Abortion and the Bible

The fundamental question to be answered is whether or not the life that has been conceived in the mother's womb is a human person, separate and distinct as an individual from the mother.
God created only three basic classes of life, each of which reproduces after its own kind: plants, animals, and people. (Gen. 1:11,12,20-25,26-30; 5:1-4). In which of these three categories should a living, unborn baby be classed? It cannot be considered plant or animal because plants and animals reproduce after their own kind. It is the result of human reproduction, and humans are distinct from the plants and animals. Therefore the life in the womb of a human mother must necessarily be human!
We next ask: is the life in the womb just a part of the mother's body (like an appendix, so removing it is not murder), or is it a separate and distinct individual from the mother so that aborting it is murder? This is the issue we must resolve.
The Bible (King James Version and most other versions) nowhere uses the phrases "human" or "human being" to refer to anyone, so we cannot determine whether the unborn is a human individual simply by searching for the terms "human being." Instead, the Bible identifies a human person by calling it simply a "man," "woman," "child," "son," "daughter," "baby," "infant," etc. What we need to know, then, is whether or not the Bible refers to the unborn baby by terms that imply humanity, just as it does for other humans.
A. God's Terms for the Unborn
Gen. 25:21,22
In Genesis 25:21,22, Rebekah conceived twins, and "the children struggled together within her." That which was conceived was called a "child" between the conception and the birth.
The Hebrew word used here (BEN) is the most common Old Testament word for a child or son. When used for the physical offspring of humans, it consistently refers to distinct human individuals (see Gen. 25:1-4; 3:16; etc.).
Job 3:3
On the very night of Job's conception it could have been said, "There is a man-child conceived." The word for "man-child" (Heb. GEBER) elsewhere means "man," i.e., a human individual (see Job 3:23; 4:17; 10:5; Psalms 127:5; 128:4; etc.).
Job 3:16
Babies that die before birth are called "infants" that never saw light. This is exactly like babies that are aborted. This word (Heb. OLEL) always and without exception refers to human individuals (cf. Hosea 13:16; Psalm 8:2; Joel 2:16).
Numbers 12:12; Luke 1:43
In Numbers 12:12, when Miriam became leprous, she was described "as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb." If a baby dies before it is born -- as in an abortion -- the woman who conceived it is still a "mother."
In Luke 1:43, Elizabeth addressed Mary as "the mother of my Lord" before Jesus was born.
The word "mother" (Heb. EM; Greek METER), in contexts referring to physical human reproduction, always refers to one who has procreated or formed another human individual, a separate and distinct individual from the mother herself (see Num. 6:7; Gen. 3:20; Luke 1:60). A woman who has conceived, even if the child is not yet born and even if it dies before birth, is a "mother."
Luke 1:41,44
Elizabeth conceived (v. 24), and the life "in her womb" is called a "babe" or "baby" (Greek BREPHOS). This is the second-most-common New Testament word for a baby. It is always used for that which is a human individual separate and distinct from its mother (see Luke 2:12,16; Acts 7:19.)
Luke 1:36
Again, the life conceived in Elizabeth's womb, before it was born, is called "a son." The word "son" (Greek HUIOS), in contexts that refer to the physical offspring of humans, always refers to that which is a human individual separate and distinct as an individual from its parents. It is the most common New Testament word for a "son" (see Matt. 1:21,23,25; Luke 1:13,31; 2:7; etc.)
B. Observations on the Verses
That which has been conceived and lives in the mother's womb from conception on is referred to by God as a "child," a "son," an "infant," a "baby," a "man-child," etc. The woman in whose womb it lives is a "mother." No human being anywhere in the Bible is identified by terms that are more distinctly human than these terms. God makes no distinction between born and unborn life. He uses exactly the same terms for both, therefore we should view them as having the same nature.
Remember that we established from the beginning that the life in the mother's womb is human life. The only question to be settled was whether it is a distinct individual from its mother or just part of the mother's body. Consider the force of the evidence we have now examined:
Does the Bible refer to parts of the mother's body as "child," "son," "baby," etc.? Clearly not. Nor is a woman ever called a "mother" just because she has these body parts. Why is this so? Because the terms "child," "son," "baby," etc., are terms that imply a separate human individual, not just a part of the mother's body.
Consider the parallel to the Godhead. We can prove that God the Father and Jesus are two separate individuals by referring to the many passages that mention Jesus as the Son of God the Father. A person cannot be his own father or his own son. A father and his son make two separate individuals (cf. John 8:16-18).
Likewise, when a woman has conceived, the life in her womb is her "son" (or "daughter") and she is its "mother." If God the Father is a separate individual from Jesus Christ His Son, then in the very same way and for the very same reasons a mother must be a separate individual from the son or daughter in her womb.
II. How Should We Treat an Unborn Child?
The unborn life in the mother's womb is a human individual from conception on. How should we treat this unborn life, and may we deliberately kill it? Surely we must be guided by exactly the same rules or principles we should follow in our treatment of any other "child" or "baby." What are these rules?
A. Stewardship: Train, and Protect a Child
Abortion's defenders often argue that, if the mother does not "want" to have the child, she may abort it. But does a mother have the right to not want her child?
Psalm 127:3-5; 128:3-5 -- Children are a blessing, a source of happiness and joy to their parents. Yet unborn babies are children, so parents ought to appreciate them as a blessing from God. People who have Scriptural attitudes will never kill unborn babies because they will never want to. Abortion is the grossest form of ingratitude for God's blessing.
Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4 -- God has made us stewards of our children. A steward is a person who has been entrusted with something that belongs to someone else. He is responsible to care for that item and use it to accomplish the purpose of the one to whom it belongs. He will be condemned and punished by the owner or master if he abuses or misuses that which has been entrusted to him (Luke 12:42-46; Matt. 25:14-30; I Cor. 4:2).
An unborn child is a particular blessing that has been given into our care just as surely as is a child that has been born. We have the same God-given duty toward an unborn child as we do toward one that has been born. If we kill them, we defeat God's purpose for their lives. How can we "train up" and "bring up" those whom we have killed?!
Abortion is the grossest form of child abuse and the most extreme perversion of parental responsibility. God will not fail to hold us accountable.
B. God Says to Love Our Children.
Titus 2:4 -- Young women should be taught to love their children. But an unborn baby is a "child," and a woman who has conceived is a mother even before the baby is born. The Bible tells us how we should act toward those we love (I Cor. 13:4-7), and this teaching definitely does not allow us to kill them (Rom. 13:8-10).
We have clearly established that abortion is wrong without even (thus far) examining passages specifically dealing with murder. Abortion does fit the Bible definition of murder. But even if it did not, it would still be sinful because it is unloving, a lack of appreciation for God's blessings, and a gross abuse of our stewardship to raise our children as God directs.
C. Respect for Life: Do Not Kill an Innocent Child.
Many passages teach us not to deliberately kill innocent human beings. Please read Exodus 23:7; Proverbs 6:16,17; Revelation 21:8; 22:15; Matthew 15:19,20; and Romans 13:8-10. In addition, please consider these specific passages.
Psa. 106:37,38 -- Israel was polluted with blood because the people shed the innocent blood of their "sons and daughters." But unborn babies are "sons and daughters." What then is the condition of our land when over 25 million "sons and daughters" have been legally killed?
Matthew 2:16 -- Herod is considered wicked because he slew the male children in Bethlehem. Luke 2:12,16 calls such children "babes." But Luke 1:41,44 also calls unborn children "babes," so how can it be acceptable to kill them?
Hosea 13:16; 2 Kings 8:12 -- When children or infants are dashed to pieces, it is a great tragedy to any nation. Yet unborn babies are children or infants, and in our nation they are dashed to pieces by the millions!
Acts 7:19; Ex. 1:16-18 -- Pharaoh commanded that Israelite "sons" or "men children" be killed as soon as they were born. But these same terms are used for unborn babies. Would it have been acceptable for Pharaoh to have had abortions performed to kill the babies? Is it any less wicked if people today do it?
Deuteronomy 27:25 -- "Cursed be he that taketh a bribe to slay an innocent person." What clearer description could be given for people who operate abortion clinics?
Conclusion
Abortion is wrong, therefore, because it is a failure to love, appreciate, and care for a human baby. It is also wrong because it constitutes the deliberate killing of an innocent human being.
When people defend abortion, their arguments should always be evaluated in light of the fact that the unborn baby is a human being, a separate individual from its mother. Therefore, deliberately killing it would be just as wrong as killing any other innocent human being.
What should a woman do if she has aborted a baby and now realizes she did wrong? She does not need to spend the rest of her life with the burden of unforgiven guilt. The Bible says abortion is wrong, but it also offers a source of true forgiveness through the blood of Jesus Christ. God will forgive if we will come to Him according to His conditions. Read and obey these passages: Rom. 1:16; 6:3,4; 10:9,10; Mark 16:16; Acts 17:30; 2:38; 22:16.

