LESSON 1

Some Truths About the Bible

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1. Where is the best place to keep your Bible?

Psalm 119:11 _________________________________________

Difficult portions in the Bible

2. Will you always understand easily all you read in the Bible?

II Peter 3:15, 16 _______________________________________

3. Did the disciples always understand the words of Jesus?

Luke 9:43-45 __________________________________________

4. What promise did Jesus give them?

John 16:12, 13 _________________________________________

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5. What would be a good prayer for us to offer before beginning Bible study?

Psalm 119:18 __________________________________________

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How to test all religious teachings

6. What is the best way to judge all religious teachings?

Isaiah 8:20 _____________________________________________

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"It isn't the Bible but the expounders of the Bible that cause diversities of teaching in Christendom. The fault rests with the fallen, corrupt nature of man, which so affects him that he fails clearly to discern truth, even when it is set before his eyes. Do not go to your Bible with stereotype ideas which you seek to confirm, but with an open mind, seeking to discover what God says. The tracks of some popular teachings, traced back through Church history, will lead you to the very entrance of the enemy's camp."

The message of the Bible

7. Who is spoken of throughout the Bible?

Luke 24:27 _____________________________________________

8. What is the very heart of the Bible message concerning this One?

I Peter 2:24 _____________________________________________

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9. The following verses mention three purposes for which the Bible was given to us:

a. John 20:31 ____________________________________________

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b. Romans 15:4 ___________________________________________

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c. I Corinthians 10:11 ___________________________________

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What to do with your Bible

(1) Study it through—Joshua 1:8

(2) Pray it in—Psalm 119:18

(3) Write it down—Isaiah 30:8

(4) Work it out—James 1:22

(5) Pass it on—Psalm 119:27, 46

The important question is, not how many times you have been through the Bible, but how many times the Bible has been through you.

The Bible is God's eternal Word

10. What claim is made for the Bible?

II Timothy 3:16, 17 ______________________________________

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11. By what process did God reveal His thoughts to humanity?

II Peter 1:21 ____________________________________________

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12. In what way can you account for the superiority of the Bible over human philosophy?

I Corinthians 2:13 _____________________________________

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Writers of Scripture affirm that their words are divinely taught. This, of course, refers to original documents, not to translations and versions; but the labors of competent scholars have brought our English versions to such a degree of accuracy that we may confidently rest upon them as authoritative in all essential points.

I Corinthians 2:9-14 gives the process by which truth passed from the mind of God to the minds of His servants: (a) Unseen things of God are undiscoverable by the natural man (v. 9). (b) These things God has revealed to chosen men (vv. 10- 12). (c) These things are communicated in Spirit-taught words (v. 13). This does not imply mechanical dictation or the effacement of the writer's personality, but only that the Spirit guided in the choice of words from the writer's own vocabulary (v. 13). These Spirit-taught words of the Bible are spiritually discerned only by those having the Holy Spirit in them (I Corinthians 2:15, 16).

13. What did Jesus say as to His words?

Matthew 24:35 _________________________________________

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14. Is it permissible to add to or subtract from the Word of God?

Deuteronomy 4:2 _______________________________________

Progress in your spiritual life

15. List some important conditions of spiritual progress.

Psalm 1:2 _______________________________________________

a. _______________________________________________

b. _______________________________________________

16. What is the best way to find guidance upon your daily path?

Psalm 119:105 ___________________________________________

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17. What is God's Word able to do for you?

Acts 20:32 ______________________________________________

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18. What did Jesus do to defeat Satan in the hour of temptation?

Matthew 4:4, 7, 10 ______________________________________

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check-up time No. 1 ___________________

You have just studied some important truths about the Bible. Review your study by rereading the questions and your written answers. If you wish, you may use the self- check test as an aid in reviewing your lesson. If you aren't sure of an answer, reread the Scripture portion given to see if you can find the answer. Then take this test to see how well you understand important truths you have studied.

In the right-hand margin write "True" or "False" after each of the following statements.

1. There are no difficult portions in the Bible. ___________ 2. The best way to judge all religious teachings is to compare them with the Scriptures. ___________ 3. The Bible was given by God through men who were moved by the Holy Spirit. ___________ 4. The disciples always understood the words of Jesus. ___________ 5. God uses the Bible as a means of guiding His children. ___________ 6. The Holy Spirit leads believers into all truth. ___________ 7. Tradition carries as much weight for spiritual instruction as the Bible does. ___________ 8. The fruitful believer is one who daily meditates on God's Word. ___________ 9. The Lord Jesus defeated temptation by arguing with Satan. ___________ 10. It is well to offer a prayer for enlightenment before studying God's Word. ___________

LESSON 2

God's Way of Salvation

What the Bible reveals

1. What is the great...