I asked the internet; “What is the majority consensus of the Bible scholars as to how many authors wrote the Holy Bible over a period of how many years.” I looked over several websites and there were many qualifier words uses such as maybe, could have, possibly, about, it is thought and etc. Some even presented their findings in an argumentative style? The consensus answer I finally arrived at was about forty authors over about 1500 years.
After that I asked the internet the definition of theory. One of them is; a supposition or a system of ideas intended to explain something, especially one based on general principals independent of the thing to be explained. Some of the synonyms for theory are: supposition, assumption, notion, opinion and etc. I suppose an East KY hillbilly definition of theory would be; an educated guess.
I do know my King James Bible lists sixty-six books from Genesis to Revelation. I do know beyond any shadow of doubt I was saved because I met God in my salvation experience; yes, He was spiritual and I was physical but still I knew because God showed me as only He can. I do know, as I studied and learned, my salvation event was also an introduction to God. Do not take this wrong; I was as saved as I could ever be but I did not know much of anything about God’s word.
I do know that when you meet a human for the first time it is an introduction and if a relationship between you is to be built you will change each other as time passes.
I do know my Bible is God’s revealed will and it cannot be divided; you cannot have just one part and leave the others out. God and His Son, Jesus, are perfect in every way (Rom. 8:6-28 esp. V.16 keywords: we are the children of God) and I would have to do all the changing if I was going to (Rev. 21:7 thru 22-7) be a member of God’s forever family. I was a child, (Heb. 5:12-14 esp. V.13 keyword: babe) a baby Christian, (Eph. 4:15 & 2Pet. 3:13-18) and I needed to grow up.
If you wish to read about my salvation event and how I selected the King James Version Bible with which to hang my eternal destination upon please read the article About the Writer on this website. (John 1:1-4 and 1John 1:1-4 keyword in both: Word which is defined: the thought, the reasoning, the Divine Expression i.e. Christ. I do know somewhere early on I realized God’s Word, my Bible, is alive; alive with God and Jesus, because it ‘talks to me’ (John 14:26 & 1Cor. 2:11-13) and God’s Holy Spirit is my teacher. I do know through my Bible and the guidance, influence and teaching of the Holy Spirit I can have a personal relationship with Jesus. I hope you realize the same thing about you.
(John Chapters 13-17) In this conversation Jesus stressed communication (words) because He mentioned communication sixty-seven times using key words like commandment, sayings, word spoken, ask, said, declare, bear witness, pray and etc. How can one know God without communication? Jesus also said in His prayer (John 17:17) that God’s word is truth.
(John 6:63) Jesus said “the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life.” The apostle John wrote; (John 1:1-2) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” and (1John 1:1) “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;”. (1Tim. 3:16 keywords: great is the mystery of godliness) “God was manifest in the flesh,”
So: Jesus actually embodies God and God’s word, that word is truth, (John 14:17) the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth and all that fits right in with (Eph. 6: 14 & 17) “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word (an utterance individually, collectively, or specifically) of God.” (John 14:15-26 & Eph. 1:12-14) It is an individual’s personal relationship with Jesus!
(2Tim. 3:16-17) “All scripture (holy writ) is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine (teaching), for reproof (convict), for correction (a straightening up again), for instruction (education, disciplinary correction, chastisement, nurture) in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” The Holy Bible is the living word of God and is God’s revealed WILL (the strength of God’s action). Do you think God would leave something out of His word that would cause you to go to hell?
(1Cor. 1:9-13 & 2:9 thru 3:4 esp. V.3 keywords: ye are yet carnal) The origin of denominations by carnal men is given in God’s Word. Men can swear they are led by the Holy Spirit: congregations can go this way and that; leaders and denominations can embrace whatever liberal or conservative ideas they desire and contend they are correct; teachers, preachers and leaders can “cherry pick” individual scriptures here and there to make an incorrect, unscriptural point or teaching; individual Christians can act however they want but the Holy Spirit WILL NOT LEAD anyone, into anything, in any fashion, outside the structure (words) of the Holy Bible.
Here is an absurd, extreme example of “cherry picking“ (taking scriptures out of context) isolated, individual scriptures; (John 8:41) The Jews implied Jesus was born of fornication, (Luke 7:31 & 34) The men of Jesus’ generation said Jesus was a glutton and drunkard and was a companion with the dregs of society (Gal. 2:21) and Christ is dead in vain. I hope in my heart when you read that it made you as sick as it did me when I wrote it! Yes, these are in the Bible BUT taken out of context (cherry picking) they add up to a monstrous lie!
(John 6:63 & 2Tim. 3:16 keywords: All scripture is given by inspiration of God) But the point must be made that the Holy Bible is a complete book; it cannot be divided; you can’t have just one part without all the rest! (John 1:1-4 then 5:6-7) Jesus (the Word), God and the Holy Spirit are one, they cannot be divided! You cannot have just one of them.
THINK ABOUT THIS ASPECT OF (HEB. 12:1 keywords: run with patience): It isn’t how loud you yell; it isn’t how high you jump; it is how straight you run when you come down from your religious fit that counts with God. SO: (John 6:63, Matt. 24:13 & 1Cor. 15:58) How obedient are you to God’s Word?
