Bible Analysis

Bible is confusing if you don't use the key or rules to use it!









RULE OF INTERPRETATION

By Ben M. Bogard




From his study of the Scriptures, we have learned the rule of interpretation. This rule applied is a key to the Scriptures that ever fails to unlock every passage, however mysterious and uncertain it may be. Insert the key and open the door. Here it is:

Always use the following:




1. Who is speaking?




2. To whom is he speaking?




3. About what is he speaking?




4. When was he speaking?








Who is speaking?






Who is speaking? Sometimes it is God speaking. Sometimes it is the devil speaking, for the words of the devil are quoted a number of times. Sometimes the Pharisees or Sadducees are speaking and generally they will be against the truth. Sometimes it is a well meaning uninspired man speaking. By carefully looking, you can determine who is speaking. If you fail to observe this rule you may find yourself using the words of the devil to prove your doctrine.






example:


Who is speaking? Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

Heb 1:8 But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. (God called the Son: God)





Mat 4:8,9 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.






To whom is he speaking?






To whom is he speaking? The words may bespoken to a church and apply only to a church. They may be spoken to some individual and do not apply to anyone else. The words may be spoken to sinners and to no one else. To fail to observe this rule means you will be badly confused.






Gen 6:13-16: "And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it."






About what is he speaking?






What is the subject being discussed, or about what is he speaking? The Bible is not all on one subject but many subjects are discussed. Look to see what the writer is talking about. Yo cannot talk or write intelligently unless you are talking or writing about something. this is true with Bible writers. The forty men who, under inspiration, wrote the Bible, discussed many different subjects.










When was he speaking?






When was it spoken or written What was said or written might be for only a specific time. For instance, the Bible says they told that "his disciples stole" His body and that this is "commonly reported up until this day." That, evidently, means that it was reported up until the time the writer was living. So it is with many passages. The time is important.






The Bible should be read with the same common sense that one uses to read a book or newspaper. Just let it say what it wants to say.













Prevent False Doctrines and opinions...Know your Bible




By: Ben M. Bogard 1868-1951







First President

Missionary Baptist Institute and Seminary

of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church

Little Rock, Arkansas














A DIVINE LIBRARY




Sixty-six Books





The Bible is not a book. It is a divine library of SIXTY-SIX books. The books are small pamphlets. Some are little leaflets, and they were written through a period of about fifteen hundred years. They were written by about forty different men. God revealed to these men what He wanted the world to know. They wrote as they were inspired to write. When God pleased, He inspired one man to write what we know as a book in the Bible, and then after a long period, He inspired another man to write another book. Sometimes the periods between the writing of these books were very long. For instance, there was a period of about four hundred years between the time the last book of the Old Testament and the first book of the New Testament was written a little at a time, and Paul tells us how.






"For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." (1Co 13:9,10 ).






Perfect Revelation









Thus, we learn that God gave His Word to us by installments, and, as He inspired men to write, they wrote as the were moved by the Holy Spirit. This was kept up until "that which is perfect" had come - the complete Bible, the perfect revelation from God, and then the installments stopped. There was no further need of inspired writers for the "perfect will of God" was complete when the last book in the Bible was written. James calls it the "perfect law of liberty."






But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. (James 1:25)






The Bible is a perfect revelation of God to the world, and we need nothing else for instruction.






DIVISIONS






In rightly dividing the Bible, we discover at once that there are two grand divisions, the Old Testament an the New Testament. It is surprising how many people do not know even this primary fact. But there it stands out very plainly before any student of the Bible.



There are subdivisions in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Lord Himself tells us what the divisions of the Old Testament are, and we should be careful to learn just exactly what these divisions are, for if we fail at this point, we shall be hopelessly confused in our understanding of the Scriptures.







Old Testament Divisions Stated by Jesus






Read Luke 24:44; " And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the LAW of Moses, and in the PROPHETS, and in the PSALMS, concerning me." Thus, the Lord very clearly divides the Old Testament into the Law of Moses, and the Prophets, and the Psalms, just three divisions. There are not four or five, nor six or seven divisions, as many writers on the subject teach, but there are only three, the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms.







When we read the books that have been written on this subject, we find all of them, without exception, ignore this statement of the Lord and they tell us that the Old Testament is divided into the Historical Books, the Moral Law, the Ceremonial Law, the Poetical Books, the Major Prophets, the Minor Prophets, and the Psalms, completely ignoring what the Master Teacher says. We should not insult he Lord by ignoring His teaching on the subject. There are three divisions, the Law, the Prophets, and the Psalms, if our Lord, the Master Teacher, know what He was talking about. The chart recognizes these three divisions, and for the best reasons refuses t recognize any other divisions.







New Testament Divisions


The New Testament falls naturally into three divisions, but we have no inspired statement that says so as we have for the Old Testament. The New Testament divisions are HISTORY, DOCTRINE, and PROPHECY. Mathew, Mark,Luke, John and the Acts are History. The epistles are Doctrine, and the book of Revelation is Prophecy. In the history division is some prophecy, but in the main, it is history. In the doctrine division there is some history and prophecy,but the main, it is doctrine. In the Revelation is some history and doctrine, but in the main, it is prophecy. I will not insist that these divisions must be observed because there is no inspired statement that forces us to it, but we will suggest that the New Testament naturally falls into three divisions. This observation is made because we should, above all things, be scriptural in our methods of Bible study.






INSPIRATION


Verbal Inspiration






The sixty-six books and all of the divisions - all parts of the Bible - were given by inspiration. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 claims inspiration for all the sacred writings and te Missionary Baptist Seminary teaches the full inspiration of the Bible. Every word in the Bible is what God wanted in, and that means verbal inspiration.






"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." ( 2Ti 3:16-17).






Verbal inspiration does not mean that the writers of the Bible were mere machines like typewriters. The words were not dictated word for word, as some think, but the writers were so controlled, so superintended as they wrote, that no error is found in the Bible. The writers used their own words, but they were superintended by the Spirit in such a manner that they wrote no error. This can be plainly seen by noticing how Matthew and Luke use different words as they give what is commonly called the Lord's Prayer (see Matthew 6th chapter and Luke 11th chapter). They were allowed by the Spirit to report what the Lord said in their own words, for certainly the Lord did not use two different sets of words, but while using their own words they gave exactly the same ideas. In their own words,both of the writers reported what the Lord said correctly. One did not the slightest degree contradict the other.






