A Downward Spiral

by John Adair
When the book of Judges opens, the people of Israel had just come off of the
experience of a great victorythey had conquered the land of Canaan and
divided the land among themselves. When their leader Joshua died, however,
no one stepped in to take his place. And this was the plan of God, to rule His
kingdom from heaven, with His people living in humble submission and
dependence upon His provision.
The book of Judges shows us the disturbing results of this arrangement; the
people ignored the Lord as their king and did what was right in their own
eyes (Judges 17:6). And the people did this not just once but time after time
after time. The cycle of misery spun its way across three hundred years, ever
downward, leaving Gods people in greater and greater desperation with
leaders who grew increasingly compromised over the course of this period.
The downward spiral came to its lowest point in chapter 19 when the men of
Benjamin brutalized a defenseless woman, and the people of Israel
countered by taking out a bloody revenge on the perpetrators (Judges 20).
The time of great unity and victory in the conquest of the land had given way
to civil war and defeat as they settled the land. Judges shows us that human
depravity had the upper hand among Gods people. It also reveals how eager
God was to bless His people if they would only repent and walk in obedience.

Basic Bible Study Tools

by Charles R. Swindoll
The more serious you become about personal Bible study, the more you will
be aware of the importance of owning some good study tools. Numerous
books are available today, some of which are listed below. You should form
the habit of purchasing at least one study aid per month for your own library.

1. Bibles
It is best if you have a study Bible that has paragraphic notations or
divisions. You will also want to get some of the modern translations, versions,
and paraphrasespreferably in hardcover. There are several excellent
versions of the Bible. For casual reading, the New International Version is my
preference. However, for serious study with accuracy in mind, I recommend
the New American Standard Bible.
2. Concordances
A concordance is a must. It is an alphabetical listing of all the words in the
Bible and of all the verses in which they appear.

Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible or Strong's Exhaustive

Concordance of the Bible are my preferences.
Acquire an exhaustive concordance of the translation you use for study.
Most good computer programs for Bible study (see No. 7) allow for
multiple-word searches, including lexical searches in the original
languages.

3. Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

EnglishMerriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary or The Random

House Dictionary of the English Language
BibleThe New Unger's Bible Dictionary is the best.
TheologicalBaker's Dictionary of Practical Theology is a good tool.
Greek and HebrewVine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and
New Testament Words
EncyclopediaThe Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible (5
volumes) and International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (4 volumes) are
excellent.

4. Geographical and Cultural Helps

A good atlas is indispensable for understanding context. The Moody

Atlas of Bible Lands is highly recommended. (Also, if you have not yet
been to Israel, you should go!)
Bible backgroundsThe New Unger's Bible Handbook, Halley's Bible
Handbook, Merrill Tenney's New Testament Times: Understanding the

World of the First Century, or Alfred Edersheim's Bible History: Old

Testament
5. Bible Doctrine Books

Systematic Theology by Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology by

Charles Hodge, or Systematic Theology by Augustus H. Strong
Biblical Theology of the New Testament by Charles C. Ryrie
Major Bible Themes by Lewis Sperry Chafera good, concise book

6. Commentaries

Surveys of the entire BibleThe Bible Knowledge Commentary: An

Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty (in two volumes,
Old and New Testaments) is outstanding. The Wycliffe Bible
Commentary is my preferred one-volume commentary.

Expositional (verse by verse)some of the best are by Donald G.

Barnhouse, Kenneth S. Wuest, William R. Newell, R. C. H. Lenski, H. C.
Leupold, William Barclay, John F. Walvoord, Arthur W. Pink, and Tyndale
House

Devotionalbooks by G. Campbell Morgan, F. B. Meyer, Alan Redpath,

H. A. Ironside, and Charles R. Swindoll

Analyticalbooks by W. Graham Scroggie and Merrill Tenney as well as

the I. C. C. (International Critical Commentary) series (critical and tends
toward the liberal side)

Concerning Commentaries:

Best to purchase one of the entire Bible first

Best to use different types in your study

Best to consult them after your own personal study

Best to read with discernment; don't be afraid to challenge or disagree

An excellent volume by John Glynn, Commentary & Reference Survey,

lists and explains the most popular and recommended commentaries
(from various perspectives evangelical, liberal, etc.) on every book of
the Bible. It is helpful when you're looking for which commentary to
buy . . . and which one not to buy.

7. Bible Study Computer Programs

BibleWorks (for PC)see www.bibleworks.com

Designed for analysis of the biblical text, BibleWorks is the best program
for the PC platformfor all levels of users. It offers search tools,
lexicons, and dictionaries for Bible study, sermon preparation, and
detailed Bible research.

Libronix Digital Library System (for PC)see www.logos.com

An astounding assortment of commentaries, books, dictionaries, and
tools allows for quick research on any passage or topic. Many of the
recommended resources in this article are in the Libronix Library.

Accordance (for Macintosh)see www.accordancebible.com

From basic Bible study helps to advanced research tools, Accordance is
the best program for the Mac environment. Accordance offers Bibles,
commentaries, lexicons, and a comprehensive library of materials and
tools that can grow with your needs.

8. Web Sites

www.bible.org"In the last decade bible.org has grown to serve

millions of people and ministries around the world through providing
thousands of trustworthy resources for Bible study including an
exciting new translation of the Bible (the NET Bible)"from their Web
site.

www.bibleplaces.com"BiblePlaces.com features photographs and

descriptions of sites in Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey and Greece with an
emphasis on biblical archaeology, geography and history"from their
Web site.

9. Bible Study Methods

Living by the Book by Howard G. and William D. Hendricks

Independent Bible Study by Irving L. Jensen
How to Study the Bible for Yourself by Tim LaHaye
Methodical Bible Study by Robert A. Traina

Being Knowledgeable
by Charles R. Swindoll

Slice it any way you wish; ignorance is not bliss. Dress it in whatever garb
you please; ignorance is not attractive. Neither is it the mark of humility nor
the path to spirituality. It certainly is not the companion of wisdom.
On the contrary, ignorance is the breeding ground for fear, prejudice, and
superstition . . . the feeding trough for unthinking animals . . . the training
field for slaves. It is blind and naked (Tennyson), the mother of impudence
(Spurgeon); it brings despairing darkness (Shakespeare), never settles a
question (Disraeli), nor promotes innocence (Browning). And yet it remains
the favorite plea of the guilty, the excuse of the lazy, even the Christians
rationalization for immaturity.
We dare not fall into that trap! Our spiritual fathers didnt. Trace your
heritage back to Moses, and youll find that the people were given the Truth
of God in written form that they might know and that their children might
know the right path to follow. In Samuels day, there was established a
school of the prophets to dispel ignorance among the people. This
philosophy carried into the New Testament as Jesus frequently rebuked His
listeners for not reading, for not knowing the underlying principles for living.
How often Paul expressed similar convictions with such strong words as, I do
not want you to be ignorant (Romans 11:25; 1 Corinthians
10:1; 12:1; 15:34; 1 Thessalonians 4:13 NIV). Dr. Luke recorded great
commendation for the church at Berea because they were examining the
Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so (Acts 17:11).
Our own nation saw the need for being knowledgeable . . . for perpetuating
an educated, well-trained body of godly people who could proclaim Gods
message with intelligence, authority, and conviction. The oldest institution of
higher learning in the United Statesfounded only sixteen years after the
landing at Plymouth, Massachusettswas established for the purpose stated
on its cornerstone. It still remains etched in stone near an iron gate that
opens to the campus of Harvard University:
After God had carried us safe to New England
and wee had builded our houses
provided necessaries for our liveli hood
reard convenient places for Gods worship
and setled the civill government

one of the next things we longed for

and looked after was to advance learning
and perpetuate it to posterity
dreading to leave an illiterate ministery
to the churches when our present ministers
shall lie in the dust
New Englands First Fruits

This continued until European liberalism, with its subtle narcotic of

humanism and socialism, began to paralyze the nerve centers of theological
thought and weaken educational philosophy. Doubt and despair replaced
certainty and hope. Mental discipline, honed on the wheel of exacting
academic requirements and intellectual integrity, began to lag.
Permissiveness became the order of the day. This has evolved into a
postmodern mentality that now considers a commitment to truth and a
thorough study of Gods Word a joke. Thank God, there are some exceptions.
But they are precious few . . . especially among clear-thinking saints.
To be sure, there are dangers connected with being knowledgeable. Solomon
warned us of the worst in EcclesiastesPRIDEthe wearying, futile pursuit of
knowledge, a flesh trip that can cause a head to outgrow a heart. Mere
intellectualism can be only striving after wind (Ecclesiastes 1:17).
Our ministry is purposely named Insight for Living Ministries because thats
what knowledge is to be used forfor practical, life application. May I
personally urge you to become a better student of your Bible? Familiarize
yourself with its content. Filter todays difficult times through its grid. The
better you know the Word of God, the more quickly you will recognize the
path to help you find your way through the fog of our postmodern mist.
My single desire is to support the premise that knowledge, rather than being
an enemy of the faith, is an ally . . . perhaps one of our strongest. Rest
assured; we will forever remain committed to excellence in communicating
biblical truth . . . and its application. That is Insight for Living Ministries.