Inspirational Bible Study !

"We love Him because He first loved us."
1 John 4:9-10

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"And Jesus said unto them ... , "If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to younder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you."

Romans 1:17

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"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear ... "

1 John 4:18

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Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
Deuteronomy 31:6

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The LORD gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: "Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you."Deuteronomy 31:23
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9

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Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws that the LORD gave Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.
1 Chronicles 22:13

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Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.
1 Corinthians 16:13

Final Teachings of Jesus !

>>> Read Mark 13:1-13. <<<

As they left the temple area, one of the disciples pointed to the magnificent buildings and commented on their splendor. Jesus replied that they all would be torn down. This remark astonished the disciples and they asked when this would happen and what sign there would be of the temple's impending destruction. Jesus began answering by telling about some things that would happen before the temple was destroyed. He warned of false Christs, wars, natural disasters and great persecution. These events would be unsettling for the Christians, but Jesus assured them that they were not signs of the overthrow of the temple. It is remarkable that some people have taken these things that Jesus said were not signs of the destruction of the temple and used them to try to predict the date of the return of Christ.

*1* According to v1-4, what subject was Jesus discussing in these verses? Answer: The destruction of the ______ in Jerusalem.

*2* Instead of saying that the events of these verses were signs of the immediate end, what did Jesus say in v7? Answer: The end is ______.

The Destruction of the Temple

>>> Read Mark 13:14-30. <<<

This paragraph is one of the most difficult in the gospel of Mark. Several things should be carefully observed: 1) Jesus said that all of these things were going to occur within that generation (13:30). 2) We know that Jerusalem and the temple within it were destroyed by Roman armies in the year 70 A.D. Contemporary reports chronicle Jerusalem's horrible siege and tell that thousands (possibly more than a million) died in the conflict. 3) Jesus warned the Christians to flee to the mountains. History records that the disciples fled to a mountain fortress near the Dead Sea. As far as we know, no Christians perished in that war. It always pays to listen to Jesus.

*3* What did Jesus tell the disciples in Judea to do when they saw the evil thing in the temple (v14)? Answer: They should ______ to the mountains.

*4* When did Jesus say all the things in 13:1-30 would occur? a) when He returns for the final judgment; b) within that generation; c) no one knows; d) 2000 years later. Answer: ______.

Jesus Warns of His Return

>>> Read Mark 13:31-37. <<<

In verse 30 Jesus said that the destruction of the temple would occur within that generation. But in verse 32, He spoke of an event that would occur at a totally unknown time. He was referring to His own return and the destruction of the world. Not even Jesus Himself knew when that would occur. So, He exhorted everyone to be alert and constantly prepared His return.

Note -- Practical lessons: 1) We should not believe anyone who claims to be able to predict the date of the Lord's return. If Jesus didn't know, surely no mere man does. Anyone who claims to be able to discern the time of Jesus' return by a careful study of prophetic texts is claiming to know more than the Lord Himself and should not be taken seriously. 2) Since we don't know when the Lord will come back, we should always be ready. If you knew for sure that the Lord would come back today, would you change some things in your life? Then why not just assume that He is returning today (for He might), and make the changes immediately. It is utterly foolish to procrastinate in our repentance.

*5* Who knows when Jesus will return (cf. 1 Thess. 5:1,2)? a) those who study prophecies; b) the angels; c) Christians; d) only the Father. Answer: ______.

Anointing of Jesus

>>> Read Mark 14:1-11. <<<

What contrasting attitudes toward Jesus! The chief priests and scribes searched for a way to kill Him. Judas offered to betray Him. But a single woman spent 300 days' wages for perfume which she poured over His head. The disciples criticized her for this extravagant act of love. They viewed it as a waste of money, and thought it would have been better to have sold the perfume and given the money to the poor. But Jesus defended her saying that she had anointed His body for burial and that in all the world people would tell of her deed.

*6* What did the woman pour over Jesus' head? Answer: She poured out a flask of expensive ______ made from nard (spikenard).

*7* What did the disciples think should have been done with the perfume? Answer: They thought it should be sold and the money given to the ______.

The Last Supper

>>> Read Mark 14:12-26. <<<

Passover was an annual feast commemorating God's sparing the Jews in the tenth plague on Egypt (see Exodus 11-12). Jesus sent the disciples to prepare the feast, then He ate it with them. During the meal, Jesus warned that one of them would betray Him. He was trying to prepare the apostles for the traumatic night to follow. The Lord also took some of the bread and grape juice of the Passover and said that it was His body and blood. In this way, He initiated the observance of the Lord's Supper, a feast that was continued by the early Christians (Acts 2:42; 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34).

Note -- Is it I? It is interesting to observe the disciples' reaction to Jesus' prediction that one of them would betray Him. Each asked: Is it I? They were thinking of the possibility of their own fall. Unfortunately, this moment of introspection soon vanished and in the next paragraph they return to brash overconfidence. Surprisingly, they did not ask: Is it Judas? Apparently they had not observed anything in Judas' behavior during the months they had spent together that signaled that he was disloyal. When we read Jesus' warnings in the Bible, we also should ask: Is it I?

*8* When Jesus predicted that one of the disciples would betray Him, what did they ask? Answer: They asked, "______?".

*9&10* In the Lord's supper, what do the bread and fruit of the vine remind us of? Answer: The bread reminds us of Jesus' ______, and the fruit of the vine reminds us of His ______.

Jesus Predicts the Flight of the Disciples

>>> Read Mark 14:27-31. <<<

Jesus told the disciples that they would all fall away. Peter retorted that though the others might, he would never abandon Him. Christ replied that he would deny Him three times that very night. Again Peter denied it saying that he would even be willing to die with Him. Perhaps Peter's overconfidence was one reason he fulfilled this very prophecy a few hours later.

*11* What did Jesus predict Peter would do that very night? Answer: Peter would ______ Jesus three times.

*12* How did Peter respond to this prediction? Answer: He said he would rather ______ than deny Jesus.

Jesus Prays in the Garden

>>> Read Mark 14:32-42. <<<

Jesus took His disciples into a garden and asked them to watch and pray. He told them that He was deeply distressed. He went a little farther and prayed that God would take the cup of suffering away from Him. Jesus knew how terrible His death would be. He asked, however, that God's will be done above all. Each time He returned to His disciples, they had fallen asleep. Jesus wrestled with His griefs and fears alone, without human support.

