Does this passage teach that? Is the context talking about physical sickness as the problem to be healed? If they are correct, what do we do with the clear teaching of 2 Corinthians 12:7 8 that Paul had a constant physical ailment which God would not remove?

no; no, spiritual sickness; Paul either was not a believer or if he was, he lacked the faith to be healed.

Lesson 8: The Principles of Biblical Interpretation

In Lesson Seven, we learned that the Bible has both divine and human authorship. Although God is the source of Scripture, he used men to write it. In order to communicate His message to mankind, God has providentially overseen the production, compilation, and preservation of the Bible. The successful communication of any message, whether from God or man, requires correct interpretation . Interpretation is the process which allows one to understand the author's intended meaning .

[The intended meaning is also known as "authorial intent," that is, the message the original author intended his audience to receive. The primary task of the interpreter is to get back to this intended meaning and build his interpretation from there. Doing this is important because a text cannot mean what it never meant. That is, one should not try to get from a text something that the author never intended to be there.]

We usually do not think about the principles of interpretation because we use them naturally. We automatically understand the author's intended meaning because we are familiar with the author's language, customs, and circumstances. The Bible, however, was written thousands of years ago by men living in cultures much different from ours. Therefore, we must strive to consciously apply the various principles of interpretation that we unconsciously use every day.

[The rules or principles of interpretation is called hermeneutics. ]

The proper method of interpretation is called literal or normal interpretation. The consistent application of the principles of normal interpretation will yield consistent interpretations. [The normal/literal/literary approach can successfully handle every type of biblical literature. We need not switch interpretive methods when we switch to a different literary form.] Varying interpretations of the Bible's message exist because not all interpreters “play by the same rules .” This lesson will explain the biblical principles of interpretation based on the following facts:

1. All communication has a historical context.

2. All communication has a literary context.

3. All communication has a grammatical context.

I. All Communication Has a Historical Context.

Each book of the Bible was written at a particular time in a particular place for a particular purpose. These and similar factors make up a book's historical context.

A. Interpret every biblical text in light of its purpose .

Every author has a purpose for writing that which he writes. His audience, his theme, and his tone are some of the factors which reflect his purpose. Therefore, in order to understand a text's meaning, one should determine the author's purpose.

[Audience = who written to; theme = what it's about; tone = the character of the text. Differences in authorial intent would explain some of the difference found in the Gospel accounts, for example.]

1. The purpose for a book may be stated .

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13 [See also John 20:31]

2. The purpose for a book may be implied . [Ie, there are hints. ]

uno. The purpose may be implied by statements within the book.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. Galatians 1:6 (See also 3:1 and 6:12.)

It is apparent from these and other statements within the book that Galatians was written to attack false teaching that threatened to win over the Galatian believers.

b. The purpose may be implied by what one knows about the author and recipient(s) of the book.

For example, Paul wrote two letters to Timothy. In the first, he explicitly stated his purpose:

I am writing you these instructions so that . . . you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household. 1 Timothy 3:14

Although Paul did not state his purpose in the second letter, one can easily recognize such by noting the relationship between Paul and Timothy seen in 1 Timothy (See also Acts 16:1 5.). In light of Paul's “mentor” relationship with Timothy, the purpose for his second letter becomes clear: to prepare Timothy to assume greater leadership responsibilities as Paul's ministry comes to an end (2 Timothy 2:1 7 and 4:1 8).

Note: This point assumes that one can determine the author and/or recipients. Often, these are stated in the text. In cases where they are not, a good study Bible and/or commentary will be helpful. Recommendations for these and other resources will be included in Lesson Nine.

B. Interpret every biblical text in light of its chronology . [Ie, time frame ]

As stated in Lesson Seven, God did not produce the Bible all at once . Rather, the Bible was composed over a period of 1,600 years. Furthermore, the last book of the Bible was written almost 1,900 years ago! Therefore, in order to recognize the author's intended meaning, one must place a given book within the time period in which it was written. One can often determine this by statements made within the book regarding events and/or people about which dates are known. Again, a good study Bible or commentary is helpful.

[For example, when Luke tells the story about Jesus' birth, he gives the date by saying who was governor, who was Caesar, etc. By finding the dates of these well-known people or events, we can accurately date the account. This is especially important for dating OT events.]

C. Interpret every biblical text in light of its geography .

Most of us live thousands of miles from the locations where Bible events took place. Therefore, we should become familiar with the Bible's geography. It is also valuable to learn about the terrain of Bible lands. Bible atlases are valuable resources for this type of information.

D. Interpret every biblical text in light of its culture .

Modern thought and behavior are different from that of Bible times. Furthermore, there are cultural differences between groups of people mentioned in Scripture. For example, the Roman culture of Paul's day was totally different from the Hebrew culture of Moses's day. Thus, it is important to understand the culture behind a text.

[For example, several NT passages deal with whether or not it's OK to eat meat offered to idols. This practice was a cultural issue that the early Christians had to deal with. We don't. So we've got to determine whether or not something is specifically addressed to the cultural setting of the first century, or if the principle is timeless. This is often clear, but sometimes quite difficult. A book on manners and customs of Bible times and lands is helpful in this regard. ]

II. All Communication Has a Literary Context.

In addition to the historical setting, interpretation is influenced by literary factors. The Bible uses various literary forms and figures of speech which the interpreter must take into account in order to correctly interpret a text.

A. Interpret every biblical text in light of its literary form .

The Bible contains various forms of literature, such as poetry , narratives , proverbs , parables , and letters . Each of these must be interpreted accordingly. For example, narrative passages describe the actions of others, while the epistles often prescribe actions for others. Thus, Acts 1:12 14 (narrative) describes the fact that the disciples went to Jerusalem. However, it does not tell others to do so. On the other hand, Paul's letter to the Romans (epistolary) [an epistle is a letter] prescribes actions for us:

[O]ffer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. Romani 12:1

[Understanding the literary form of a text is very important because you interpret different forms in different ways. You can't handle every part of the Bible the same way. Ie, you don't interpret a poem (like the Psalms) in the same way as you do historical narrative (like Acts).]

