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Author: Will

2 Peter 2:9 – Lord and Master?

Posted on April 25, 2017 by Will

the Lord knows to rescue devout ones from trials and to keep the unrighteous for the day of judgment, being punished.

Truth to Learn

If you’re a Christian, God is your master and you are his servant.

Behind the Words

The word translated “Lord” in the first verse of this chapter is despotēs, from which we get our English word “despot.” It means “one who possesses supreme authority.”

“Trials” in this verse is from peirasmos, which means “a putting to the test.” This word is only used in the New Testament with regard to people.

The word “judgment” is from the Greek word, krisis, which means “a tribunal.” It most often refers to condemnation.

Meaning Explained

Peter now returns to his message about false teachers. In the preceding few verses he gave us examples of how God dealt with people who rejected His lordship like the false teachers have. Now he makes a summary statement about this notion.

Before we look at it, though, let’s spend a minute talking about what it is that the false teachers have done wrong. The answer is back in verse one, “denying the Lord who bought them.” The root of their problem, Peter says, is that they refused to submit to the Lordship of the One who paid for their sins. Rather than believing that God is all powerful and able to do as He pleases, these teachers tried to bring God down to their own level.

This is nothing more than “big man, little god” theology which has been espoused by churches throughout the ages. It has been expressed in many ways, most of which sound reasonable, some of which are well intentioned, and some are out and out heresies. Whatever the case, the ultimate result is to draw people away from the type of relationship that God wants into the type of relationship that man thinks he wants.

One of the subtle points that Peter is making is that God is the one in control, not man. We are not able to control these false teachers, but God is able. That’s what these examples that Peter has just given us are all about. He now makes the summary statement, not only does God know how to deliver the godly out of temptation, but He also knows how to keep the ungodly from escaping. They will be judged and they will be punished!

It’s interesting that this verse does not say that God will keep us from being tested; it says that when we are tested God will deliver us out of it. He will deliver the Godly out of their time of testing, but He will not allow the unjust ones, those who deny His lordship, to escape the Day of Judgment. That is, the Great White Throne Judgment at the end of days where all the ungodly will be cast into the lake of fire.

The point is that these false teachers, who are teaching a theology laden with humanistic ideas and subtly denying who is really in supreme control, will eventually be judged by the Master himself.

Application

God is not looking for eloquent leaders; He is looking for submitted and committed followers. He is the Lord and Master and He wants His followers to recognize Him as their Master and to proclaim this truth. Is that what you do?

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 2:8 – Tortured By Sinfulness

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Will

for the righteous one dwelling among them day by day, in seeing and hearing their lawless deeds his righteous soul was tormented.

Truth to Learn

Living in the midst of sin is torture for a committed Christian.

Behind the Words

“Righteous” is translated from dikaios, which is derived from dike, meaning “that which is right or just.” It refers to someone who lives by the rules and regulations set by God.

Anomos, is the word translated “lawless.” It is made up of the privitive a, meaning “not” and nomos, meaning “the law.”

The word “tormented” comes from the Greek word basanidzō, which means “an examination by torture.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verses we talked about the wickedness of Sodom and its affect on Lot. According to verse seven God delivered “righteous Lot” who had been worn down by the lustful behavior of the lawless people of the city.

Today’s verse reiterates the fact that the actions of the people of Sodom had a tormenting and debilitating effect on Lot. Peter starts off this verse restating Lot’s righteousness as if to make the point that, in spite of his constant exposure to and oppression from the acts of the inhabitants of Sodom, Lot was indeed righteous. But he was not at peace!

The verse tells us that as Lot was living among these people, day after day, he was seeing their actions and hearing them talk about them. Apparently the thoughts and actions of the people of Sodom were constantly focused on their sinful lusts. I can just imagine all their billboards and all of their television commercials were laden with sexual innuendos and overt sexuality. I can imagine their Wall Street advertisers saying, “Sex sells our products.”