Matthew,Mark, Luke and John were witnesses and a witness must express himself in his own words, else he would not be a witness. When four witness of what they heard and saw and yet not a contradiction can be discovered in their reports, it shows that they were not dictated to; yet, every word they wrote is just the word that the Holy Spirit wished written.






To dictate to a witness what he shall say destroys the value of the witness. If an earthly court should discover that the very words which the witness used while on the witness stand had been dictated by some interested party, his testimony would be thrown out as false. A witness must be free to tell his story in his own words. This is evident in the witnessing of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. When we discover that there is not the slightest contradiction in what they say, it confirms the truthfulness of their testimony.






The superintendence of the Holy Spirit was such, that while the writers used their own words, if one should not have been strictly true, the Holy Spirit would have stayed his hand until he selected the word that would convey the exact truth. Thus, the result was that every word in the Bible is exactly what the Holy Spirit wanted to be in the Bible. The result is verbal inspiration, and yet it was not mechanical dictation. The variety of expression, the use of different words by the writers, gives beauty to the style and adds charm to the Bible, yet leaves us the fully inspired Word of God.






Proof of Inspiration






The inspiration of the Bible is proved by several methods. One is the fact that the forty writers who lived in different countries, and who wrote in different languages, did not contradict each other, but the writers were in perfect harmony. This would have been impossible if a Master Mind had not directed them as they wrote.






Another proof of inspiration is the fact that prophecy has been fulfilled to the letter. Things predicted thousands of years ago are being fulfilled, or have been fulfilled, right before our eyes.






Another proof of inspiration is that the Bible was written many hundreds of years before what we know as science, and the Bible writers had never seen a book on science. They had never studied under any science teachers, yet the Bible is in perfect harmony with every known fact discovered by science. The facts of science were known in the Bible long before the scientists discovered them. This cannot be explained except on the ground of the inspiration of the Bible. This does not mean that the guesses and working hypotheses of modern scientists are in harmony with the Bible, but it does mean that every established fact of science was in the Bible first.










Scientific Facts in the Bible

1. Only in recent years has science discovered that everything we see is composed of invisible atoms. Here, Scripture tells us that the "things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."


2. Medical science has only recently discovered that blood-clotting in a newborn reaches its peak on the eighth day, then drops. The Bible consistently says that a baby must be circumcised on the eighth day.


3. At a time when it was believed that the earth sat on a large animal or a giant (1500 B.C.), the Bible spoke of the earth’s free float in space: "He...hangs the earth upon nothing" (Job 26:7).


4. The prophet Isaiah also tells us that the earth is round: "It is he that sits upon the circle of the earth" (Isaiah 40:22). This is not a reference to a flat disk, as some skeptic maintain, but to a sphere. Secular man discovered this 2,400 years later. At a time when science believed that the earth was flat, is was the Scriptures that inspired Christopher Columbus to sail around the world (see Proverbs 3:6 footnote).


5. God told Job in 1500 B.C.: "Can you send lightnings, that they may go, and say to you, Here we are?" (Job 38:35). The Bible here is making what appears to be a scientifically ludicrous statement—that light can be sent, and then manifest itself in speech. But did you know that radio waves travel at the speed of light? This is why you can have instantaneous wireless communication with someone on the other side of the earth. Science didn’t discover this until 1864 when "British scientist James Clerk Maxwell suggested that electricity and light waves were two forms of the same thing" (Modern Century Illustrated Encyclopedia).


6. Job 38:19 asks, "Where is the way where light dwells?" Modern man has only recently discovered that light (electromagnetic radiation) has a "way," traveling at 186,000 miles per second.


7. Science has discovered that stars emit radio waves, which are received on earth as a high pitch. God mentioned this in Job 38:7: "When the morning stars sang together..."


8. "Most cosmologists (scientists who study the structures and evolution of the universe) agree that the Genesis account of creation, in imagining an initial void, may be uncannily close to the truth" (Time, Dec. 1976).


9. Solomon described a "cycle" of air currents two thousand years before scientists "discovered" them. "The wind goes toward the south, and turns about unto the north; it whirls about continually, and the wind returns again according to his circuits" (Ecclesiastes 1:6).


10. Science expresses the universe in five terms: time, space, matter, power, and motion. Genesis 1:1,2 revealed such truths to the Hebrews in 1450 B.C.: "In the beginning [time] God created [power] the heaven [space] and the earth [matter] . . . And the Spirit of God moved [motion] upon the face of the waters." The first thing God tells man is that He controls of all aspects of the universe.


11. The great biological truth concerning the importance of blood in our body’s mechanism has been fully comprehended only in recent years. Up until 120 years ago, sick people were "bled," and many died because of the practice. If you lose your blood, you lose your life. Yet Leviticus 17:11, written 3,000 years ago, declared that blood is the source of life: "For the life of the flesh is in the blood."


12. All things were made by Him (see John 1:3), including dinosaurs. Why then did the dinosaur disappear? The answer may be in Job 40:15–24. In this passage, God speaks about a great creature called "behemoth." Some commentators think this was a hippopotamus. However, the hippo’s tail isn’t like a large tree, but a small twig. Following are the characteristics of this huge animal: It was the largest of all the creatures God made; was plant-eating (herbivorous); had its strength in its hips and a tail like a large tree. It had very strong bones, lived among the trees, drank massive amounts of water, and was not disturbed by a raging river. He appears impervious to attack because his nose could pierce through snares, but Scripture says, "He that made him can make his sword to approach unto him." In other words, God caused this, the largest of all the creatures He had made, to become extinct.


13. Encyclopedia Britannica documents that in 1845, a young doctor in Vienna named Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis was horrified at the terrible death rate of women who gave birth in hospitals. As many as 30 percent died after giving birth. Semmelweis noted that doctors would examine the bodies of patients who died, then, without washing their hands, go straight to the next ward and examine expectant mothers. This was their normal practice, because the presence of microscopic diseases was unknown. Semmelweis insisted that doctors wash their hands before examinations, and the death rate immediately dropped to 2 percent. Look at the specific instructions God gave His people for when they encounter disease: "And when he that has an issue is cleansed of his issue; then he shall number to himself even days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean" (Leviticus 15:13). Until recent years, doctors washed their hands in a bowl of water, leaving invisible germs on their hands. However, the Bible says specifically to wash hands under "running water."


14. Luke 17:34–36 says the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will occur while some are asleep at night and others are working at daytime activities in the field. This is a clear indication of a revolving earth, with day and night at the same time.