B. Interpret every biblical text in light of its figures of speech .

Normal human communication often employs figures of speech such as metaphors . For example, one might say, “My mouth is on fire,” if he has just tasted something very hot. In John 10:7, Jesus said, “I am the gate.” Obviously, Jesus was using a metaphor to make a point. Just as one's mouth is not actually in flames, Jesus is not actually a gate. Literal (or normal) interpretation takes into account those places where the Bible employs figures of speech.

[Jesus used figures of speech all the time. He said, “I am the door,” and “I am the good shepherd,” but he wasn't really/literally a door or a shepherd. He was describing one thing in terms of something else. The literal/normal method of interpretation makes room for such figures of speech.]

III. All Communication Has a Grammatical Context.

The difference between the original language of a biblical book and the language of modern readers creates a further obstacle to interpretation. However, one can overcome this by applying the following rules of interpretation:

A. Interpret every biblical text in light of its original language .

As mentioned in Lesson Seven, the Bible was written in Hebrew and Greek (and a small portion in Aramaic). Since most individuals do not know these languages, one should consult a good translation which converts the original languages into one's own language.

[To some extent, if you don't know Hebrew and Greek, you are at the mercy of the translation you use. That's why it's so important to get a translation that is accurate and understandable. It may also be beneficial to compare how two or three versions translate a troublesome text. Pastors and teachers spend a great deal of effort to learn Hebrew and Greek so that they can more accurately handle God's Word.]

An important principle to keep in mind when interpreting the language of Scripture is that a word can only mean one thing in a given context. If this were not the case, communication would be impossible because any word could mean anything.

[For example, you take it for granted that when I say "dog" I mean the four-footed hairy animal that barks. If, when I say "dog" I really mean "fruit loops," then we have a problem. Effective communication can happen only when the speakers/writers and listeners/readers agree on the general meaning of words. Words like “run” can have many meanings, but the context generally tells you what such words mean. That's why understanding the context is so important.]

B. Interpret every biblical text in light of its larger grammatical units .

All communication is made up of sentences . Sentences, however, are only one part of a larger grammatical chain: words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs, chapters, and books. Thus, the interpretation of a given word, phrase, sentence, or paragraph is dependent on the other larger units of which it is a part.

[So it may be necessary to understand a previous verse or paragraph before you can reach the correct interpretation of the verse you are trying to figure out.]

C. Interpret each biblical book in the light of its overall biblical context.

Since the Bible as a whole has but one author, the largest logical unit for a biblical text is the entire Bible. Overall biblical context refers to both content and time . That is, an individual book of the Bible fits into the overall message of the Bible and was written at a specific time within God's progressive unfolding of biblical revelation.

Richiudere e Recensione

In questa lezione, abbiamo imparato:

1. All communication has a historical context. Interpret a biblical text according to its purpose, time, place, and culture.

2. All communication has a literary context. Interpret a biblical text according to its literary form and figures of speech.

3. All communication has a grammatical context. Interpret a biblical text according to its original language and larger grammatical units.

Learning to Live It

You and your family have just moved to a new community and have begun the search for a new church. You are determined to find a Bible preaching church. One Sunday morning you visit a church whose pastor is an interesting and dynamic speaker. On this particular morning he is speaking from Judges 16, the story of Samson. In his sermon, he states that Samson's compromise and loss of spiritual power represents the sin that God's people fall into today. Each lock of Samson's hair that Delilah cut off represented a step of compromise. The first lock of hair was his sanctification, the second was his separation, and so on. By the time the sermon is finished, each of Samson's seven locks is made a symbol for lost spiritual strength.

[This is what we call an allegorical interpretation. Details of the text have been assigned meanings that the text does not justify. ]

Evaluate this sermon by answering the following questions:

1. Is there any indication the author of Judges meant the locks to represent these steps when the text was written? no

2. What type of literature is this text? narrative

3. Therefore, was this passage written to prescribe action for us? no

4. Whose message did this sermon communicate? the pastor’s

5. Since the pastor is preaching his own message rather than God's Word, what should you conclude about your search for a Bible preaching church? Your search is not over.

Lesson 7: The Bible: Human and Divine

In the previous lesson, we learned that God's only means of special revelation today is the Bible.

[Review difference between special and general revelation.] The Bible is unique in that it was written over a long period of time by many people. Therefore, God has taken special care to guide man in the production, compilation, and maintenance of the Scriptures.

[Production: it's inspiration/writing; compilation: it's assembly/canonization; maintenance: it's endurance/preservation ]

In this lesson, we will learn that:

1. The Bible is inspired .

2. The Bible is complete .

3. The Bible is preserved .

I. The Bible is Inspired.

The word “inspiration” is used to describe the process by which God gave the Bible to man. “God superintended the human authors of the Bible so that they composed and recorded without error His message to mankind in the words of their original writings” (Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology , p. 71). This definition includes both the divine and human activity involved in the production of Scripture.

A. The divine aspect of inspiration

1. God is the source of all Scripture.

All Scripture is God breathed. 2 Timothy 3:16

The word “God-breathed” is a descriptive way of saying that God is the source of the Bible. Even though God Himself did not do the actual writing, the words, sentences, and thoughts of the Bible are those which God wanted written .

Theologians use the word “ plenary ” (meaning “full”) to indicate that the Bible as a whole is the Word of God. The Bible does not merely contain God's Word; rather, the Bible is God's Word.

[What's the difference? If the Bible only contained God's Word, it could possibly contain factual errors and parts that are not really God's Word. Saying the Bible is God's Word means that every part of it is exactly what God intended.]

2. The significance of the Bible's divine authorship

uno. The Bible is without error (inerrant).

God, who does not lie . . . . Titus 1:2

Your word is truth. John 17:17

[What about matters of history and science? It's still true, although the Bible is not a science textbook.

Does inerrancy pass over to a specific version? No. Inerrancy properly pertains to the original autographs, the manuscripts that the biblical authors penned. No version or copy is truly inerrant, because there are very likely minor scribal errors, mistranslations, and the like. Does lack of inerrancy make our versions useless or corrupt? No. Several versions have a high degree of accuracy and are thus very reliable. But they are inerrant in a derivative sense–to the degree that they reflect the inerrant original, they are inerrant.]

Since God Himself is the source of the Scriptures, they are without error. Furthermore, since the entire Bible is inspired, the entire Bible is inerrant.

b. The Bible is authoritative (infallible).