Today’s society, like Sodom of old, is controlled by lust. What we see today is a world totally focused on eating, drinking, partying, and sexuality. The effects of it are all around us, from alcoholism and drug abuse to an epidemic of obesity, to the blinding lust for power and riches, to overt depraved sexuality. In 1 John 2:16 it says,

because all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

It’s all around us. We are living in the midst of it day after day. Lot was being tortured by it. We all know what happens to people who are tortured, they will say and do almost anything just to end the torture. We need to be careful in our condemnation of Lot for his own perverse reasoning, offering his daughter to protect the angels. He was being tortured!

Application

The real question is, are you being tortured by what you see and hear around you today? Do the things you see and hear daily vex your spirit? Does it bother you to see blatant sexuality portrayed in movies and advertisements day after day? Are you able to keep your desires for food, fun, and sex in their proper place? Or have you succumbed to the constant barrage of sinfulness around you so that you spend more time during the day thinking about your own desires and things of the world than you do about the God who loves you?

Here’s a quick test. Compare the amount of time you spend daily fellowshipping with God (through prayer, reading and studying the Bible, and humbling yourself before Him) to the amount of time you spend in worldly pursuits or entertainment.

Ouch, that hurts!

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 2:7 – Righteous Lot?

Posted on April 21, 2017 by Will

And rescued righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the wicked behavior of lawless men.

Truth to Learn

Living like the people of this world will corrupt your behavior.

Behind the Words

The word translated “oppressed” is kataponeō, made up of kata, an intensifier, and poneō, meaning “to labor.” It means “he was worn down or vexed” by the people of Sodom.

Meaning Explained

Given Peter’s subject matter, the question that we have before us is, “Was Lot saved, spiritually, or just physically?” After Lot departed from his uncle Abraham, he chose to pitch his tent near (or toward) Sodom. Later we find that he had moved into town and had become one of the magistrates of the wicked city. When the townspeople learned that strangers (the two angels who came to destroy the city) had come to stay with Lot, they surrounded his house and demanded that the strangers come out so they could perform sexual acts with them. Lot refused. Instead, he offered his own virgin daughter to the men of the town if they would leave his guests alone. You can read about all of this in the book of Genesis, chapters 13, 18, and 19.

Lot’s association with the people of Sodom had worn him down and had influenced his reasoning in a negative way; otherwise, he would never have offered his own daughter to satisfy their lust. And, when the angels warned Lot to flee for his life, he didn’t want to leave Sodom. They had to literally drag Lot, his wife, and his two daughters out of town.

So, I ask again, “Was Lot saved spiritually?” Before we answer the question, though, let’s see what God said about Lot’s uncle Abraham. In Genesis 15:6 we read,

And he (Abraham) believed in Jehovah. And He (Jehovah) credited it to him (Abraham) for righteousness.”

God declared Abraham to be righteous because he believed. That’s the Old Testament way of saying that he was saved. Notice that it was Abraham’s arguing with God regarding a few “righteous” people (that God surely would not destroy the righteous with the wicked) which prompted the angels to remove Lot, the righteous one, from the city before it was destroyed. In addition to that, Peter refers to Lot as “righteous Lot.” So, to answer the question, “Yes, Lot was saved!” And Peter’s point is that even though God judged the people of Sodom, just as he will judge false teachers, he protected and saved Lot because he was righteous.

Was Lot living like a righteous person? Certainly not, or he would not have offered his daughters to satisfy their sinful lusts. Lot did not lose his righteousness (his salvation) just because he was living in sin, just as we do not lose our salvation today even if we are living a sinful, selfish lifestyle. Did Lot have peace? Not at all! Was Lot being obedient? Certainly not! Was Lot’s behavior pleasing to God? Absolutely not! Was Lot still saved? Through Peter’s pen, God says, “Yes, he was!”

Application

How about you? Does your behavior distinguish you as a Christian, different from those around you? Or, have you allowed the world around you to corrupt your behavior and dull your conscience? If so, you are not pleasing God, and you will have to stand before Him some day and give account of your actions!

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 2:6 – Lulled Into Sin

Posted on April 20, 2017 by Will

And if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, incinerating them as an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly;

Truth to Learn

It’s easy to ignore sin when everyone around is doing it.

Behind the Words

The word translated “condemned” is katakrinō, which is made up of kata, meaning “against” and krinō, meaning “to judge.” Hence, it means “to judge against.”