15. "During the devastating Black Death of the fourteenth century, patients who were sick or dead were kept in the same rooms as the rest of the family. People often wondered why the disease was affecting so many people at one time. They attributed these epidemics to ‘bad air’ or ‘evil spirits.’ However, careful attention to the medical commands of God as revealed in Leviticus would have saved untold millions of lives. Arturo Castiglione wrote about the overwhelming importance of this biblical medical law: ‘The laws against leprosyin Leviticus 13 may be regarded as the first model of sanitary legislation’ (A History of Medicine)." Grant R. Jeffery, The Signature of God With all these truths revealed in Scripture,how could a thinking person deny that the Bible is supernatural in origin? There is no other book in any of the world’s religions (Vedas, Bhagavad-Gita, Koran, Book of Mormon, etc.) that contains scientific truth. In fact, they contain statements that are clearly unscientific. Hank Hanegraaff said, "Faith in Christ is not some blind leap into a dark chasm, but a faith based on established evidence." (11:3 continued)






IMPORTANCE OF RIGHT DIVISION






It does not follow that a book in the Bible or a passage of Scriptures applies to us in this age just because it is inspired, because it was inspired by the Holy Spirit for the benefit of those for whom it was intended. It does not mean that the words of the devil and the words of wicked men, as for instance, King Pharoah and King Herod, and the words of ungodly Pharisees and Sadducees, are true. It is true that they said what the Bible says they said, but the Bible only reports what they said. The Holy Spirit wanted us to know us to know what they said but does not tell us to do what they said. Hence, the importance of knowing how to rightly divide the Word - being able to see what is spoken by the Spirit and what is spoken by others. The study of the chart will enable you to see who is speaking and and to whom he is speaking, and thus, enable you to know what applies to us in this age.




THE OLD TESTAMENT NOT OUR RULE OF FAITH AND PRACTICE



FIRST COVENANT DONE AWAY












The Adventists teach that we are under the Ten Commandments, and hence the fourth command is binding on us, for it says, "Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy" and the seventh day is specified as the Sabbath Day. No doubt of it, we are under that Sabbath command if the Ten Commandments are still in force. To contend that the Ten Commandments are still in force and then try to get out of keeping the Sabbath, the seventh-day-sabbath, which is Saturday of the week, if the Ten Commandments are over us as a rule of faith and practice. But the passages previously quoted show that the entire Law was done away when Jesus fulfilled it.




If the Law is still in force one must have the priesthood and the Catholics will be found to be right in having a priesthood. If the Law is still in force, we must not eat catfish, or hog meat for both are forbidden under the Law. If the Law is still in force, a man must marry his brother's widow and raise up seed unto is brother (Deuteronomy 25:5-9). The burning of incense, the offering of animal sacrifices, and all the ceremonials are still upon us. If the Ten Commandments are in force we must keep the seventh-day-sabbath. There is no such thing as doing away with a part of the Law without doing away with all of it, for Jesus said "one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled," Thus we see it is all or none.








BETTER COVENANT ESTABLISHED






Have we lost anything by the passing of the Law? Certainly, we have lost nothing by the passing of the Law. The New Testament is our rule of faith and practice. The Bible distinctly says we have a "better covenant" and "better priesthood."




"But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises" (Heb 8:6).




Read, also, Hebrews 7:9-28. The Lord took away the Law and gave us something better in which is found all the moral precepts that were found in the Law wit none of its imperfections. The Bible distinctly declares that the old covenant was not perfect:




"For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second" (Heb 8:7).









New Testament Perfect





"But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed" ( Jas 1:25).




We have lost nothing and have gained much. The rigid Law that demanded death by stoning for every violation for every violation is not over us:




"He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses" (Heb 10:28).




To so much as pick up sticks on the Sabbath Day (Saturday) was punished by a horrible death, caused by being beaten with rocks (Numbers 15). There are no such penalties in the New Testament. With Paul, I say "wherefore then serveth the law?"




Those who so persistently contend that we are under the Law, especially the Ten Commandments, need to learn just what it means to be under the Law. Under the Old Testament Law, it was sin and die, but the "law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2).






Psalms Still in Force



The Law has been done away, and the prophets have been done away as a rule of faith and practice, but nowhere are we told that the Psalms have been done away. Instead of the Psalms being done away, we are commanded to use them.




"Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord" ( Eph 5:19).




"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" (Col 3:16).




The Psalms is a book of worship and should be used in or worship today. The book of Psalms, in reality, is an inspired hymn book. The Psalms is no part of the law which was done away. Jesus distinctly shows that the law is one division of the Bible and the Psalm is another.




Some contend that the Psalms is a part of the Law because Jesus said in John 10:34-35: Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods." This statement is found in Psalm 82:6 and since Jesus said it was written in the Law, and it is found in the Psalms, therefore, reason some, the Psalms is a part of the Law. But such reasoning is erroneous because the Psalmist was quoting from the Law just as Jesus was. It is found in the Law. In Exodus 22:28, the statement is found, "Thou shalt not revile the gods," meaning the people to whom God had revealed His word. If indeed the Psalms is a part of the Law, then Jesus made a mistake in making it a distinct division of the Old Testament.













THE MEANING OF "THE LAW"



The expression, the law, means the five books of Moses. Here is the proof:




(1) Women are commanded to be in subjection as "also saith the law."




"Let your women keep silence in the churches... but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law" ( 1Co 14:34).




Where does the Bible say this? In Genesis 3:16, so Genesis is the Law.


"Unto the woman he said... and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee" ( Gen 3:16).




(2) Again, the Law has said, "Tho shalt not covet."




"Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet" (Romans 7:7).




Where does the Bible say this? Exodus 20:17.




"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's (Exodus 20:17).




Therefore, Exodus is the Law.




(3) A lawyer asked Jesus the question, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus answered:




"Thou salt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the fist and great commandment, And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40).




This is found in Deuteronomy 6:5, so Deuteronomy is the Law.




"And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, ad with all thy might" Deuteronomy 6:5).




(4) It is also found in Leviticus 19:18, so Leviticus is the Law.




"...thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself..." Leviticus 19:18).




(5) Again, Jesus said:




"Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless?" (Matthew 12:5).




Where is this found? In Numbers 28: 9, so Numbers is the Law.




"And on the sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof" (Numbers 28:9).




Thus, each book in the Pentateuch is called the Law and we see that the term Law covers more than the mere commandments. It covers what is something designated as the historical books. But Jesus calls all of it the Law.




