The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
August 1, 2004
In
This Issue:
Bible
Study Helps
by
Steve Klein
How
Many Shall be Saved?
by
Johnnie Edwards
Bible Study Helps
God's word can be understood by reading simply it. We should all "give attention to reading" (1 Timothy 4:13). When we do, we can understand the will of God (see Ephesians 3:3-4).
Obviously, however, few of us can read the Bible in the languages in which it was originally written. So we need it translated accurately into our language. When we read a translation, some words and phrases may be hard to understand -- perhaps because they describe ancient activities, people or places with which we are unfamiliar, or perhaps simply because our English vocabulary is not what it should be. Because of the limits of our human memories, we may also have trouble remembering where in the Bible we can find information on a given topic or event. For these reasons, and others that could be offered, the wise Bible student of today will learn to use several Bible study aids.
The following is a brief overview of some basic Bible study helps that can be used by nearly anyone who can read to study the Bible more effectively.
Good Translations
It is vital that the English speaking Bible student acquire at
least one good translation of the Bible. A good translation is
one that accurately conveys the meaning of the original text in
language that the reader can understand. Some translations are
accurate, but difficult to understand. Others are easy to
understand, but horribly inaccurate, often adding the ideas and words
of the translators to the text. Among the better translations
that we have in English today are the King James Version, the New
King James Version, the American Standard Version, the New American
Standard Version, the New International Version and the Revised
Standard Version. These do the best job of balancing accuracy
with readability, but none of them is without flaw. Using two
or more translations in Bible study for comparison will sometimes
yield a more accurate understanding.
Concordances
A concordance is an alphabetical listing of the words found in
the Bible alongside the Scripture reference where the words can be found.
A good complete or exhaustive concordance that lists all the words in
the Bible is an invaluable tool. It can be used to find the
location of a passage that one only partially remembers. It can
also be used to find and study all the Bible passages that mention a
given topic, person or place. Other than the popular Cruden's
Complete Concordance, I would also recommend Strong's Exhaustive
Concordance is an excellent tool. It not only lists all the words of
the Bible, but also assigns each word a number which English readers
can then use to find the definition of a word in certain Hebrew and
Greek dictionaries that use the same number system.
Bible Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
The typical English reader often needs help fully
understanding Bible words for at least two reasons. First, we
are unfamiliar with the original language; some words are difficult
to translate directly into English, and the English words that are
used in translation may have more than one meaning. Second,
ancient people, places, things and activities mentioned in the Bible
are unfamiliar to us.
The problem of getting at the meaning of a word in the original language can be solved by the use of good Bible dictionaries. Works such as Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, or Wilson's Old Testament Word Studies are excellent.
The problem of unfamiliarity with ancient things can be solved with the use of an expanded dictionary or Bible encyclopedia. Books like Smith's Bible Dictionary may be helpful here, but more complete and accurate help can be found in a good Bible encyclopedia such as The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia or Zondervan's Pictorial Bible Encyclopedia.
Commentaries
A commentary is typically a verse by verse study of a book or
books of the Bible that has been written by a Bible scholar.
The value of a commentary is that it gives you access to the thoughts
of a learned man. A good commentary might include the
ideas of the author on the meaning and use of words, other helpful
verses, historical background, etc. The most reliable
commentaries are certainly those that have been written by brethren
in the Lord, while those written by non-Christians may sometimes
contain more technical or scholarly information. A commentary
is only as accurate and helpful as the man who wrote it, and no
commentary should be regarded as the authoritative interpretation of Scripture.
Computer Software
Every kind of Bible study tool is now available as computer software.
Bible study programs can be purchased at Bible bookstores, or even at
some electronics and department stores. I have used a program
called QuickVerse for many years which contains several translations,
Strong's concordance, and a Bible atlas. There is an excellent
FREE Bible study program called E-Sword, that contains several
translations, dictionaries, Strong's concordance, maps and
commentaries that is available for download at www.e-sword.net.
Also, our web site, NewGeorgiaChurch.com gives access to a great many
Bible study tools available online, including translations,
dictionaries, encyclopedias, and commentaries.
As Paul commanded Timothy, we should all "give attention to reading." We should be diligent in our study so that we will correctly handle the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). It is my belief that the Bible study helps which we've briefly overviewed here can help us effectively do what Paul has commanded.
by Steve Klein
In the days of Jesus, men were interested in the number that could be saved. "Then said one unto Him, Lord, are there few that be saved" (Luke 13:23). Let's ask some folks to see what they say.
1) The Atheist. The atheist reasons that if there is no God, no one can be saved. This is not so for God "will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (I Tim. 2:4).
2) Universalists. The universalists tell us that everybody will be saved. You see, these people believe in universal salvation. They reason that God is too good to allow any to be lost. Paul tells us that those "that know not God, and that obey not the gospel" will be lost (I Thess. 1:8-9).
3) Jehovah's Witnesses. The Jehovah's witnesses think that only 144,000 will be saved in heaven. They base their false conclusion on a misuse of a passage in Revelation 14:1-5. The Hebrew writer teaches that Jesus is the "author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him" (Heb. 5:9).
4) Roman Catholicism. The Catholics teach that only those who embrace Catholicism can be saved. Yet, I fail to read one word in the Bible about the Roman Catholic Church. I do read, "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it&ldots;" (Psa. 127:1).
5) Protestant Denominationalism. Protestants tell us to just be religious. But Jesus said, "Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up" (Matt. 15:13).
--by Johnnie Edwards
Via Ellettsville church bulletin, Elletsville, In, March 5, 1987