The Holy Scriptures: Their Testimony to Themselves.
[The quotations are from the American Standard Revised Version. Presumably all our readers have copies of the King James Version, and they can compare them. There is no difference in the general sense.] 1. By what term does the apostle Paul refer to the Old Testament? “And that from a babe thou hast known THE SACRED WRITINGS.” 2 Tim. 3:15. 2. What are these Sacred Writings, or “Holy Scriptures,” able to do? “Able to make thee WISE UNTO SALVATION through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” Same verse. 3. What does he say of the inspiration of the Scriptures, and for what are they profitable? “Every scripture INSPIRED OF GOD [“God-breathed,” literally] is also PROFITABLE for TEACHING, for REPROOF, for CORRECTION, for INSTRUCTION which is in righteousness.” 2 Tim. 3:16. NOTE.—The writings which Timothy knew from a child were the Old Testament Scriptures. Those the apostle calls sacred; or in other words, they were “God-breathed.” 4. What do these Scriptures furnish for the minister of Jesus Christ? “That the man of God MAY BE COMPLETE, FURNISHED COMPLETELY UNTO EVERY GOOD WORK.” 2 Tim. 3:17. 5. What therefore should he preach? “I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom; PREACH THE WORD.” 2 Tim. 4:1, 2. 6. What is the character of that word? “The words of Jehovah are PURE WORDS; as silver tried in a furnace on the earth, purified seven times.” Ps. 12:6. “EVERY WORD OF GOD IS TRIED: He is a shield unto them that take refuge in Him.” Prov. 30:5. 7. Whose word did the Psalmist speak? “The SPIRIT OF JEHOVAH SPAKE BY ME, and HIS WORD was upon my tongue.” 2 Sam. 23:2. 8. What is the testimony of the apostle Peter to the inspiration of the word, and the agency in its giving? “For no prophecy ever came by the will of man; but MEN SPAKE FROM GOD, BEING MOVED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.” 2 Peter 1:21. 9. In referring to the words of the Psalmist in the New Testament, what language is used? “WHICH THE HOLY SPIRIT SPAKE before by the mouth of David concerning Judas.” Acts 1:16. “Wherefore, even AS THE HOLY SPIRIT SAITH, To-day if ye shall hear His voice.” Heb. 3:7. 10. What language is constantly used by Isaiah in referring to the messages given him of God? 11. What expression does the prophet Jeremiah use? “TO WHOM THE WORD OF JEHOVAH CAME, saying.” 12. How does the prophet Ezekiel speak of his messages? NOTE.—The words were the words of the Spirit of God and they were also the words of the prophets. God used the human instrument according to its limitations, just as the master musician plays upon various instruments. 13. Over how much of Scripture does our Lord Himself make an argument? One word. “If he called them GODS, unto whom the word of God came (and the Scripture can not be broken).” John 10:35. 14. What testimony does the angel bear to the effectiveness of God’s word? “FOR NO WORD FROM GOD SHALL BE VOID OF POWER.” Luke 1:37. 15. What contrast is drawn between the word of God and the word of man? “The voice of one saying, Cry, And one said, What shall I cry? ALL FLESH IS GRASS, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. The GRASS WITHERETH, the flower fadeth, because the breath of Jehovah bloweth upon it; surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but THE WORD OF OUR GOD SHALL STAND FOREVER.” Isa. 40:6-8. See the same in 1 Peter 1:24, 25. [Our next Bible-reading will be upon the topic, “The One Through Whom the Scriptures Were Given—the Eternal Word.”]