Note -- The true suffering of Jesus: This paragraph reveals Jesus' deep grief as He thought about what He was going to suffer. He knew exactly what was about to happen and He dreaded it. Was He thinking only of physical pain? Crucifixion certainly was an agonizing experience--the victim slowly suffocated as he grew gradually weaker and finally unable to pull his body up against the nails to breathe. But others have suffered similar executions with less dread than Jesus. There must be something Jesus feared besides pain. Several passages teach that Jesus bore the sins of the world on the cross (Isaiah 53; 1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:21). He suffered the punishment for man's sin, which was spiritual death, separation from God. His greatest agony was being cut off from His Father on the cross (study Mark 15:34). Because He suffered this punishment of utter separation from God, His faithful followers will never have to.

*13* What did Jesus pray for in the garden? Answer: He asked for the ______ to pass from Him.

*14* Whose will did Jesus say should be done? (a) His own will, (b) His Father's will, (c) the will of the Jewish leaders, (d) all of the preceding. Answer: ______.

Jesus Is Arrested

>>> Read Mark 14:43-52. <<<

Judas had bargained with the chief priests to betray his Master. He had promised to lead them to the place where He spent the night, away from the crowds. Although Jesus knew the plan, He went again to the usual spot where He knew Judas could easily find Him. A troop of soldiers with the traitor leading the way interrupted the calm of the night. Judas kissed Jesus, a signal that it was safe to arrest Him. One disciple tried to defend Jesus by sword, severing the ear of a man in the arrest party in the process (see Luke 22:50-51; John 18:10-11 for more details). But then the disciples lost their nerve and fled. Jesus remained alone with His captors and Judas.

*15* Who betrayed Jesus for money (cf. v10,11)? Answer: Jesus was betrayed by ______.

*16* What sign did he use to identify Jesus for the captors? Answer: He betrayed Jesus with a ______.

Jewish Trial of Jesus

>>> Read Mark 14:53-65. <<<

Though it was very late at night, Jesus was brought before the Jewish supreme court and tried. They bribed false witnesses who told contradictory stories about Him. For a time, it appeared that the court would be unable to find consistent testimony by which to convict Jesus. Finally, the high priest asked Him if He were the Christ. When Jesus said, "Yes," they used this statement as evidence of blasphemy and convicted Him. Then they spat on Him, mocked Him and beat Him.

*17* Why was the Jewish court unable to convict Jesus on the basis of the testimony of the false witnesses? a) their testimony was inconsistent; b) the witnesses refused to testify; c) they could not allow false witnesses to testify in their court; d) Jesus refuted what they said. Answer: ______.

*18* What was finally used to convict Jesus in the Jewish trial? Answer: He admitted that He was the ______, the Son of the Blessed One.

Peter Denies Jesus

>>> Read Mark 14:66-72. <<<

Peter had slipped into the courtyard to watch the trial. Various people began to recognize him. A servant-girl asked him if she hadn't seen him with Jesus. Peter claimed not to understand what she was talking about. Then she began to tell others that he was a disciple and he flatly denied it. Finally, others noticed his Galilean accent and accused him of following Jesus. With this, Peter panicked, vehemently denying Jesus, even asking God to curse him if He knew the man. The cock crew and Peter remembered Jesus' warning. He came to himself with a sickening awareness of the horrible deed he had done. He rushed out and began weeping in despair.

Note -- Failure of the disciples: The disciples failed Jesus miserably in His hour of greatest need. They fled. Peter denied Him. Why? They had been such loyal supporters. Think back upon contributing factors in their failure: 1) They hadn't listened when Jesus had frequently warned them of His impending suffering. They had been too eager to argue about who would be the greatest in the kingdom. 2) They were overconfident. Earlier that evening, Jesus warned them that they would flee, but they didn't believe it. 3) They didn't watch and pray in the garden as He instructed. Thus, they were not mentally prepared to face the challenge. We could fail in the hour of temptation for these same reasons.

*19* How many times did Peter deny Jesus during the Jewish trial? Answer (give a number): ______.

*20* How did he react when he realized that he had denied Jesus? a) killed himself; b) apologized to Jesus; c) gave up being an apostle; d) fled away and began to cry. Answer: ______.

How To Study Bible !

Introduction:

After baptism, people should be taught to observe all things Jesus has commanded (Matthew 28:18-20). Learning God's will is just as essential after baptism as before. Conversion should be the beginning of a lifelong effort of study. However, in order to benefit from Bible study, we must know how to study the Bible properly.

The purpose of this lesson is to present basic Bible principles and methods of proper study. We will consider proper attitudes in study, Bible inspiration, a comparison of the old and new laws, and the danger of following human laws and authority instead of Scripture. Finally, we will give some suggestions about proper use of such helps as translations, concordance, and cross-references.

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Part I: Proper Attitudes in Study

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Ezra "prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord" (Ezra 7:10). Right methods of study must begin with right attitudes.

A. Appreciate the Importance of Study

People must be motivated before they will study a subject. Christians have all the reasons they could possibly need to study the Bible. Consider a few. As you do, note the emphasis on regular, frequent study.

#1: Study so you can obey God and grow in His service.

Joshua 1:8 - Success in pleasing God requires obedience. To obey, we must meditate on God's word day and night. Frequent, regular study is required.

1 Peter 2:2 - Can a baby grow without nourishment? No, and neither can Christians grow without Bible study. Do we long for the word like a baby longs for milk if we neglect to attend assemblies or to study at home?

(See also 2 Tim. 2:15; Rom. 10:17; Matt. 4:4; John 6:44,45; 2 Peter 1:12-15.)

#2: Study so you can avoid error and false teaching.

Hosea 4:6 - God's people were destroyed for lack of knowledge. Many Christians and congregations have been led astray by error and false teaching. To avoid this we must put teachers to the test (1 John 4:1,6). How do we do this unless we know God's word (Gal. 1:8,9)?

Acts 17:11 - The Bereans distinguished truth from error because they studied the word. To imitate their example, we must study "daily."

(See also Matt. 22:29; 15:14; Prov. 2:1-20; Rom. 10:1-3.)

#3: Study so you can teach others.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 - Parents should teach their children diligently through the day. This requires us to first have God's word in our own hearts. How can we teach what we do not know?

Hebrews 5:12 - The time comes when we ought to be teachers, but these had not studied so they needed others to teach them! There is no excuse for Christians who do not study. Teachers know they need to study. If you are not a teacher, you must study to prepare yourself to become a teacher!

(See also 2 Tim. 2:2; 1 Tim. 1:7; 1 Peter 3:15; Col. 3:16; Rom. 15:14.)

#4: Study to express love for God and His word.

Psalm 1:2; 119:47,48,97-99 - One who delights in God's word will meditate on it day and night. The time we spend thinking about God's word indicates how much we love Him. Those who truly love Him will not complain about "having to go" to worship services or prepare for Bible classes. (See Psalm 19:7-11.)

John 14:15 - If we love God, we keep His commands (cf. 1 John 5:3). But obedience requires knowledge. So one who loves God must study His word.

Suppose a young lady is separated from her boyfriend. He writes every day, so she prominently displays his letters on the coffee table. But they sit there for days before she opens and reads them. Does she really love him? No, we want to hear from those we love. The Bible is your only way to hear from God. How much do you love Him?

If we studied all subjects as negligently as some people study the Bible, we would surely be ignorant people. On the other hand, if we would study the Bible as diligently as some people study about sports, hobbies, etc., we would all be excellent Bible students. How much more important is it to understand the Bible than to understand secular subjects?

B. Study with an Open Mind & a Love for Truth.

We must strive to learn truth and obey it regardless of the consequences. Seek it even if it disagrees with what we have believed in the past and requires us to change.

Acts 17:11 - The Bereans were also noble because they received the word with readiness of mind - minds open to truth.

Matthew 5:6 - Hunger and thirst after righteousness.