The Scripture cannot be broken. John 10:35

Although closely related, inerrancy and infallibility are not synonymous. Inerrancy emphasizes the Bible's truthfulness , while infallibility emphasizes its

authority . Infallibility means that because the Bible is the Word of God, it is the final authority on all matters.

[Inerrancy and infallibility are pretty much synonymous. Infallibility stresses the idea that the Bible makes no false or misleading statements and is incapable of leading one astray. ]

c. The Bible is relevant .

[Relevant means meaningful, useful, practical. It speaks to us today. ]

All Scripture . . . is useful. 2 Timothy 3:16

Although God has revealed truth about Himself to specific people in specific places at specific times, the value of the Bible's message is not restricted to any particular time or place.

d. The Bible is unified .

Because God Himself is the author of the Bible, it never contradicts itself. Passages that are difficult to grasp may be understood by comparing them with the clear teachings of other biblical texts. As a result, the Bible often interprets itself .

[You may hear the phrase "Scripture interprets Scripture." This means that one part of the Bible explains another part. "The analogy of Scripture" is the same idea. Rule: always let the clear passage interpret or explain the unclear passage. Also, never base a doctrine on an unclear passage.

What about apparent contradictions? There are several places in which the Bible does apparently contradict itself. Eg, 1 Sam 17:51 vs. 2 Sam 21:19. Often times with study, the contradiction disappears. Or a scribal slip (especially with numbers) could be the reason. There are no real/valid contradictions, only apparent ones.]

B. The human aspect of inspiration

1. The Bible was written in human language .

The Bible was written in the languages commonly spoken by its writers and readers (the Old Testament primarily in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek). Therefore, one should interpret the Bible as he would interpret normal written communication.

[For some time scholars thought that the Greek of the NT was some special, heavenly Greek. But researchers found that the Greek of the NT is actually "koine" or common Greek. It was the language of the market, of the common person, not a special language at all.

Why do pastors, teachers, theologians, etc. want to study Greek and Hebrew? To achieve greater accuracy in understanding the text. We pay great attention to the language (grammar and syntax) of the Bible because through them we are able to better understand and interpret God's Word.]

2. The Bible was influenced by the human authors' backgrounds and personalities .

The Bible was composed over more than 1,600 years by over 40 different authors. Each author wrote from the context of his own vocation, circumstances, intellect, etc. Each of these elements influenced the final product.

God did not mechanically dictate the Scriptures to the human authors. Rather, He superintended or “carried along” the writers (2 Peter 1:21) without destroying their individual vocabularies, writing styles, etc. in such a way that the final product was exactly what He wanted.

God's guidance of the human authors extended to the very words they wrote (1 Corinthians 2:13), not merely to their thoughts or ideas. Theologians refer to this as verbal inspiration.

[You may hear the expression “verbal, plenary inspiration.” This simply means that each and every word is fully inspired. Matt 5:18 indicates that the smallest details of the words of the text are preserved. ]

3. The Bible contains various writing styles .

Because the Bible ultimately has but one author, one might expect a consistent style of writing throughout. However, one finds many writing styles in Scripture. This is a further indicator of the human aspect of inspiration.

[The language and style of writing between authors sometimes differs widely. Eg, the styles/vocabularies of John and Paul differ widely.]

II. The Bible is Complete.

The word “ canonization ” refers to the process by which the individual books of the Bible came to be recognized as Scripture. The word “canon” literally means a “rule” or “standard.” In time, the word was commonly used to refer to the collection of inspired writings. The 66 books found in our Bibles were included in the canon because they met various rules or standards of canonicity set forth by the early church.

A. The Old Testament canon is complete.

1. God's people collected the Old Testament books.

[Joshua] drew up for them decrees and laws. And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Joshua 24:25 26

2. Christ confirmed the Old Testament books.

Jesus replied, “. . . this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah.” Luke 11:46 51

The arrangement of the 39 books of the Old Testament in Jesus's day began with Genesis and ended with 2 Chronicles. The deaths of Abel and Zechariah are recorded in Genesis and 2 Chronicles respectively. So, this was Jesus's way of saying, “From the beginning to the end .” In this way, Jesus was confirming the boundaries of the Old Testament canon.

Christians have little difficulty recognizing which Old Testament books meet the standard for inclusion in the canon, seeing they have the words of Christ Himself the standard.

B. The New Testament canon is complete.

1. Christ pre authenticated the New Testament books.

In Lesson Six, we learned that the apostles were uniquely chosen and commissioned by Christ to write the New Testament. As a result, their writings carried divine authority and, thus, were to be included in the canon.

2. God's people recognized the New Testament books.

uno. The apostles recognized their own writings as Scripture.

Paul recognized that his letters were inspired and expected his readers to recognize this as well.

If anybody thinks he is a prophet or spiritually gifted, let him acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord's command. 1 Corinthians 14:37

“Scripture” is a technical term for those writings which believers recognized to be God's Word. In the New Testament, it usually refers to the Old Testament (Luke 24:27 and 2 Timothy 3:15 16). However, Peter applies the term to Paul's letters, showing that God's people began to recognize the New Testament books as canonical shortly after their composition.

[Paul] writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 2 Peter 3:16

2. The church recognized the apostles' writings as Scripture.

The early church applied several “ tests ” to determine which books were Scripture. These tests did not determine a book's authority; rather, they simply helped the church to recognize such.

1) The church recognized books which had apostolic authority.

To be considered Scripture, a book must have been composed by an apostle or under the direction of an apostle (For example, Luke wrote under the direction of Paul.).

2) The church recognized books which were commonly accepted as authentic.

Since apostolic authority was the primary criterion for authenticity, it was only natural that the very churches the apostles established would readily accept the authenticity of their writings.

3) The church recognized books which were orthodox .

A book had to teach doctrine which was consistent with that of the other books of the Bible in order to be considered canonical.

["Orthodox" literally means "straight," and it refers to doctrine that is accepted or approved or correct. Something unorthodox is unapproved, different, odd, and/or incorrect.

Note: the Scriptures were authoritative the moment they were written. They were not recognized right away, tho.

