The Holy Bible is the Word of God, "God-breathed" through the inspired pens of men for our benefit. Everyone should take time to study it's wonderful truths and wisdom. There is much to be learned. 2nd Timothy 2:15-16 says "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness."
The Bible answers the three questions that every person has. 1. Where did I come from? 2. Why am I here? 3. Where am I going? You cannot get the correct answers to these questions from any other source that discounts the Bible..
There are several methodical ways to study the bible One way is the Chronological Method. Dr. Harold Wimington placed every Bible book into twelve logical and historical divisions. Nine in the Old Testament and three in the New Testament. This historical method differs from the Dispensational method, and it differs from the Covenant method.
And, what of the reliabiity of Holy Scripture?
Here are four informative video's that give you the basic facts about the Holy Bible, how it came together, its reliability, its organization and its many available varieties:
This is Christianity: Discipleship
Is the Bible Reliable? I'm Glad You Asked!
How Did We Get The 66 Books Of The Bible?
How was the Bible translated? I'm Glad You Asked!
These excellent video's above should make you well informed regarding Bible varieties and their history. However, I disagree with Steve Ellis that one should have a Bible from all three spectrums of translations. The paraphrases invariably are used to hack the original text, deliberately alter meanings, and to remove the indications of divinity of Jesus Christ. Plus, the Word of God should always be free to transmit, but dozens of "new" Bible's are produced so that they can be copyrighted, making them the textual equivalent of the money's overturned by Jesus in the Temple Court, i.e. filth rather than the true Word of God. Stick to the Authorized King James Version for thed best accuracy. When the best is freely available, there is no sense in using something inferior. No translation from one language to another language is perfect, and that goes for the KJV also, but there is no better English language translation available.
I notice that the ESV Study Bible seems to be gaining much popularity within the circle of believers that hold the King James Version in high regard. Unfortunatly, it is also corrupted. Download a KJV copy of the free e-Sword Bible Program, or buy the inexpensive SwordSearcher Bible program. If you have not already, start studying the Word of God.
As already mentioned above, the King James Version of the Bible is the most accurate English version, the most faithful to the autographs. It is impossible to always exactly convey original meanings from ancient Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek into English because of figures of speech varying in different cultures, and for several other reasons. And that is why Bible Study is so important.
Different cultures have different customs, speech mannerisms, and writing conventions that must be taken into account. For example, when I say "That stinks!" I might be talking about something I dislike, not about something that actually smells bad. But another culture might use a different expression to express what I am implying with that phrase, and misunderstand my actual meaning. Thus, a most accurate translation of the Bible is basic to successful Bible Study, and that remains the Authorized King James Version. Building up our understanding from an accurate translation leads to much more accurate understandings of the original inspired texts, the autographs, which are the inspired Words of God. I believe in "autograph inerrancy," not "translation inerrancy." So, use a Bible Dictionary and Bible Commentaries to have questionable things further illuminated to you. That said, let me again state that the best English translation of the Holy Bible still remains the Authorized King James Version.
Please understand that there are translations, and their are paraphrases. Good translations try to follow the original wordings and meanings, and none do so any better than does the King James Authorized version. Paraphrases reword the language of the autograph, and invariably show the biases and agenda's of whoever produces them. In many of them whole verses are deleted, completely butchered, or changed in meaning. Modern language may be easier to read, but at great loss to understanding accurately the Word of God and the path leading to eternal security. Infamously, many modern paraphrases, many dumbed down English translations, make it a point to remove indications of divinity attributed to Jesus Christ. Many people will suffer for the crime of corrupting, and adding to or deleting from, the complete revealed Word of God. Accurate preservation of God's Revealed Word is preserved only through the Antioch line of manuscripts, not through the Alexandria line of corrupted manuscripts.
Bible Version Corruption Explained
NIV & Modern Bible Versions Exposed
The Protestant Reformation
Click The Pic To Enlarge Or Reduce Your View
Dr. David Sorenson: The Critical Text vs The Traditional Text
Dr. Gary Mann: The Reasons Translations Are Not Inspired
... Sola Scriptura & Dispensations ...
There Is No New Scripture After The Apostles
The Five Sola's are five Protestant doctrinal distinctives the Reformers elucidated to demonstrate accurate Biblical theology as opposed to inaccurate Roman Catholic theology. Sola Biblica is the one that says only the Bible is the authoritative Word of God. Divine Revelation ceased when Paul the Apostle passed away. Since then there are no new revelations from God to the Church. Spurious new books purporting to be from God are actually fraudulent, or demonically produced. Joseph Smith, for example, used a "seer stone" placed into his hat, where he could supposedly see one letter at a time, which he read to another person to record. If that actually happened it would have been a demon, what we today call a "spirit guide" in common parlance. Hillary Clinton talks with a demonic spirit pretending to be Eleanor Roosevelt, for example. Today there are no Apostles, just Disciples. Today there is no further revelation to the Church. Today we have God's Word, and the best English translation of that is the Authorized King James Version. No other spurious production claiming to be additional scripture is from God.
