Four Sources Of Authority: Inadequate And Adequate
DAY 4
Scripture: The One True Source, Part 1
Read Isaiah 53:5,7,9; 2 Timothy 1:2-5; 3:14-17.
The Bible is truly an amazing book. It contains hundreds of statements about events that hadn’t yet happened when the authors wrote about them but later came to pass. Prophecies about future kings and kingdoms, predictions of births and deaths, forecasts of the Savior’s coming into the world—all are found in the Bible. Let’s look at an example.
Read Micah 5:2; then read Matthew 2:1-6.
Where did the prophet Micah say the Savior was to be born?
Where was Jesus born?
Next read the following passage. It’s part of a marvelous prophetic poem Isaiah wrote. I’ve marked subdivisions of the verses.
5a He was pierced because of our rebellion,
5b crushed because of our iniquities;
5c punishment for our peace was on him,
5d and we are healed by his wounds.
7a He was oppressed and afflicted,
7b yet He did not open His mouth.
9a He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
9b but he was with a rich man at his death,
9c because he had done no violence
9d and had not spoken deceitfully.
ISAIAH 53:5,7,9
Now read the following New Testament verses. Beside each one, record the number and letter of one or more verse subdivisions from Isaiah 53. I’ve completed the first one for you. Answers are at the end of this day’s study.
____5a____ John 19:35
__________
Matthew 27:14
__________
John 20:25
__________
Matthew 27:38
__________
John 19:1
__________
Matthew 27:57-60
__________
Matthew 27:13
__________
John 19:4
Isaiah 53 was written hundreds of years before Christ was born? In those days execution on the cross was totally unknown. Yet the word pierced in verse 5 described both the use of nails in Jesus’ crucifixion and the sword wound in His side. How could anyone have guessed that Jesus would be assigned for execution “with the wicked” (verse 9; the two robbers on the crosses on each side) and yet end up “with a rich man at his death” (verse 9; Joseph of Arimathea, who buried Him)? Only the Spirit of God could have given the prophet these facts.
Our Lord Jesus Himself made predictions of the future; read one in John 14:2-3. What two future events did Jesus prophesy?
1.
2.
Jesus predicted (1) that He would prepare a place for you in heaven and (2) that He would come again and take you to be with Him in that place.
What reason do you have to believe Jesus will keep these promises in the future?
Many Bible prophecies have already come true. For that reason you can be confident that the others will eventually be fulfilled as well. The Bible is filled with predictions. Only God could have made each one, without exception, totally accurate. Isn’t God’s Word an amazing book?
Four sources of authority, but only one is trustworthy!
The apostle Paul knew which one that source was.
Read 2 Timothy 3:14-17.
Focus on verse 15. How long had Timothy been studying the Scriptures?
Because Timothy had studied the Scriptures ever since he was a child, what did he know the Scriptures were able to give him?
What other writings in all the world can give you the kind of wisdom that will lead you to “salvation through faith in Christ Jesus”? None!
Now focus on verse 14. What did Paul instruct young Timothy to do?
What’s the difference between learning a truth and firmly believing that truth?
Focus now on 2 Timothy 3:16. This is your second Scripture-memory assignment for this week, so you should know what it says without referring to your Bible. Because the Bible was given to us by God’s inspiration, for what four purposes is it useful?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Let’s be sure you understand what verse 16 means when it uses the word inspired to describe the Scriptures. The root word means “to breathe into.” Scripture is the direct work of God, who breathed His truth into the minds of the people who wrote the Bible.
The Bible doesn’t just contain truth; the Bible is truth. It’s the ultimate, supreme record of God’s truth.
Although other sources may be helpful, none are essential—whether they’re books, visions, experiences, or traditions.
The Scriptures, are useful “for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness.” Studying them will have an obvious effect on your life.
Focus now on verse 17. What will you become as you study the Scriptures?
Do you really want to become “complete, equipped for every good work”? If you do, you know how. You’re doing it now if you’re being faithful to read the Bible and meditate on it during your quiet time, working through daily studies in your Survival Kit, and learning your Scripture-memory verses.
Your first Scripture-memory assignment in this study, Psalm 119:11, gives the reason memorizing God’s Word is so important. If you’re regularly reviewing your memory assignments, you should be able to record that verse here from memory.
Timothy had been studying the Scriptures since he was a child. You can’t begin a lifetime of study any sooner than today. End your quiet time today with this prayer commitment:
For the rest of my life, I will give priority time to reading, studying, and meditating on God’s holy Scriptures.
Answers to Scripture-matching exercise: 5a—John 19:34; 7b—Matthew 27:14; 5a—John 20:25; 9a—Matthew 27:38; 5d—John 19:1; 9b—Matthew 27:57–60; 7a—Matthew 27:13; 9c, 9d—John 19:4
Scripture: The One True Source, Part 1
Read Isaiah 53:5,7,9; 2 Timothy 1:2-5; 3:14-17.