The Apocrypha is not part of the canon because it does not meet the criteria. By the way, the 1611 KJV included the Apocrypha.]

Note: The canon of Scripture has been closed for nearly 1,900 years. John, the last of the apostles, died at the end of the first century AD shortly after writing the book of Revelation, which closed the canon.

III. The Bible is Preserved.

Not only has God used men to produce and compile His Word, He has also used them to maintain it. Theologians call this process preservation . God has preserved His Word providentially , not miraculously .

[Why do we draw a distinction between miraculous and providential preservation? Because miraculous describes a special, supernatural intervention by God beyond the normal state of affairs. If miraculous preservation were the case, we would expect to find no problems or errors with any Bible copies or versions. Unfortunately, that is not the case. No version of the Scripture is miraculously free from error. The miracle was in the inspiration, not in the preservation. Providential preservation stresses the fact that God maintained His Word through normal, every-day processes. Such processes may have introduced a certain number of mistakes or differences into various copies, which is what we find. Had God preserved the originals, perhaps that could have been called miraculous.]

A. The Old Testament is preserved.

1. Christ confirmed the preservation of the Old Testament.

I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished Matthew 5:18

One should note that Jesus's comments regarding the extraordinary preservation of the Old Testament Scriptures were made at a time when no original manuscripts of the Old Testament existed! Jesus's confidence in God's preservation of the Bible extended to the copies that had been passed on for centuries.

[It's interesting to note that Jesus and the apostles most likely used the Septuagint (LXX), which is quite corrupt in several places. Yet they had confidence in it as the Word of God. Thus, even if a version is not totally accurate, it can be considered Scripture.]

2. The apostles confirmed the preservation of the Old Testament.

The New Testament writers frequently quoted from the Old Testament, thereby showing their confidence in its accurate preservation. For example, in one New Testament passage, Paul quotes from no less than eight Old Testament passages:

As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one” (Psalm 14:1 3; 53:1 3; Ecclesiastes 7:20). “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit” (Psalm 5:9). “The poison of vipers is on their lips” (Psalm 140:3). “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness” (Psalm 10:7). “Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know” (Isaiah 59:7 8). “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Psalm 36:1). Romans 3:10 18

B. The New Testament is preserved.

There are approximately 5,000 extant (known to exist) Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. Comparison of these manuscripts confirms the amazing degree to which God has providentially preserved His Word.

Note: It is important to distinguish between “inspiration” and “preservation.” Inspiration deals with the original writings of the Old and New Testaments. Preservation deals with copies . Technically, the copies are not inspired. Rather, they derive inspiration as they accurately reflect the content of the originals. Therefore, it is incorrect to equate inspiration with a particular version of the Bible.

[There is a whole debate concerning which Greek manuscripts (of the New Testament) ought to be used or which are the best. Our English versions are based on different Greek manuscripts. This is why we see differences in translations. The differences between the Greek manuscripts are many, but they are relatively minor. Most of the differences are in spelling, word choice, and word order. Only about 40 of the differences are of any major significance, and none of these change the overall teaching of the Bible. As far as versions go, we recommend or use only a few, such as the KJV, NKJV, NIV, or NASB. Later lessons will deal with this issue more fully.]

Learning to Live It

1. As you are scanning the dial on your radio, you come across a sermon. The preacher's topic is the inspiration of the Bible. During the sermon, the preacher describes God's activity upon the human writer by saying, “God said to Paul, 'Take a letter.'” Does this preacher's illustration accurately reflect how inspiration took place? Perché o perché no?

no; God did not dictate the words to the human authors.

Later in the sermon, the preacher makes it clear that he believes that the particular version from which he is preaching is the only “inspired” version. What is wrong with the preacher's assertion?

Versions are not inspired; only the originals are. Versions are valid/good to the degree that they conform to the originals.

2. A friend of yours is not a believer but has shown interest in religious issues and likes to talk with you about them. After coming across a book that says there are several lost writings of the New Testament, he comes to you for answers. What would you tell him?

Since God has not seen fit to providentially preserve them, we can safely conclude that these writings are not canonical. Any “lost” writings are not part of the canon.

3. The same friend says the same book claims that the writings we do have are not accurate because our translations are so far removed from the original writings. What do you tell him now?

How does the author know this–Has he seen the originals? Our copies are not distant from the originals, especially in the NT. Only a few years passed between the making of the originals and the oldest extant copies. Furthermore, textual criticism has shown that our translations are reliable and accurately reflect the originals to a remarkable degree. The quality and care of the copying process, plus the number of available manuscripts, yields a product that very closely reflects the originals, even if many years have passed between the original composition and the oldest extant copies. Eg, little difference exists between a copy of Isaiah from 9th century AD and one from 1st century BC found in Dead Sea caves.

Lesson 6: God Has Revealed Himself to Man

To study God as we have done in Lessons 1-5 is an awesome task. It is impossible for finite sinners to fully grasp the greatness and goodness of their Creator. [Part of what is called the incomprehensibility of God--God can be truly known but not fully known.] What is perhaps even more awesome is the fact that this infinite God has chosen to communicate to finite men. Yet this is exactly what God has done. In this lesson, we will learn that God has chosen to reveal truth about Himself to mankind both generally and specifically.

I. God Has Revealed Truth About Himself Generally.

God has revealed general information about Himself to every man. Theologians call this revelation “ general ” because it is general in content and is available to all men in general. This means that everyone has access to some knowledge of God.

A. The means of general revelation

1. God has revealed Himself through creation .

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. Psalm 19:1 4

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:18 20

2. God has revealed Himself through man's conscience .

Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them. Romans 2:14 15

[Conscience is that internal sense of right and wrong that everyone has to one degree or another. The ability to understand right and wrong is part of the image of God in man. Conscience can be callused or seared, making it less sensitive.]

B. The purposes of general revelation

1. General revelation reveals general truth about God .

According to Romans 1:18 20 and 2:14-15, general revelation communicates a

limited message to man. Through it man understands that:

uno. God exists .

b. God is the Creator .

c. God has established standards of right and wrong which must be obeyed .

Note: While men do have some knowledge of right and wrong, it is only through God's Word that they can learn all of God's standards of right and wrong.