Matthew 13:14,15 - Some misunderstand truth because they close their hearts, eyes, and ears. They enjoy practices or have prejudices contrary to what God teaches. They have motives for rejecting Bible teaching, so they satisfy their own minds that it is not true.

If we do not have a burning desire for truth, God will not force us to accept the truth. He will let us be lost (cf. 2 Thess. 2:10-12; 2 Tim. 4:2-4; John 3:19-21).

(See also 2 Cor. 13:5; 1 Thess. 5:21,22; Prov. 18:13; 23:23; 15:10; Luke 8:15; 1 Sam. 3:9,10.)

C. Respect the Bible as Being Verbally & Infallibly Inspired.

If a person doubts that the Bible is God's infallible word, he is much more likely to disagree or reject it.

The Bible is from God.

2 Timothy 3:16,17 - All scripture is inspired by God to teach us and provide us to all good works.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 - It is the word of God not of men (cf. Gal. 1:11,12).

1 Corinthians 14:37 - Paul wrote the commands of the Lord. To reject any command is to reject the will of God.

(See also Eph. 3:3-5; Luke 10:16; 2 Peter 1:20,21.)

The Bible is verbally inspired.

Some people believe that God just gave the inspired men ideas, then let them explain them as they saw fit. This belief leaves room for error in the way the men expressed the ideas. "Verbal" inspiration means that every word written by the inspired writers was exactly the word God wanted.

1 Corinthians 2:10-13 - The Spirit guided men so they received, not just the ideas from God, but also the words from God.

Deuteronomy 18:18,19 - God put His words in the prophet's mouth, so the prophet spoke (or wrote) the very words chosen by God Himself.

God gave the inspired men the very words they used to express the inspired ideas.

(See 1 Cor. 2:3-5; Matt. 10:19,20; 2 Sam. 23:1,2; Ex. 24:3,4,7; Isa. 51:l6; Jer. 1:5-9.)

The Bible is infallible

The message of the inspired writers cannot possibly be wrong because God does not make mistakes.

Psalm 119:128 - God's word is always true and right.

Titus 1:2 - God cannot lie or be wrong.

Matthew 22:32; Galatians 3:16 - The Scriptures are so accurate that we can rely even on the tense of the verbs and the plurality or singularity of words.

We should approach the Bible with faith that every word is exactly right and true, otherwise we may reject its teaching.

(Cf. John 17:17; Psalm 33:4; 19:8; 147:4,5; Rom. 3:4; Job 37:16; Num. 23:19; Heb. 6:18; Deut. 18:20-22).

D. Believe that the Bible Can Be Understood.

Some believe that the Bible can be understood only by specially-trained preachers or priests, but not by the average person. As a result, they approach the Bible convinced they will never understand it, they put forth only a half-hearted effort, and of course they do not understand.

Mark 12:37; Acts 17:11 - Inspired teachings were addressed to the common people, not to some special elite group. (See also Gal. 1:2; 1 Thess. 1:1; 5:27; 2 Peter 1:1; Rev. 1:4.)

Mark 7:14 - Jesus required everyone among the great crowds of people to understand His teaching.

2 Timothy 3:16,17 - The Scriptures are profitable to teach and provide to all good works. What profit would they be if we could not understand?

People were expected to understand the written word (Eph. 5:17). Instead of just accepting whatever preachers say, people should use the scriptures to check out the teachers (Acts 11:17).

(See also 1 Cor. 14:33; Eph. 3:3-5; Isa. 55:11; 35:8; John 20:30,31; 8:32; Prov. 2:1-12; Psalm 19:7ff; 119:105; Col. 1:9-11; 2 Peter 3:15,16.)

Bible Study about Jesus!

Why Should You Believe in God,
Jesus, and the Bible? - Part 1

Jesus Is Lord - Lesson #1

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Introduction:

Have you ever wondered whether God exists, whether Jesus really is God's Son, or whether the Bible is really true? If not, you are an unusual person. All people ask these questions at times. The purpose of this study is to examine the evidence for some of the most basic claims of the Bible.

What Claims Does the Bible Make?

1. The Bible claims that God does exist.

>>> Read HEBREWS 11:6. <<<

*1* To please God, what must we believe? (a) whatever our parents taught us, (b) whatever our preacher says, (c) that God exists and rewards those who diligently seek Him. Answer (type the letter of the coreect answer in the blank): ______.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen. 1:1).

2. The Bible claims to be an infallible revelation of God's will.

>>> Read 2 TIMOTHY 3:16,17. <<<

*2* Where did the Scriptures come from? (a) they are inspired by God, (b) they express the opinions of men, (c) they are ancient legends of unknown origin. Answer: ______.

"...The things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord" (1 Corinthians 14:37). [See Eph. 3:3-5; 2 Pet. 1:21; 1 Thess. 2:13.]

3. The Bible claims that Jesus is God's Son.

>>> Read JOHN 20:26-31. <<<

*3&4* What did Thomas call Jesus? Answer (type the correct word[s] in each blank): My ______ and my ______.

*5&6* What must we believe in order to have eternal life? Answer: Jesus is the ______, the Son of ______.

"...we have heard for ourselves and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world" (John 4:42). [See also John 8:24; Luke 19:10; Matt. 16:15-18; 10:37; John 1:1,14.]

Note: these claims do not permit compromise. We cannot say, "The Bible is just a good book," or "Jesus was just a great man." The Bible claims it is God's word, and Jesus claimed to be God in the flesh. If these claims are not true, then Jesus is a liar and the Bible is a fraud!

What Kind of Evidence Will We Study?

God the Father is invisible (1 John 4:12). We cannot perform laboratory experiments to determine if He exists, but this does not mean we must accept "blind faith" without evidence. Jesus claimed to be God in the flesh. His life can be investigated like any other historical fact. Likewise, many other claims of the Bible can be investigated by logical and historical evidence.

In our daily lives, all of us determine our beliefs on the basis of this kind of evidence. For example, a hunter may not see an animal, but from its footprints he knows it exists and he knows much about its nature. In the same way, God has left "footprints on the sands of time."

A judge and jury do not physically observe a crime, yet they reach a verdict about what happened by the testimony of witnesses.

>>> Read ACTS 14:17. <<<

*7* God did not leave Himself without what? (a) people, (b) witness, (c) time, (d) money. Answer: ______.

Let us call God's "witnesses," and you be the judge. Weigh the testimony honestly, then reach a verdict (Rom. 10:17), but remember that you are not determining the guilt or innocence of someone else. Rather, your verdict will determine your own eternal destiny!

---

Witness #1: The Existence of the Universe

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No one can deny the existence of the universe. The question is: what is the origin of the universe?

Only two explanations are available: (1) there is an all-wise, all-powerful God who created it; or (2) matter is eternal and, beginning from an original simple life form, all living things developed gradually over millions of years by process of evolution. Consider which of these two views best fits the evidence.

A. Life Comes Only from Life.

>>> Read ACTS 17:24-28. <<<

*8* What does this verse say is the origin of life? (a) life on earth has always existed, (b) an unplanned accident of nature produced the first primitive life by spontaneous generation in an ancient swamp, (c) life on earth was created by a living, wise, powerful God. Answer: ______.

One of the most firmly established laws of science is the Law of Biogenesis, which says that life comes only from living things. There is no evidence that dead matter can spontaneously generate life.

The Bible agrees with scientific fact, for it says that life came from the eternal, living Creator (cf. Acts 14:15). However, evolution contradicts scientific proof, since it requires that dead matter sometime spontaneously came to life. Which view best fits the evidence?