Biblical Illiteracy
by Charles R. Swindoll
During my days serving as a pastor in New England, I heard of a teacher
named Thayer S. Warshaw who quizzed a group of college-bound high school
juniors and seniors on the Bible. The quiz preceded a Bible as
Literature course he planned to teach at the Newton (Massachusetts) High
School, generally considered a top public high school in the nation. Among
the most astounding findings he got in his replies from the students were:
Sodom and Gomorrah were lovers.
Jezebel was Ahabs donkey.
Some students thought that the four horsemen appeared on the Acropolis,
that the New Testament gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luther, and
John . . . that Eve was created from an apple and that Jesus was baptized by
Moses. Seriously! The answer that took the cake was given by a fellow who
was in the top five percent of the graduating class, academically.
The question: What was Golgotha?
The answer: Golgotha was the name of the giant who slew the apostle David.
If it were not so pathetic, it would be hilarious. Isnt it amazing how pitifully
illiterate John Q. Public is of the written Word of God? In a land filled with
churches and chapels, temples and tabernacles, there is only an insignificant
handful of fairly well-informed students of the Book of books. We have
Scripture in hardback, paperback, cloth, and leather . . . versions and
paraphrases too numerous to count . . . red-letter editions, large-print
versions, big as dictionaries and small as microchips . . . yet the years roll by
as one generation after another passes on its biblical illiteracy.
Our nations technical knowledge and scientific expertise overshadow our
grasp of Bible basics to an appalling degree. We are, therefore, moving
toward an era similar to the Dark Ages when copies of Scripture were
chained to the pulpit in Latinthe private language of the clergy . . . when
the public was kept stone ignorant of the life-changing teachings of the truth.

But I see one great difference; in those days, biblical ignorance

was forced . . . in our day it is voluntary. Therein lies the saddest fact of all.
Upon whom do we rest the blame? Who deserves to have the finger of
accusation pointed at him or her? Some would say the fault lies with
the seminaries of our world. Part of the problem indeed rests there. As we
look around our world, we can find seminary professors who no longer hold
to such foundational truths as the deity of Jesus, His substitutionary death, or
His second coming. While this troubles us, we thank God for those
seminaries that continue to place their focus in the right place . . . teaching
and preaching the whole counsel of God.
Others choose to blame the pulpits of our land. Weak preaching can take a
terrible toll on a congregation. Ive said for years that a mist in the pulpit will
invariably cause a fog in the pew. Far too many preachers are specializing in
longhorn sermonsa point here and a point there with a lot of bull in
between. Our preachers must get back to their primary responsibility: to
proclaim Scripture to Gods people and point the way to reconciliation with
Him.
Still others would blame this satanic, pressurized system we call the world
society, with its persuasive pleadings and so-called academic argumentson
a fanatical, foolish belief in the Bible. To embrace its truths, we have been
told, is tantamount to committing intellectual suicide. The morticians
promoting this lie have nothing to offer in the Bibles place but the grave . . .
a cold hole in the ground.
But in the final analysis, biblical ignorance is a personal choiceyour choice.
If something is going to be done to plug the dike, it will take your finger to
stop the leak . . . and I mean fast.

Charting the Course to Biblical Literacy

by John Adair

Christs church has fallen into a troubling rut. Studies show that Christians
know less of the Bible than at any other time in recent history. The level of
Bible knowledge has decreased even among our best and brightest. One
administrator of more than 20 years at a Christian college noted, Our
assumption now is that incoming freshmen know nothing about the Bible,
and that we must start at the most basic level. Did you catch that?
Christian colleges assume that incoming students know nothing about the
Bible! What has happened? Why has our collective knowledge of the Bible
dropped so dramatically in recent decades?
The most obvious reason is that Christians are not spending as much time
reading and learning Scripture. In a world where so many enticements battle
for our attention, the Bible often gets lost in the shuffleeven for those who
desire to read it. Yet the Bible stresses the importance of hearing and
knowing Gods Word (Psalm 1:2; 119:11; 1 Timothy 4:13). Therefore, Christs
church must recommit to spending time reading, memorizing, and hearing
Gods Word. Parents need to encourage these good habits in their children,
just as fellow believers need to encourage them in each other. One can find a
number of creative ways to study the Bible. This months featured
resource, Scripture for Skillful Living: 40 Verses from Proverbs, offers an
excellent opportunity to commit Gods Word to memory.
Theres a deeper reason for our problem. Sure, this world is full of
distractions. But its too easy to look only outside of ourselves for the source
of the problem. Any problem facing the church should prompt us to look first
at ourselves as individuals. If our need is a better knowledge of Gods Word,
then we must ask what motivates us to know Scripture. The occasional
exhortation of a parent or a respected preacher may make an immediate
impact but not likely a lasting one. No, our true motivation to pursue the
knowledge of Gods Word comes from a much deeper placeour spiritual
maturity rooted in our abiding love for Jesus. When we love Christ purely, we
want to live lives that please Him, that reflect His desires for us and, most of
all, that reveal to others that we know Him. And, because the Bible is where
God has made Himself known, our knowledge of Scripture is the key way to
grow in our knowledge of Him.

Should we know the Bible better in order to grow spiritually? Or should we

grow spiritually in order to know the Bible better? Its both. Lets break out of
our rut and chart a new path, a route built on a foundation of spiritual
commitment and a deep knowledge of Gods Word. Only then can we truly
be a people of the Book.

Cool Skepticism
by Charles R. Swindoll
Nine-year-old Danny came bursting out of Sunday school like a wild stallion.
His eyes were darting in every direction as he tried to locate either his mom
or dad. Finally, after a quick search, he grabbed his daddy by the leg and
yelled, Man, that story of Moses and all those people crossing the Red Sea
was great! His father looked down, smiled, and asked the boy to tell him all
about it.
Well, the Israelites got out of Egypt, but Pharaoh and his army chased after
them. So the Jews ran as fast as they could until they got to the Red Sea. The
Egyptian Army was gettin closer and closer. So Moses got on his walkietalkie and told the Israeli Air Force to bomb the Egyptians. While that was
happening, the Israeli Navy built a pontoon bridge so the people could cross
over. They made it!
By now Dannys dad was shocked. Is that the way they taught you the
story?
Well, no, not exactly, the boy admitted, but if I told it to you the way they
told it to us, youd never believe it, Dad.
With childlike innocence, the little guy put his finger on the pulse of our
sophisticated adult world where cool skepticism reigns supreme. Its
becoming increasingly more popular to operate in the black-and-white world
of facts . . . and, of course, to leave no space for the miraculous. I mean, no
intelligent mind that gets its cues from scientific data or mathematical

axioms or natural laws can tolerate those things being altered. Certainly not
by some so-called divine intervention. Give me a break!
Its really not a new mentality. Peter mentioned it in one of his letters:
I want to remind you that in the last days there will come scoffers who
will . . . laugh at the truth. This will be their line of argument: So Jesus
promised to come back, did he? Then where is he? Hell never come! Why, as
far back as anyone can remember everything has remained exactly as it was
since the first day of creation. (2 Peter 3:34 The Living Bible)
Skeptics think like that. If they could choose their favorite hymn, it would
certainly include the words, As it was in the beginning, it is now and ever
shall be . . .
Take gravity. Heavy objects fall toward earth. Always. So a builder can
construct a house and never worry about his materials floating away. Count
on it. Take chemistry. Mixing certain elements in precise proportions yields
the same result. Always. So a doctor can prescribe a medication with
predictable confidence. Take astronomy. The sun, the moon, those stars
work in perfect harmony. Always. Even the mysterious eclipse comes as no
surprise. Weve got it wired right down to the second. Take anatomy.
Whether its the pupil of the eye expanding and contracting in response to
light, or our skin regulating our body temperature, or our built-in defense
mechanism resisting panic or fighting disease, we operate strictly on the
basis of facts. Hard, immutable, stubborn facts. Plain as black print on white
pages. Reliable as the sunset. Real as a toothache. Clear as a window pane.
Absolute, unbending, undeniable, unchangeable.
People who conduct their lives according to such thinking are called smart.
They havent a fraction of tolerance for the supernatural. Theyve become
skeptical in their tight world of absolutes. To them, it is sloppy to think in
terms of the unexplainable, the miraculous. If insurance companies choose
to leave room for acts of God, thats their business. Not smart people.
Those are fightin words in scientific laboratories and operating rooms and
intellectual rap sessions and newspaper editing rooms.