[What do you think of the statement "Let your conscience be your guide"? Not exactly right. Conscience decides on the basis of the standard given it. If the standard is wrong, the behavior will be wrong. Conscience is not infallible. People often feel no guilt whatever about their sins/crimes, so conscience is not a reliable guide.

General rev. shows man that there is a God, that God created him, and that he is thus responsible to God for how he lives. ]

2. General revelation renders men inexcusable before God.

uno. General revelation will always be rejected by men.

An unsaved man will never accept the implications of the truths of general revelation. Therefore, he is “without excuse” before God. We will examine the reason for this in Lesson Twelve.

[Rom 1 says that men suppress or hold down what truth they get from general revelation. ]

b. General revelation cannot save .

General revelation communicates enough truth about God to make a man responsible to seek God for salvation. However, it does not communicate the content of the gospel. It communicates only enough truth to condemn men.

[In order to be saved, a person must understand the content of the gospel. One cannot be saved by observing the natural world. General revelation is condemnatory—it takes away man's excuse, but it does not provide enough info to save anyone. No one responds to general rev. by being saved. There's not enough content. That's why we need special rev.

The following scenario is often brought up: What about the native in some remote corner of the world who has never heard the gospel? If he follows the light that he has, acknowledges the God revealed in nature, and sincerely seeks to do what is right, won't he be saved? Answer: John 14:6; Acts 4:12. ]

II. God Has Revealed Truth About Himself Specifically.

God has revealed specific information about Himself. Theologians call this revelation

“ special ” because it is specific in content and is revealed only to specific individuals.

[Special rev. is special because of it's content (direct rev.) and it's recipients (a select person or group). ]

A. The means of special revelation

1. In the past, God revealed specific information about Himself in different ways .

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways. Hebrews 1:1

uno. God revealed Himself through dreams (Genesis 20:3, 6 and 31:10 13).

b. God revealed Himself through visions (Isaiah 1:1 and 6:1).

c. God revealed Himself through angels (Luke 2:8 14).

d. God revealed Himself through direct address (Exodus 3:4ff).

e. God has revealed Himself through the prophets (Habakkuk 2:2 3).

2. God's special revelation culminated with Christ.

[Culminate = brought to it's highest point or perfected with Christ.]

uno. Christ is God's final revelation to man.

1) The Old Testament pointed to Christ.

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets (ie, the whole Old Testament), he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. Luke 24:27

2) Christ is superior to all other means of special revelation.

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. Hebrews 1:1-2

b. Christ spoke through the apostles .

The apostles were a select group of men chosen by God to perform some unique tasks essential to the founding of the New Testament church. They were chosen by Christ (Acts 1:1-2), witnesses of His resurrection (Acts 1:21-22), and commissioned to record Scripture (John 14-16) and authenticate its message through miracles (2 Corinthians 12:12, Hebrews 2:3-4). There are no apostles today because there is no longer anyone who meets these qualifications.

[The purpose of the miracles the apostles did was to authenticate their message. The “Jews require a sign” (1 Cor 1:22). Miracles proved that they were sent by God.

It's interesting to note that miracles did not always change people's mind regarding the gospel. That is, many people saw the miracles and still rejected Jesus, his message, and the apostles. Eg, the Pharisees at the resurrection of Lazarus admitted that a great miracle had been done, but still sought to kill Jesus. ]

B. The purpose of special revelation

1. The explanation of the purpose

The purpose of special revelation is to enable us to know God's will and to do it. The Bible is the only vehicle of special revelation through which God communicates His will today.

[Why is it dangerous to separate knowing God's will from what God has revealed in the Bible? Because finding God's will usually ends up being subjective/feeling-based or situation-based.]

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:14 17

2. The accomplishment of the purpose

Since the purpose of the Bible is to enable one to know God's will and to do it, one must understand how this is accomplished.

a. Illumination enables us to know God's will.

Illumination is that act of the Holy Spirit whereby He enables believers to understand the significance of God's Word. We are illumined only after determining the meaning of Scripture by properly interpreting it.

The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14

[Can an unsaved man understand the meaning of the Bible? Yes--an unsaved man can understand words/language just as well as we can. Can an unsaved man understand the significance of the Bible? No. One can understand the text and yet reject it's significance. You act on what you believe.

We've got to be very careful about interpreting the Bible correctly. It's easy to come up with "horseback interpretations" if you ignore the rules of hermeneutics (biblical interpretation--we'll study that later).]

b. A biblical mindset enables us to do God's will.

God wants us to approach life with a “ Bible soaked ” logic. As we learn of God and His will through His Word and begin to view life as He does, we will be able to make decisions that honor Him. The key to making proper, God honoring decisions is knowing God's Word and, thereby, learning to think as God thinks.

[A "Bible-soaked logic" is the state of mind in which biblical principles are so well understood and accepted that one naturally applies them to any circumstance. You determine the will of God when it's not directly revealed in the Bible (eg, who to marry, where to go to college, what career to pursue, etc.) by applying biblical wisdom to the situation. How do you get a "Bible-soaked logic"? By repeated exposure to the Bible and a commitment to obey it in all areas of life. You eventually come to see and appreciate general biblical principles that apply to many situations.]

Richiudere e Recensione

In questa lezione, abbiamo imparato:

1. God has revealed truth about Himself generally. We call this general revelation. Creation and conscience are the two means of general revelation.

2. God has revealed truth about Himself specifically. We call this special revelation. The Bible is the only means of special revelation today.

Learning to Live It

Your cousin calls you one evening and excitedly relates her experience at a recent charismatic church service. She states, “God revealed to the pastor that he is supposed to build a youth complex and that all those who do not sacrificially give toward it are disobeying God.” What kind of revelation is the pastor claiming to have received?

special or direct revelation

What is the only means of special revelation available today?

the Bible

Therefore, what kind of authority is the pastor assigning to his words?

He is saying that his words carry the same weight as Scripture.

Whom did God commission to produce Scripture?

the apostles and those in close relation with the apostles, like Luke

Is your cousin's pastor an apostle? Perché no?

no; He doesn't meet the qualifications.

Therefore, is the pastor's claim valid? Perché no?

no; because God is no longer giving special revelation, and since he's not an apostle, he has no commission to produce Scripture. Other dangers: no check on the system of receiving revelation. That is, anyone could claim to be receiving revelation.