B. Living Things Reproduce after Their Own Kind.

>>> Read GENESIS 1:11,21,24,25. <<<

*9* What kind of offspring do living things have? (a) the same kind as the parents, (b) with enough time, entirely different things may evolve, (c) you never know. Answer: ______.

Every year millions of living things reproduce, and the offspring is always the same kind as the parent. This is exactly what the Bible says. The offspring of dogs will be other dogs, not fish, birds, or people!

Evolution, however, teaches that all the present kinds are the offspring of previous different kinds, all the way back to one original life-form. But there is no convincing evidence for this. Living things adapt to their environment, but where is the proof that they produce totally different kinds of living things (fish to reptile to bird, etc.)?

If evolution was true, there should be many fossils of intermediate "links" between present kinds of living things. However, the "links" are still missing!

C. The Human Race Is Unique.

>>> Read GENESIS 1:26-28. <<<

*10* Man is created in whose image? Answer: In the image of ______.

*11* Man has dominion over what? (a) fish, (b) birds, (c) animals, (d) earth, (e) all the preceding. Answer: ______.

Simple observation shows that man is far above the animals.

Only man has rational intelligence. What animal uses abstract symbols (letters and numbers) to speak, write, or do mathematical calculations? What animal invents new tools and machines, trains animals, uses fire, or records wisdom to pass on to future generations?

Among animals there are many shades of intelligence. If man evolved from animals, why are there no animals with shades of intelligence right up to ours, instead of so vast a gulf?

Only man creates new beauty to appreciate in the form of music, art, poetry, humor, etc.

Only man has a conscience and sense of religious values. What animal by nature feels a sense of guilt or seeks to find and worship the cause of its existence?

If man evolved from animals, how do we explain these vast differences? If we develop new characteristics according to "survival of the fittest," how does appreciation of art, etc., make us more fit to survive?

The Bible, however, easily explains all these differences. Man shares these characteristics in common, not with the animals, but with God in whose image we were made.

D. Design Must Come from a Designer.

>>> Read ROMANS 1:20. <<<

*12* How can we see the power and Deity (Godhead) of God? Answer: We see them by the things God ______.

>>> Read PSALMS 19:1. <<<

*13* What do the heavens declare? Answer: The heavens declare the ______ of God.

Intelligent beings can recognize the work of another intelligent being.

When an intelligent being designs something to accomplish some purpose, that thing bears the marks of intelligence - it is intelligible. Other intelligent beings can study how it works, etc. Even if we have never met the maker, we know he must exist and we can appreciate the degree of his intelligence.

To confirm this concept to yourself, take this test. Try to name one thing that has these characteristics: (1) It appeals to your intelligence - it "makes sense" as a logical, reasonable way to accomplish some purpose. But, (2) you know it did not originate as the effort of some intelligent being - it "just happened" by blind chance. Can you name any such thing? A car? house? bridge?

The universe bears countless marks of being designed by an intelligent Being.

Cameras are designed by intelligent beings, but no camera can match the overall performance of the human eye. Where did your eyes come from?

Computers are made by intelligent beings, but the human brain can surpass computers in many ways. Where did your brain come from?

Factories are made by intelligent beings to manufacture a product. But who made the human reproductive system?

>>> Read HEBREWS 3:4. <<<

*14* As a house must have a maker, who ultimately built all things? Answer: The ultimate maker of all things is ______.

When you consider all the organs of the human body, then all the other plants and animals, the heavenly bodies, and all the complex laws of nature, is it reasonable to argue that all this came without intelligent planning?

Science is founded on the conviction that the universe is intelligible - it is so orderly and systematic that the human intelligence is able to grasp much about its working. Doesn't this, of itself, prove that an intelligent Being invented it? And doesn't the fact that much of its working is beyond our ability to understand and to duplicate, prove that the intelligent Being who made it is far superior to us?

Every effect must have an adequate cause! Evolution says that life began by blind chance and then random mutations produced all advanced life forms. The Bible, however, says that the all-wise, all-powerful, living God intentionally planned and created the universe and all the life forms in it. As you reach your verdict, you must determine which view is more reasonable and best fits the evidence.

How Will Jesus Come ?

1. Will Jesus come in secret?

“See, I [Jesus] have told you ahead of time. So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. FOR AS LIGHTNING that comes from the east IS VISIBLE even in the west, SO WILL BE THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN.”
—Matthew 24:25-27.

Lightning flashes out very visibly for great distances. The coming of Jesus will not be some secret or subjective event. So Jesus warns us not to let anyone mislead us with claims that He will return in some hidden manner to a select few.

2. Will Jesus come again as a real person?

“They [Jesus’ followers] were looking intently up into the sky as he [Jesus] was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? THIS SAME JESUS, who has been TAKEN from you INTO HEAVEN, WILL COME BACK IN THE SAME WAY you have seen him go into heaven.’”
—Acts 1:10-11.

Jesus will return in person. On the day of His departure from our world the angels assured the disciples that the “same Jesus” taken up into heaven—not someone else—would come back.

The Christ who appears as King of kings will be the same Jesus who healed the sick and opened the eyes of the blind. The same Jesus who spoke gently to the woman taken in adultery. The same Jesus who wiped away mourner’s tears and welcomed children into His lap. The same Jesus who died on Calvary’s cross, rested in the grave, and rose from the dead the third day.

Healing Verses Of The Bible !

1. "And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3:29)
   
2. "If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you." (Exodus 15:26)
   
3. "And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you." (Deuteronomy 7:15)
   
4. "So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days." (Exodus 23:25)
   
5. "He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions." (Psalm 107:20)
   
6. "He also brought them out with silver and gold, and there was none feeble among His tribes." (Psalm 105:37)
   
7. "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases ..." (Psalm 103:2)
   
8. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken." (Psalm 34:19)
   
9. "For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds," says the Lord. (Jeremiah 30:17)
   
10. "O Lord my God, I cried out to You, and You have healed me." (Psalm 30:2)
    
11. "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds ... Great is our Lord, and mighty in power ..." (Psalm 147:3)
    
12. "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)
    
13. "But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing." (Psalm 34:10)
    
14. "For the Lord is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly." (Psalm 84:11)
    
15. "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)

We Saved By Jesus Christ !

We Are Saved by "Grace" Through Faith in Jesus Christ

These first 16 verses all have to do with our own personal salvation in the Lord. Each one of these are major power verses and they all have to do with the first definition of grace - which is that grace is the unmerited favor and mercy of God towards mankind.

In these verses are complete and full revelation on exactly what our eternal salvation in the Lord is really all about. If you can grasp what the Lord is trying to tell you in these specific verses, you will then be able to walk away with a much better and much clearer understanding as to who you really are in your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and exactly how you were saved in the first place.

I'll go ahead and run all of these verses together and then point out key words and key phrases in these verses so you can see exactly what God is trying to show you.

1. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone boast." (Ephesians 2:8)
   
2. "... who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began." (2 Timothy 1:9)
   
3. "And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work." (Romans 11:6)
   
4. "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:1-2)
   
5. "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men ..." (Titus 2:11)
   
6. "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they." (Acts 15:11)
   
7. "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-7)
   
8. "... that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (Titus 3:7)
   
9. "... for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus ..." (Romans 3:23-24)
   
10. "For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (John 1:17)
    
11. "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace ..." (2 Thessalonians 2:16)
    
12. "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence ..." (Ephesians 1:7-8)
    
13. "For if by the one man's offense, many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many." (Romans 5:15)
    
14. "... having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved." (Ephesians 1:6)
    
15. "But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 5:20)
    
16. "I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain." (Galatians 2:21)

God Will Support us-Bible Study !