Then what about miracles? Well, just limit them to a childs world of fiction
and fables. And, if necessary, to stained glass sanctuaries where emotion
runs high and imagination is needed to make all those stories interesting.
After all, whats a little religion without a pocketful of miracles? And if we
started trying to account for all those things in the Bible, think of the time it
would take to explain stuff like how the sun stood still or why all those fish
suddenly filled the disciples nets, or what brought Lazarus back from
beyond, or why the dead body of Jesus has never been found, or how the
death of Christ keeps on cleaning up lives, or how come the Bible is still
around.
Smart skeptics dont have to worry about explaining little things like that.
Its easier simply to embrace a wholesale denial of the miraculous . . . which
is fine and dandy, so long as those skeptics are alive and well and able to
shrug their way through all those stories. It seems so plausible, so
sensible . . . until they themselves get sick, face death, and need miraculous
help crossing their final river.
By the way, what does happen on the other side of that river? Hey, if I told
you what the Bible really says, you wouldnt believe it!
Famine
by Charles R. Swindoll
The word hangs like an awful omen in our heads.
Mentally, we picture brutal, grotesque images. Cows ribs and hips protrude.
Babies eyes are hollow. Bloated stomachs growl angrily. Skin stretches
across faces tight as a trampoline. The outline of the skull slowly emerges.
Joints swell. Grim, despairing stares replace smiles. Hope is gone . . . life is
reduced to a harsh existence as famine takes its toll. Those who have seen it
cannot forget it. Those who havent cannot imagine it.
We are told famine is coming. Its only a matter of time, declare the
experts. There was a time when such predictions appeared only in science
fiction books, but no longer. Prophets of doom are now well-educated

economists, university profs, and official spokesmen for our culture, not to
mention various authors who interpret our times as threatening and
terminal. Of greatest concern is the enormous, ever-expanding population
explosion. The undeniable statistics tell their own tale.
Our world reached one billion back in 1825. One hundred years later we had
doubled in populationtwo billion. By 1975, we doubled againfour billion.
Today we are nearing seven billion. The supply of food required to feed seven
or more billion people is unbelievable. Worse than that, its unattainable in
light of our current agricultural system. Were told the gaunt shells of
humanity that now populate North Africa will someday cast their shadows
across North America. One reputable authority predicts that there will come
a time when the inhabitants of the worlds big cities will be living on bacon
bits, fruit in a tube, recycled foods, protein pills and cakes, and reconstituted
water.
For us who are well fed, the idea of famine is foreignvirtually unimaginable.
Its what plagues India or Ethiopia . . . never us! Fear of famine doesnt
compute in a country where streets are lined with McDonalds, 31 Flavors,
and restaurants by the hundreds.
My first rude awakening to the reality of hunger occurred early in 1958 when
our troop ship full of U.S. Marines pulled into the harbor of Yokohama, Japan.
We were so thrilled to see land, having been at sea for seventeen days, we
were initially unaware of the barges full of Japanese men and women that
were soon tethered to our ship. I later learned that this was a common
occurrence. They had come to paint the ships hull while we were at the dock
for three days. Their pay in return? The garbage from our tables! The thought
stunned me.
Another kind of famine exists that is equally tragic . . . but far more subtle.
God spoke of it through the prophet Amos. Read his words very carefully:
Behold, days are coming, declares the Lord GOD,
When I will send a famine on the land,
Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water,
But rather for hearing the words of the LORD.

People will stagger from sea to sea

And from the north even to the east;
They will go to and fro to seek the word of the LORD,
But they will not find it. (Amos 8:1112)
We may find physical famine almost impossible to believe, but how about
a spiritual famine? You dont have to wait another century for that! Take a
trip across the United States. Or pick any country. Talk about a famine! Its
easy to misread the words of Amos. He didnt predict a lack of churches or
chapels, temples or tabernacles, seminars or Sunday church services. He
spoke of a famine . . . for hearing the words of the LORD. Remember, a
famine does not mean an absence of something . . . but a shortage of it . . . a
scarcity that creates a starvation scene.
In our enlightened, progressive, postmodern age, an ancient, dusty prophecy
is fulfilled. Hearing the unadulterated truth of God is a rare experience. How
easy to forget that! We have come upon hard times when those who declare
and hear the Word of God are the exception.
How easy to be spoiled . . . presumptuous . . . proud . . . ungrateful . . . when
our spiritual stomachs are full! Funny thingthose who are full usually
want more. We belch out increased demands rather than humble gratitude to
God for our horn o plenty.
Tell me, when was the last time you thanked God for the sheer privilege of
hearing more of His Word than you could ever digest? And when did you last
share just a crumb from your table?
Thats why theres a famine.

Five Promises from a Shepherd to His Flock

by Charles R. Swindoll
A number of years ago, a friend dropped by my study. Hes a true friend, one
who knows me well . . . and loves me, warts and all. He also speaks the truth

in love, which is exactly what he did in the last twenty minutes of our visit
that day.
I could tell we werent through when he closed his folder. He had that look of
unfinished business as he tilted his head and took a deep breath. I
appreciated his reluctance; he didnt want to come storming into a
somewhat sensitive subject . . . but he couldnt leave without looking at me
squarely in the eyes and saying some hard things.
Go ahead . . . tell me whats eating away at you, I urged.
Well, I dont know how I should say these things, Chuck. But I cant just
ignore them either. The fact is, Im concerned.
Concerned about what? I probed.
You. This recent decision youve made to add the presidency of Dallas
Seminary to your responsibilities. Its not the decision itself; Im pleased with
that. Its what it could do to you. I mean, you already have a lot on your plate
. . . and now youre adding this. Im concerned that you might get so busy
youll start cutting corners in your preaching. Ive never worried about you
falling morally. But I do worry that you could be tempted to decrease your
time with God. It could easily become less important to you. I want to urge
you: Do not let that happen. We need you to continue doing original work,
reading widely, thinking deeply . . . and speaking with the kind of depth and
passion we have come to expect.
He said several other equally important things, which Ill not forget. As he
finally stood to leave, I walked over and embraced him. I told him how much
I appreciated his words, the genuineness of his heart, the courage of his
warning.
He left as he had arrivedquietly, unobtrusively. I sat back down, swallowed
hard, and sighed. His visit was both timely and memorable. Not only did he
need to say those things, I needed to hear them. Solomons words, which I
often quote, bore fruit that day. Faithful are the wounds of a friend.
(Proverbs 27:6, emphasis added).

You need to know, just as my friend did, that I remain deeply committed to
pastoring the local church. Its my primary passion, regardless of any
additional roles I undertake. Whether you listen to sermons on the Insight for
Living broadcast or sit in a pew at Stonebriar Community Church, you have
every right to expect me to feed the flock carefully prepared meals . . . and
not stumble into the traps that litter the path of over commitment. As my
mother used to say, Congregations should be fed good diets of solid meat,
not a bunch of pea-patch stories. They should never leave hungry. Do your
job, Charles.
Ours is a day of superficiality. If you can fake it, youre often admired as
being clever, not criticized for being phony. The ministry is no exception.
People trust ministers to be diligent and spiritually sensitive, to do their
homework and think creatively, to remain fresh and innovative, to stay
excited about their callings, faithful in prayer, and pure in their motives.
But the painful truth is that we ministers can be lazy, indifferent, perfunctory,
controlling, and mean-spirited. Were not above predictability or plagiarism,
especially if weve not managed our time well. I know of few professions
where envy can be more prominent or pride can be more manipulative. Its
easy to learn how to hide those ugly faces behind pious masks.
So . . . at the risk of appearing stronger than I am or coming across in tones
too religious to be real, Im going to risk making a few promises to you that I
made to my friend many years ago. Theyre just as important today as they
were then.
1.