How would you advise your cousin?

1. Show her that the pastor has no right to claim that he has received revelation directly from God because he is not an apostle. 2. Tell her to be careful about any claims from such a person. 3. Tell her to find a church where they preach the Bible rather than what someone claims is the word of God.

Lesson 5: The Goodness of God and the Christian Life

Lessons Two and Three focused on the attributes of God's greatness . We learned that He is infinite, while mankind is finite. This difference is known as the Creator/creature distinction. In Lesson Four, we looked at the attributes of God's goodness . God's goodness is all of His character qualities that can be described as holy . Although mankind can never be infinite, he can share God's holiness. This lesson will show how the attributes of God's goodness apply to mankind in general and to the Christian in particular.

Every moral change that God produces in the life of the Christian is an expression of holiness. It is an act of “ setting apart ” the believer. He is set apart from sin to God. The character qualities of God's goodness, such as love, righteousness, and grace, become the marks of holiness in the life of the believer.

I. God's Love and the Christian Life

A. The significance of God's love to mankind in general

1. Mankind is the object of God's love.

Future lessons will show that mankind bears the image of God. It is this image that distinguishes man from the rest of creation. God's love is limited to that which reflects His own image, namely, mankind.

[God does not love animals or plants in the same way he loves people. People are the only creatures who bear the image of God.]

2. The supreme expression of God's love for man is the gift of His Son .

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

[Cf also 1 John 4:9-10.]

B. The significance of God's love to the Christian in particular

1. Believers share the character quality of God's holy love.

Parents pass on many of their human characteristics to their children. In a similar way, our heavenly Father passes on His attributes of goodness to His children. Love is one such attribute.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7

[Remember that true, godly love is a choice to do what is best for the one loved, not a romantic or erotic feeling/emotion. We can and should share this type of love. Lack of love shows a lack of salvation. Cf 1 John 3:14.]

2. The presence of genuine love in one's life is evidence of a relationship with God.

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8

3. The believer demonstrates genuine love for God through obedience .

If you love me, you will obey what I command. John 14:15

4. God's love for the believer results in discipline for disobedience .

True love will not tolerate disobedience. It is in our best interest for God to require our obedience. Therefore, punishment of disobedience is really an expression of true love.

My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Hebrews 12:5 6

[Apathy (an "I don't care" attitude) is an evidence of lack of love. So what does that say about discipline received from parents, teachers, etc? If they didn't care about you, they'd let you do exactly as you choose. Discipline and limits show they care. Lack of it shows they don't. So be thankful that your parents, teachers, etc discipline you.]

II. God's Righteousness and the Christian Life

A. The significance of God's righteousness to mankind in general

1. Every person is required to live according to the perfect standard demanded by God.

The ultimate test of anyone's actions or motives is not, “Am I better than someone else?” The ultimate test is, “Am I like God?”

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. – Matthew 5:48

[Contra relativism, which says there is no real, objective standard of right and wrong. Our standard comes from God, not from how I feel or the situation.]

2. Because God is righteous, all wrongs will eventually be righted .

The Bible teaches that all people ought to do right; however, wickedness is rampant and getting worse. Sometimes it seems as though the wicked get away with sin, ie, that crime pays. The Bible does not guarantee that we will always see justice done in this life . There will come a time, however, when every thought , word , action , and motive will be judged by a righteous God.

For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead. Acts 17:31

B. The significance of God's righteousness to the Christian in particular

1. Believers share the character quality of God's holy righteousness.

Believers are in a process of change. Every day they are increasingly being conformed to the image of Christ. This means that those who once could never do anything godly are now

enabled by God to meet His standard of right and wrong.

Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. – 1 John 3:7

[This texts is speaking of righteousness as a pattern of life, not absolutely sinless behavior. ]

2. The presence of righteousness in one's life is evidence of a relationship with God.

If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him. 1 John 2:29

This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. 1 John 3:10

¹

3. God's righteousness guarantees restoration when the sinning believer confesses his or her sin.

Christians are able to be righteous in their thoughts, words, actions, and motives. However, this does not mean that they will be perfect. 1 John 1:8 indicates that Christians sin. Sin in the life of a believer affects his fellowship with God. But God is always willing to forgive and restore the repentant believer.

[Sin negatively impacts our relationship with God, but it does not sever it. One of the reasons daily devotions are so important is to keep "short accounts" with God, that is, confess and repent of our sin and ask for help.]

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Se riconosciamo i nostri peccati, egli è fedele e giusto ci perdonerà i peccati e purificarci da ogni iniquità. 1 John 1:8 9

4. God's justice guarantees that any good deeds that believers do for Him will not be forgotten .

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. Hebrews 6:10

III. God's Grace and the Christian Life

Theologians classify the grace of God into two categories: common grace and special grace. Common grace is a description of His kindness given to all mankind, whether saved or unsaved. Special grace is the kindness which God gives only to believers.

A. The significance of God's grace to mankind in general

1. Because of common grace, all people understand that God exists . There is no such thing as a true atheist.

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20

[There are no true philosophical atheists. People deny the existence of God and suppress their knowledge of him, but they are deceiving themselves. Why do people want there to be no God? Then they'll not be responsible for their actions. There will be no final judgment, no punishment for sins.]

2. Because of common grace, evil is restrained in the world.

The fact that all people are not as bad as they could be is due to the work of common grace. The Holy Spirit limits the wickedness of societies and individuals.

Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time. For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way. 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 6 7

[During the Trib., the H. Sp. will not suppress or limit sin as he is doing now.]

3. Because of common grace, God is patient with mankind.

God could condemn the entire human race at any time. The condemnation of the race would be pure justice . It is the grace of God which prevents this from happening.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

4. Because of common grace, unsaved men are able to do cultural or civic good.

Christ acknowledged that the Pharisees, though unsaved, were capable of doing “good” (Matthew 23:23). However, such “good works” are viewed as sinful by God due to the motives behind them (Isaiah 64:6).

[Such "good works" by the unsaved are non-meritorious. That is, they have no eternal value. There is nothing an unsaved person can do to please God.]