“Incinerating” is from the Greek word trephroō, which is derived from the noun trephra, meaning “ashes.” Hence, trephroō means “to turn into ashes” or “to incinerate.”

Meaning Explained

Remember what Peter has been talking about? He has been talking about the false prophets of the past and the false teachers of his time and ours. Through their smooth words they deliver a message that is designed to line their own pockets rather than to edify the body of Christ. Though they seem to be doing so with impunity, Peter said in verse 3 that their long standing judgment is not idle and their punishment is not sleeping. It is coming and they will not escape.

By way of example, Peter then talked about the angels who sinned and are now incarcerated in Tartarus as well as the wicked people of Noah’s time who perished in the flood. Today he gives a third example, that of Sodom and Gomorrah.

You can read the account of the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19. There you will see that the people of Sodom had become so wicked in their sexual lusts that they had abandoned all semblance of civility, seeking to violate even strangers that wandered into their town. Spiritually, this is no different than the false teachers whom Peter has been talking about. The people of Sodom were content with their lifestyle. They saw nothing wrong with it. They even accused Lot of being a self-righteous prude because he confronted them concerning their sinful practices..

And, reading the account of Sodom and Gomorrah carefully you will see how even righteous Lot (that’s what Peter calls him in the next verse) had become calloused and even tainted by their wicked ways. Though Lot acted to protect the visitors, he was willing to sacrifice his own daughter to the lusts of the townspeople. Even his perspective had become distorted; his spiritual sensitivity had been obliterated.

Even though it appears that the townspeople were about to prevail, God’s judgment first blinded them and then destroyed them because they refused to hear the message of “repent and be saved.” They would not listen to sound teaching.

Application

Where are you today? Content with how easy it is to be a Christian? Have you been lulled to sleep by good sounding, easy to digest messages from the pulpit? Or are you committed to doing what is right in God’s eyes no matter what everyone around you is doing?

It’s time to wake up!

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 2:5 – Pre-Flood Stubbornness

Posted on April 19, 2017 by Will

And if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah and seven others, a preacher of righteousness, bringing a flood on the ungodly world;

Truth to Learn

The people of Noah’s day refused to listen to the truth and they paid the ultimate price for their sinfulness.

Behind the Words

The word translated “spare” is pheidomai, meaning “to treat with tenderness” or “to forbear.” In other words, God did not hold back His judgment.

“Flood” is translated from the Greek word kataklusmos, from which we get our English word cataclysm. This is a compound word made up of kata, an intensifier and kludzo which refers to the surging, washing effect of an ocean wave.

Meaning Explained

Peter now gives us a second example of those who have not escaped the judgment of God in spite of His longsuffering. God, Peter says, did not spare the ancient world, that is the world of people that existed before the flood. He did, however save Noah. The Greek text says,

And He did not treat the old world leniently but preserved Noah the eighth, a preacher of righteousness …

The expression, “Noah the eighth” is an idiom that was used by many of the Greek writers of that era. It means that Noah was one of eight people who were saved, Noah, his wife, and his three sons with their wives. No one outside his immediate family believed the message he preached. Because of their unbelief they were not saved from the flood.

Noah is an excellent example of a patient preacher of righteousness. For 120 years he labored, building the ark. And although we are not told specifically, he was probably ridiculed by all those around him. He labored obediently while they lived wantonly. He believed that God was going to bring a flood while they believed that things would simply continue on as they always had. Peter declared him to be a preacher of righteousness, which implies that he was not a silent builder. It appears he warned the people of his time that God was going to judge their sinfulness. But they, like the false teachers of Peter’s day and false teachers today, did not believe that God was going to judge them.

Why does God let such people continue on in their sinful ways? It seems like the wicked continue to prosper and the righteous continue to suffer, doesn’t it? Peter will address this in the next chapter, but let’s take a quick peek there right now:

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) [NIV]

God delays His judgment for two reasons. First, to give the unsaved every opportunity to hear the salvation message and, second, so they will have no excuse when they are finally judged.

Application

Our commission, like Noah’s, is not to brow beat people into believing. Our job is to proclaim the message both in word and in deed. We must proclaim the message and we must live the message, because He is risen and He is coming back soon!