First, I promise to keep doing original and hard work in my

study. No hectic schedule of mine will rob you of a strong pulpit or
Bible-teaching ministry. You deserve the best of my efforts.
2. Second, I promise to maintain a heart for God. That means I will
pray frequently and fervently. I will stay devoted to Him and to the
things of my calling. I wont simply talk about doing those things . . . Ill
do them.
3. Third, I promise to remain accountable. Living the life of a
religious Lone Ranger is not only unbiblical, its dangerous. I am
committed to being open with other men of integrity.
4. Fourth, I promise to stay faithful to my family. My wife deserves
my time, affection, and undivided attention. Our now-grown children
and grandchildren, the same. I wont forget that, no matter what.

5.

Fifth, I promise to be who I am. Just me. No amount of public

exposure will turn my head -- scouts honor. If I start acting
sophisticated, remind me how disgusting it looks, how ridiculous
shepherds appear when they start using pious words, trying to strut
their stuff. I plan to keep laughing, saying things a little off-the-wall,
hanging out with the guys who arent impressed, and making a few
mistakes each month. Sort of keeps the ol humanity gears greased.

I have my friend to thank for these thoughts. He deserves the credit. Hes
like my mother with guts enough to remind me, Do your job, Charles, to
warn me of potential pitfalls, to remind me that hes not ready to put an X
across the face of another minister he once respected.
Pastors like me need more friends like that.

How Can I Get Started Reading the Bible?

by Biblical Counseling Ministry
Question: Im a new Christian, and I want to learn more from the Bible. I
have an old Bible that belonged to my grandmother, and its difficult to
understand. Where do I begin? How can I get more out of reading the Bible?
Answer: Its great to hear about your desire to read Gods Word. Many
Christians long to know more about the Bible, but like you, they feel
frustrated because of the strange words and unusual writing styles. If youre
reading an older version, such as the King James Version, the Bible can feel
particularly foreign to you. How can you begin to understand what you are
reading?
The first step is to purchase a Bible that you can use at home and at church.
You might ask your pastor what version he uses when he preaches. Its
helpful to own a copy of the same version so that you can follow along
during his sermon.
Many people want to know which Bible version Chuck Swindoll uses. He
preaches from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) because he believes
that this version represents the most accurate translation of the original text.
The Bible was originally written in ancient Hebrew and Greek, with a few

sections in Aramaic. Therefore, any English Bible is a translation, and as

such, it reflects the translators philosophy. Some Bibles present a nearly
word-for-word translation, while other versions offer a looser, more
contemporary translation.
The NASB translators determined to keep their version as literal in regard to
the original text as possible. This is the genius of the NASB, but we must also
recognize that for many people this is a drawback, since the literality may
produce a rather wooden rendering. The NASB is not as smooth nor as
idiomatic as other translations.
Although Chuck preaches from the NASB, he owns other versions and reads
them occasionally. In recent years, he has come to highly regard the New
International Version (NIV).
Every version has virtues and limitations. Some Bibles contain study notes to
help you understand the text or articles to help you apply what you reading.
To learn more about Bible versions, you might read The Complete Guide to
Bible Versions, by Philip W. Comfort. This book provides a list of the various
versions of the Bible along with a quick overview of the history and
philosophy of the translation.
The Bible is not a typical book; rather it is a collection of sixty-six books
written during various times and by different authors. With an ordinary book,
you begin on page one and read to the end. But because the Bible is a
collection of books, you may approach it differently. Here are a few
approaches to reading the Bible:
Scheduled Bible Reading
Many people follow a Bible-reading schedule, such as one of the schedules
listed on the following Web site: http://www.bibleplan.org/. Imagine that Bible
reading is like taking a bus tour of a large city. On a bus tour, you cover a lot
of ground without spending too much time in any one place, and thats what
scheduled reading should be. The idea is to become familiar with the major
themes, stories, and chronology of Scripture. Then, if you want to study a
particular passage, you can get off the bus and spend focused time in that
specific place.

Devotional Study
Think of the Bible as a long banquet table full of delicious entrees. You may
step up to any section and select a morsel of truth. Christian devotional
books take this approach. Each day the book includes a meditation on a
verse or two to guide your reading.
However, be careful not to use the Bible like a crystal ball. Some Christians
try to find a message from God by closing their eyes, flipping open their
Bibles, and pointing their fingers at a verse. The flip-and-point method often
leads to frustration, because the verse might not mean much to you. Or
worse, it leads to error, because you may take the verse out of context and
interpret it to mean something that the author never intended.
If you wish to read what the Bible says on certain topics like discouragement,
hope, or eternal life, you can purchase a topical index, such as A Topical
Bible Guide by Bob Phillips. This small book is worth its weight in gold! It
contains verses on one hundred topics of interest, and you can pick a few
verses to read as a devotional study for the day. Write down the verses on
cards to carry with you, or look up and underline the verses in your Bible.
Youll be able to remember the verses more clearly when you know where
they are found in your Bible.
Book Study
You can also select a certain book of the Bible to study. If youve never read
the Bible before, you may want to look in the table of contents and find the
book of Mark. Mark is a fast-moving account of Jesuss life and is perhaps the
easiest of the four gospels to understand. As you read a selection every day,
ask yourself, What is the author trying to tell me about Jesus in this
passage? Dig for the timeless principles that the Bible is teaching, and
apply those principles to your life. For example, in Mark 1:21-28 when Jesus
is casting out the evil spirit, He demonstrates His authority over demons. The
author is teaching the truth that Jesus is the greatest authority in the
physical and the spiritual realms, and you can feel confident in His power.
You may want to jot down the Biblical principles you discover in a notebook
or prayer journal. As you examine the verses, ask yourself a few applicationtype questions.

Are there any promises that I can claim in these verses?

Is there a command that I need to obey?

Are there any sins that I need to avoid?

Is there an example to follow?

What encouragement or comfort may I gain?

What new perspective is God showing me?

God has given us His Word to nourish us through every stage of our Christian
development. It is pure milk for newborn believers (1 Peter 2:2) and solid
food for the mature (Hebrews 5:14). You can feed on the Scripture every
day for the rest of your life and never exhaust its storehouse of nourishment.
May God richly bless your study of His Word.

How We Got the Old Testament (The Content and Extent of the Old
Testament Canon)
by Wayne Stiles
Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written
for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
The apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 10:11)
The use of the Old Testament Scriptures by the church has been the subject
of debate from the time of the early church fathers to the present. The
debate primarily concerns the question of what writings are truly in the
canon of the Old Testament Scriptures. The word canon is from a Greek word
that means a "rule" or "standard"; in the second-century Christian church it
came to be understood as "revealed truth."1 Yet for some Christians the truth
represented a different number of books than for other Christians. For
example,
[Augustine] regarded the church to be the custodian of Scripture and thus
may easily have concluded that on matters of the extent of the canon the

church had the authority to decide . . . Augustine seemed to consider church

reception to be sufficient warrant for canonical authority; this he gave as the
reason for accepting the Maccabean books as canonical.2
Some held that the canon extended to encompass all the books read in the
church for edification, which would include the Apocrypha and sometimes
the Pseudipigrapha (a collection of anonymous, apocalyptic writings). Others
held that the canon represented simply the Jewish Bible, corresponding to
the Protestant Bibles of today.3
Not until the age of the Reformation did the debate began to rage. In 1546
when the Council of Trent made a formal statement that all who did not
accept selected Apocryphal writings should be damned, the Protestants
responded with an equally resolute voice. Even today, the question of
canonicity remains completely valid. If there are disputes about what is
Scripture, the legitimacy of faith itself is at stake. As the theologian Roger
Beckwith aptly states, "with no canon there is no Bible."4
The Concept of the Old Testament Canon
Its ironic that evangelicals today base their beliefs solely on Scripture, and
yet Scripture was recognized by tradition. The way the canon was regarded
in history played an integral role in the canons recognition. The tradition and
authority of the people of God throughout history have attested that there
was a group of writings, divinely inspired, which were recognizable as such.
The internal evidence of the Old Testament itself affirms its divine origin.
Deuteronomy itself "also reaffirms in Israel the idea of a 'canon,' a collection
of written materials by which the life of the nation would be
administered."5 Deuteronomy 31:24-26 says,
It came about, when Moses finished writing the words of this law in a book
until they were complete, that Moses commanded the Levites who carried
the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, "Take this book of the law and
place it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may
remain there as a witness against you."