B. The significance of God's grace to the Christian in particular

1. The special grace of God results in the salvation of those who believe.

Christians are saved only because of the undeserved, unearned, and unwanted favor of God.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace. Ephesians 1:7

2. The special grace of God results in the spiritual growth of those who are saved.

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age. Titus 2:11 12

3. Believers share the character quality of God's holy graciousness.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

[Part of that graciousness is patience with the shortcomings and failures of others. God has been and is very patient with us as sinners, and we should display the same kind of grace toward others.]

4. The presence of grace in one's life is evidence of a

relationship with God.

[Since] you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, [since] any comfort from his love, [since] any fellowship with the Spirit, [since] any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:1 4

Richiudere e Recensione

In questa lezione, abbiamo imparato:

1. Because God is love, the believer is able to love God and his fellow man.

2. Because God is righteous, the believer is able to do right.

3. Because God is gracious, the believer is able to be gracious to others.

Learning to Live It

1. An organization is being established in your neighborhood called The United Church League (UCL). A representative of the UCL contacts your pastor and asks him to encourage your church to join. The representative says, “Doctrine is not an issue in the UCL. We have Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, Presbyterians, and Catholics. We believe that the UCL is the answer to Jesus' prayer in John 17:21 that we might all be one. Won't you demonstrate your love for God and join this worthy organization?” Your pastor asks for your advice. Based on your understanding of biblical love, how would you respond?

Love does not overlook error or sin. Love and truth are inseparable. I demonstrate my love for God by not joining up with such organizations. In order for such groups to participate, participants would have to sacrifice or compromise their doctrinal positions. Remember that love is not just acceptance. Love is conditioned/governed by holiness. God will not accept in his love what his holiness condemns.

2. Bill, a classmate at school, has just lost his girlfriend in a car accident caused by a drunk driver. The charges against the drunk driver are dismissed because of a technicality. Bill meets you for lunch one day and says, “It's just not fair! How could God let this happen?” What would you tell Bill about the righteousness of God?

Because God is just, justice will one day be served, though it may not be in this life. God will eventually make all things right. All will be justly rewarded and/or punished. It may not seem like that is the case now, but we don't always have all the facts. God does not just “let” things happen. Things happen because God planned them to. Further, in such situations, it's best to trust God to repay and exact vengeance.

3. The city of Detroit has a terrible tradition called “Devil's Night.” The night before Halloween, teens burn buildings and destroy property all over the

city. However, in your community the Halloween pranks amount only to some egged cars and smashed pumpkins. How could you explain the difference between the activities in these two communities?

It could be a combination of many factors, such as population density, police enforcement, morale, community morals, etc. A factor not to be overlooked is God's common grace. God restrains sin to some degree. The only reason every night is not “Devil's Night” is that God restrains sin.

4. Some people grow up in Christian homes, while others have never heard of the Bible. How is God fair to those who have never heard?

Very tough question. A few thoughts: 1. Remember that salvation is God's business. He's in charge of who has access to His word. 2. Our conception of fair and unfair may not reflect all the issues involved. God would be totally just to condemn all people. That he saves some is pure grace. 3. God has said that all men have some access to knowledge about God, thru creation and conscience. No one can legitimately say that he knew nothing of God

Lesson 4: The Goodness of God

In Lesson Two, we learned that God's attributes can be logically divided into two categories: His attributes of greatness and His attributes of goodness . The key to remembering the difference between the two is the word “ share .” God's qualities of greatness His omnipotence, sovereignty, etc. cannot be shared with created beings; they are exclusively His. God's attributes of goodness, on the other hand, can be shared with created beings. While these characteristics will always shine brightest as qualities of God, mankind can reflect them to a certain degree.

[So we're talking about qualities that God shares with mankind.]

Just as God's greatness is governed by the fact that He is infinite, so His goodness is governed by the fact that He is holy .

[In other words, these aspects of God's goodness are limited or governed by God's holiness. That is, each of these characteristics that we'll talk about today are holy. What do I mean by "holy"? Read next part.]

God's holiness has two aspects:

1. God is separate from His creation.

The word “holy” literally describes something that has been “ set apart .” To say that God is holy means that He is not part of the universe, nor is the universe part of Him. He is unique .

[This explains how objects (eg, furniture in the tabernacle and temple, holy ground) can be considered holy.

Also, God created the universe, and He is in the universe, but he is separate from the universe. ]

2. God is morally pure.

God's uniqueness is seen not only in His nature (what He is like), but also in His activities (what He does). He does not act like mankind. For example, we sin He does not. Therefore, the word “holy” came to be applied to the apartness or difference between the moral character of God and the moral character of man. Unlike us, God never does anything that is wrong; He always does what is right.

[So when you see the word "holy," think of two things: separate/different, and morally pure. This holiness characterizes or governs the other attributes we'll talk about today.]

In this lesson, we will learn:

1. God is holy in love .

2. God is holy in righteousness .

3. God is holy in grace .

I. God is Holy in Love.

[Ie, God's love can be described as "holy" -- set apart, morally pure.]

A. Characteristics of God's love

1. God's love is an act of the will , not an emotion .

Feelings are fickle – they change from day to day. When love is based on feelings, it too is changeable. Love does affect the emotions, but one should not equate the two. Biblical love is not a feeling but a choice . Thus, God could promise to love His people and command them to love as well.

I will heal their waywardness and love them freely. Hosea 14:4

[The love we're talking about is not romantic or erotic love. It's different that the world's definition of love. Rather than a feeling, godly love is a concern for the well-being of the one loved. Matt 5:44 “Love your enemies.”]

2. God's love is governed by His other attributes .

People often think that in order to be loving, one must ignore sin and overlook error. However, true biblical love cannot contradict the other attributes of God. It always functions within the confines of truth and justice .

The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. Psalm 33:5

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. – Ephesians 4:15

[God's love does not override his holiness. God won't accept in his love what his holiness rejects. Christianity is big on "acceptance" these days--you need to accept people as they are, not offend them, etc. But love is not synonymous with acceptance. You can love a person and still reject their behavior--in fact, that's what we are commanded to do.]

3. God's love is sacrificial .

Mankind's version of love tends to be selfish. It is preoccupied with getting rather than giving . However, true love requires giving sacrificing one's self for the benefit of another. The supreme example of the self sacrificial nature of genuine love is God's gift of His Son for our salvation.

