Pentecostal

BibleStudy
COURSE
Volume 1
Pentecostal Bible Study Course

©1966, E. Rohn

Contributors to the First Edition

E. Rohn
Mrs. E. Rohn
Myrl Nutting
John Dearing
Ruby Martin

Editors: David K. Bernard, Johnny Celey

Revised Edition
©2001 Word Aflame Press
Hazelwood, MO 63042-2299

Cover Design by Paul Povolni

All Scripture quotations in this book are from the King James Version of the
Bible unless otherwise identified.

All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored

in an electronic system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electron-
ic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permis-
sion of Word Aflame Press. Brief quotations may be used in literary reviews.

Printed in United States of America

Printed by
 Contents

Introduction to the Bible (7 Lessons) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Lesson 1. The Word of God . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2. Rules for Studying the Bible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3. The Books of the Bible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4. Seven Ages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
5. The Parallel between Israel and the Church, Part 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
6. The Parallel between Israel and the Church, Part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
7. The Parallel between Israel and the Church, Part 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Questions on Lessons 1-7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Old Testament Studies (56 Lessons) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Lesson 8. The Book of Esther, Part 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
9. The Book of Esther, Part 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
10. The Book of Esther, Part 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Questions on Lessons 8-10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Lesson 11. The Book of Ruth, Part 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
12. The Book of Ruth, Part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
13. The Book of Hosea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
14. The Book of Genesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
15. The New Birth Prefigured in Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
16. The Creation of Humanity (Genesis 1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
17. Genesis 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
18. The Fall of Humanity (Genesis 3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
19. Results of the Fall (Genesis 3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
20. Cain and Abel, or The Two Offerings (Genesis 4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Questions on Lessons 11-20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Lesson 21. The Results of Cain’s Sin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
22. The Godly Line of Seth (Genesis 5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
23. The Flood (Genesis 6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
24. The Ark (Genesis 6-7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
25. The Spirits in Prison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
26. Clean and Unclean Foods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
27. The Modern Tower of Babel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
28. The Ancient Tower of Babel (Genesis 11) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
29. Abraham (Genesis 12) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
30. Abraham and Lot (Genesis 13-14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Questions on Lessons 21-30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Lesson 31. Melchizedek (Genesis 14) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
32. Sonship (Genesis 15). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
33. Abram’s Vision (Genesis 15) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
34. Abram’s Attempt to Fulfill God’s Promise (Genesis 16-17) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
35. Abraham’s Relationship with God (Genesis 18). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
36. Lot Delivered from Sodom (Genesis 19) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
37. Birth of Isaac (Genesis 20-21). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
38. Isaac the Sacrifice (Genesis 22). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
39. Rebekah (Genesis 23-24). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
40. Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Questions on Lessons 31-40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Lesson 41. Esau Sells His Birthright (Genesis 25). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
42. Jacob Receives the Blessing (Genesis 27) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
43. Jacob at Bethel (Genesis 28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
44. Jacob at Haran (Genesis 29-31) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
45. Jacob at Peniel (Genesis 32-36). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
46. Joseph, Part 1 (Genesis 37). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
47. The Vesture Dipped in Blood (Genesis 37) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
48. Joseph, Part 2 (Genesis 37-39) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
49. Joseph, Part 3 (Genesis 40-41) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
50. Joseph, Part 4 (Genesis 42-50) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Questions on Lessons 41-50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Lesson 51. Exodus, Part 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
52. Exodus, Part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
53. The Call of Moses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
54. Before the Plagues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
55. The Plagues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
56. Pharaoh Tries to Compromise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
57. The Passover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
58. How the Passover Combats False Doctrine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
59. Victory at the Red Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
60. Israel at Marah. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
61. Israel at Elim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
62. Israel at Rephidim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
63. Israel at Sinai. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Questions on Lessons 51-63 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