The believers between the testaments held that there was a known corpus of
Scripture, for in their writings they would often refer to it with the
authoritative phrases, "as it is written," or "according to Scripture," or "it is
written." In fact, references to almost all of the books of the Old Testament
are considered to be Scripture by those of the intertestament and the New
Testament eras. Beckwith says of this period that
With the exception of the three short books of Ruth, Song of Songs and
Esther, the canonicity of every book of the Hebrew Bible is attested, most of
them several times over . . . [It] is very striking that, over a period ranging
from the second century BC (at latest) to the first century AD, so many
writers, of so many classes (Semitic, Hellenistic, Pharisaic, Essene, Christian),
show such agreement about the canon.6
In addition, there are at least twenty-eight documented separate titles for
the Old Testament canon, proving that the individual books had become a
collection sufficient enough to warrant various titles to the group (canon) as
a whole.7
Church history heavily considered what Jesus and the New Testament writers
thought about the Old Testament in determining canonicity. The number of
references to the Old Testament by New Testament writers is abundant, and
it attests to the fact that there was an established canon at the time of their
writing.
Probably the most complete secular evidence (in secular writings) on the
concept of a canon resides in the work of Josephus. Josephus not only
understood that a canon existed, but he also listed what he believed that
canon was (Against Apion 1.7f., or 1.37-43). This list is identical to the Jewish
and Christian canon with the exception of omitting either the Song of Songs
or Ecclesiastes.8 Josephus mentioned that there were copies of Scripture in
the temple itself, and before its destruction in AD 70 it contained a collection
of books. The Jewish community considered this collection canonical, for "the
main test of the canonical reception of a book must have been whether or
not it was one of those laid up in the Temple."9 This evidence reveals the fact

that the concept of a canon did indeed exist before the beginning of the
Christian era.
The Construct of the Old Testament Canon
Not only does the literature testify to the concept of a canon existing, but it
revealed the construction of that canon as existing in three parts: the Law,
the Prophets and the Hagiographa (meaning "holy writings"). This method of
arranging the various books emerged from numerous sources outside the Old
Testament itself.
The earliest evidence of the arrangement stems from the prologue to the
book Ecclesiasticus which specifically mentions on three occasions the three
parts of the canon. The author says, "Many great things have been
communicated to us through the Law and the prophets, and the others who
followed after . . . my grandfather Jeshua, after devoting himself for a long
time to the reading of the Law and the prophets and the other books of our
forefathers . . ." Here the author clearly states that the canon contains three
recognized parts; and these parts, having titles and sections, show that by
the writers time (about 180 BC), the canon was considered closed.
Jesus Himself, the most authoritative witness for the Christian, states in Luke
24:44 the three sections of the Old Testament as "the Law of Moses and the
Prophets and Psalms." "Psalms" undoubtedly meant the whole Hagiographa,
for Christ often referred to Daniel (which was a part of that third section), as
well as the book of Psalms itself. Philo, a first century AD Egyptian Jew, and
the tenth-century Arabian writer al-Masudi both refer to the Hagiographa as
the "Psalms."10
Because the Jews placed the book of Chronicles in the Hagiographa, another
statement of Jesus alludes to the three sections of the completed canon. He
said in Luke 11:50-51 (also in Matthew 23:35), "the blood of all the prophets,
shed since the foundation of the world, may be charged against this
generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed
between the altar and the house of God; yes, I tell you, it shall be charged
against this generation." Jesus certainly refers to the Zechariah of 2

Chronicles 24:21. This is significant, because His statement extends from the
first of the three sections (such as Abel in Genesis) to the last of the three
sections (Zechariah in Chronicles), implying the inclusion of the second as
well. Christ makes the same point by mentioning the prophets, for prophecy
had virtually ended with the composition of 2 Chronicles, written about 400
BC.
Judas Maccabaeus and his associates compiled a list of the Prophets and
Hagiographa in 164 BC, at least 250 years prior to the generally assumed
date of the closing of the canon (AD 90, at the Council of Jamnia). The
historical book of Second Maccabees 2:14f described it this way: "And in like
manner Judas (Maccabaeus) also gathered together for us all those writings
that had been scattered by reason of the war that befell, and they are still
with us. If therefore ye have need thereof, send some to fetch them unto
you."
Beckwith states,
Judas knew that the prophetic gift had ceased a long time before (1 Macc.
9:27; cp. Also 4:46; 14:41), so what is more likely than that, in gathering
together the scattered scriptures, he and his companions the Hasidim
classified the now complete collection in the way which from that time
became traditional . . . The manner in which Judas Maccabaeus did his work
was presumably by compiling a list, not by combining books in large
scrolls . . . If Judas gave such structure to the canon, he must have had a
definite collection of writings to work on.11
The Old Testament books, as grouped in the canon, had a recognized order.
Even though that order was different for different people, the fact that the
books had order, however arranged, reveals that they were recognized as
canonical and that the canon was closed at the time of its ordering.
The number of the books also played a vital role. The evidence shows that
the number of the canonical books was always assumed to be twenty-two or
twenty-four. The books themselves were the same in both groupings, just
grouped differently. "In earlier days they combined Ruth with Judges, and
Lamentations with Jeremiah and thus made twenty-two books equivalent to

the twenty-two letters in the Hebrew alphabet."12 It is "difficult to conceive of

those books being counted, and the number being generally accepted and
well known, if the canon remained open and the identity of its books
uncertain . . . Agreement about their number implies agreement about their
identity."13
The Contents of the Old Testament Canon
The Canonical Books
It makes sense that upon completion of an Old Testament book the book was
canonical. Theoretically this must be true, but actually, a book of Scripture
was considered to be such by virtue of the authority of the human author. So
while the Pentateuch was completed with the death of Moses and the
Prophets and the Hagiographa with its authors, the recognition of the
canonicity of these books may have been centuries after their actual
completion.
Consequently, as opinions differed, there existed some disputelargely
about five books of the Old Testament, sometimes called the "antilegomena"
or the "books spoken against." These were: Ezekiel, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes,
Song of Songs, and Esther. The secular motifs in these books, as well the
apparent contradictions with other undisputed canonical books, were the
leading cause of concern to some scholars. But the disputes themselves
imply that the books in question were considered canonical, because
contradictions in uninspired texts would have been assumed, and therefore,
nonexistent.
Some scholars assume that the presence of the dispute proves that the
canon was still open and not established until the Council of Jamnia in AD 90.
The motivation behind such an assertion stems from the desire to canonize
some Apocryphal as well as some Pseudepigraphical booksbooks by
anonymous authors. Beckwith offers a compelling argument that Ezekiel was
not debated.14 He says it was part of the already closed Prophets and not the
Hagiographa, which was the subject of debate at Jamnia. In particular, only
the Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes were debated. Indeed only Ecclesiastes
was debated according to Rabbi Akiba. Green quotes Rabbi Akiba from the

Talmud regarding the Jewish opinion of the inspiration of the Song of

Solomon:
"Silence and Peace! No one in Israel has ever doubted that the Song of
Solomon defiles the hands [i.e. is Scripture]. For no day in the history of the
world is worth the day when the Song of Solomon was given to Israel. For all
the Hagiographa are holy, but the Song of Solomon is a holy of holies. If
there has been any dispute, it referred only to Ecclesiastes. . . . So they
disputed and they decided."15
And what did they decide? "'The wise men desired to withdraw (ganaz) the
Book of Ecclesiastes because its language was often self-contradictory and
contradicted the utterances of David. Why did they not withdraw it? Because
the beginning and the end of it consist of words of the law.' Sabbath
30b."16 The book of Second Esdras shows that Ezra republished the twentyfour books of the inspired law. "How could such an assertion be made if five
of the twenty-four books were known to have been added to the canon about
AD 90, only ten years or so earlier?"17 In the end, the Hagiographa
triumphed. Two factors helped, says Pfeiffer:
The first was mere survival. In ancient times, when books had to be copied
laboriously by hand on papyrus or parchment, no literary work could survive
for a few centuries unless it had attained considerable circulation. . . . We
may wonder, for instance, why Esther should have survived among the Jews,
while Judith perished, since the appeal of both was mainly patriotic. 18
The Non-Canonical Books
The books which were recognized as non-canonical, primarily the books from
the Pseudipigrapha and Apocrypha, could not be included in the canon for
one reason: their date is much later than the previously attested date of the
closing of the canon recognized by Judas Maccabaeus in 164 BC. The
confusion comes in that many of the books in question are impeccable
historical sources and are true in what they say. But truth does not of
necessity constitute a place in the canon. The books such as First
Maccabees, Judith, Wisdom of Solomon, and Ecclesiasticus contain great

