Why is the Bible Important?
Brother Ruben: The Bible. It is the most widely sold book of all time. But what makes the Bible so important and so widely read even after all these years? Isn’t it just another book of stories and myths of time past? How did the Bible become God’s guide for man today? And who did God use to speak and write His words? How can we be sure that they did not commit or make any mistakes in writing God’s words?
Brother Andrew: Please stay with us on The Message to find out.
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Brother Ruben: There are 66 books in the Bible. Thirty-nine in the Old Testament, and 27 in the New Testament.
How does God speak to us?
Brother Andrew: How did God reveal His words to man? In Deuteronomy chapter 4, the verses are 12-13, this is what is recorded:
Tell them how the LORD spoke to you from the fire, how you heard him speaking but did not see him in any form at all. He told you what you must do to keep the covenant he made with you—you must obey the Ten Commandments, which he wrote on two stone tablets.
[Deuteronomy 4:12-13 Good News Translation]
Brother Andrew: Our dear viewers, we can see from what we have read in the Holy Scriptures, God spoke to the servants whom He used to reveal His words. Like in this instance, He spoke His words to His servant, Moses. He not only spoke to them, but He wrote them on two stone tablets, which are known as the Ten Commandments.
Brother Ruben: We need to find out, what else is another way that God revealed His words to man? If we read the Book of Numbers chapter 12:8, beloved friends, we could get our answer—it says this:
So I speak to him face-to-face, clearly and not in riddles; he has even seen my form! How dare you speak against my servant Moses?
[Numbers 12:8 Good News Translation]
Brother Ruben: Now another way that God spoke His words, or revealed His words to His early servants, was by means of speaking to them face to face, just like what He did with His servant, Moses.
Brother Andrew: Did God only speak to Moses? Whom else did God speak through and how did God reveal His words to them? Well let’s read here in the Book of Numbers, the chapter is 12, and the verse is 6:
and the LORD said, “Now hear what I have to say! When there are prophets among you, I reveal myself to them in visions and speak to them in dreams.
[Numbers 12:6 Good News Translation]
Brother Andrew: So we can notice, our dear viewers, God spoke, also, to the prophets by means of visions and dreams.
Brother Ruben: During ancient times, if our Lord God needed to be able to relay instructions or teachings to His servants, well, how did our Father do this? Well, let’s read the answer, beloved friends, here in the Book of Ezekiel we shall read chapter 21, the verses are 1-3, the Bible says this:
And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face toward Jerusalem, preach against the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel; and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Behold, I am against you, and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off both righteous and wicked from you.
[Ezekiel 21:1-3 New King James Version]
Brother Ruben: Now according to what we have read here, our Lord God was instructing the prophet Ezekiel. He’s an example we can use of one that our Lord God used to convey His words to His people. Now we should notice here, beloved friends, the prophet Ezekiel said that the word of the Lord reached him, that he would relay them to the servants of our Father in heaven.
The word of God is also revealed through angels or messengers
Brother Andrew: Let’s find out now, whom else does God use as His instruments in revealing His words? Let’s find out in the Book of Luke 1:35-38:
And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” Then Mary said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
[Luke 1:35-38 New King James Version]
Brother Andrew: So please take note, dear viewers, God uses also angels, or messengers, like the angel Gabriel when God sent him to Mary, the mother of Christ, to reveal to her His will about His only begotten Son.
Brother Ruben: One might be saying, “Well, brother, maybe God only spoke during ancient times. Maybe He only spoke to the prophets, maybe He only spoke to Moses and those servants.” But we need to find out, Brother and beloved friends, did our Lord God also reveal His words in all, or every, dispensation of time? Let’s refer to the Bible once again, in Hebrews chapter 1:1-2. Apostle Paul mentions the following:
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
[Hebrews 1:1-2 New King James Version]
Brother Ruben: Based on what we have read, God revealed His words in various times and in various ways. Now we need to understand and remember that the Bible is divided into three great dispensations of time. The first time, or era, is the Era of the Patriarchs—that is from creation all the way to the birth of Moses. The second dispensation of time is called the Era of the Prophets. The third and final dispensation of time is called the Christian Era.
Now what else is it that we should notice? That our Father spoke to His servants in various ways. Like what we have established already, Brother Andrew, He spoke to them face-to-face. He spoke to His prophets by means of visions, and by means of dreams. In fact, you mentioned earlier that our Father spoke also through angels or messengers. Now what is it that we should notice? That our Father spoke through His greatest servant, or greatest messenger, none other than our Lord Jesus Christ.
Brother Andrew: Dear friends, let’s find out now, what did the Lord Jesus Christ Himself testify concerning His preaching? Let’s read the answer in the Book of John 12:49.
For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.
[John 12:49 New King James Version]
Brother Andrew: So here our Lord Jesus Christ clearly states that He did not speak on His own authority, but it was the Father that gave Him a command what He should say and speak.
Brother Ruben: Now if we read the Bible, Brother Andrew, we know that our Lord Jesus Christ died. After three days He was raised to life, and He appeared, or rather stayed on the earth for forty more days. But does it mean to say that when Christ went into heaven after the forty days, that our Lord God no longer spoke to anyone or revealed His words to man? For us to find this out, beloved friends, we need to consult the Bible once again. Here in the Book of Revelation chapter 1, the verses are 10-11, and we’ll include verse 19, this is what the Bible teaches to us:
On the Lord’s day the Spirit took control of me, and I heard a loud voice, that sounded like a trumpet, speaking behind me. It said, “Write down what you see, and send the book to the churches in these seven cities: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.” … Write, then, the things you see, both the things that are now and the things that will happen afterward.
[Revelation 1:10-11, 19 Good News Translation]
Brother Ruben: Now according to what we have read, our Lord God also revealed His words to the apostles. Like in this instance, Apostle John. In fact, what is it that our Father instructed Apostle John to do? God instructed him to write down what he saw in the Holy Scriptures.
Brother Andrew: The message of the day: the Bible came about because God used instruments to reveal His words to man.
Brother Andrew: Thank you for joining us in this episode of The Message. But before we part ways we invite you to join us for a short prayer.
Brother Ruben: Our Father in heaven, we offer to You our profound thanks for once again we were able to share our faith with our fellow man. We were able to explain to them the process on how Your words are revealed. We beg of You to please help each one to be able to fully understand this, O God, so that this would be their sole basis of faith in serving You, and in gaining salvation on Judgment Day.
Lord Jesus, our Savior, please mediate our prayers to our Father in heaven. Please beseech our God to be merciful upon those who have listened to this message today, so that they would be able to embrace the teachings of our Lord God, which would guide them accordingly in their daily life.
Our Father, as we return to You in prayer, we beg of You to please continue to maintain our connection with the spirit that prevails within the Church Administration. For all of these things we ask and beg for, through the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