It could even be today! Get the word out!

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 2:4 – Held For Judgment

Posted on April 18, 2017 by Will

For if God did not spare sinning angels, but delivered them to chains of darkness sending them down to Tartarus, holding them for judgment;

Truth to Learn

False teachers, like the angels who sinned, will be judged!

Behind the Words

The word “if” indicates a conditional clause. In New Testament Greek there are three classes of conditional clauses. There is s fourth class of conditional clauses in classical Greek, but it is not used in the New Testament. The conditional clause used here is a first class condition. A first class conditional sentence assumes that the premise (protasis) is true for the sake of argument. For this reason, some have proposed that the “if” can be translated as “since.” Whereas this is not always true, in this case it does give us a better sense of what the Greek is saying.

“Sending them down to Tartarus” is translated from the verb tartaroō. This is based on the noun Tartaros, the name of “the subterranean abyss of Greek mythology where the gods were punished.” Tartarus is also mentioned in the book of Enoch as the place where fallen angels are confined.

Meaning Explained

Peter told us in the previous verse that the judgment of false teachers and their destruction will come. He told the early Christians this because, like today, these false teachers seemed to be prospering in spite of (or because of) their selfish tactics. He will now go on to give us several examples of judgment that have already been performed upon those who thought they were getting away with their rebellion. The first of these examples is in today’s verse, the angels that sinned.

We don’t know exactly what their sin was, although Jude 6 implies that these angels left their original dwelling place and went somewhere they were not supposed to go. Some believe that this is a reference to the angels having come down to earth to cohabitate with human women, but that is really only speculation. What we do know is that they exceeded the bounds that God had set for them and they were punished.

Peter tells us that the angels are incarcerated in Tartarus in chains of darkness (gloomy dungeons) awaiting their judgment. And, by combining this verse with the end of this sentence (in verse nine), we see that Peter is saying, “If God did not spare angels when they sinned … then the Lord knows how to … hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.” His point is that judgment will certainly come to these spirit beings just as judgment will come to the false teachers who are selling snake oil to the people.

Since angels are each a separate creation, there can be no substitutionary payment for their sins. We, on the other hand, being procreated beings (descendants of a created being) can, and do, have someone else who paid for our sins. That someone is the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who paid with His blood. The Bible tells us that if we do not accept this fact, then we too will be cast into Hell (Hades) to await the Great White Throne judgment where all unbelievers will be cast into the lake of fire for eternity.

Application

What future awaits you? The choice is yours: either the pain and suffering of Hades and the Lake of Fire, or as Peter talked about in the previous chapter:

a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Which future do you want?

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 2:3 – Snake Oil Preaching

Posted on April 17, 2017 by Will

And by covetousness, with deceitful words they will use you for gain, whose judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep

Truth to Learn

Not every message delivered from the pulpit comes from God.

Behind the Words

The word translated “covetousness” is the Greek word pleonexia, which means, “fraudulent practice driven by greed.”

The next expression is, “deceitful words.” This comes from the Greek words plastois logois. We have seen the word logos before, meaning “a word or a message.” The other word here is plastos, from which we get our English word “plastic.” This Greek word means “molded” or “purposely shaped.” Today we refer to this kind of language as “spin.”

The verb “will use you for gain” comes from the Greek word emporeuomai, which means “to travel about as a merchant or trader.” The way it’s used here it means “to make merchandise of people.”

Meaning Explained

We have been talking about false prophets of the past and false teachers of the present. Peter now tells us what is driving their actions and how they operate. His imagery is that of a snake oil salesman traveling about, taking advantage of uneducated people by way of well chosen but intentionally misleading words so as to make the message sound the way people want it to sound for the purpose of taking their money. These false teachers that Peter is talking about are presenting messages that will inspire and comfort people so that they will give to the ministry and meet the selfish desires of the false teachers.

Their deception is as old as sin itself, driven by the same selfishness that drove Satan to deceive Eve with molded words that may have sounded good but lead to destruction. Peter tells us (literal translation of the second half of today’s verse):

their long standing judgment is not idle and their destruction is not dozing-off

In other words, the same judgment that has been given concerning this type of deception from of old will be applied to these false teachers of today without fail. They may think that they are getting away with something, but their destruction is sure.