The Tabernacle (30 Lessons) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

Lesson 64. The Purpose of the Tabernacle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
65. The Outer Court . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
66. The Order of the Camp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
67. The Priesthood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
68. Tabernacle Typology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
69. The Materials and the Workers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
70. The Boards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
71. The Bars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
72. The Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
73. The Coverings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Questions on Lessons 64-73 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Lesson 74. The Pins and Cords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
75. The Pillars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
76. The Furniture, or The Shadow of the Cross . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
77. The Brazen Altar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
78. The Brazen Laver. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
79. The Ark of the Covenant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
80. The Altar of Incense. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
81. The Candlestick and the Shewbread . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
82. The Veil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
83. The Rending of the Veil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Questions on Lessons 74-83 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Lesson 84. The Consecration of the Priests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
85. The Garments of the Priests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
86. The Mitre and the Golden Plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
87. The Ringing of the Golden Bells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
 88. The Five Offerings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
89. The Day of Atonement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Questions on Lessons 84-89 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Proclaiming New Testament Salvation (4 Lessons) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

Lesson 90. Water Baptism in the Name of Jesus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
91. The Baptism with the Holy Spirit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
92. Personal Evangelism, Part 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
93. Personal Evangelism, Part 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Questions on Lessons 90-93 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173

A Prophetic View of History (27 Lessons) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

Lesson 94. The Babylonian Empire: The Gold Kingdom (606-539 B.C.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
95. The Medo-Persian Empire: The Silver Kingdom (539-331 B.C.) . . . . . . . . . . . 178
96. The Greek Empire: The Brass Kingdom (331-63 B.C.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
97. The Roman Empire: The Iron Kingdom (63 B.C.-A.D. 476). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
98. Rome in Distress: The Iron Begins to Weaken . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
99. The Five Kingdoms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
100. Rome and Constantinople . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
101. The Holy Roman Empire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185
102. The Rise of Modern Nations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186
103. The Beginning of Sorrows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188
Questions on Lessons 94-103 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Lesson 104. The Feet and Toes of the Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
105. The Lord of Hosts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
106. The Stone Kingdom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
107. Who Is the Stone? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
108. The King of Zion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
109. The King Returns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
110. Jesus Outlines History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
111. The Comforter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
112. First Outpouring of the Holy Spirit, or The Birthday of the Church. . . . . . . . 203
113. Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Questions on Lessons 104-113 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Lesson 114. Saul and Barnabas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
115. Saul Helps Barnabas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
116. The Early Church (A.D. 33-64) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
117. Doctrine of the Early Church. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
118. The Falling Away (A.D. 64-325) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
119. The Dark Ages: Rome Asserts Control (A.D. 325-800) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
120. The Later Middle Ages (A.D. 800-1517) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
121. The Reformation (A.D. 1517-1722) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
122. Revival Movements (A.D. 1722-1900) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217
123. Revival in the American Colonies (1734-83) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Questions on Lessons 114-123 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
Lesson 124. Revival in the United States (1783-1860) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
125. Later American Revivals (1860-1900) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
126. Other Religious Leaders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
127. The Pentecostal Revival (1901- ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
128. Doctrine of the Early Pentecostal Revival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
129. The Jesus Name People (1914- ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
130. A More Excellent Way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Questions on Lessons 124-130 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
PENTECOSTAL BIBLE STUDY COURSE Lesson 1 | The Word of God • 11

Lesson 1

The Word of God

I. Purpose of the Word of God
To show the way of eternal life. “These things have I written unto you . . . that ye may
know that ye have eternal life” (I John 5:13). The Scriptures alone are the source of such knowl-
edge!
To show Christ’s deity. “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ,
the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:31).
To provide examples of good and evil. Christ is the perfect example (I Peter 2:21; John
13:15). Paul told us we will profit by heeding the warnings of the Word (I Corinthians 10:5-11).
To provide daily food for the soul. As the body lives on natural food, so the soul lives on
the Word of God (Deuteronomy 8:3; Job 23:12; Jeremiah 15:16; I Peter 2:2).
Our chief objective in Bible study is not merely to learn about Christ, but to learn Christ. John
1:14 states, “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” Christ, the living Word, came in the
flesh. No one can truly say that he knows the written Word without being acquainted with the liv-
ing Christ who inspired its writings.
Knowing Christ makes the Bible a new book to its readers. A woman was given a copy of a
certain book. She found the book boring, so she took it to the attic, where she left it for several
months. One day she became acquainted with a well-known author. Later, this man asked whether
she had read a certain book he had written. Recognizing the name of the book as the one she had
carried to the attic, she went home, took the book from its hiding place, and read it. This time she
found the book to be one of the most fascinating she had ever read. What made the difference?
She had become acquainted with the author!