Protestantism was birthed as a reaction against Roman Catholicism. It was a return to accurate Biblical understanding as the Bible became available to the masses with the invention of the printing press. Now we don't have to take anyone's word for what the Bible says, and we can directly check things out ourselves. No Pope, Priest or Minister can say the Bible says what it doesn't if we take the time to learn firsthand what is in the Bible.
Rightly dividing the Word must take into account the Dispensations. There is a time and a season for all things. Just as there are seasons throughout life, there are seasons throughout history. They are termed as Dispensations. The standard description of Dispensations involves seven or eight specific time periods, wherein God deals with mankind in differing ways. What concerns us is the differences between the Old and New Covenant periods, and the transitioning from the Dispensation of Law into the Dispensation of Grace, and the phrophetic future Dispensations to come.
In that light, we must study the differences between what is addressed to the Jews, to the Church, and to the Gentiles. Some things apply to two and three of these groups, but we must beware of applying things to groups that they don't apply to. Some things in the Bible are addressed to only one of these three groups. That is "rightly dividing the Word." Robert Breaker explains this concept in the above video.
The video below presents the "You can lose your salvation!" view regarding Salvation. We are born with an unsaved sin nature, already appointed to die a physical and spiritial death. Salvation is one's spiritual birth to eternal life, overcoming the second death, that of one's spirit. The Bible has the information within its pages to inform and convict a sinner of one's sins, to bring about repentance, and to lead one to Jesus Christ for one's eternal Salvation. Your accurate knowledge from the Holy Bible of the straight and narrow path, the very Word of God, leading to your cherished eternal salvation that comes with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is of paramount importance. Without that you will suffer! Salvation may be more than you think. Are you sure you are saved? With either view, that you can lose your salvation or "once saved always saved," the result is the same: A changed life wherein one shuns evil and acts out, truly living, a genuine Disciple's life style. Blessed is the Disciple whose sin the Lord will not credit – will not reckon, will not lay to his account, will not impute to him. Many people who think they are saved are not really saved. The one's that aren't will be very surprised when the Lord says He never knew them. Scripture warns that the path to salvation in Christ is through a narrow gate, not down the broad path that most of the world and the worlds churches follow. These things, this information, needs to be studied out by each individual, by getting thoroughly into the Word of God, the Holy Bible. YOU are responsible for your own salvation!
Once Saved, Always Saved? Or Not?
Bible Proof of the Flat Earth Truth
Bible Study should also challenge the modern perceptions of the secular sciences. What does the Bible really say about them? What must we really believe, God's accurate Word, or Man's false sciences? Picture in your mind the earth spinning. Picture that spinning earth circling the sun. Picture the sun flying through space as the earth follows along, cork-screwing along its path as the suns satellite. Then explain to yourself why times-lapse photo's of star trails above us always circle along in regular paths. The star trails show that the stars are circling above us, not that the earth is flying through space, revolving, and always producing a never repeating view of the stars. Propaganda, brainwashing, and the lies of modern science (i.e. Scientism based on the Theory of Uniformitarianism) are not a pretty thing. And, those lies are not intended to support the truths revealed in the Holy Bible! Ancient Cosmologies were "flat earth" in nature. The Bible testimony is also "flat earth" in nature.
Do you believe the Bible, or don't you? If you change the witness of the Bible in one way, you can change other things, too, and then you can believe anything you want to. But that won't get you eternal life. Be very careful how you handle the precious Word of God! Your actions do have very serious, and very personal, consequences. Listen to the video! Consider its implications. How great are the deceptions of Satan? I will tell you, they are very, very great. Beware.
Preoccupation with sexual matters is possibly the number one way that evil enters into one's life. A little temptation seems to go a very long way! A cutie of the opposite sex in a commercial, a little too much skin showing on someone walking by, out-and-out prurient sexual filth on television or even in a Romance movie... It all tends to draw one deeper and deeper into sexual sin, and then deeper and deeper into sexual perversion, of which their are many, many kinds, loosening one's morality. If anything along this line is a problem in your life, check out David Servant's The Great Gospel Deception.
And then there is the money thing. The love of money is the root of all evil, says the Bible. Government was established by God, but mankind invariably uses it to get filthy rich. Secret societies and demonic fraternities are organized for people to network in, to leverage money and power into their direction. A popular saying used to be "Satan is alive and well on the planet earth." Well, he's still around, but I don't think he is too "well" in the spiritual sense. He's the jerk at the head of all the secret societies and evil fraternities! Beware an inordinate preoccupation with the pursuit of money and power, and if you get some, beware of using your money and power unwisely. We all will stand before God to give an account of our lives! If you haven't yet, repent of your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your Savior!