These false teachers are occupying many of our church pulpits today, delivering homilies and sermons that bless the hearts of the hearers, while leading them straight to Hell. Their messages are soothing and even inspiring, but they are not the messages that God wants delivered. The messages are intended to please the people rather than to proclaim the message of sacrifice, commitment, and submission. These are the deceptive messages that church members are willing to pay for. How sad!

Application

The next time you hear your pastor preach a message that is straight from The Word, one that pricks your heart, causing you to once again submit yourself to the God of all creation, tell him thank you for taking the road less traveled and being God’s instrument of righteousness.

But, perhaps you go to church on Sunday to be soothed and comforted. If so, you may be buying snake oil!

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 2:2 – Ungodly Witnesses

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Will

And many will follow their licentious ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.

Truth to Learn

Professing Christians who live un-Christ-like lives bring the whole body of Christ into disrepute.

Behind the Words

All of the writings from which the New Testament was translated were written during the first century AD. Unfortunately, none of the original versions of these writings are still around. What we have are copies, or portions of copies, of copies, of copies, etc. As a result of this copying and re-copying over a period of time, words sometimes got changed, added, or deleted by the copiers. These variations in the text are referred to as “variant readings.” Today’s verse is one example of this. The most reliable of these copies uses the word aselgeia, here translated “licentious.” This Greek word refers to “debauchery, sexual excess, absence of restraint, or insatiable desire for pleasure.” Other copies of this letter instead use the word apōleaia, which refers to “the state after death where one realizes that he or she is lost and has no hope of salvation.” Translations that use this textual source often translate this word as “destructive ways.”

The word “disrepute” is translated from blasphēmeō, meaning “to slander someone’s reputation with harsh words.”

Meaning Explained

Even though we have disagreement regarding the precise word Peter used, as with virtually all textual disagreements in the New Testament, the difference between “destructive” and “licentious” does not affect our doctrinal view. But it does slightly alter what Peter is saying about these false teachers. Whether we refer to the heretical teaching of these false teachers as “leading people into an eternal state where salvation is no longer possible” or “leading people into a false religion which has no restraint from pleasures,” it is evidence of a man made religious substitute for true Christianity.

It’s amazing to me how often “popular” churches are preaching a watered down gospel or misleading heresies. People seem to flock to them, probably because these churches are non-threatening to their sinful way of life, and comfortable. In some cases it’s because the church actually caters to their particular sinful practices without condemning them or proclaiming the truth about them.

It is difficult to convince someone involved with one of these churches that they are being led astray because they don’t want to see the truth. The fact of the matter is, however, that many unsaved people on the outside can see through the façade and know that something’s wrong with their religion. This type of religion in the name of Christianity has caused many others to turn away from God and even to categorically claim that all Christians are this way, which is precisely what Peter said would happen.

Application

One thing that I want all of us to see here is that, in a sense, we are all proclaimers of our beliefs in the way that we live our lives and behave in front of others. Are you proclaiming a message that is consistent with the truth of the Word? Or, are you proclaiming a false religion that merely professes Christianity without demonstrating it?

That’s something to think about!

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 2:1 – False Teachers

Posted on April 13, 2017 by Will

But false prophets were also among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction on themselves.

Truth to Learn

Beware! There are false teachers in the church today.

Behind the Words

“False prophets” is translated from the Greek word, pseudoprophētēs. This is made up of pseudo, meaning “false” and prophētēs, meaning prophet. The word prophētēs is made up of pro, meaning “before, in time or position” and phēmi, meaning “to tell” or “to proclaim.” Thus, the word prophētēs refers to someone proclaiming a message before it occurs, or proclaiming a message before (in front of) other people.

The word translated “destructive” is apōleias which is a compound word made up of apo, used as an intensifier and ollumi, meaning “to destroy.” Hence, it could be interpreted as “completely destructive” or “absolutely destructive.”

The word “heresies” is translated from the Greek word, hairesis. The verb form of which is haireō, meaning “to choose for oneself.” Hence, a heresy is not a God given truth, but a false truth chosen by the false teacher.