value historically, but value is not enough to warrant canonicity. Even within
the valuable book of Ecclesiasticus lie personal biases Holy Scripture would
not commend. The author, Jesus the son of Sira, reveals a great deal of his
personal character as he "not only expresses his views quite frankly on a
variety of subjects, making no secret, for instance, of his intense dislike for
the fair 'weaker' sex (9:8; 23:22-27. . .)."19
Even Augustine believed in the inspiration of some of the Apocrypha.
Nevertheless, in the heat of the argument, Augustine limits his Old
Testament to the Jewish canon when he writes in his tract on "Faith of Things
not Seen" appealing to the Scriptures as follows: "Unless haply unbelieving
men judge those things to have been written by Christians, in order that
those things which they already believed might have greater weight of
authority if they should be thought to have been promised before they came.
If they suspect this let them examine carefully the codices of our enemies
the Jews. There let them read those things of which we have made
mention."20
Harris states, "Philo . . . evidently accepted the twenty-two Hebrew books, for
he quotes from many of them and from them only, as authoritative."21 Saint
Jerome, as well as Rufinus, were crystal clear on the matter [of not
considering them canonical] but their reaction to the pressure exerted on
them indicates that many leaders thought the additional books ought to be
recognized as inspired. . . . Jerome yielded to the popular request in
furnishing a translation to the church at large but never permitted his
scholarly convictions to yield to the point of recognizing these books as
canonical.22
The Essene canon contained some of the Pseudepigrapha which they
claimed to be divine. But most of these writings were midrash (commentary)
on canonized books and logically therefore would not be Scripture. For if the
Pseudepigrapha contained a copy of a canonical book as well as commentary
on it, why would it not negate the original canonical book, because the
Pseudepigrapha with its inspired commentary would be much more valuable?
In addition, "If they were conscious of being inspired, why did they not have

the confidence to use their own names?"23 Even the quote in Jude 14 of First
Enoch 1:9 does not require that First Enoch is Scripture. To quote what is true
in Scripture is different than saying that what is quoted is Scripture. Even
Paul quoted a pagan poet in Acts 17:28, but he certainly did not regard it as
Scripture but as simply true. The Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes
also all recognized a closed canon and generally saw that prophecy had
ceased before the Pseudepigrapha and Apocrypha were written. None of the
Pseudepigrapha and Apocrypha were in the canon of the Jews, and it was to
this canon that Jesus Himself and the Apostles appealed.
Implications and Conclusions
The implications of such a study are twofold. For those who believe that the
writings other than the Jewish and Protestant Old Testament are inspired,
there needs to be serious reconsideration. Jesus Himself implied that the last
prophet was Zechariah in the book of Chronicles. The undisputed value of
the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha is not the issuethe issue is whether
they were ever even candidates for canonicity.
For those who believe the Jewish and Protestant Old Testament, there is the
value of comfort and assurance. The study of canonicity should awaken a
deepening devotion to the Scriptures God has seen fit not only to reveal to
us but also to uphold and confirm through many different agents.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
When the breath of the Lord blows upon it;
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades,
But the word of our God stands forever. (Isaiah 40:7-8)

Looking at the Big Picture . . . and Finding Hope

by Charles R. Swindoll

If you know a little about the birth of Jesus, it might be best for you to forget
it and start from scratch.
The Christmas story has been so sanitized and romanticized over the
centuries that even Hollywoodas jaded a culture as can be found anywhere
always fails to capture the gritty pathos that surrounded Jesus's arrival.
Truth be told, even some churches annually idealize the birth of our Savior.
Yet it was anything but ideal.
Without question, 6 BC was a lousy time to live in Judea. Herod the Great had
seized the throne of Israel through bloody intrigue and with political support
from Rome. Then, once in power, he guarded his stolen title, "King of the
Jews," so ruthlessly he even put his own sons to death when any of them
posed a significant political threat. Macrobius, a fifth-century writer,
recorded, "When [Caesar Augustus] heard that Herod king of the Jews had
ordered boys in Syria under the age of two years to be put to death and that
the king's son was among those killed, he said, 'I'd rather be Herod's pig than
Herod's son!'"
Caesar's comment illustrated the sad irony of Israel's condition. Herod,
though not really Jewish, pretended to be a good religious Jew by eliminating
pork from his diet, but he indulged an insatiable appetite for power. He built
a magnificent temple for the God of Israelan architectural wonder in its day
and gave its administration to one corrupt high priest after another. He
taxed Jews through the temple in keeping with the Old Testament Law and
then used the proceeds to break the first commandment, building cities and
temples in honor of the emperor and his pantheon of Roman deities.
The larger Roman Empirebounded on the west by the Atlantic . . . on the
east by the Euphrates . . . on the north by the Rhine and Danube . . . and on
the south by the Sahara Desertwas as vast as it was vicious. Political
intrigue, racial tension, increased immorality, and enormous military might
dominated everyone's attention and conversation. Judea existed under the
crush of Rome's heavy boot. It was a time of unprecedented economic and
political advancement for the rich and a time of horrific oppression for

everyone else. By the first century BC, a dark cloud had settled over Israel,
blocking any ray of hope.
The first Christmas, all eyes were on Augustusthe cynical Caesar who
demanded a census so as to determine a measurement to enlarge taxes
even further. At that time, who was interested in a young couple making an
80-mile trip south from Nazareth? What could possibly be more important
than Caesar's decisions in Rome . . . or his puppet Herod's edicts in Judea?
Who cared about a Jewish baby born in a Bethlehem barn?
God did. As the New Testament reminds us:
But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a
woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under
the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. Galatians 4:45
Without realizing it, mighty Augustus was only an errand boy for the
commencement of "the fullness of time." He was a pawn in the hand of
God . . . a mere piece of lint on the pages of prophecy. While Rome was busy
making history, God arrived. He pitched His fleshly tent in silence on
straw . . . in a stable . . . under a star. The world didn't even notice. Reeling
from the wake of Alexander the Great . . . Herod the Great . . . and Augustus
the Great, the world overlooked Jesus the baby.
It still does.
As they were in Jesus's day, so our times are desperate. Moreover, they often
are a distraction from the bigger picture. Just as the political, economic, and
spiritual crises of the first century set the stage for the "fullness of time" to
occur . . . so today, in our own savage times, our God is weaving His
sovereign tapestry to accomplish His divine will. Times are hard, indeedbut
they never surprise God. He is stillsovereign. He is still on the throne. As the
psalmist reminds us: "Our God is in the heavens; / He does whatever He
pleases" (Psalm 115:3).
In my 50 years of ministry, I have never been more committed than I am
today to pointing our generation to the Word of God. It remains the only

source of strength and divine direction during these difficult days. Whenever
I can, I challenge pastors and leaders in ministry to recommit themselves to
practical, expository preaching and teaching from the Scriptures. With the
same urgency, I exhort youwherever God has placed youto live out the
truth of God's Word before your family and neighbors through evangelism,
Bible study, and memorization of God's Word.
Feeling anxious about these difficult days? I understand, and Jesus does too.
Times were no different when Jesus was born. Because so many lives have
been turned upside down this year for one reason or another, we are
encouraging our readers and listeners to reflectjust as Mary didon what
God is doing in their liveson a special message or important truth.
Christmas is a good time to ask ourselves this question: Will I focus on Jesus
as the center of my life and cling to Him regardless of the circumstances I
face? This is what the Snedekers came to realize: "God's glory can and does
shine through deaf, crippled, and legally blind angels, and He has given to us
these special individuals so we might see His Glory."
Political corruption . . . religious compromise . . . economic crisesthese will
always be on the front page. But we must remember that our God is on the
throne. He promises to use our desperate times to accomplish His bigger and
better purposes in our world . . . and in our lives.