If God is willing to enter you into His perfect plan for your life, if God is willing to anoint you with His power in order that you can become very successful in that call, and if God is willing to protect you and support you as you embark on that call - but then you refuse to follow the leadings of His Holy Spirit on a daily basis - then sooner or later God will pull back His anointing, His support and His protection on your life - and you will then end up falling all the way down to the bottom of the mountain, possibly never getting another chance to climb that mountain again.

Just as a car needs all four of the above factors in operation in order to be able to drive you and get you to where you want to go with it, in the same way we have to have all of God's guidance, protection, support and power flowing through our lives if we are ever going to be able to leave any kind of personal mark in this world in the divine assignments that He will be calling us to do for Him in this life.

Here are 20 very powerful verses showing us the extreme importance that we learn how to be led by the Lord through the Holy Spirit on a regular-daily basis.

1. "For as many are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God." (Romans 8:14)
   
2. "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord ..." (Psalm 37:23)
   
3. "O Lord, I know the way of a man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps." (Jeremiah 10:23)
   
4. "There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death." (Proverbs 14:12)
   
5. "A man's steps are of the Lord. How then can a man understand his own way?" (Proverbs 20:24)
   
6. "A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps." (Proverbs 16:9)
   
7. "Direct my steps by Your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me." (Psalm 119:133)
   
8. "Therefore be followers of God as dear children." (Ephesians 5:1)
   
9. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me." (John 10:27)
   
10. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." (Proverbs 3:5)
    
11. "The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." (Psalm 23:1)
    
12. Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, who leads you by the way you should go." (Isaiah 48:17)
    
13. "Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation ..." (Psalm 25:4)
    
14. "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye." (Psalm 32:8)
    
15. "Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies." (Psalm 27:11)
    
16. "The Lord will guide you continually ..." (Isaiah 58:11)
    
17. "For this is God, our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even to death." (Psalm 48:14)
    
18. "Moreover You led them by day with a cloudy pillar, and by night with a pillar of fire, to give them light on the road which they should travel." (Nehemiah 9:12)
    
19. "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way ..." (Isaiah 53:6)
    
20. "Therefore you shall be careful to do as the Lord Your God has commanded you; You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left." (Deuteronomy 5:32)

Notice that in every single one of these verses that we are to follow directly after the Lord and His desires for our life. We are not to follow after our own wills, our own desires, or the wills or desires of anyone else in this life. God, and God alone, is the Captain of our ship and the Shepherd of our souls. We are to follow Him and Him alone, no matter how much someone else may try and persuade you otherwise.

Follow God and the path that He has set up for you to follow in this life, and you will enter into true abundant life on this earth. Follow your own path or the paths of what others will want you to take, and your life will eventually end in corruption and death.

Bible Study about God Creation

1.In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.
8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.
11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

Bible Sayings On Valentine's Day !

First of all, God created "love". I John 4:9,10 Love explains
1) why God creates – because He loves, He creates people to love
2) why God cares – because He loves them, He cares for sinful people
3) why we are free to receive and reject – because He wants a loving response from us;
4) why Christ died – His love for us caused Him to seek a solution to the problem of sin; and
5) why we receive eternal life – His love expresses itself to us FOREVER. "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten (unique) Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the satisfaction for our sins."

Labor Day Quotes from Bible

Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.Bible - Proverbs 16:3

Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life,
which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.- Bible - John 6:27

Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron.- Dwight Eisenhower 1953 speech
But if I live in the flesh,this is the fruit of my labor:yet what I shall choose I will not.- Philippians 1:22

“Come to Me,all you who labor and are heavy laden,and I will give you rest.- Bible - Matthew 11:28

Bible study about Bible version

Background

The Old Testament (OT) of the Bible was originally written in the Hebrew language with a few sections written in the Aramaic language. The OT contains the sacred writings of the Hebrews and contains books of the Law, history of Israel, wisdom, and prophecy. The events of the OT (excluding Genesis 1-11) occurred roughly between 1800 B.C. and 400 B.C. A Greek translation of the OT, called the Septuagint, was produced between 200 and 100 B.C. for the benefit of Greek-speaking Jews in Alexandria, Egypt.

The Apocrypha, a group of fifteen late OT books, was written during the period 170 B.C. to 70 A.D. These Jewish books were included in many versions of the Septuagint in circulation as the New Testament (NT) was being formed, but they were excluded from the official canon of Judaism, established about 100 A.D. Today, the books of the Apocrypha are included in Catholic versions of the OT, but not in most Protestant versions.

The people of first century Palestine, including Jesus, spoke the Aramaic language. However, early Christian writings were written entirely in Greek, the universal language of the Roman Empire at that time. The early church leaders gradually assembled these writings into what is now known as the New Testament. They included books they believed were written by eyewitnesses to the events narrated, while rejecting many other early Christian writings. Eventually, the 27 books which form the present New Testament, along with the OT books, became the Christian Bible as we know it today. The New Testament canon was formally adopted by the Synod of Carthage in 397 A.D.

During the early centuries A.D., Latin replaced Greek as the language of the Roman Empire. In 405, a Latin translation of the Old and New Testaments was completed. This version, known as the Vulgate, became the standard Bible of Christianity for many centuries.

None of the original manuscripts of the OT or NT still exist. Until the 15th century, when printing was invented, Bible copies were made entirely by hand. As a result, many small variations are found among the many ancient Bible manuscripts still in existence.

The King James Version

The first English language version of the full Bible was John Wycliffe's translation of the Vulgate in 1384. Several other English versions followed, and the beloved King James version was published in 1611. The King James Version, itself, has been updated several times: in 1629, 1638, 1762, and 1769.

The team of 47 scholars who translated the KJV version did an excellent job. However, the English language has changed a lot in the nearly 400 years since it was published. Many KJV words and phrases, such as Lord of hosts, sabaoth, emerods and concupiscence, would not be meaningful to to most people today. Worse, many other KJV words, such as charity, trespass, profit, cousin, and remission, have different primary meanings today than they did in 1611 and could mislead the reader. As a result, many English-speaking people find the KJV is quite difficult to read and understand.

Some people believe the KJV is the most accurate or only authentic version of the Bible. Some believe the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts the KJV translators worked from were faithfully preserved by God or are the most accurate for some other reason. Others say the translators of all later versions were biased or incompetent in one way or another. Still others say the KJV is a literal and accurate translation while later versions were rewritten to suit the biases of the publishers. However, the vast majority of Bible scholars and Christians reject all these objections as being based on faulty facts and reasoning, and they do not consider the KJV to be more accurate or more sacred than other translations.

Modern Bible Versions

Recent developments in archaeology and Biblical scholarship have made possible a number of modern, more accurate English translations of the scriptures. These newer versions are translated from the best available ancient Hebrew and Greek manuscripts, rather than from the King James version or the Latin Vulgate.

Although the newer translations are believed to be more accurate than the KJV, the differences are minor. No significant changes of belief or interpretation would result from the many minor corrections. The main advantage of the modern translations is that they are written in modern English so the reader will not be mystified or misled by the archaic English of the KJV. The mainstream modern Bible versions have been translated by teams of devout Bible scholars who have prayerfully done their very best to convey the true meaning of the ancient Hebrew and Greek manuscripts to the modern reader. These modern translations have been adopted by many churches, both Protestant and Catholic, for use in worship.

It is often pointed out that modern translations omit a few of the verses found in the KJV, and this is sometimes believed to be an attempt to distort the Bible's teachings. However, the reason is that certain verses are not found in the oldest and best Bible manuscripts. Thus, they are omitted to accurately preserve the original Bible text. (The chapter and verse numbers were added to the Bible in the Middle Ages; they were not part of the original Bible manuscripts. Thus, an omitted verse does not mean that something was omitted from the original texts.)