The Bible is truly an amazing book. It contains hundreds of statements about events that hadn’t yet happened when the authors wrote about them but later came to pass. Prophecies about future kings and kingdoms, predictions of births and deaths, forecasts of the Savior’s coming into the world—all are found in the Bible. Let’s look at an example.
Read Micah 5:2; then read Matthew 2:1-6.
Where did the prophet Micah say the Savior was to be born?
Where was Jesus born?
Next read the following passage. It’s part of a marvelous prophetic poem Isaiah wrote. I’ve marked subdivisions of the verses.
5a He was pierced because of our rebellion,
5b crushed because of our iniquities;
5c punishment for our peace was on him,
5d and we are healed by his wounds.
7a He was oppressed and afflicted,
7b yet He did not open His mouth.
9a He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
9b but he was with a rich man at his death,
9c because he had done no violence
9d and had not spoken deceitfully.
ISAIAH 53:5,7,9
Now read the following New Testament verses. Beside each one, record the number and letter of one or more verse subdivisions from Isaiah 53. I’ve completed the first one for you. Answers are at the end of this day’s study.
____5a____ John 19:35
__________
Matthew 27:14
__________
John 20:25
__________
Matthew 27:38
__________
John 19:1
__________
Matthew 27:57-60
__________
Matthew 27:13
__________
John 19:4
Isaiah 53 was written hundreds of years before Christ was born? In those days execution on the cross was totally unknown. Yet the word pierced in verse 5 described both the use of nails in Jesus’ crucifixion and the sword wound in His side. How could anyone have guessed that Jesus would be assigned for execution “with the wicked” (verse 9; the two robbers on the crosses on each side) and yet end up “with a rich man at his death” (verse 9; Joseph of Arimathea, who buried Him)? Only the Spirit of God could have given the prophet these facts.
Our Lord Jesus Himself made predictions of the future; read one in John 14:2-3. What two future events did Jesus prophesy?
1.
2.
Jesus predicted (1) that He would prepare a place for you in heaven and (2) that He would come again and take you to be with Him in that place.
What reason do you have to believe Jesus will keep these promises in the future?
Many Bible prophecies have already come true. For that reason you can be confident that the others will eventually be fulfilled as well. The Bible is filled with predictions. Only God could have made each one, without exception, totally accurate. Isn’t God’s Word an amazing book?
Four sources of authority, but only one is trustworthy!
The apostle Paul knew which one that source was.
Read 2 Timothy 3:14-17.
Focus on verse 15. How long had Timothy been studying the Scriptures?
Because Timothy had studied the Scriptures ever since he was a child, what did he know the Scriptures were able to give him?
What other writings in all the world can give you the kind of wisdom that will lead you to “salvation through faith in Christ Jesus”? None!
Now focus on verse 14. What did Paul instruct young Timothy to do?
What’s the difference between learning a truth and firmly believing that truth?
Focus now on 2 Timothy 3:16. This is your second Scripture-memory assignment for this week, so you should know what it says without referring to your Bible. Because the Bible was given to us by God’s inspiration, for what four purposes is it useful?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Let’s be sure you understand what verse 16 means when it uses the word inspired to describe the Scriptures. The root word means “to breathe into.” Scripture is the direct work of God, who breathed His truth into the minds of the people who wrote the Bible.
The Bible doesn’t just contain truth; the Bible is truth. It’s the ultimate, supreme record of God’s truth.
Although other sources may be helpful, none are essential—whether they’re books, visions, experiences, or traditions.
The Scriptures, are useful “for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness.” Studying them will have an obvious effect on your life.
Focus now on verse 17. What will you become as you study the Scriptures?
Do you really want to become “complete, equipped for every good work”? If you do, you know how. You’re doing it now if you’re being faithful to read the Bible and meditate on it during your quiet time, working through daily studies in your Survival Kit, and learning your Scripture-memory verses.
Your first Scripture-memory assignment in this study, Psalm 119:11, gives the reason memorizing God’s Word is so important. If you’re regularly reviewing your memory assignments, you should be able to record that verse here from memory.
Timothy had been studying the Scriptures since he was a child. You can’t begin a lifetime of study any sooner than today. End your quiet time today with this prayer commitment:
For the rest of my life, I will give priority time to reading, studying, and meditating on God’s holy Scriptures.
Answers to Scripture-matching exercise: 5a—John 19:34; 7b—Matthew 27:14; 5a—John 20:25; 9a—Matthew 27:38; 5d—John 19:1; 9b—Matthew 27:57–60; 7a—Matthew 27:13; 9c, 9d—John 19:4