DO YOU NOT KNOW?
Our heavenly Father wants His People to be a people of spiritual knowledge. Possessing precious and powerful understandings from the word of Christ. Knowing Him and doing His will His way.
Through Hosea God expressed His words about Israel: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" (4'6).
So spiritual understanding is extremely important. In His day Jesus said: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free,” John 8'31-32.
It should be no surprise, then, that there are some strong exhortations about Believers not knowing or being ignorant. Paul asks directly:
"... do you not know that as many of us as were immersed into Christ Jesus were immersed into His death?" Romans 6'3.
Also:
"Now concerning spirituals, brethren, I would not have you ignorant,"1 Corinthians 12'1.
An Old Testament proverb says: "... get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding," Proverbs 4'7.
KNOWING THE BIBLE
Having the Bible so readily available in Western World could have the effect of taking it for granted or making it seem any other book. But on the contrary, the Bible is precious and very different from all other books.
Its difference is what motivated faithful and persevering Believers in the past to translate, produce and preserve it in spite of persecutions, difficulties and even death.
That's because it is the Word of God and it is living and powerful. And all true Believers are thankful to them!
Interestingly, the word "bible" is not actually in The Bible! The word bible comes from the Greek word biblia, meaning "books". Because the Word of God, or The Scriptures, is made up of 66 "books" it forms a kind of library.
It has been quoted by unbelievers over time mostly unknowingly as the result of people attending church services.
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In His earthly ministry, Jesus was preparing His Disciples for the New Covenant and Kingdom to come with the Holy Spirit's arrival.
At one stage, He told them that He would send the Holy Spirit who would guide them into all truth (John 16'13). That began on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2'2).
Some of them wrote about the Holy Spirit's work with the disciples, and about the lives of Believers (in Acts and the "letters") and the Revelation. The disciples preached the Good News of God's Son and the Kingdom of God.
The earthly life and ministry of the Lord was recorded in what are commonly called the "gospels".
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Although the Bible is made up of two parts the Old Testament and the New Testament are interlinked. (For more see "Hear Him!" on the Menu.) Together they are what Paul was referring to when he spoke to the Elders of the Ephesian Believers:
"I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God (Acts 20'27).
And it is counsel that does not change:
"God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel ..." Hebrews 6'17.
(Note that God's counsel is "to the heirs of promise". That is, the Body of Christ. Be wary of any individual who claims to know the whole counsel of God exclusively. Be suspicious if someone offers to seek God's will on your behalf. Don't accept!)
When Jesus said the "Spirit of truth ... will guide you into all truth" (John 16'13 ), He was addressing His disciples only. These words do not apply to any individual or group claiming to be led by the Spirit into all truth. They are out of order.
In the years following Pentecost Holy Spirit-led scribes wrote the Kingdom scriptures which are available today.
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However, in today's world there are quite a number of Bible translations and paraphrases. One thing to realise is that authors of paraphrases have biases. As do some translators.
But paraphrases can be useful at times especially for providing an every day English rendering.
The New King James translation (published by Thomas Nelson) provides all the scriptures for these Kingdom Inheritance Today studies. It is preferred mainly because the New Testament is "based on the traditional text of the Greek-speaking churches" and translated in the straightforward method called "essentially literal".
Also, the NKJV is set out in verse form, making memorising it easier.