THE MEANING OF "THE PSALMS"



The Psalms, as used by Jesus, means all of the Poetical books; Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon. The prophets are easily distinguished embracing the prophetical books. So, the Lord's division of the Old Testament is unmistakable, the Law, the prophets and the Psalms.




When the question, "Where is the authority for using instruments of music in worship?" is asked, the answer is in Psalm 150:




"Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD."




If opposers of instrumental music should reply by saying that we are going back to the Law to get our authority for instruments of music, the answer is sufficient when we show that the Psalms are not part of the Law and cannot be unless Jesus made a mistake n making the Psalms a distinct division of the Old Testament. Besides that, we are commanded to use the Psalms:




"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord" (Col 3:16).

























PRACTICAL BENEFIT OF KNOWING THE RIGHT DIVISION OF THE BIBLE







Many think that if they find a verse of Scripture which sounds like what they want to prove, they can use it, but many times the passage does not apply, because it is addressed to some particular person, or institution, foreign to what the passage is used for. Or instance, a person wanting to prove sprinkling and pouring for baptism will turn to the Old Testament and read of the ceremonial sprinkling and pouring and assert that he has found sprinkling and pouring for baptism.




The answer to such an argument is that te part of the Bible he is reading from has been done away as a rule of faith and practice.




Besides that, in the same place where he reads of sprinkling and pouring, he will find that a man must marry his brother's widow and raise up seed unto his brother.




"If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband's brother unto her. And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel. And if the man like not to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband's brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband's brother. Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her; Then shall his brother's wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother's house" ( Deu 25:5-9)

He will find where a man must have "fringes" on the borders of is garment:




"Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself" ( Deu 22:12).




He sill find that banisters must be built on the roof of his house:




"When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence" (Deu 22:8).




He will find that he must not eat hog meat or catfish:




"And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you" (Lev 11:7).




If we are under one part of e law, we must be under all of it, for the smallest part of the Law shall not pass away until all be fulfilled:




"For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled" (Mat 5:18).







THE OLD TESTAMENT NOT FOR OUR RULE OF FAITH AND PRACTICE







Sabbath Day




When Seventh Day Adventists quote the command to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy, they should be shown that the Law containing the Sabbath command has been done away:




"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." (Col. 2:14-17).






Musical Instruments




When we quote the Psalms to show that musical instruments may be used in worship and the answer is made that we are gong back under the Law for authority to use instruments of music, we should show how Jesus made the Psalms a distinct division of the Old Testament and that we are commanded in the New Testament to see the Psalms (Colosians 3:16).






Tithing




The same thing applies to the tithing of our incomes. Tithing was part of the Law and was done away when the Law was done away and is not legally binding now. If one wants to tithe voluntarily, he may do so but not because it was binding under the Law. So it is with all of the rest of the Law.













THE NEW TESTAMENT AND PSALMS OUR RULE OF FAITH AND PRACTICE



We have all that we need to observe as our rule of faith and practice in the Psalms and the New Testament.All we need to practice is found in the Psalm and in the New Testament. If someone should suggest that in the Psalms we find expressions about the Law, as for instance, "O how love I thy law," just remember that the Psalms is a book of worship and applies to all dispensations and David loved the Law he was under. We should love the Law we are under. We can sing, "O how love I thy Law," and in the Millennial Dispensation, whatever the Law is in the Millennium, we can still sing," O how love I thy Law." In Heaven itself we can still sing," O how love I thy Law." The ideas expressed in the Psalms apply to all dispensations.




We need to enrich our lives by reading the Psalms. The Psalms should be sung in our church services instead of the light jazz that is sometimes used.




































This Age Not Under The Law And The Prophets



By: Ben M. Bogard 1868-1951







First President

Missionary Baptist Institute and Seminary

of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church

Little Rock, Arkansas






































THE UNCHANGEABLE GOD






God never changes (Malachi 3:6). He is the unchangeable one. However, He changes His manner of dealing with me as it pleases Him. There was the Adamic Dispensation while Adam and Eve were in the garden of Eden. Without attempting to discuss the different dispensations, I will mention the fact that among the different dispensations was the Patriarchal Dispensation, during which, a man dealt autocratically over his family. Then came the Jewish, or Law, Dispensation, during which the Hebrew race was governed under the judges and kings under the Law of Moses as given from Mt. Sinai. That Law was written and recorded in Exodus and Deuteronomy. That Law was in the form of ordinances, the " law contained in ordinances."






"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." (Col 2:14-17)















THE LAW

There is no such thing recognized in the Bible as "moral law" and the "ceremonial law." Such a division is purely man-made and contrary to the divisions the Lord made. The"moral" law idea was invented by Seventh Day Adventists to save their idea of the Sabbath. Jesus said one f the divisions of the Old Testament was the Law of Moses, and we do well to let it be that way. There are moral precepts in the Law and there are ceremonials in the Law, but there is no division of "moral law" and "ceremonial law," for the Bible nowhere speaks of the "moral law" and the "ceremonial law" but only the Law and sometimes the Law of Moses.











Law of Moses Done Away





There are some who seek to make believe tat the Ten Commandments constitute the "moral law" The Adventists call the so-called "ceremonial law" the Law of Moses, and they agree that this ceremonial law was done away, but they earnestly contend that the "moral law" is eternal. The Lord fixes this for us as we read in Hebrews:





"He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses" (Heb 10:28 )






There was no death penalty for the violation of any of the ceremonial part of the Law, but each one of the Ten Commandments had the death penalty when violated. The part that the death penalty is called by Paul, the inspired writer, "Moses Law" and if the Law of Moses was done away, then it is certain that the Ten Commandments were done away.






Colosians 2:14-17 says the "law contained in ordinances," that is, written rules for the behavior of the Hebrews, was done away.






The word "ordinances" means written rules established by authority for the conduct of people. When these ordinances (rules) were given, it is distinctly stated that they were given to the people who were brought out of Egypt, and there is no account of this Law being given to any other people on earth. (See Exodus 20th chapter, Malachi 4:4 and other passages.)








That the Ten Commandments were done away is plainly stated in 2Corinthians 3:7-11:




"But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious."






This passage plainly says that the part "written and engraven in stones" was done away. There was nothing on stones except the Ten Commandments, and it is, therefore, certain that the Ten Commandments were done away. The Jews only were under the Law.