II. Methods of Bible Study

Study as an inspiration for worship. As we read the songs of praise and the prayers of
those whose hearts reached out after God, we are inspired to worship and to seek God for the
blessings they enjoyed.
Study the lives of great Bible characters. Biographical study will prove interesting to
those who choose this method. While studying biblical characters, we should notice the prepara-
tion they made for the service they rendered, how they overcame obstacles, and their mistakes,
so we can avoid them.
Study individual books. In studying a book, it is necessary to note (1) its author, (2) the
author’s purpose for writing the book, (3) to whom it was written, and (4) the chief subjects cov-
ered. “In studying some books it is well to give each chapter names, suggestive of the contents.
Practice thinking through an entire book consecutively by chapter names” (Saxe).
Study by subject. Volume 2 of this course explains this method.

III. Scripture Memorization

When studying chapters, memorize the outstanding verse or verses. When studying subjects,
memorize several verses of Scripture that link together in a comprehensive manner. Of course,
the Holy Spirit is invaluable in bringing “all things to your remembrance” (John 14:26).
12 • Lesson 2 | Rules for Studying the Bible PENTECOSTAL BIBLE STUDY COURSE

Lesson 2

Rules for Studying the Bible

I. Studying by Books
First, note the purpose and the general divisions of a book before focusing on its details.
Someone has said it is good to use the telescope first and the microscope afterwards. The details
will have more meaning when we relate them to the whole.
Second, read the book carefully before interpreting or applying it. In studying the Scriptures,
we must first become familiar with the material. It will not be so difficult to know what the Bible
means if we carefully note exactly what it says.

II. The Word Is Divinely Inspired (II Peter 1:21)

The Spirit and the written Word agree, for the Word is a product of the Spirit of God. “The
word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel . . . and the hand of the LORD was there upon him”
(Ezekiel 1:3). (See II Timothy 3:16; Acts 1:16.) In Revelation 14:13, John said, “I heard a voice
from heaven saying unto me, Write. . . .”
Since God’s Word is inspired, the Spirit of God speaks directly to our hearts when we read it.
Therefore, an important rule is: accept no so-called revelation that is not in harmony with the
Word of God.
Since God’s Word is inspired, we do not need to defend it. This principle will help workers to
proclaim the Word, not merely to argue the Word. We do not need to defend the Word any more
than we would have to defend a lion—we can just turn it loose and it will defend itself!

III. Figurative Language

We should not interpret the Scriptures figuratively unless the context itself indicates that the
passage is figurative. We should look to the Bible itself to understand a figure of speech, or an
Old Testament type and its fulfillment.
For instance, I Peter 3:20 refers to “the ark . . . wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by
water.” The next verse gives the spiritual application, or fulfillment of the type: “The like figure
whereunto even baptism doth also now save us.”
Galatians 4:23-24 is another example. Here Paul wrote concerning the bondwoman and the
freewoman. He said: “Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants.”
Many have found verses in the Bible that illustrate spiritual truths but have not observed this
rule of Bible study, have gone to the extreme, and have totally “spiritualized” the verses, even
dropping the literal meaning. Through this error, some have eliminated the Lord’s Supper and
water baptism, and some have ceased to believe that Jesus is literally coming again in the clouds
of glory!
IV. Our Attitude toward Learning
No matter how much we may have learned of the Word of God, we should maintain a teach-
able spirit. To close our minds is to miss truth that may bless the people to whom we minister.
The more we study the Word of God, the more we see that there is to learn!
On the other hand, Hebrews 13:9 warns, “Be not carried about with divers and strange doc-
trines.” Additional truth will never contradict truths already revealed. A genuine love for the
PENTECOSTAL BIBLE STUDY COURSE Lesson 2 | Rules for Studying the Bible • 13

truth is the greatest stabilizing force in the world. If someone loves anything more than the truth
(his own way, human personalities, manifestations or miracles), God may send him a strong delu-
sion that would cause him to be lost in the end.