“Master” is from the Greek word despotēs, which refers to a person who possesses supreme authority over another. It is the word from which we get our English word “despot.”

Meaning Explained

Having just proclaimed the importance of, and the veracity of the prophetic messages in scriptures, Peter now gives us a warning that we need to heed, especially today! He tells us that in addition to the absolutely truthful and reliable prophets of the Old Testament, there were also those who were masquerading as prophets of God who, in fact, were not prophets of God. Peter says that there will also be false teachers among us, who will not just deny the truth of the Word, but they will teach destructive heresies.

He tells us that the false teachers of today are proclaiming a message that they choose for themselves rather than proclaiming the truth that God intended. And these lies (or mis-truths) will cause absolute destruction, not only to those who believe their lies but to those proclaiming the lies themselves as well. These false teachers will even go so far as to deny their master; literally the text says “disavow the master who bought them,” ultimately bringing destruction on themselves.

There are two things we can learn from this verse. First, we should not be teaching God’s Word unless we are sure it is the Spirit of God who is teaching through us. We who teach are under stricter condemnation if we do not adhere strictly to the truth. James warns us:

My brothers, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we will receive greater judgment. (James 3:1)

In other words, be careful, those of you who want to teach, because teachers of God’s Word will receive a greater punishment for false teaching and for leading others astray.

The other thing we all can learn from today’s verse is that we need to be careful who we believe. Don’t believe any teacher of the Bible simply because he or she claims to teach the truth. Rather, we need to make sure that they are teaching God’s Word and not their own interpretation of religion. The Apostle John said:

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1)

Application

Are you searching the Scriptures to see if the things taught in your church are truth? Are you searching the Scriptures to see if the things taught in these daily Bible verse studies are truth? I sure hope so!

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 1:21 – Inspired Writing

Posted on April 12, 2017 by Will

For prophecy was never brought about by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Truth to Learn

The Bible is the “inspired” Word of God.

Behind the Words

The word translated “will” is translated from the word thelemati, a form of thelema, which refers to the “determined will” as opposed to “desirous will.” This we could translate the opening phrase as, “For prophecy was never brought about by the determination of man …”

Both the phrases “brought about” and “carried along” are from a form of the Greek word pherō, meaning “to carry” or “to bring.”

Meaning Explained

This verse requires careful translation to get the true meaning. A literal translation is, “for prophecy was not at any time borne by the determination of man, but holy men of God spoke, being carried by the Holy Spirit.”

In the previous verse Peter said, “…no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,” meaning that the prophets did not proclaim the messages with their own meaning or intent. Remember that we said the word “interpretation” did not apply to the one receiving the message but the one proclaiming the message? In today’s verse Peter explains what he meant by that.

Peter says, in today’s verse, that prophecy (referring to the entire Old Testament) was not at any time carried by the determination of man. He says that their message was not proclaimed based on what man determined. Instead, these holy men were carried along by the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Old Testament writers did not determine their message and then proclaim it. They were, rather, controlled by the Holy Spirit as they proclaimed their message.

In 2 Timothy 3:16, the Apostle Paul said it this way, “All scripture is inspired by God…” (NASB) or “All scripture is God-breathed…” (NIV). The word here translated “inspired” or “God-breathed” is theopneustos, a compound word made up of theos, which means “God” and a form of pneō which means “to breath” or “to blow.” So whether the prophet is “carried along by the Holy Spirit” or their message was “God-breathed,” the source and the content of the message are from God, while the prophet or author is simply the channel through which the message is conveyed.

The Bible is not just a collection of stories and predictions written by a bunch of different men over the span of several thousand years. It is the writing of men who were controlled by the Holy Spirit of God and it is, therefore, without error (in the original manuscripts) and perfectly accurate in its predictions of future events. And though not all of the prophecies in the Bible have come true (yet), not a single one that has come to pass has been wrong! That’s pretty amazing for a book that has been penned by so many human authors (under divine control) over such a long period of time. Only by the power of God could this be accomplished.

Application

The bottom line is that the Bible is truth. It is God’s truth, and contained within its pages is everything you and I need for salvation, godly living, and peace! Praise God!

We all need to read it more!

In God's service, for His glory,