PREPARING THE WAY FOR BIBLE STUDY
"Equipped for Every Good Work" is logically divided into three large sections. The opening twenty lessons lay a foundation for the fifty remaining lessons. A careful study of this first division will acquaint the student with the Bible's origin, growth, preservation and authenticity. He will understand more concerning the original languages in which the Bible was recorded by its inspired writers, and his vision of how the contents of these original autographed writings were passed along down through twenty and thirty and more centuries to reach us in more than a thousand tongues will be much clarified. This division prepares the reader for the plunge into the study of each one of the sixty-six books of the Bible; it sharpens his gaze for the beholding of the gripping Bible dramas as they unreel like a magnificent motion-picture before his eyes.
Lesson 1
ORIGIN OF THE BIBLE
Many religionists of the English-speaking realm are inclined to think that the Bible as a book originated in a manner purely miraculous. They have a hazy notion that it was written in heaven, in English, of course, divided there into chapters and verses, with cross references and marginal notes, and then sent by an angel to the earth. They skittishly shy away from the American Standard Version and other modern translations of the Bible, thinking that their religiously venerated King James Version Bible is the only true Bible. They fail to realize that the King James Version is a comparative youngster, being in 1946 only 335 years old, whereas the first writing of Scripture occurred as far back as 3,458 years ago. An English language did not even exist then.
The Bible started to be put in writing back there in the wilderness by the man Moses, and in the Hebrew tongue. The bulk of what is today misnamed the "Old Testament" was written in the Hebrew tongue, and is properly referred to as the "Hebrew Scriptures". But the Hebrew Scriptures are not written entirely in Hebrew. Ezra 4:8 - 6:18 and 7:12-26, Jeremiah 10:11, and Daniel 2:4 - 7:28 were originally recorded in Aramaic. The original language of the misnamed "New Testament" is Greek, hence this section of the Bible is oftentimes spoken of as the "Greek Scriptures".
All of the books of the Bible, 66 in number, have a common origin. The Bible is of single authorship, yet of composite writership. This makes it outstanding among all other books of the world. The Bible is Jehovah's, revelation of himself and his purposes. At the beginning of Bible writing He contributed personally to the Scripture canon by recording on two stone tablets the Decalogue, or Ten Commandments. (Ex. 24:12; 31:18) Human creatures took over the actual work of writing, but they all wrote under God's guidance and dictation, being moved by his spirit. Some were judges and kings. Some were learned, others were lowly laborers, herdsmen, fishermen, etc. They were not professional writers, but men of action, servants and witnesses of Jehovah from all walks of life. They wrote over a long stretch of years. Moses started the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, about 1513 B.C. The apostle John closed the Bible canon sixteen centuries later.
Nevertheless, this diverse group of more than thirty men widely separated in the stream of time produced a perfectly harmonious literary masterpiece. Not by the abilities of the writers, but by the infinite wisdom and might of the Bible's Originator was it accomplished. The writers themselves are quick to acknowledge this. David said: "The spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue." Luke declared "He spake by the mouth of his holy prophets." Peter added to the testimony: "No proph-
ecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the holy spirit." (Am. Stan. Ver.) Paul left no room for further doubt or exceptions when he sweepingly said: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God." Certainly Jehovah God alone is the Bible's Originator. —2 Sam. 23: 2; Acts 1:16; Luke 1: 70; 2 Pet. 1: 21; 1 Pet. 1:10,11; 2 Tim. 3:16,17.
The Bible was not originally one book, but, as its canon grew, it became a small library of books and booklets. The general idea of the Bible as one book is rather modern, even though it was assembled in codex form during the second century after Christ. In the fourth century of the Christian era the Bible was still designated in Latin as Bibliotheca Divina, that is, "The Divine Library." "Bible" is from the Greek word biblia, meaning papyrus scrolls, volumes or books; literally, booklets. The early Greek Christians called the Scriptures Ta Biblia, that is, "The Books," meaning thereby THE pre-eminent or paramount books.
In the Authorized or King James Version there are 39 books in the Hebrew Scriptures and 27 in the Greek Scriptures. The Hebrew and Jewish Bibles list only 24 Hebrew books because 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra and Nehemiah, and the twelve books of the so-called "Minor Prophets" together, are each counted as one. The seven main and Scriptural groupings of the Bible books are: (1) the Law; (2) the prophets; (3) the Hagiographa (holy writings, including the Psalms); (4) the Gospels; (5) The Acts; (6) the epistles; and (7) The Revelation.
But there is one division yet to be mentioned which serves, not a good purpose, but a very wicked one: the splitting asunder of God's Word into so-called "Old Testament" and "New Testament". Such a division was not authorized by the Bible's Originator. That it is grossly wrong is evidenced by the Devil's seizure of it to nullify and delete from God's Word nearly three-fourths of its inspired contents. (Deut. 4:2; Rev. 22:19) Nowhere in the Bible are the Hebrew Scriptures called "Old Testament". Neither
were the Hebrew Scriptures referring to the Greek Scriptures when they foretold a new testament or covenant. The Hebrew Scriptures deal with more than one testament or covenant, and the same is true of the Christian Greek Scriptures. It is a devilish wresting of Scripture for anyone to claim that when Paul, at Hebrews 8:13, spoke of the typical old law covenant as having become old and ready to vanish away he referred to the Hebrew Scriptures, falsely termed "Old Testament", and that they had been fulfilled and hence all that was thereafter necessary for Christians was the so-called "New Testament", the Greek Scriptures. The very writings of Paul belie such a false claim. —Rom. 15: 4; 1 Cor. 10:11; 2 Tim. 3:16,17.
Those citations from Paul's inspired epistles show that when the all-wise God gave commands to Moses and others after him to write He had in mind our perplexing day when mankind so sorely needs true guidance and a sound hope. The Creator knew man's frame and feebleness of memory, and knew too the Devil's aim to destroy the divine record and pervert and blot it out of men's minds. Hence God caused a faithful record to be written. Since this was expressly for those in need of vital information at the worst crisis of the nations in the end of the world, Almighty God would safeguard the Scriptures despite efforts to destroy them. What Isaiah said more than 2,600 years ago, and which inspired Peter seconded 1,900 years ago, is still true today: "The word of our God shall stand for ever." —Isa. 40:8; 1 Pet. 1: 25.
REVIEW: 1. What hazy conception do many religionists have as to the origin of the Bible? 2. In shying away from modern versions, what do they fail to realize concerning the King James Version? 3. In what languages was the Bible originally written? 4. What facts relative to the writing of the Bible prove that God's spirit must have been operating to produce a work so harmonious throughout? 5. What is the testimony of the Bible writers themselves on this point? 6.Actually, what is the Bible, as shown by the names given to it? 7. What various divisions of the Bible are next discussed that seem to be proper and of some value? 8. What division is wrong, and what is its harmful effect? 9. Why did the Originator of the Bible cause the record to be put in writing?