V. Testing the Truth

The following four questions will help to determine whether a particular teaching is true:
1. Does it glorify Christ? The truth will make Jesus greater to you.
2. Does it make us more like the early church in the Book of Acts? Paul warned in
Galatians 1:8, “Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that
which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” Hebrews 8:5 exhorts, “See, saith he, that
thou make all things according to the pattern.” Furthermore, Jude 3 says, “Earnestly contend for
the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”
3. Does all Scripture harmonize on the subject? I Thessalonians 5:21 states, “Prove all
things; hold fast that which is good.” We have not proven any subject until we have harmonized
all passages of Scripture relating to it. For instance, we have not demonstrated the truth of bap-
tism in the name of Jesus if we avoid Matthew 28:19; we must harmonize it with the baptismal
passages in Acts. Once we have harmonized them, Matthew 28:19 is one of the strongest verses
we can use to teach water baptism in the name of Jesus.
4. Does it tend to make us live holy lives? The truth of God will promote holiness in those
who heed it. For instance, the truth of the second coming of Christ promotes holiness, for it is a
purifying hope (I John 3:2-3).
In contrast, false doctrine tends to cause those who have accepted it to become lukewarm, and
false doctrine, of course, is a great weapon in the hands of Satan. For example, if we believe in
the doctrine of unconditional eternal security, the enemy of our souls has a weapon to tempt us
into careless and unfruitful living.
14 • Lesson 3 | The Books of the Bible PENTECOSTAL BIBLE STUDY COURSE

Lesson 3

The Books of the Bible

I. Is Our Bible Complete?
There are sixty-six books in the Bible. Some people claim that there are several other books
that should belong in the Scriptures also, but they are not included in our Bible. These books are
called the Apocrypha. It is significant that neither Jesus nor the apostles ever quoted from the
Apocrypha.
II. The Old Testament Is Composed of
Thirty-nine Books in Five Categories
Law
1. Genesis
2. Exodus
3. Leviticus
4. Numbers
5. Deuteronomy

History
1. Joshua
2. Judges
3. Ruth
4. I Samuel
5. II Samuel
6. I Kings
7. II Kings
8. I Chronicles
9. II Chronicles
10. Ezra
11. Nehemiah
12. Esther

Poetry
1. Job
2. Psalms
3. Proverbs
4. Ecclesiastes
5. Song of Solomon

Major Prophets
1. Isaiah
2. Jeremiah
3. Lamentations
4. Ezekiel
5. Daniel

Minor Prophets
1. Hosea
PENTECOSTAL BIBLE STUDY COURSE Lesson 3 | The Books of the Bible • 15

2. Joel
3. Amos
4. Obadiah
5. Jonah
6. Micah
7. Nahum
8. Habakkuk
9. Zephaniah
10. Haggai
11. Zechariah
12. Malachi

III. The New Testament Is Composed of Twenty-seven Books in Four Categories

Gospels
1. Matthew
2. Mark
3. Luke
4. John

History
Acts

Epistles
1. Romans
2. I Corinthians
3. II Corinthians
4. Galatians
5. Ephesians
6. Philippians
7. Colossians
8. I Thessalonians
9. II Thessalonians
10. I Timothy
11. II Timothy
12. Titus
13. Philemon
14. Hebrews
15. James
16. I Peter
17. II Peter
18. I John
19. II John
20. III John
21. Jude

Prophecy
Revelation

Note: Some people say that the Old Testament is not for us today. In the beginning, however,
the Old Testament was the Bible that the early church used! In fact, many sermons and teachings
in the Book of Acts and the Epistles are based on Old Testament texts. (See I Corinthians 10:1-11.)