<chapter id="h2-importance">
  <title>Importance of God's Word</title>
  <para>Understanding God's word is of great importance to all who call
  on God's name. Study of the Bible is one of the primary ways that we
  learn to communicate with God.</para>
  <sect1 id="h2-importance-unique">
    <title>A Book that is Unique</title>
    <para>The Bible stands alone in many ways. It is unique in:</para>
    <itemizedlist>
      <listitem>
        <para>popularity. Bible sales in North America: more than $500
        million per year. The Bible is both the all-time and
        year-to-year best seller!</para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>authorship. It was written over a period of 1600 years by
        40 different authors from different backgrounds, yet reads as
        if written by one.</para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>preservation. F. F. Bruce in 
        <emphasis>Are New Testament Documents
        Reliable?</emphasis> compares New Testament manuscripts with
        other ancient texts:</para>
      </listitem>
    </itemizedlist>
    <table id="h2-importance-manuscripts-table">
      <title>Comparison of New Testament manuscripts with other ancient
      texts.</title>
      <tgroup cols="5">
        <thead>
          <row>
            <entry>Work</entry>
            <entry>When Written</entry>
            <entry>Earliest Copy</entry>
            <entry>Time Lapse</entry>
            <entry>Number of Copies</entry>
          </row>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <row>
            <entry>Herodotus</entry>
            <entry>448-428 B.C.</entry>
            <entry>900 A.D.</entry>
            <entry>1300 years</entry>
            <entry>8</entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry>Tacitus</entry>
            <entry>100 A.D.</entry>
            <entry>1100 A.D.</entry>
            <entry>1000 years</entry>
            <entry>20</entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry>Caesar's 
            <emphasis>Gallic War</emphasis></entry>
            <entry>50-58 B.C.</entry>
            <entry>900 A.D.</entry>
            <entry>950 years</entry>
            <entry>10</entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry>Livy's 
            <emphasis>Roman History</emphasis></entry>
            <entry>59 B.C. - 17 A.D.</entry>
            <entry>900 A.D.</entry>
            <entry>900 years</entry>
            <entry>20</entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry>New Testament</entry>
            <entry>40 A.D. - 100 A.D.</entry>
            <entry>130 A.D. Partial manuscripts 350 A.D. Full
            manuscripts</entry>
            <entry>30 - 310 years</entry>
            <entry>5000 Greek &amp; 10,000 Latin</entry>
          </row>
        </tbody>
      </tgroup>
    </table>
    <para>Ten copies of Caesar's 
    <emphasis>Gallic War</emphasis> exist, the earliest of which was
    copied 900 years after Caesar wrote the original, etc. For the New
    Testament we have full manuscripts dating to 350 A. D., papyri
    containing most of the New Testament from the 200s, and a fragment
    of John's gospel from 130 A. D. How many manuscripts do we have to
    compare to each other? 5,000 in Greek and 10,000 in Latin!</para>
    <blockquote>
      <attribution>Textual critic F. J. A. Hort, "The New Testament in
      the Original Greek", vol. 1 p561, Macmillan Co., quoted in 
      <emphasis>Questions of Life</emphasis>p. 25-26</attribution>
      <para>"In the verity and fullness of the evidence on which it
      rests, the text of the New Testament stands absolutely and
      unapproachably alone among other ancient prose writings."</para>
    </blockquote>
  </sect1>
  <sect1 id="h2-importance-breathed">
    <title>A Book that God Breathed</title>
    <para>
    <emphasis>Heb.4:12</emphasis> 
    "<emphasis>For the word of God is living and active...</emphasis>"
    Jesus said 
    <emphasis>(Mt.4:4),</emphasis>"
    <emphasis>It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on
    every word that proceeds [lit., is proceeding] from the mouth of
    God.</emphasis>" As we read the Bible, God's Spirit is there to
    speak it to our hearts in a continually-fresh way.</para>
    <para>2 Tim.3:16 declares, "
    <emphasis>All scripture is inspired by God [lit.,
    God-breathed].</emphasis>" Do you believe this? Before you answer,
    consider Jesus' attitude toward the Scriptures.</para>
    <blockquote>
      <attribution>John R.W. Stott, 
      <emphasis>Christ the Controversialist</emphasis>, InterVarsity
      Press 1978, pp.93-95</attribution>
      <para>He referred to the human authors, but took it for granted
      that behind them all was a single divine Author. He could equally
      say 'Moses said' or 'God said' (Mk.7:10). He could quote a
      comment of the narrator in Genesis 2:24 as an utterance of the
      Creator Himself (Mt.19:4-5). Similarly He said, 'Well did Isaiah
      prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written', when what He went
      on to quote is the direct speech of the Lord God (Mk.7:6 &amp;
      Is.29:13). It is from Jesus Himself that the New Testament
      authors have gained their conviction of the dual authorship of
      Scripture. For them it was just as true to say that 'God spoke of
      old to our fathers by the prophets' (Heb.1:1) as it was to say
      that 'men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God' (2 Pe.1:21).