Law Not Done Away Until Fulfilled


"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." (Mat 5:17, 18)






The entire Law must stand until all be fulfilled. Not even the smallest part of the Law shall pass away, until all be fulfilled. Thus, we see that those who hold that the ceremonial part passed away but the moral Law has not are in error because the Lord said, not the least part of it should pass until all be fulfilled. All parts of the Law stood or fell together. It is all in force today or none of it is. The ceremonials were part of the Law and if not even the least part of the Law - if the so-called "moral law" is still in force then all the rest of it is still in force. There is no dividing in: it is all or none.





Law a Schoolmaster






The entire Law was fulfilled when Jesus died on the cross. The ceremonial part of the Law was fulfilled when Jesus was offered in sacrifice, for all of the ceremonial offerings pointed to Jesus, the Lamb of God. The moral demands of the Law were met by Jesus keeping all o them and then dying to pay the penalty of broken Law, thus substituting for us. When the Law had served its purpose it passed away. The Law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.






"Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made...wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith" (Galatias 3:19,25).
This is too clear to be misunderstood by anyone wanting to know the truth.






In what way was the law a schoolmaster? A schoolmaster teaches, and the Law taught the need of a Savior, since men did not live up to its demands and thus brought on themselves the penalty of death. They needed a Savior to redeem them from death. The ceremonial part of the Law showed how Jesus could save, for all the sacrifices of lambs, bullocks and other animals, by having their blood shed on the altar of sacrifice, showed in picture and type, how Jesus would die for us. "The law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ."





Law Not a Savior






The Law was never intended to be a Savior, and it never saved anyone (Hebrews 10:1). It showed the need of a Savior and how Jesus would save. When Jesus fulfilled the Law by keeping all its moral demands and then died to pay the penalty the broken Law demanded, He fulfilled it and became our substitute, dying for us. Having perfectly kept the Law, He did not need to die for His own sins, because He had no sin, therefore He could die as our substitute. He fulfilled the keeping of the Law for us and paid the penalty for us. Thus, He lived for us and died for us.






There was no further need for the Law and it was "nailed to the cross and taken out of the way" (Col. 2:14-17). Therefore, no part of the Law is binding on us or anyone else- it has been taken out of the way.






THE PROPHETS










Prophets Until John





"The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it" (Luke 16:16).






Up until the time of John the Baptist, the people went to the prophets for their rule of life. God spoke to the prophets and they relayed what He said to the people. John was the last of the Old Testament prophets. He was a preacher-prophet, and while he preached, he foretold the coming of Jesus Christ and kept it up until Jesus presented Himself. Then John introduced Jesus and baptized Him, and thus set before the people the Founder and Organizer of what is called the "Kingdom of God," John prepared the material for the new institution - the church - and Jesus took the prepared material and organized into the church, called the "kingdom of God."






Prophets No Longer Over Us





No longer were the people to look to the prophets for their rule of faith and practice, for they now had the Church Dispensation inwhich Jesus is the Law-giver. We have the New Testament as our perfect rule of faith and practice. The Law had passed away and the prophets had ceased to be God's spokesmen, and now Jesus is our Teacher and Master in a new organization - the church, the kingdom of God.






No Contradiction






There is an apparent contradiction here. Colossians 2:14-17 says the "law was nailed to the cross and taken out of the way" and Luke 16:16 says, "The law and the prophets were until John, since that time the kingdom of God is preached." How may this apparent contradiction be harmonized? The answer is that Jesus took charge from the baptism of John" and asserted Himself to be the Head and Master. But the Law was still in the way and remained in the way during the personal ministry of Jesus, and then He died and took it out of the way. The demands of the Law and the ceremonies of the Law were in the way all through the ministry of Jesus, but when He completely fulfilled it, met all its demands, and paid the penalty, He took it out of the way.






We are not under the Law but under grace. We are living in the Grace Dispensation, the Christian Dispensation, where we are governed by the New Testament as our rule of faith and practice and do not observe any part of the Law as given by Moses.

























If We Are Not Under the OLD TESTAMENT LAW... What's the USE of the Old Testament TODAY?





We have learned that the Law was done away and the prophets were done away as a rule of faith and practice. What use then have we for the Old Testament?




http://bloggingforchrist-brillantvictory.blogspot.com/2013/04/this-age-not-under-law-and-prophets.html




http://bloggingforchrist-brillantvictory.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-old-testament-not-our-rule-of-faith.html










The Old Testament is very valuable for three things. It contains:





History
Prophecy
Types

A careful study of the Old Testament is necessary to a correct understanding of the New Testament. In the New Testament are numerous references to Old Testament events and familiarity with the history of those events is necessary to an understanding of what the New Testament teaches.











HISTORY





Inspired





The history contained in the Old Testament is not different from history written by any historian, except that Old Testament history is inspired. Historians make mistakes and sometimes what they relate is untrue, but in the Old Testament, every word is inspired.






The history of creation is given in the Old Testament. It is the only Book where we can learn the exact facts concerning the origin of things. Genesis is hated by atheist and skeptics, in fact the infidel world, because it gives God as the Creator of all things. If Genesis is true, then the doctrine of evolution is untrue. They cannot both be true.




Confirmed by Archaeologists



The Old Testament has been confirmed by archaeologists. The spade has uncovered ancient ruins which show that the Biblical account is true, and at no time has it been shown that the Bible account is false or even in the slightest detail in error. To know history accurately, one must know the Old Testament.












Tells Good and Bad




The history in the Old Testament tells the bad as well as the good in men and women. Why tell the bad? If only the good in the Bible characters were related, we might form the idea that they were more than human, and it would be discouraging to us, but when the bad conduct of such men as David and Solomon and Samson and even Abraham is recounted, we can see that they were human and in need of a Savior the same as we. We can learn how that man and women are saved notwithstanding their imperfections - the glorious doctrine of salvation by grace is exemplified.












Warning for Us




What these Old Testament characters did is not intended as an example for us. Sometimes what they did is a terrible warning to us. The bad things are not recorded for us to copy, but we learn how God dealt with His people. For instance, we can read with profit how God dealt with His people. For instance, we can read with profit how Noah built the Ark under the instructions of God, but we are not to practice building tabernacles. We can read with profit how Abraham offered his son, Isaac, in sacrifice. What they did is not intended as our rule of faith and practice from the Old Testament.












Misuse of Historical Events



Some of the historical events in the Old Testament were types of things in the New Testament, but where such is the case we are plainly told in some place that they are types. For instance, the crossing of the Red Sea is a type of baptism and the elevating of the serpent of brass is a type of the crucifixion of Christ, but we are somewhere told that these are intended as types. To give spiritual meaning to the historical events related in the Old Testament is a dangerous practice, unless we are distinctly told somewhere in the Bible that the event has a spiritual significance.