Some of these extra verses were added to certain manuscript copies as margin notes or as prayers for use in public worship. Those manuscripts were then copied and recopied without making it clear that the extra verses were later additions. The most famous example is the doxology, "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen." that the KJV adds to the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:13. That phrase is not found is any of the oldest manuscripts of Matthew.

Another objection to some modern versions, such as the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) and Today's New International Version (TNIV), is the use of gender-inclusive language. The issue arises because English lacks a common gender third person singular pronoun. Language that applies equally to men and women in the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts has traditionally been translated as "he" or "him" in English Bibles. However, that can leave the mistaken impression that a verse applies only to men. Such verses have been phrased in some modern translations to accurately convey the gender-inclusive sense of the original manuscripts. The KJV translates John 13:20 as, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me." The NRSV changes the "he" to "whoever" to show that the original text applied equally to men and women, but the "him" that applies to God is left as masculine: "Very truly, I tell you, whoever receives one whom I send receives me; and whoever receives me receives him who sent me."

It is also traditional in English to use masculine gender as a generic form to include both sexes. So, Romans 3:28 has traditionally been translated into English as "a man is justified by faith." However, the original Greek word, anthropos, means "human being" and applies equally to both sexes. So, the NRSV and TNIV have translated this verse as "a person is justified by faith" to accurately reflect the inclusive nature of the original Greek word.

Publishers of gender-inclusive Bibles are quick to point out that these are not "politically correct" or "feminist" Bibles. They have used gender-inclusive language only where it would have been understood that way in the original Hebrew and Greek languages.

Here is a list of some excellent modern translations, in alphabetical order:

The New American Bible, published in 1970, is the Catholic version of the Bible written in very modern English. The books of the Apocrypha are incorporated into the Old Testament of Catholic Bibles. Otherwise, this translation does not differ significantly from modern Protestant Bibles.

The New American Standard Bible, published in 1971, is a scholarly update of the 1901 American Standard Version. Sponsored by the Lockman Foundation, the translators used the best available Greek and Hebrew texts as a guide.

The New International Version of the Bible, a completely new translation of ancient Greek and Hebrew texts sponsored by the New York International Bible Society, was published in 1978. Its clear, direct modern English makes it easy to read and understand.

The New King James Version was published in 1982. The translators worked from the earliest and most trustworthy Hebrew and Greek texts available and also used the 1769 King James revision as a general guide to preserve much of the majestic style of the original King James Version.

The New Revised Standard Version Bible, published by The National Council of Churches in 1989, is an update of the highly regarded Revised Standard Version of 1952. The language is very modern, but the style is more traditional than the NIV.

The Revised English Bible is a British edition published by Oxford University Press in 1989. The translators have written in a style suitable for use in worship, while maintaining intelligibility for people of a wide range of ages and backgrounds.

In addition to the translations above, there are a number of paraphrased Bible versions which were translated "thought-by-thought" instead of word-by-word. The translators have written in a style that is thoroughly modern and these Bibles are suitable for all ages and very easy to understand. By nature, though, these paraphrased versions involve some interpretation that is subject to debate:

The Living Bible, published in 1971, is a popular paraphrased version written by Kenneth N. Taylor, who began this version to help his own children understand the New Testament Letters of Paul.

The New Living Translation, published in 1996, is a thought-by-thought translation by 90 Bible scholars from various theological backgrounds and denominations. It is similar to The Living Bible, but the language is more traditional.

Bible study about women's rights

Genesis
Most of the Bible's teachings about women are based upon the foundation laid in Genesis. It doesn't matter whether we interpret the creation story in Genesis literally or figuratively; God's intentions for men and women are spelled out clearly.

God created the woman as a "helper" for the man:

The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." (NIV, Genesis 2:18)

However, being a "helper" does not imply that the woman was inferior or subservient to the man; the same Hebrew word, `ezer, translated as "helper," is used to describe God, Himself, in Psalms 33:20, 70:5, 115:9-11. In fact, God created both men and women in His own image and made them equal custodians of all His creation:

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." (NRSV, Genesis 2:27-28)

When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them "man." (NIV, Genesis 5:1-2)

But the man and woman, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden. God gave each of them punishments before evicting them from the Garden:

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." (NIV, Genesis 3:16-19)

It is not clear in what sense the husband was to rule over his wife, and this been the subject of much debate. Regardless of how Eve's punishment was originally intended, this passage is key to understanding later Biblical teachings about women. The punishments on both Adam and Eve were clearly imposed by God Himself; God did not reduce women to inferior status, nor did He command men to rule harshly over their wives. However, in the course of history, it has sometimes been thought that God's punishment of Eve was justification for degradation and subjugation of women.


Old Testament era
Compared to other cultures of the time, Jewish women enjoyed great liberty and esteem, and many women distinguished themselves as prophetesses and leaders in Jewish society. Women such as Deborah, Esther, Hannah, Huldah, Jochebed, Miriam, Noadiah, Rachel, Rebekah, Rahab, Ruth and Sarah played important and decisive roles in Israel's history.

As evidence of the equality of men and women, the Ten Commandments require children to honor both their father and mother:

"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you. (NAS, Exodus 20:12)

New Testament

By the time of Jesus, women no longer had the freedoms and status they had enjoyed in the Old Testament era. Jewish society had become very much male-dominated. Women were considered to be inferior beings and were assigned almost the same status as slaves. They were not educated, not allowed to take any leadership roles, and confined to mostly domestic duties.


Mary and Elizabeth
But two women of this time became models of faithfulness and virtue. Mary, the mother of Jesus, put aside her fears, doubts and shame to take on the role of mother of the Messiah. She simply placed her whole trust in God (Luke 1:26-38). Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, also put her faith in God (Luke 1:39-45).


Jesus
Jesus' attitude toward women was radically different from what was customary at the time. Women normally stayed home and attended to domestic duties. But Jesus allowed women to travel with Him and His twelve disciples (Luke 8:1-3).

"Proper" Jews did not speak to Samaritans, and certainly not to Samaritan women. But Jesus had a long conversation with a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well that led to her conversion (John 4:4-30, 39-42).

Jewish women were generally not educated or allowed any active role in the affairs of religion. But Martha's sister, Mary, sat at Jesus' feet in the role of a disciple while Jesus taught her. Jesus suggested that Martha do the same (Luke 10:38-42).

Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, Salome, Joanna, Susanna and other women were prominent among Jesus' devoted followers. Some remained with Jesus to comfort Him at His crucifixion when all His apostles had fled in terror (Matthew 27:55-56, Mark 15:40-41). Mary Magdalene and other women were privileged to be the first to discover that Jesus had risen from the dead (Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16:1-7; Luke 24:1-11).

It is frequently pointed out that Jesus appointed only men as His twelve apostles, and this is taken as a sign of women's secondary status. But Jesus sent His apostles out to spread the gospel to the world, seeking food and shelter where they could find it, facing great danger and ultimately martyrdom. That would not have been considered an appropriate role for a woman in Biblical times just as it would not be considered appropriate today.


The early Christian Church
The early churches apparently followed Jesus' example. Women were treated as at least near-equals and allowed to hold positions of responsibility. Many women, including Jesus' mother, Mary, as well as Dorcas, Julia, Lydia, Persis, Priscilla, Phoebe, Tryphena and Tryphosa were important in the early Christian Church (Acts 1:12-14, 9:36, 16:14, 18:24-26, 21:7-9, Romans 16:1-16).


The Apostle Paul
Paul affirmed the equality of all Christians. There was no difference based on birth, status or gender. All had the same privileges and blessings as children of God.

