Key Scriptures: 2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
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Lesson One: Scripture has miraculous composition.
• The Bible is not a book—it’s 66 books
• Despite being written over 1,500 years by 40+ authors across three continents and in three languages—the 66 books of the Bible maintain a profound symmetry, evidenced by over 63,000 internal cross-references
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Lesson Two: Scripture gives us eyewitness accounts of the acts of God through history.
• The Bible is grounded in the accounts of people who saw, heard, and experienced the works of God firsthand
2 Peter 1:16-21, For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
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Lesson Three: Scripture is a living word.
• The Word of God is alive and active; it is designed to penetrate the heart, judge our attitudes, and accomplish specific divine purposes in our lives
Hebrews 4:12, For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
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Lesson Four: Scripture has a clear and compelling central character.
• The entire narrative of Scripture points to one central person—Jesus Christ. Whether in the Old or New Testament—all of Scripture is an introduction to Him
John 5:39-40, You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
Luke 24:25-27, He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
John 5:1-3, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
John 1:14, The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
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Lesson Five: Scripture fills our souls with spiritual oxygen in a suffocating world.
• Jesus models dependence upon the Word of God
• Just as we would never dive underwater without a tank—we are encouraged to cling to the Word as our essential survival resource
Matthew 4:3-11, The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’
Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
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