PROPHECY




By prophecy we mean history written in advance. God knew all His works before He did them. He knew what He was going to do and when He was going to do it, and He inspired the prophets to foretell it. Prophecy is not a guess but an actual account of events before they come to pass. It is one of the best proofs of the inspiration of the Bible.




We are not under the prophets as a rule of faith and practice but what they prophesied will certainly come to pass. We do not go to the prophets to learn what to do in our religious life, but we go to the prophecies to learn what God intends to do with us and with all the rest of mankind. God's purposes are revealed by the prophets. A study of prophecy is not only fascinating but very profitable.




What God will do is revealed in prophecy and what we should do is revealed in the New Testament.












TYPES




A type is a picture, a shadow. The Old Testament abounds in types and a study of them makes the work of Jesus as our Savor clear and also what the church is and does is made clear. A type is a shadow - a shadow of things to come.




We should use the types mentioned in the Bible and not be guilty of manufacturing types. In past years a great book was written, known as Butler's Analogy and it was widely read. It had such influence on the preachers of a past generation that every similarity was taken as a type of something. It developed a generation of preachers who spiritualized everything. Many preachers indulge in that sort of thing to this day.




The Bible should be allowed to mean just exactly what it says. If we do not know the meaning of the words used in a passage, we should go to a dictionary and learn the meaning just exactly as we do when reading any other book, or as we do when reading a newspaper. The Bible means what it says. Many times I have been asked what a passage means and my answer is: It means exactly what it says.




A man asked me one time what it means where Moses cast down a rod and it became a serpent and God told him to "take it by the tail." My answer was, "It means what it says."




The questioner persisted, and said, "What does it mean by taking it by the tail?

My answer was: "It means not to take it by the head or the middle, but by the tail."




"But," said the questioner, "does it not have some spiritual meaning?" It certainly does not have any spiritual significance. It is not a type of anything for the reason the Bible nowhere says it should be so used. The Holy Spirit made all the types He wanted, and certainly we should not be guilty of making any more. Such as that is mending the Word of God and is equivalent to adding to the Bible.




When we read of the Passover and then read where Jesus is our Passover, we know that the Passover is a type because the Bible says so.




When we read of Moses lifting up the serpent in the wilderness, we know that this was a type of Christ because Jesus said it was:










"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up" (John 3:14).




Everything and every event in te Bible that was intended to be a type is mentioned somewhere by some inspired writer as being a type. We should not be guilty of inventing types, because the Spirit has given us all we need.





























MIRACLES: Why they ceased with other spiritual gifts, what's their purpose? What is prayer? What is divine healing? How to identify the miracles from God and from the Devil?



Miracles: What They Are And Why They Are Used





USE OF MIRACLES AT BEGINNING OF EACH DISPENSATION





Miracles were used at the beginning of each dispensation. There are some mistaken ideas concerning miracles. For instance, there are many who think the new birth is a miracle. It is not a miracle because it is the regular work of grace and has been from the beginning of the world. It takes supernatural power to save a soul and the new birth is produced by the same power that works miracles. But being produced by the same power does not make the new birth a miracle. It takes supernatural power to cause the earth to whirl around the sun once a year, thus producing the seasons - spring, summer, autumn and winter - but that is not a miracle because it is the regular thing that has been going on from the beginning of creation.






A miracle is a denomination of supernatural power. God makes wine by causing the sap to rise in the vine and gather in the cluster of grapes, then by causing fermentation. It takes supernatural power to do that. Man cannot do it. But that is not a miracle because it is the regular way of making wine. But when Jesus turned the six pots of water it to wine instantly, that was a miracle, for it was a demonstration of God's power. Unusual demonstrations (miracles) were used at the beginning of each dispensation and proved that those who wrought the miracles were from God.





CEASING OF MIRACLES WITH APOSTOLIC AGE






Divine healing and miracles, as taught and manifested in the Word of God, ceased with the Apostolic Age. Divine healing as seen in the Bible was without the use of medicine or surgery. It was direct, immediate and perfect. Miracles were supernatural acts of God, such a turning water into wine, stilling the storm on the sea, cleansing lepers instantaneously, taking up serpents and not being harmed. drinking deadly poison without injury, and raising the dead. The only apparent deviation from this is the anointing of the blind man's eyes, but there was no medicinal value in the clay:






"When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay"(John 9:6).




In Matthew 10:8, we read where Jesus sent His disciples out to "heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead."Our Lord told His disciples that they should even do greater works than He did, meaning greater in number, certainly not greater in degree or power.




A common argument, and one used with tedious repetition, is that the Bible says "God is the same, yesterday, today and forever. " Since God never changes, some reason that He never changes His laws, never changes dispensations and continues to have the same rule of practice that He had all the way back.




God does change His methods, while His character remains unchanged. If we are expected to take the whole Bible, and New Testaments, as our rule of faith and practice, such as lambs, bullocks, and red heifers. That was once the practice by the command of God. We shall still be compelled to observe the Passover Feast, and observe all the Temple ceremonies. All agree that those things have been done away. Because they were fulfilled in Christ they were done away. There was the seventh-day-Sabbath that was observed by God's command, and we no longer keep it, because in the New Testament, we have the Lord's Day or Sunday.




God has not changed, but He has changed His laws and His methods. Even so, miracles had their purpose and when the purpose for miracles was fulfilled, then miracles were done away.







PURPOSE OF MIRACLES




What was the purpose of miracles? Why did Jesus and he apostles heal the sick miraculously, cleanse the lepers, turn water into wine, still the storm at sea and raise the dead?




The purpose of these wonderful miracles was to convince the people that the message brought by Jesus and the apostles was from God. Miracles were their credentials.




When Jesus healed the paralytic man (Mark 2:1-12), He said He did it "that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins." I feel sure Jesus knew what He was talking about, and I am sure He told the truth as to why He wrought miracles.




Nicodemus was convinced by the Lord's miracles that Jesus was sent from God because he said, "No man can do these miracles that doest except God be with him" (John 3:2).




Hebrews 2:3-4 says:




"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles..."




What was the purpose of miracles? These passages say they were to confirm the message of God.




" And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen." (Mark 16:20 ).




Thus, we see that the purpose of miracles was to confirm the word spoken b Christ and the apostles.