Reading the Old Testament for All It's Worth

by Charles R. Swindoll
We never outgrow our love for a good story, do we? There is something
compelling, something magnetic, and something altogether unique about the
best stories. They engage, both our minds and our hearts. They allow us to

empathize with the experiences of other human beings. They also create
opportunities to learn from the lives of others.
The greatest communicator of all time, Jesus Christ, used stories to
communicate the truth about God, our lives, and our world. He often chose
to employ stories when faced with a diverse crowd of people, hungry for His
teaching. In some cases, He selected stories to veil the message, while other
times He used them to clarify and illustrate truth. Stories were one of His
favorite communication styles.
That should come as no surprise. As a young Jewish boy, Jesus heard the
truths of our Creator and of His people's amazing history delivered in story
form by reading and learning the Old Testament. Stories were vital to passing
along the Jewish heritage of faith.
In our modern day, these fascinating stories too often remain tucked away in
the "white pages" of our Bibles, pages so little used that they look brand
new. In many Bibles they stay stuck together. How unfortunate, since there is
a wonderful timelessness about the great stories of the Old Testament. God
in all His wisdom as our Creator knew all about human beings when He
commissioned the writing of the Old Testament: we remember truth better
when it's placed before us in story form.
I have discovered in my walk with Christ that there is nothing quite like the
Old Testament to help me gain an understanding of our heavenly Father, the
living God. It was through the Old Testament that I first gained an
appreciation for who God is and what He does.
When we crack open those early pages of Genesis, we meet God at the
creation of the world, as His handiwork goes forth throughout the heavens
and the earth. Turn a few more pages and we witness His personal
relationship with humans, from the first moments Adam and Eve were
created. We see His hand as it reached down into the nations and chose
Abraham. Through this one man, God developed an entire nation of people
to bear His name, to witness to His miracles, and to carry His message into
the world. When we read of the Israelites' failures, we see God's mercy and
compassion as He dealt patiently with them. God's desire to redeem His

people, despite their rebellion, never drifts far from the pages of these
fascinating stories. And it's through the majestic hymns recorded in the
Psalms that we learn to offer exuberant praise to our heavenly Father.
Beautiful, isn't it? Even so, the reality is that far too many Christians today
still feel intimidated by the Old Testament. Have its pages in your Bible
become brittle from disuse? Are they stuck together in your Bible? I want to
suggest one action and one approach to increase your appreciation for the
books from Genesis to Malachi. First, read and study all that you can about
the history and culture of the Old Testament. Commentaries, encyclopedias,
and atlases can deepen your study of God's Word in a way that will bring the
accounts of the Old Testament to life. God has gifted some writers to study,
to conduct research, and to teach us through books. Go there! Read their
words and expand your mind. The goal is not for us to get puffed up in our
knowledge but that we might know our God more deeply.
Second, if you want to appreciate the Old Testament for all its worth, remove
the halos from above the heads of every person you find there. Take away all
of the auranot all of the respect but all of the aurathat keeps you distant
from the Abrahams, the Davids, the Elijahs, and the Daniels of the Old
Testament. Otherwise, you will hold them at such a distance that you will not
see yourself in their lives. Sure, they lived in a different era; their times were
more primitive, more rugged, not nearly as comfortable, and certainly not as
modern, but they were people just like you and me who went through
situations similar to those we go through. They were ordinary, garden-variety
human individuals who knew nothing of their future and only occasionally
understood their present. They, too, wondered what life was all about, just
like you and I wonder over the same question today. So take away all the
glowing halos so you can see the people of the Old Testament for whom God
created them to be . . . people.
Their stories are our stories. They struggled to trust God and to obey His
commands just like we do. And because their stories are inspired by God, we
find in them life-giving wisdom that brings us into relationship with our Lord,
which will guide us down the path He has planned for our lives.

I don't know about you, but to me, that sounds like a great reason to read
the Old Testament for all it's worth.

Something Old
by Charles R. Swindoll
There is something grand about old things that are still in good shape.
Old furniture with the patina of the ages, dripping with history, is far more
intriguing to me than the uncomfortable, modern stuff. When you sit in it or
eat on it or listen to music out of it, your mind pictures those in previous
centuries who did the same. You try to imagine their world of oil lamps,
buggies, outhouses, and potbelly stoves. Each scrape or dent hides a story
you wish you knew.
Old hardback books are far more fascinating than those slick-cover
paperbacks that flood today's market. The classic works, leather-bound with
colorful end pages and gold-gilded edges, have a feel and a smell that defy
duplication. As I handle them, pore over their contents, enjoy the tiny print,
and drink in the late author's thoughts, which are both profound and quaintly
stated, my mind rushes back to simpler times. I find it therapeutic to hold in
my hands pages that have endured the ages, volumes that have crossed
oceans in wooden crates, containing lines that other eyes have pondered
and other fingers have marked. Even reading the same words in updated
reprints is not the same. Something about the authenticity of antiquity thrills
me within.
Old cars that have been restored capture my fancy much more quickly than
the latest models. Caught in a time warp, as I watch one of those old
beauties pass in review, I can't help but smile and let the wonder in. Every
year there is an Interstate Batteries Great American Race from coast to

coast, where more than eighty pre-World War II autos make their way
through cities and villages, driven by men and women who look like they've
just stepped out of a Norman Rockwell canvas. What fun . . . what classic
vehicles! Among them I've seen a spotless 1928 Auburn Boattail Speedster,
a velvet black 1934 Ford Phaeton, a handsome 1932 Hupmobile Cabriolet, a
vintage 1930 Pierce Arrow with gangster whitewalls and that handsome hood
ornament. I've also seen a 1931 seven-passenger Buick convertible with the
old trunk mounted over the rear bumper, the show-stopping maroon and
black 1932 Packard Model 902, and even a bright red 1910 Knox Raceabout
chugging along the blue highways. Big, bold running boards, solid slabs of
metal forming giant fenders and domed hoods, chromed hubcaps, and flat
windshields transport driver and admirer alike to another place in another
time when men were courteous gentlemen, women were feminine ladies,
children were innocent, teachers were respected, movies were clean, songs
were romantic, and life was uncluttered and often just plain fun.
Old churches have a charm and elegance about them that cannot be
matched today. When you step into themas I have done in the countryside
of old England, on the windswept coastlines of France, in the backwoods of
Virginia and Vermont, and on the soft rolling hills of Tennessee and Texas
there lingers a smell of old stained-glass, hardwood floors, and oak pews that
time cannot erase. As you settle into one of the creaking pews, your
imagination runs free as a robed choir is harmonizing on the final refrain of
"Love Lifted Me," or the pipe organist, at full volume, is filling the sanctuary
with one of Bach's masterworks. The thunderous voice of the preacher is in
the woodwork, and the altar beckons you to be still and know that God is
God. The graveyard adjacent to the church, with its gray slate stones and
eloquent etchings, leaves mute reminders of another era when the sting of
death broke other hearts. Strangely, such sights and songs and smells equip
us to face our own battles with renewed vigor.
It's the old thingsthings that have outlived the fashions and the fads, that
have endured wars and recessions, presidents and plaguesthat remind us
to pause and encourage us to strengthen our roots. Old bridges, old walls,
old houses, old boats, old bikes, old hymns, old pictures, old memories . . .
these things do more than prompt nostalgic feelings, suggesting to us that

we are not alone in this long and sometimes lonely journey from earth to
heaven. They link us to days gone by, to eras when colorful history was
being shaped and harder times were being endured. By touching something
old, something new is stirred within us . . . something we need so that we
might carry on. By standing on the shoulders of yesterday, the view into
tomorrow is not nearly so frightening. On the contrary, fresh and new
feelings pulsate within us. New determination to press on. New courage to
stand alone. New feelings of gratitude to keep us humble. New joy to take
the grind out of today's demands. New strength to endure today's tests.
I suppose it's my love for old things that makes me love the Old Testament
so. Its old, timeworn stories never fail to shout out, "You can make it! Don't
quit . . . don't give up!" Its truth, secure and solid as a stone, smiles back, as
if to say, "I'm still here, waiting to be claimed and applied." Whether it's
some ancient prophet's warning or a patriarch's prayer, a poet's calm psalm,
or a preacher's challenging reminder, the Old Testament lives on.
It invites us to admire it, as we would a fine piece of furniture. It awaits our
holding it and pondering its pages as we would a treasured old volume that
other hands have held. It offers us new vistas of scenery that we might enjoy
through the windshield of a vintage automobile. It still speaks as in the days
when reformers heralded hope from strong pulpits, when revivalists pled for
souls in open-air campaigns, when faithful expositors taught saints of
yesteryear (and more important, lived lives of uncompromising integrity),
when rugged missionaries left all the familiar comforts of home and carried
its message to hostile tribes, exotic islands, and other cross-cultural
destinations.
From grand cathedrals alongside honking traffic, great churches in busy
suburbs, quaint chapels tucked away in quiet woods, and primitive huts in
dense forests, the timeless truths of the Old Testament's 39 books have been
proclaimed. In spite of the attacks of its critics, the attempts of the Adversary
to silence its message, and even the failures of some of its preachers, the
Old Testament endures like an ageless anvil wearing away the hammers.