You now understand the Holy Spirit is not some obscure power source Christians are supposed to try to “tap into” to reach God in an emergency. From personal experience you probably already know you cannot perform miracles, “for some reason” God hasn’t given you any of the “gifts” you hear preached about and like most of us your ability to witness is rather “spiritually puny.” You haven’t “set the world on fire with your testimony.”
Well, welcome to the club. The vast majority of us are just like you. How we do admire and wonder about the spiritual “movers and shakers” of the church world. Oh how we do wonder how they got such wonderful gifts and Holy Spirit power and here I sit like a dull child on the sidelines of a glorious life for Christ! Two “pretty tough” questions are; What do you really want from God? AND Do you really want to serve Him?
The fact you haven’t discarded this commentary article is a credit to you. The fact the devil has not convinced you that you are worthless and have no chance of ever amounting to anything as a Christian is a shining testimony that you really do want to (John 4:23-24) worship God in spirit (your life) and in truth (not concealing). You have learned you are made in the image of God; the Holy Spirit is the soul of God and the Holy Bible is the living revealed will of God.
You have learned the Holy Spirit can be tempted, quenched, grieved, blasphemed and the Holy Spirit is truth. You are made in God’s image; think how these things listed below affect you when someone does them to you. Has someone ever aggravated and tried your patience until you were tempted to grab them and shake them or maybe even bash them a little bit?
Remember how frustrated you were when you tried to tell someone something important and they just blathered on and wouldn’t listen or you tried to get someone to do something important and they just wandered off chasing some empty whim of imagination? Of course, you have and for effect you were quenched.
Remember how it felt when you were so disappointed in someone you were grieved to the point that dark grief and sadness drenched your soul and took away the goodness until you were like a big, mushy, flabby bag of hurt?
Remember how angry you were when someone disparaged you and your good name (put you down) and said you were worthless, or evil, or blamed you unjustly for something, or even said one of your good deeds was bad or evil? You were blasphemed.
Remember when someone lied to you and deceived you and trying to get the truth out of them was like trying to put a band-aid on a wet eel? Remember when you gritted your teeth and thought “Why can’t they just tell me the truth; I’ll handle it no matter what it is; just tell me the lousy truth?
Remember how you hated it when you believed a lie and after a while the truth jumped up and made a jerk out of you; you felt like an idiot or a fool and were embarrassed to death? It frustrates and angers you when someone lies to you. The lie and the liar’s attitude separate you from that liar.
(Prov. 6:16-19 esp. V.16 keywords: hate and abomination) The definition of abomination is disgusting, abhorrent, forbidden and idolatry. (V.17) God hates “a lying tongue”. That’s a person who tells lies to make himself appear more successful, important and knowledgeable than he really is and they are cheaters who hurt other people by taking advantage. It is self-idolatry!
(V.19) God hates “a false witness that speaketh lies”. They are the liars who hurt other people by spreading untruths about them which murders their reputations. (John 8:44) Jesus said liars are of their father the devil who is a murderer and the father of lies. SO: A liar is a child of the devil and they work for the devil which is simply a type of idolatry because the devil, Satan, (2Cor. 4:3-4 keyword: god) is the god behind all idolatrous, (Rom. 8:9) Christless worship.
(Deut. 32:4, Psa. 18:30 & 145:17, Matt. 5:48 & 1Pet. 1:16) God is perfect in all His ways. Read these->(Gen. 6:5-6, Luke 19:41, John 11:35, Eph 4:30, & 2Pet. 3:9) God is alive and vibrant, He loves and hurts, (1John 4:8 & 16) God is pure love, love itself, and Pure Love hurts worse, God is warm and tender, God has feelings, He is real just like you.
Tell yourself the truth. Have you ever insulted God? Have you ever broken God’s heart? Have you ever disrespected God? Have you ever reared back like a big angry fullback and crashed into (Eph. 2:7-10, Heb. 4:12-16 then 8:11-13) Jesus’ grace blood covenant line and bent it with your sin? (Heb. 4:14-16 & 1John 1:7-10) Aren’t you so glad, so wonderfully, deliriously, joyously, glad Jesus’ grace blood covenant line is so strong?
Just like any loving parent God wants what is best for His children. (Heb. 12:5-11) Sure, He has to discipline us now and then. No father who loves his child wants his child to grow up and be crooked, an outlaw, or a bully. God doesn’t want that for His children either, so He corrects us through the Holy Spirit and His Holy Word because He loves us.
Remember the old families? Great Grand Dad “worked out” a good name. The advice and demand right on down through the generations were; “This family has a good name; be honest, tell the truth, be gracious, use manners, work hard and uphold the family name!”
Christianity is not about an old family name but the loyalty and allegiance work the same way; you are a CHRISTIAN but are you an honest, truthful, gracious, well mannered, hardworking, upholder of the name Christian? Think about this paragraph and maybe even read it again. Is the Holy Spirit asking you questions: Do you need to say anything to God; something like; “I didn’t understand? Please forgive me.”