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Understanding the Bible: God's Promise and Our Ability

Discover the assurance that God promises us the ability to understand the Bible. Explore key verses and affirmations that debunk common misconceptions. Learn from the insights of biblical authors and gain confidence in your understanding.

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Understanding the Bible: God's Promise and Our Ability

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  1. "User-friendly Bibles" Lesson 1: "God Promises Us ThatWe Can Understand The Bible!"

  2. God Promises Us ThatWe Can Understand The Bible! • Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." • John 7:17 "If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself."

  3. An Outline of the Bible • Man Is Created & Sins • Jesus Is Coming • Jesus Came • Jesus Is Coming Again!

  4. Many People Today Claim—We Cannot Understand The Bible The Roman Catholic Church Most Protestant Churches Those Who Believe in Existentialism Folks Who Accept "Post-Modernism"

  5. Do You Think Our God Is Incapable of Anything?

  6. Our God Incapable of Something? • Jeremiah 32:17 • "Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You…"

  7. Our God Incapable of Something? • Jeremiah 32:17 • "Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You…"

  8. Our God Incapable of Something? • Genesis 18:13-14 • And the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?' 14 Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son."

  9. Our God Incapable of Something? • Genesis 18:13-14 • And the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, when I am so old?' 14 Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son."

  10. Our God Unwilling To DoAs He Promised? • Hebrews 6:17-20 • 17 In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. 19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, 20 where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

  11. Our God Unwilling To DoAs He Promised? • John 14:6 • Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."

  12. Our God Unwilling To DoAs He Promised? • John 14:6 • Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."

  13. "Well, I Don't Know About Others, But I Sure Am Having Trouble UnderstandingThe Bible!"

  14. Don't Forget—God Promises Us! • Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." • John 7:17 "If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself."

  15. The Men Who Penned the Bible Expected Us to Understand It. • Eph. 3:1-13; Luke 1:1-4; John 20:30-31

  16. Ephesians 3 1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-- 2 Surely you have heard about theadministration of God's grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. *

  17. Ephesians 3 1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-- 2 Surely you have heard about theadministration of God's grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. 4 In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets.

  18. Notice How LukeStarts His Gospel • Luke 1:1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, • 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. • 3 Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, • 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. • *

  19. Notice How LukeStarts His Gospel • Luke 1:1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, • 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. • 3 Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, • 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

  20. John 20:30-31 • Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may havelife in His name.

  21. 1 John 5:13 • These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

  22. "Why Do We Have So Much Trouble Understanding the Bible?"

  23. Our Minds Are Made Up About What We Are To Expect Before We Ever Study It!

  24. Luke 9 44 "Let these words sink into your ears; for the Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men." 45 But they did not understand this statement, and it was concealed from them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement.

  25. We Cannot Approach The Bible With Our Minds Already Made Up! • Matthew 13:14 "In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, 'YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; • 15 FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.' • 16 But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.

  26. Some Won'tUnderstand the Gospel • 1 Corinthians 1:18 • For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.19 For it is written, "I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE." 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

  27. Some Won'tUnderstand the Gospel • 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. • 22 For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; • 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, • 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

  28. Some Won'tUnderstand the Gospel • 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. • 26 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; • 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong,

  29. Some Won'tUnderstand the Gospel • 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, • 29 so that no man may boast before God. • 30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, • 31 so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD."

  30. Some Won'tUnderstand the Gospel • 2 Corinthians 4:3-5 • And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

  31. It Doesn't Take A Doctorate In Religion To Understand God's Word.

  32. The "Learned" Have To Check What Other Men Say • John 7 • 45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, "Why did you not bring Him?" 46 The officers answered, "Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks." 47 The Pharisees then answered them, "You have not also been led astray, have you? 48 No one of the rulers or Pharisees has believed in Him, has he? 49 But this crowd which does not know the Law is accursed."

  33. It Simply Takes A Heart That Is Spiritually Wise And Seeking God's Will!

  34. James 3:13 - ff • 13 Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

  35. James 4:1- ff • 1 What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. 4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. • *

  36. James 4:1- ff • 5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"? 6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." 7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

  37. God Promises Us ThatWe Can Understand The Bible! • Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." • John 7:17 "If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself."

  38. Acts 17 • 11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.

  39. 2 Timothy 2:15 • Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

  40. Matthew 7:7 • "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." *

  41. Matthew 7:7 • Ask, and it will be given to you;Seek, and you will find;Knock, and it will be opened to you.

  42. An Outline of the Bible • Man Is Created & Sins • Jesus Is Coming • Jesus Came • Jesus Is Coming Again! Are You Ready ForHim To Come?

  43. Necessary Presuppositions Concerning The Bible • The Scriptures Are Correct2 Pet. 1:10-21; 1 Tim. 1:15; Rom 3:3-4; Ps. 19:8-9 • The Scriptures Are CompleteDt. 4:2; Rev. 22:18-19; Gal. 1:8-9; 1 Cor. 13:8-12 • The Scriptures Are Authoritative2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 John 9; John 12:48-50 • The Scriptures Are MeaningfulEph. 3:1-13; Luke 1:1-4; John 20:30-31

  44. Necessary Presuppositions Concerning The Bible • The Scriptures Are AutonomousExceptions: Luke-Acts; 1 Sam.- 2 Kings • The Scriptures Are GOD’S Word1 Cor. 2:13; 1 Thess. 2:13 • The Scriptures Are Spiritual1 Cor. 1:18-31; James 3:13-4:10 • The Scriptures Are RelevantRom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:11; 2 Tim. 3:16-17

  45. God Promises Us ThatWe Can Understand The Bible! • Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." • John 7:17 "If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself."

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