The purpose of miracles never was to accommodate the ones on whom the miracles were performed. In II Timothy 4:20, we read where Paul said, "Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick." Why Paul leave him sick since he had the power to heal him? The answer is that Trophimus was already a believer and did not need the miracles to confirm the word. Paul told Timothy:




"Use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and tine often infirmities" (1 Timothy 5:23).




Why did not Paul heal Timothy? He had the power to do it. He had the faith necessary. Why, then did he not heal Timothy? Because Timothy was already a believer and did not need the miracle to confirm his faith.




When the Bible was completed, when John wrote the book of Revelation, the Apostolic Age ended The Bible being finished, the Word of God having been fully confirmed, miracles were no longer needed. As the animal sacrifices ad the Temple ceremonials had fulfilled their purpose and were done away, so miracles fulfilled their purpose and were done away also.






MIRACLES DONE AWAY




The Bible plainly tells us that miracles - these supernatural gifts - were done away when the New Testament was completed. The twelfth, through the fourteenth chapters of 1 Corinthians are on the subject of spiritual gifts. In 1 Corinthians 12:1, we are told what the subject is Here it is:




"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant."




Spiritual gifts is the subject. In that twelfth chapter, at least nine gifts are mentioned, such as healing, gifts of tongues, prophecy, inspiration, (called the gift of knowledge) and on through the list. In the thirteenth chapter we are told that all these gifts were done away "when that which is perfect is come." What is that perfect thing that would come and at which time the miraculous gifts would be done away?




Strangely, some say that it means these gifts will pass away when Jesus comes again. A three months grammar student knows that a personal pronoun is not used here. It does not say when He who is perfect is come, then supernatural gifts would pass away, but it says that that which is perfect is come. You cannot correctly speak of Jesus as a "that which."









What perfect thing has come? The New Testament, which James calls "the perfect law of liberty" (James 1:25).




The New Testament, at the time Paul wrote Corinthians, was only "in part," and Paul said, in this thirteenth chapter, that they "knew in part," and prophesied in part, but "when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." That settles it. So long as the Bible was in process of formation - up until the last word in the Bible was written - they only had the truth "in part." But when the New Testament was completed they had the perfect thing, the perfect law of liberty, and the inspiration, prophecy, tongues, and all other miracles were done away. In Ephesians 4:8-14 we read that the "gifts" (these miraculous gifts) were to last "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God."




"Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive" (Eph 4:8-14).




That unity of the faith is the New Testament. At the time Ephesians was written, the faith - the knowledge of the Son of God - was in fragments, in part only, as Paul said in Corinthians, but when the New Testament was completed the knowledge of the Son of God was complete, and hence, the gifts ceased.These gifts mind you, were to last till this knowledge of the Son of God was completed and, that having been fulfilled, the gifts passed away.










ONLY THREE REMAINING GIFTS




Then what have we left? Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 13:13: "And now abideth faith hope and love,these three..." Can you spell three? Can you count three? Then you know just exactly the number of gifts that remain. What are they? "Faith, hope, love, these three." If we still have the gift of healing, that would make four. If we still have the gift of tongues, that would make five. If we still have the gift of prophecy, that would make six. But it does not say we have four, five or six of these supernatural gifts left. It positively says we have just three and names them - faith, hope, love. It seems strange to me that any one can conclude that he has four, five or six of these miraculous gifts when the Bible plainly says that only three abide in the church.




God has not changed. He is the same yesterday, today and forever, but He changes his methods of dealing with men. He changes His laws, and He changes dispensations. When He had served His purpose with such things as the Jewish ceremonials and with the seventh day, He set them aside and started something else. So, when He used miracles for the purpose of establishing His perfect rule of faith and practice to confirm the Word until it was fully written, then He set aside miracles, also. He is unchangeable, but He changes His laws and methods as it suits Him.





MIRACLES NO LONGER NEEDED



Why do we not need miracles now the same as they needed them before the Bible was completely written? Because the Bible is fully confirmed and preachers can gauged by the New Testament. You can tell whether the preacher is from God by whether he preaches according to the written Word, and miracles would be superfluous.




How do we know the New Testament is God's Word? We know it by several rules.











Signs Recorded




The miracles recorded are as much for us now as they went for those who personally witnessed them. In Mark 16:17-18 (the passage used so much by modern miracle workers) we read:




"These signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."




What signs? These signs. Not similar signs wrought over and over again, but these signs, the very signs that the apostles wrought shall follow all believers all through the ages. Not signs we do, but the signs the apostle wrought, these signs shall follow clear on down to the end of time. We have very one of these signs recorded in the Bible, and wherever the Bible is read, these same signs are right there.






A surveyor surveys a tract of land, and he makes signs of the land lines by hacking the trees and placing corner rocks.




Those signs remain on through the years to come. Anyone can go to that land and see the same signs that the original surveyor made - the signs follow from one generation to another. We do not need to hack fresh notches in the trees and set out fresh rocks on the corners from year to year. The signs first made remain and follow on down through the years to come. So, in establishing the Bible, the original survey is sufficient. The Bible is marked all over with God's approval. The original signs remain. They follow and are just as good today as they have ever been. There is no need for more. If there is a need for more, then the Bible is not perfect, but needs supplementing.




"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16-17)




If we are completely, thoroughly, furnished for all good works in the Bible, there is no need for miracles. If something in addition to the Bible is needed to bolster up the Lord's work, then the Bible is not a perfect rule, but is short somewhere and somehow. Those who use miracles, or expect miracles to be used, show that they do not believe what God has said in His Word because they demand further confirmation.






Scientific Accuracy Of the Bible Demonstrated




How do we know that the Bible is God's Word? We know it by fulfilled prophecy. Peter calls fulfilled prophecy the"more sure word of prophecy." The prophets foretold events that have come to pass in such wonderful exactness that we cannot doubt their inspiration. The scientific accuracy of the Bible proves it to be from God. It was written long before any scientific book was written and yet, there is not an unscientific statement in he Bible. We can demonstrate the Bible to be God's Word, and hence,we do not need miracles to confirm it. It is already confirmed. It is a perfect law of liberty."The man who demands miracles shows he has no confidence in the Bible.
















THE DEVIL A MIRACLE WORKER






Since God withdrew the power to work miracles from His people, it follows that any miracles wrought by the power of the devil and not by the power of God. Can the devil work miracles? He can. If you will read the seventh and eight chapters of Exodus, you will find that when

Moses wrought miracles, "the magicians did so with their enchantments."






