The best way to proceed through this bible study is to begin with a prayer like this one...
Dear Lord God, Please allow your truth to shine through as I read and study this bible study along with your Word, Please let my eyes be open to discern the truth and let my heart be willing to obey it. I ask and pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
... and to look up the reference scriptures that are in bold. It is best to use a King James version of the bible with this stduy, the quotes cited are from it.
Jesus declares that the Word of God is Truth!
Romans 3:4“...let God be true, but every man a liar..”
When teachings of man differ from the Word of God, allow the Word of God to stand true.
Galatians 1:6-9Absolutely nothing or no one must be allowed to supersede the Word of God.
John 1:1,14“Word was God” and “Word was made flesh”. So Jesus is the Living Word. When He speaks, it is God speaking to us.
John 12:48The Word will judge us in the last day.
Revelation 20:11-15People, small and great, must stand before God someday.
Two sets of books are mentioned: One is the book (singular) of life. The other is the books (plural) which will consist of the 66 books of the Bible that will judge mankind in the last day.
It is not a light matter when someone rejects God's Word today.
Everyone believes in something, so why not put your trust in the Word of God.
II Timothy 3:6Why can we put our confidence in the Bible as truth? Because “all scripture” is inspired of God.
Deuteronomy 4:1,2We are instructed to neither add nor take away from what thus says the Word of the Lord.
Mathew, Mark, Luke, and John: These books begin around the birth of Jesus and end at the time of His death, burial and resurrection. These books are the biography of the life of Christ.
ActsThis is the only book with the actual preaching of the apostles to the unsaved, telling the plan of salvation. If we want to know the plan of salvation, we must go to this book.
Some might say, “that's only one book” but so is Genesis. If we want to know in detail concerning the creation of the earth, we only have one book to go to. Yet we believe it because it is the Word of God. We believe the book of Acts because it is the Word of God!
And a close study of the Word shows that the books before it lead right up to it's truths and the books after confirm them.
EpistlesRomans through Jude: These are letters written to churches and individuals who have already experienced the salvation that was preached in the book of Acts. These letters tell them (and us) how to live, act, and grow in Christ. There are warnings against false teachers, doctrine, etc.
RevelationThis is a book of prophecy with much of it written symbolic form. We would never begin a study of learning the Bible with this book. We must first “rightly divide the word of truth” in our coming to salvation and growing into spiritual maturity which can bring us to greater understanding of this book.
“...teach no other doctrine.” There must be a doctrine that is important, that is truth.
II Timothy 4:1-4Preach what? “...the word.”
Word – Sound Doctrine – Truth: They all go hand in hand.
The time will come that they will not endure sound doctrine but being full of their own desires, they will hire preachers that simply tickle their ears.
And they will turn from the truth.
I Timothy 4:13-16Give attendance to doctrine. In doing so, it will save you and those that hear you.
II Timothy 2:24-26Some people actually can oppose themselves. Why? Because they haven't acknowledged the truth.
The devil sets snares and traps to put people int bondage; but, the truth can make you free.
James 1:21-24The Word of God can save our souls.
We must be more than hearers only, but doers of the Word, else we deceive our own selves.
If we don't do the Word we are like a man looking in a mirror and as soon as he turns away he forgets what he saw.
Matthew 7:24-29He who “hears and does” the will of God is like a man who builds his house on a solid foundation which produces a solid house.
What kind of a spiritual house do we want to build?
I Peter 1:22-25“...purified your souls in obeying the truth...”
“...Being born again...by the Word of God...”
“...which by the gospel is preached unto you.” The gospel and Word are one.
Ephesians 2:19-22Foundation of the apostles and the prophets. Why them? For they are the ones that preached the Word of God and we must obey and follow their message.
Hebrews 2:3,4Who are those that heard him? The Apostles.
Gal. 1:6-12Verses 7-9 says some will pervert the gospel but we are not to receive any other gospel thean that which the apostles preached..
We do not seek to please men but to please God!
Verses 11-12 For the message preached by the apostles was a revelation given by Jesus Christ.
II Thes. 1:7-10The judgement of God will come on those who knew not God and obeyed not the gospel. To not obey the apostles message is to not know God. In lesson two (2) we will find out what the Gospel is.
But to those that believe the word of the apostles, they shall shine forth.
I John 4:6To know God is to hear the message of the apostles. This makes the difference between the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
Matthew 15:14“And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.”
Romans 1:16“...the gospel...the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.”
Romans 6:16-18The Romans were sinners but when they obeyed from the heart the Word of God it made them free from the bondage of sin.
We likewise become free from sin when we obey from the heart the Word of God.
Romans 16:17-18Mark them and be aware of them that teach contrary to what you have learned for they serve not the Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies. Avoid them!
Ephesians 4:14,15Don't be carried away by every wind of doctrine. What do we believe then? The Apostles doctrine.
Colosians 2:8,9Beware of the philosophy and traditions of men.
II Thessalonians 2:9-12People must have a love for the truth or God himself will send a strong delusion that they would believe a lie.
Once again, Why? Because they loved not the truth that they might be saved.
The necessity of the Word of God in our lives cannot be overly stressed. The message of the Apostles as they fulfilled the commission of Jesus Christ must be the only “lighthouse” we set our course by.