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:9 10 (See also 1 John 3:16.)

[Cf also John 15:13 "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”]

4. God's love is unconditional .

It is common to find people using so called love as a bargaining tool. They say, “I will love you if . . . .” However, God loves mankind with no “if's” attached. He does not ask what we can give Him in return. He loves us in spite of our sinfulness.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

To put it another way, we tend to say, “I love you because you are lovely .” But God says, “I love you because I am love in spite of the fact that you are unlovely .”

5. God's love is unending .

People often speak of falling in and out of love. However, genuine love does not just happen it is a choice. God never “falls out of love.” Love is part of His very nature. Therefore, God has said:

I have loved you with an everlasting love. Geremia 31:3

B. A definition of God's love

God's love is the attribute which causes Him to sacrificially and unconditionally choose to do what is best for us.

II. God is Holy in Righteousness.

The words “holy” and “righteous” are often used interchangeably, but they are different concepts. As noted above, holiness emphasizes God's separation from His creation. His righteousness is holy because it is unlike any standards of right and wrong that mankind would establish.

["Righteous" and "just" mean "right" or "fair." "Righteousness" is "right-ness," the quality of being right. Justice is a result or out-working of righteousness.]

A. Characteristics of God's righteousness

1. Righteousness is conformity to a standard.

This point is clearly illustrated in the Old Testament laws pertaining to weights and measures.

Do not use dishonest (lit. “unrighteous”) standards when measuring length, weight or quantity. Use honest (lit. “righteous”) scales and honest weights. Leviticus 19:35 36

Scales are called righteous (honest) when they conform to an established standard.

2. God Himself is the standard of right.

There is no standard of right and wrong one may impose on God. He is the standard. He is righteous because all that He does is completely consistent with His character.

I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. Deuteronomy 32:3 4

[If there is no God, can there be a true standard of right and wrong? No. You can see then how atheism has brought about the idea of relativism.]

3. Righteousness requires the punishing of disobedience (failure to conform to the standard).

The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him. Daniel 9:14

[God would not be just if he ignored the breaking of the law. God punishes sin because crime (sin) is worthy of punishment. A punishment equal the crime must be made. Think of a judge who ignores criminals--he is unjust. So God has to respond when someone sins, because if he didn't, he wouldn't be just/righteous. It's God's nature to react against sin.]

4. Righteousness requires the rewarding of obedience (conformity to the standard).

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. Hebrews 6:10

Both 3 and 4 are expressions of God's justice . Because God is righteous, He will always do what is just in light of our actions, handing out punishment or reward.

[Why is it that sin often seems to go unpunished? Because God is gracious, and because God often reserves punishment and reward for later (hell and heaven).]

B. A definition of God's righteousness

God's righteousness is the attribute which ensures that all that He does conforms to His character. It also demands that all others conform to His perfect standard. God's justice is the aspect of His righteousness in which He rewards obedience and punishes disobedience.

III. God is Holy in Grace.

“Grace” is one of the most misused and abused words in theology, yet it is a very simple concept. A biblical word translated into English by the word “grace” means “to

stoop ; to bend down.” It communicates the idea of reaching down with condescending favor or kindness.

A. Characteristics of God's grace

[Remember that even God's grace is governed by his holiness. God will not overlook sin just because He is gracious.]

1. God's grace is undeserved .

God extends His grace to sinners though they do not deserve it.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:23 24

[Grace is receiving something we do not deserve--favor. Mercy is not receiving something we do deserve--punishment, condemnation.

Even unsaved people benefit from God's "common" grace. Common grace restrains sin generally and allows people to do good generally. Without it there would be no limit to the sinfulness of man.]

2. God's grace is unearned .

Most people feel that they can do something to earn God's favor. However, God cannot be manipulated. Nothing can obligate Him to mankind. God's grace is a free gift. If you have to do something to earn grace, it can no longer be grace.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not by works, so that no one can boast. Ephesians 2:8 9

[Earning God's favor is the basis of every other religion in the world. Works is the basis of favor for most other people. But there is nothing a sinful person can do to earn God's favor. Cf also Rom 11:6.]

3. God's grace is unwanted .

Contrary to popular belief, mankind does not want anything to do with God. When an unsaved person speaks of a desire for God, he is really referring to a desire for the benefits that only God can give. The two are not the same!

There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. Romans 3:11

[Before a person is saved, he is dead in trespasses and sin. He is unresponsive to God. He hates God. So he is unconcerned about receiving any favor from God.]

B. A definition of God's grace

God's grace is His undeserved, unearned, and unwanted favor given to condemned sinners.

Richiudere e Recensione

In this lesson, we have learned that God is holy. That is, He is separate from His creation and morally pure. This attribute governs all the attributes of His goodness. We have learned three of these attributes of goodness:

1. God is holy in love. He always does what is best for us.

2. God is holy in righteousness. Everything He does is right.

3. God is holy in grace. He extends His favor to us, although we do not deserve, earn, or want it.

Learning to Live It

During a lengthy discussion of the gospel with an unsaved friend, the subject of hell is mentioned. He responds by saying, “I don't believe in hell. After all, God is love. How could a loving God ever send anyone to hell?” How would you answer this question?

God is love, but He is also just and holy and righteous. His justice demands eternal punishment because man's sin is against an infinite God. If one will not obey God (be saved), then he will suffer the punishment for his sin. God in his love has provided a way of salvation. It's not God's fault if someone ignores that way. The degree of punishment is based on who the crime is against, eg, killing an ant vs. murder. Sin is against an infinite, holy God; thus the punishment fits the crime.

Later in the same conversation, your friend says, “I'm not worried about my soul I'm as good as anyone else!” Based upon your understanding of righteousness, how would you respond to this statement?

Man is not the standard, God is. The standard is perfection. The state and destination of your soul does not depend upon how good you are compared to someone else. It depends upon how good you are in God's eyes. The only way you can be good with God is to be saved (2 Cor 5:21).

Finally, your friend says, “Well, I may not be perfect, but I've

taken care of that by attending church, taking communion, and being baptized.” What misunderstandings does he have about grace?

salvation is by grace–It cannot be earned through good works (Eph 2:8-9)