You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (NIV, Galatians 3:26-29)

But Paul also affirmed the Biblical teachings dating back to Genesis that men were the leaders and authorities in the family. He also said women should continue to observe the custom of wearing a veil in public:

But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the husband is the head of his wife, and God is the head of Christ. Any man who prays or prophesies with something on his head disgraces his head, but any woman who prays or prophesies with her head unveiled disgraces her head--it is one and the same thing as having her head shaved. For if a woman will not veil herself, then she should cut off her hair; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or to be shaved, she should wear a veil. For a man ought not to have his head veiled, since he is the image and reflection of God; but woman is the reflection of man. Indeed, man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for the sake of woman, but woman for the sake of man. For this reason a woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. (NRSV, 1 Corinthians 11:3-10)

Paul also wrote this paragraph which seems to contradict some of his other teachings:

As in all the churches of the saints, women should be silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be subordinate, as the law also says. If there is anything they desire to know, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. (NRSV, 1 Corinthians 14:33-35)

We know from 1 Corinthians 11:5 that women were allowed to pray and prophesy. We also know that many women were prominent in the churches and that Paul approved and encouraged them. Chapter 14 of 1 Corinthians talks about the various abuses and disruptive activities of some church members, so this passage is probably directed at a specific problem that had occurred in the church at Corinth. We don't know exactly what that problem was, but perhaps some women had been disrupting church services by talking or asking inappropriate questions.

The following passage*, and the similar Colossians 3:18-19, also affirm the teaching from Genesis 3:16, at least as it was commonly understood at the time. But they also reject the harsh subjugation of women that was characteristic of society at that time. Husbands were to love their wives tenderly, not treat them as slaves:

Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, be subject to your husbands as you are to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife just as Christ is the head of the church, the body of which he is the Savior. Just as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives ought to be, in everything, to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, in order to make her holy by cleansing her with the washing of water by the word, so as to present the church to himself in splendor, without a spot or wrinkle or anything of the kind--yes, so that she may be holy and without blemish. In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they do their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hates his own body, but he nourishes and tenderly cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, because we are members of his body. (NRSV, Ephesians 5:21-30)


Background of New Testament teachings
Paul and other Christian leaders urged all Christians, not just women, to comply with the standards of the societies they lived in. There were several reasons:

1) Christians are new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) and should focus their lives on spiritual things rather than worldly things. The evils and injustices of the world are of little importance when compared to things of the spirit:

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. (NIV, Colossians 3:1-2)

But this does not in any way excuse those who live wicked lives. Those who live lives of holiness and purity will receive their reward in heaven, and the wicked and the oppressors will receive their punishment in hell (Luke 12:4-5, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, Colossians 3:22-25).

2) Humility is an important theme throughout the New Testament; suffering for our faith in this life will bring great rewards in the life to come. Virtue comes from obedience to God, not from rebelling against society's norms (1 Peter 2:13-17). Thus, slaves should accept freedom if offered, but, if not, they should be obedient to their masters in all things (1 Corinthians 7:20-24, Colossians 3:22-24, 1 Peter 2:18-21). Similarly, women should not rebel against their lot in life, but rather set a good example for non-believers by their purity and reverence (1 Peter 3:1-6, Titus 2:4-5).

3) The young Christian communities in the Mediterranean area were already looked upon as hotbeds of dangerous heretics by the pagan majorities. The apostle Paul and other church leaders were very concerned about avoiding any appearance of scandal that would make a bad impression on the people they wanted to convert to Christianity (Titus 2:3-8, 1 Corinthians 14:22-24), or worse, that could be used to justify persecution of Christians.


The example of slavery
Slavery was a fact of life in Biblical times. Several New Testament passages urged slaves to accept their lot in life and be obedient to their masters. It was not because of any virtue in slavery (1 Corinthians 7:21-22), but because there was no hope of reform at that time in history, and slaves would receive the reward for their patience in heaven. Those Bible passages were often used to justify slavery in the U.S. and other countries. But today, the vast majority of Christians view slavery as a horrible evil, incompatible with the teachings of Christ, and do not believe God decreed that people should be enslaved.

The subjugation of women can be seen similarly. In fact, many of the passages urging women to be submissive are grouped with those urging slaves to obey their masters (Ephesians 5:22, 6:5-6, Colossians 3:18, 3:22, Titus 2:3-5, 2:9, 1 Peter 2:18, 3:1). Supporters of women's rights argue that the secondary status of women was not decreed by God for all time; like slavery, it was primarily a concession to the realities of Biblical-era society.

Conclusion

God created both men and women in His own image and made them equal custodians of all His creation. But, because of their disobedience, God punished Adam and Eve and evicted them from the Garden of Eden. Eve's punishment was to suffer pain in childbirth and be ruled over by her husband.

Jesus broke with tradition and treated women in a much more egalitarian way than was normal in the society of that time. The early Christian churches followed Jesus' lead and gave women much higher status and more privileges than was common in the rest of the world. But Paul and other Christian leaders continued to affirm the principle of a husband's family leadership and authority over his wife.

Christians disagree over whether this principle should apply in the modern world. Is the man's authority over his wife and family a great spiritual principle decreed by God for all time, or is it just a reflection of the realities of Biblical-era culture? Today, many Christians believe women should enjoy all the same rights and privileges as men. Other Christians, however, continue to advocate a secondary role for women based on Genesis 3:16 and other Bible passages

Bible study about alcohol

Both beer and wine were known in Biblical times. Wine was made from pomegranates, dates, honey and apples as well as from grapes. There was no technology available to preserve raw fruit juice at harvest time, so it was always fermented. After fermentation, wine was placed in wineskins for preservation. The Bible makes it clear that these fermented beverages were intoxicating (Genesis 9:21; Isaiah 29:9; Jeremiah 25:27). However, they may not have been as potent as modern beers and wines.

Wine had many uses in the Bible:

* Wine was a common beverage and part of the daily fare in Palestine (Judges 19:19, 2 Chronicles 11:11), including by Jesus (Matthew 11:19, Luke 5:38-39, Luke 7:34)
* Wine was a gift from God to gladden men's hearts (Genesis 27:28, Psalms 104:14-15).
* Wine was used at weddings and celebrations (John 2:1-3).
* Wine was used in worship (Exodus 29:40, Leviticus 23:13, Numbers 15:5).
* Wine was used in trade and for payment of debts (2 Chronicles 2:10, Ezekiel 27:18, Amos 2:8)
* Wine was used as a medicine (2 Samuel 16:2, Proverbs 31:6, Mark 15:23, Luke 10:34, 1 Timothy 5:23)

There is nothing in either the Old or New Testament that opposes the moderate use of alcoholic beverages; they were a staple of everyday life.

On the other hand, there is no commandment in the Bible that we must drink, and many individuals and groups abstained from alcohol (Numbers 6:2-4, Daniel 1:8, Jeremiah 35:1-7, Luke 1:13-15). The apostle Paul warned against using the freedom to drink, or any similar freedom, in a way that would be offensive to others or cause them to stumble into sin (Romans 14:19-22).

Although moderate use of alcohol is approved in the Bible, drunkenness is strongly opposed in both the Old and New Testaments:

Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, And whoever is intoxicated by it is not wise. (NASU, Proverbs 20:1)

Woe to those who rise early in the morning that they may pursue strong drink, Who stay up late in the evening that wine may inflame them! Their banquets are accompanied by lyre and harp, by tambourine and flute, and by wine; But they do not pay attention to the deeds of the LORD, Nor do they consider the work of His hands. (NASU, Isaiah 5:11-12)

"Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap. (NIV, Luke 21:34)

Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. (NASU, Romans 13:13)

Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you. (NLT, Ephesians 5:18)

Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (NRSV, Galatians 5:19-21)

Many Christian churches approve of moderate and responsible use of alcoholic beverages. However, alcohol is a drug with great potential for abuse and addiction, and some denominations (e.g., Southern Baptist and United Methodist) oppose all use of alcohol.