      God did not speak in such a way as to obliterate the personality
      of the human authors, nor did men speak in such a way as to
      corrupt the Word of the divine Author. God spoke. Men spoke.
      Neither truth must be allowed to detract from the other.
      ...</para>
      <para>This, then, was Christ's view of the Scriptures. Their
      witness was God's witness. The testimony of the Bible is the
      testimony of God. And the chief reason why the Christian believes
      in the divine origin of the Bible is that Jesus Christ Himself
      taught it.</para>
    </blockquote>
    <para>2 Tim.3:16 goes on, "
    <emphasis>and profitable for teaching, for correction, for training
    in righteousness, that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for
    every good work.</emphasis>" If we accept that the Bible really is
    God speaking to us, it follows that it will be our authority in all
    matters of faith and conduct.</para>
  </sect1>
  <sect1 id="h2-importance-works">
    <title>A Book that Works</title>
    <para>What will studying the Bible do for you? 1 Thess.2:13 says
    that the Bible "
    <emphasis>performs its work in you who believe.</emphasis>" Beside
    each scripture, write down the work the Word performs.</para>
    <table id="h2-importance-results-table">
      <title>What does Bible study do for Christians?</title>
      <tgroup cols="2">
        <thead>
          <row>
            <entry>Reference</entry>
            <entry>Action</entry>
          </row>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <row>
            <entry>Eph. 5:26</entry>
            <entry>cleanses -- "...having cleansed her by the washing
            of water with the word."</entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry>Acts 20:32</entry>
            <entry>builds up -- " ...the word of His grace, which is
            able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among
            all those who are sanctified. "</entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry>Rom. 15:4</entry>
            <entry>encourages -- "that through perseverance and the
            encouragement of the Scriptures we might have
            hope."</entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry>Rom. 10:17</entry>
            <entry>gives faith -- "So faith comes from hearing, and
            hearing by the word of Christ."</entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry>1 Cor. 10:11</entry>
            <entry>instructs -- "Now these things happened to them for
            an example, and they were written for our
            instruction"</entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry>Mt. 4:4</entry>
            <entry>nourishment -- "But He answered and said, 'It is
            written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every
            word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'"</entry>
          </row>
        </tbody>
      </tgroup>
    </table>
  </sect1>
  <sect1 id="h2-importance-liberates">
    <title>A Book that Liberates</title>
    <para>Jn.8:32 "
    <emphasis>and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make
    you free.</emphasis>"This is usually quoted by itself. Is this a
    conditional or unconditional promise? Would it apply to all kinds
    of knowledge? Find the answers by examining the first half of the
    sentence, in v.31. "
    <emphasis>If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of
    Mine...</emphasis>"</para>
    <para>We see that this is a conditional promise, specifically
    speaking of the truth of God's word.</para>
    <para>The Greek word for "wind" used in Eph.4:14 means a 
    <emphasis>violent wind.</emphasis>"
    <emphasis>As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here
    and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of
    doctrine...</emphasis>"One thing studying the Bible does for us is
    to ground us in the truth, with the result that we won't be easily
    "blown away."</para>
    <para>
    <emphasis>But Jesus answered and said to them,</emphasis>"
    <emphasis>You are mistaken [KJV Ye do err], not understanding the
    Scriptures, or the power of God.</emphasis>" Mt.22:29</para>
    <para>What 2 things do we need to know to be kept from
    error?</para>
    <itemizedlist>
      <listitem>
        <para>God's word</para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>God's power</para>
      </listitem>
    </itemizedlist>
  </sect1>
  <sect1 id="h2-importance-wars">
    <title>A Book that Wars</title>
    <para>Eph.6:10-18 is one picture of our spiritual armament.</para>
    <table id="h2-importance-armor-table">
      <title>Spiritual Armor</title>
