God's Book to Man
"All scripture is inspired by God and
profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in
righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good
work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
At first glance, the Bible does
not seem different from any other book. But since the words that it contains
did not come from the minds of the authors but from God, they are the very
words of God. "No prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own
interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the impulse of man, but men
moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God" (2 Peter 1:20-21). Over a period
of more than 1,500 years, God moved the hearts of about 40 people from various
walks of life to write down what they had heard and seen. These sacred writings
were then put together at a later time to become the Bible.
The Bible is God's self-revelation
to the world. God speaks to us through the prophets, the apostles, and his own
Son, Jesus Christ. The Bible also records God's interaction with men through
history and focuses on the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ--God's
greatest gift to the world.
Through these historical events
and divine messages, the Bible shows us who God is, where human beings came
from, and what God expects from us. It also explains how we have all rebelled
against God, how God has sent his Son to the world to reconcile the world to
him, and what happens in the afterlife. The Bible is a letter from God with a
most important message about our origin, purpose, and eternal destiny.
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