Spirits of Devils




In Revelation 13: 13-14 we read that the beast deceived the people "By means of those miracles which he had power to do..."




"And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live" (Revelation 13:13,14).




In Revelation 16:14, we read that it is "the spirits of devils working miracles."




"For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth ..."(Revelation 16:14).




In Mark 13:22, Jesus foretold that just exactly this sort of thing would be.




"For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect" (Mark 13:22).




Sorcerers




In Acts 8:5-11, we read of Simon, the sorcerer, who bewitched the people by his sorcery until the people declared, "This man is the great power of God."




" But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God" Acts 8:9-10).




Thus, we see Simon did such wonderful things that the people were convinced that he was the mighty power of God.




We read also of Elymas the sorcerer in Acts 13:6-11, who wrought miracles and led off many people, but Paul came along and called him a "child of the devil."






"Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil..." (Acts 13:9,10).




This is rough language to use against a miracle worker. Some of you may think I am speaking roughly, but do not forget, I am using Bible language.




Devil's Preachers




The devil has more attractive preachers in the world:




"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works" (2 Cor. 11:13-15).




I did not say that. I quoted those very words from the Bible. The devil does not come with cloven feet and horns and barbed tail and dark visage. He could not deceive the people that way.




A counterfeit is not dangerous if the difference between it and the thing counterfeited is glaring. But when the counterfeit looks so much like the genuine, then it becomes dangerous. That is why the devil comes to us as an angel of light. He comes in the most attractive form and even preaches righteousness. He even works miracles that benefit people to get them the more in his power. If the Scriptures read do not mean this, then they have no meaning.







Heretical Sects




Every heretical cult and church founder that comes along comes working miracles. The Mormons have a large book printed telling of their wonderful healings. These Mormons, with half a dozen wives, come along healing the sick. Are they of God? Alex Dowie, the founder of the cult that holds forth with Voliva as their leader now, healed thousands of people. Yet, he was living in such disgrace that his name became a stench in society. Christian Science, that denies the existence of the devil and the existence of sin, comes along healing. So with all Pentecostal and "Holy Roller" sects. They come healing and talking with tongues and working miracles. They all claim the baptism of the Holy Ghost and power to work miracles.






Do they work miracles? If they do, the Bible says it is by the power of the devil. But some say that if this is true, then the devil has been converted and has gone to doing good works. Not at all. He is only up to his old tricks, clothing himself as an angel of light, and if he does any good thing, it is for an evil purpose, in order to deceive the people, and thus, get them securely into his power.







Delusion



Are the people sincere who are deluded by such deceitful work?




" Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie" (2 Thessalonians 2:9-11).









Are they sincere? Certainly. So is the Hindu Mother who throws her babe to the crocodiles to appease the wrath of her imaginary god.




Are they sincere? So was the Mormom woman who believe that her salvation depended upon her husband having several wives.




Sincere? So was Saul of Tarsus who said he thought he was serving God when he persecuted the saints and brought them bound into Jerusalem.




The devil can deceive until one who "killeth you will think he doeth God service" (John 16:2)




Sincere? Hear what the Lord says of some who shall appear at the judgment:




"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Matthew 7:22,23)




Surely these miracle workers were sincere or they would not have talked like that at the judgment.











BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST





The baptism of the Holy Ghost was miraculous. All of God's people have the Spirit Te Bible ways that we are born of the Spirit, that we are led by the Spirit, and that we are comforted of the Spirit. But the baptism of the Spirit was miraculous and passed away with the Apostolic Age. How do we know this? Here is how we know it.




" One Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Ephesians 4:5)




For a while there were two baptisms, he baptism in water and the baptism in the Holy Ghost. But when the baptism in the Holy Ghost accomplished what God God intended to accomplish by it, that baptism passed away. In Acts 2:39 where it says the promise is "unto you, and your children, and to all that are afar off" it has reference to the baptism of the Holy Ghost. The repetition of the Pentecost baptism of the Holy Ghost is not what was promised, but the remission of sins and the gift of the Spirit is promised to all to e end of time. If we have water baptism, then it follows that the Holy Ghost baptism would make two baptisms, and Paul made a mistake when he said that there is only one baptism. It does not say one Lord, one faith, and two baptisms.















PRAYERS FOR THE SICK





Why pray for the sick? I pass the question back. Why pray for bread? When we pray for bread, we go to work to get it. That is right. When we pray for sinners, do we not go to work and do all we can to get sinners saved? Certainly, we do. Then, when we pray for the sick, we should do all we can to bring them back to health. Since God made Peruvian bark from which quinine comes, and quinine kills malaria germs, we should pray for the one who has malaria and then give them quinine, God's remedy for malaria. When we pray for the poor, we should take our prayers along in a basket and pour them out in the pantry of the poor. Two little boys were on their way to school and one said, "We are late, let us get down here and pray that we may get to school on time," but the other said, "No, let us run and pray while we run." Even so, when we pray for the sick, let us do all we can for them, since a good doctor knows more about how to help the sick than we do, we should pray and then call the doctor.




Paul had a bodily affliction, a thorn in the flesh, and he prayed tree times fr the Lord to remove that bodily affliction, but God refused to do so, telling Paul, "My grace is sufficient for thee." (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). Paul know that healing of the body was not in the atonement, and for that reason, he said he took pleasure in his infirmities which God refused to remove.




Job suffered agony with the terrible affliction brought on him by the devil, God permitting it. (See the book of Job.) All the faith that Job had did not keep him from suffering. God was working out a great purpose in his terrible affliction. If healing of the body had been in the atonement, then Job would have been as well in body as he was in soul.God sometimes has a purpose in allowing His people to suffer.






Will God sometimes heal in answer to prayer? The sick get well and the hungry are fed in answer to prayer, but both are done by the use of means and not by miraculous power. Shall we pray for bread and then sit down and wait for God to bake it for us and slice it, put butter on it and drop it down from heaven? So we may throw away medicine and refuse to use a doctor and just depend on the Lord to work a miracle. Can you not see the absurdity of this? Can you not see the Bible plainly says that the miracles ceased when the New Testament was completed? Can you not see that the power to work miracles has been withdrawn from God's people and that the devil's people only have the power to work miracles? That is one way to distinguish between the Lord's people and the devil's people. The Lord's people are willing to accept the New Testament as a perfect rule of faith and practice, but the devil's people positively refuse to believe the Bible unless a miracle proves it to them.