The grass withers, the flower fades,

But the word of our God stands forever. (Isaiah 40:8)
Though ancient, it has never lost its relevance. Though battered, no one has
ever improved on its content. Though old, it never fails to offer something
pure, something wise, and something new.
Why We Have Confidence in the Bible
by Charles R. Swindoll
What is your final authority in life? I mean, when youre cornered, when
youre really up against it, when youre forced to face reality, upon what do
you lean?
Before you answer too quickly, think about it for a few moments. When it
comes to establishing a standard for morality, whats your guide? When you
need an ethical compass to find your way out of an ethical jungle, wheres
north? When youre on a stormy, churning sea of emotions, which lighthouse
shows you where to find the shore?
There can be no more reliable authority on earth than Gods Word, the Bible.
This timeless, trustworthy source of truth holds the key that unlocks lifes
mysteries. It alone provides us with the shelter we need in times of storm.
But we need to understand why. Why does this book qualify as our final
authority?
Gods Word Is Truth
Your word is truth, Jesus said as He prayed to the Father (John 17:17).
Truth, real truth, truth you can rely on, truth that will never shrivel up or turn
sour, truth that will never backfire or mislead, thats the truth in the Bible.
That is what the Bible is about. That is why the Bible provides us
with the constant and the needed support.

Gods Book Is Gods Voice

Scripture is Gods message. It is, in fact, Gods Word. The apostle Paul
testified clearly to that truth in his first letter to the Thessalonians:
For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the
word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of
men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work
in you who believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
Think of it this way: Gods Book is, as it were, Gods voice. If our Lord were to
make Himself visible and return to earth and speak His message, it would be
in keeping with the Bible. His message of truth would tie in exactly with what
you see in Scripture His opinion, His counsel, His commands, His desires,
His warnings, His very heart, His very mind. When you rely on Gods voice
His very message you have a sure foundation; you have truth that can be
trusted; you have power that imparts new life and releases grace by which
you can grow in faith and commitment.
Gods Word Will Endure
Do you realize there are only two eternal things on earth today? Only two:
people and Gods Word. Everything else will ultimately be burned up
everything else. Kind of sets your priorities straight, doesnt it? The stuff
we place on the shelf, the things we put frames around, the trophies and
whatnots we shine and love to show off, the things were so proud of its
all headed for the final bonfire (2 Peter 3:7, 10-12). But not Gods Book! Peter
reminds us that the truth stands forever (1 Peter 1:25). Grass will grow and
then it will wither; flowers will bloom and then they will die. But Gods written
message, the truth, will abide forever. All His promises will be fulfilled. His
redemptive truth cannot be annulled or changed. His powerful Word will
accomplish what He desires and achieve the purpose for which it was sent
(Isaiah 55:10-11). His Word will endure!

Gods Word Is Inspired

But wait. Doesnt all this talk about the Bible lead to an important question
that must be asked? The question goes like this: How can anyone get so
excited about something that was written by men? We have no problem with
the Giver of truth. He gave it . . . but wasnt the truth corrupted when He
relayed it to earth through the hands and minds of sinful men?
This is the perfect moment for you to become acquainted with three
doctrinal terms: revelation, inspiration, and illumination. Revelation occurred
when God gave His truth. Inspiration occurred when the writers of Scripture
received and recorded His truth. Today, when we understand and apply His
truth, that is illumination.
The critical issue your confidence in the Bible is directly related to your
confidence in its inspiration. How then can we be sure that Gods Word is free
from error, absolutely true, and therefore, deserving of our complete trust?
Paul provides great help in answering this question:
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be
adequate, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
When God revealed His truth for human writers to record, He breathed out
His Word. When we dictate a letter to someone, we breathe out a message
and someone else types what weve said. But did the writers of Scripture
simply take dictation?
If you know much about the Bible, you realize that it was written by many
different people with many different personalities. Peter doesnt sound like
John; John doesnt sound like David. Somehow each writers personality was
preserved without corrupting the text with human weakness and error. That
rules out the idea of dictation.
So how did God cause this to happen? Second Peter 1:21 gives us a further
clue: For no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men
moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

The English phrase moved by is translated from an ancient Greek nautical

term (phero) describing ships at sea. When a ship was at the mercy of the
winds, waves, and currents of the sea, it was moved by a power apart from
its own. Thats the word used here. They raised, as it were, their sails, and
the Holy Spirit filled them and they were moved by His desires.
Gods Word Will Hold You Up
So our conclusion is this in the Bible we have the preservation of a
completely dependable, authoritative, inspired text. The question each of us
must ask ourselves is this: Can I rely on it, especially when I go through
those chaotic experiences in life? My answer, and I pray it is your answer, is
absolutely and unreservedly! The wonderful thing about relying on Gods
Book is that it gives you stability. It gives you that deep sense of purpose and
meaning. No other counsel will get you through the long haul. No other truth
will help you stand firm in the storms of doubt and uncertainty. No other
reality will give you strength for each day and deep hope for tomorrow. No
other instruction has the power to give new meaning to your life.

Why You Can Have Confidence in the Bible

by Charles R. Swindoll
What is your final authority in life? Before you answer too quickly, think
about it for a few moments. When you're cornered, when you're facing an
intimidating obstacle, when you're forced to deal with reality, upon whom or
what do you lean?
There can be no more reliable authority on earth than God's Word, the Bible.
This timeless, trustworthy source of truth holds the key that unlocks life's
mysteries. It alone provides us with the shelter and protection we need in
times of storm.

But we need to understand why. Why does this book qualify as our final
authority?
God's Book Is God's Voice
Scripture is God's Word (1 Thessalonians 2:13). Think of it this way: if our
Lord were to make Himself visible and return to earth and speak His
message, it would be in keeping with the Bible. His message of truth would
tie in exactly with what you see in Scripture. When you rely on God's voice
His very messageyou are standing on a sure foundation; you have
trustworthy truth.
God's Word Will Endure
Do you realize there are only two eternal things on earth today? Only two:
people and God's Word. Everything else will ultimately be burned up. Kind of
sets your priorities straight, doesn't it? The stuff we place on the shelf, the
things we put frames around, the trophies and awards we shine and show off
it's all headed for the final bonfire
(2 Peter 3:7, 1012).
But not God's truth! It "endures forever" (1 Peter 1:25). Grass will grow and
then it will wither; flowers will bloom and then they will die. But God's written
message, the truth, will abide forever (Isaiah 40:78). His Word will endure!
God's Word Is Inspired
But wait. How can we get so excited about something that was written by
men? We have no problem with the Giver of truth. He gave it . . . but wasn't
the truth corrupted when He relayed it to earth through the hands and minds
of sinful men?
This is the perfect moment for you to become acquainted with three
doctrinal terms: revelation, inspiration, and illumination.Revelation occurred
when God gave His truth. Inspiration occurred when the writers of Scripture
received and recorded His truth. Today, illumination occurs when we
understand and apply His truth.

The critical issueyour confidence in the Bibleis directly related to your

confidence in its inspiration. How then can we be sure that God's Word is free
from error, absolutely true, and therefore, deserving of our complete trust?
Paul provides great help in answering this question:
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, for training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)
When God revealed His truth for human writers to record, He "breathed out"
His Word. But did the writers of Scripture simply take dictation?
When we read the Bible, it's clear that Peter doesn't sound like John; John
doesn't sound like David. Somehow each writer's personality was preserved
without corrupting the text with human weakness and error. That rules out
the notion of dictation.
So how did God cause this to happen? Second Peter 1:21 gives us a further
clue: "For no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men
moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God."
The English phrase moved by is translated from a Greek nautical term
describing ships at sea. When a ship has lost its sails and is at the mercy of
the winds, waves, and currents of the sea, it is "moved by" a power apart
from its own. That's the word used here. When writers of Scripture received
God's Word, the Holy Spirit supernaturally guided their writing instruments as
they were "moved by" His leading to write His truth.

God's Word Will Hold You Up

Our conclusion is this: in the Bible we have the preservation of a completely
dependable, authoritative, inspired text. So we must ask ourselves: Can I
rely on it, especially when I go through chaotic experiences in life?

My answerand I pray it is your answeris absolutely and unequivocally

YES!
The wonderful thing about relying on God's Word is that it gives you stability.
It gives you that deep sense of purpose and meaning. No other counsel will
get you through the long haul. No other truth will help you stand firm in the
storms of doubt and uncertainty. No other reality will give you sufficient
strength for each day and sure hope for tomorrow. No other instruction has
the power to give new meaning to your life.