      <tgroup cols="2">
        <thead>
          <row>
            <entry>Question</entry>
            <entry>Answer</entry>
          </row>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <row>
            <entry>How many of the weapons listed here are defensive
            weapons?</entry>
            <entry>5</entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry>How many are offensive?</entry>
            <entry>One</entry>
          </row>
          <row>
            <entry>Which one(s)?</entry>
            <entry>the word - 
            <foreignphrase>rhema</foreignphrase></entry>
          </row>
        </tbody>
      </tgroup>
    </table>
  </sect1>
  <sect1 id="h2-importance-exhortations">
    <title>Exhortations</title>
    <para>2 Tim.2:15 (KJV) "
    <emphasis>Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that
    needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of
    truth.</emphasis>"</para>
    <para>Col.3:16 "
    <emphasis>Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you; with all
    wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns
    and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to
    God.</emphasis>"</para>
    <para>If you're rich in something, how much of it do you
    have?</para>
    <para>Not a little!</para>
    <para>Eccl.12:11-12 "
    <emphasis>The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of
    these collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one
    Shepherd. But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many
    books is endless, and excessive devotion to books is wearying to
    the body.</emphasis>"</para>
  </sect1>
  <sect1 id="h2-importance-once">
    <title>Appendix: "Once for All"</title>
    <blockquote>
      <attribution>John R. W. Stott, 
      <emphasis>Christ the Controversialist,</emphasis>InterVarsity
      Press 1978, pp.106-107</attribution>
      <para>The truth regarding the finality of God's initiative in
      Christ is conveyed by one word of the Greek Testament, namely the
      adverb 
      <foreignphrase>hapax</foreignphrase>and 
      <foreignphrase>ephapax</foreignphrase>. It is usually translated
      in the Authorized Version once, meaning once for all. It is used
      of what is so done as to be of perpetual validity and never need
      repetition, and is applied in the NT to both revelation and
      redemption. Thus, Jude refers to the faith which was once for all
      delivered to the saints (Jude 3), and Romans says, "
      <emphasis>Christ also died for sins once for all</emphasis>"
      (Rom.6:10, see also 1 Pe.3:18; Heb.9:26-28).</para>
      <para>Thus we may say that God has spoken once for all and Christ
      has suffered once for all. This means that the Christian
      revelation and the Christian redemption are both alike in Christ
      complete. Nothing can be added to either without being derogatory
      to Christ... These are the two rocks on which the Protestant
      Reformation was built -- Gods revealed word without the addition
      of human traditions and Christ's finished work without the
      addition of human merits. The Reformers great watchwords were 
      <foreignphrase>sola scriptura</foreignphrase>for our authority
      and 
      <foreignphrase>sola gratia</foreignphrase>for our
      salvation.</para>
    </blockquote>
  </sect1>
  <sect1 id="h2-importance-supplement">
    <title>Supplement: Bible Reading Programs</title>
    <para>Here are some easy programs to systematically read your
    Bible. You can do more than one at a time if you like, for instance
    #1 with #4, or #2 with #5. Vary the program from year to year to
    keep it fresh!</para>
    <orderedlist numeration="arabic">
      <listitem>
        <para>New Testament in a Year: read one chapter each day, 5
        days a week.</para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>Proverbs in a Month: read one chapter of Proverbs each
        day, corresponding to the day of the month.</para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>Psalms in a Month: read 5 Psalms at intervals of 30 each
        day, for instance on the 20th you read Ps.20, 50, 80, 110,
        &amp; 140.</para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>Psalms &amp; Proverbs in 6 months: read through Psalms
        and Proverbs one chapter per day.</para>
      </listitem>
      <listitem>
        <para>Old Testament without Psalms &amp; Proverbs in 2 years:
        if you read one chapter a day of the Old Testament, skipping
        over Psalms &amp; Proverbs, you will read the Old Testament in
        2 years and 2 weeks.</para>
      </listitem>
    </orderedlist>
  </sect1>
</chapter>
