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+<chapter id="h2-importance"><title>Importance of God's Word</title>
+<para>Understanding God's word is of great importance to all who call on
+God's name. Study of the Bible is one of the primary ways that we learn to
+communicate with God.</para>
+
+<sect1 id="h2-importance-unique"><title>A Book that is Unique</title>
+<para>The Bible stands alone in many ways. It is unique in:</para>
+
+<itemizedlist>
+<listitem>
+<para>
+popularity. Bible sales in North America: more than $500 million per
+year. The Bible is both the the all-time and year-to-year best seller!
+</para>
+</listitem>
+<listitem>
+<para>
+authorship. It was written over a period of 1600 years by 40 different
+authors from different backgrounds, yet reads as if written by one.
+</para>
+</listitem>
+<listitem>
+<para>
+preservation. F. F. Bruce in <emphasis>Are New Testament Documents Reliable?</emphasis>
+compares New Testament manuscripts with other ancient texts:
+</para>
+</listitem>
+</itemizedlist>
+<table>
+<title>Comparison of New Testament manuscripts with other ancient texts.</title>
+<tgroup cols="5">
+<thead>
+<row>
+<entry>Work</entry>
+<entry>When Written</entry>
+<entry>Earliest Copy</entry>
+<entry>Time Lapse</entry><entry>Number of Copies</entry>
+</row></thead>
+<tbody>
+<row>
+<entry>Herodotus</entry>
+<entry>448-428 B.C.</entry><entry>900 A.D.</entry>
+<entry>1300 years</entry><entry>8
+</entry></row>
+<row>
+<entry>Tacitus</entry>
+<entry>100 A.D.</entry><entry>1100 A.D.</entry>
+<entry>1000 years</entry><entry>20
+</entry></row>
+<row>
+<entry>Caesar's <emphasis>Gallic War</emphasis></entry>
+<entry>50-58 B.C.</entry><entry>900 A.D.</entry>
+<entry>950 years</entry><entry>10
+</entry></row>
+<row>
+<entry>Livy's <emphasis>Roman History</emphasis></entry>
+<entry>59 B.C. - 17 A.D.</entry><entry>900 A.D.</entry>
+<entry>900 years</entry><entry>20
+</entry></row>
+<row>
+<entry>New Testament</entry>
+<entry>40 A.D. - 100 A.D.</entry><entry>130 A.D. Partial manuscripts 350
+A.D. Full manuscripts</entry> <entry>30 - 310 years</entry><entry>5000 Greek &amp; 10,000 Latin
+</entry></row>
+</tbody></tgroup></table>
+<para>Ten copies of Caesar's <emphasis>Gallic War</emphasis> exist, the earliest of which was copied
+900 years after Caesar wrote the original, etc. For the New Testament we have
+full manuscripts dating to 350 A. D., papyri containing most of the New
+Testament from the 200s, and a fragment of John's gospel from 130 A. D. How
+many manuscripts do we have to compare to each other? 5,000 in Greek and 10,000
+in Latin! </para>
+<blockquote><attribution>Textual critic F. J. A. Hort, "The New Testament in the
+Original Greek", vol. 1 p561, Macmillan Co., quoted in <emphasis>Questions of Life</emphasis> p.
+25-26</attribution><para>"In the verity and fullness of the evidence on which
+it rests, the text of the New Testament stands absolutely and unapproachably
+alone among other ancient prose writings." </para></blockquote>
+</sect1>
+
+<sect1 id="h2-importance-breathed"><title>A Book that God Breathed</title>
+<para><emphasis>Heb.4:12 </emphasis>"<emphasis>For the word of God is living and active...
+</emphasis>" Jesus said <emphasis>(Mt.4:4),</emphasis>
+"<emphasis>It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that
+proceeds [lit., is proceeding] from the mouth of God.</emphasis>"
+As we read the Bible, God's Spirit is there to speak it to our hearts in a continually-fresh way.
+</para>
+<para>2 Tim.3:16 declares, "<emphasis>All scripture is inspired by God [lit.,
+God-breathed].</emphasis>" Do you believe this? Before you answer, consider Jesus' attitude
+toward the Scriptures. </para>
+<blockquote><attribution>John R.W. Stott, <emphasis>Christ the Controversialist</emphasis>,
+InterVarsity Press 1978, pp.93-95 </attribution><para>He referred to the human authors, but took it for
+granted that behind them all was a single divine Author. He could equally say
+'Moses said' or 'God said' (Mk.7:10). He could quote a comment of the narrator in
+Genesis 2:24 as an utterance of the Creator Himself (Mt.19:4-5). Similarly He
+said, 'Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written', when what He
+went on to quote is the direct speech of the Lord God (Mk.7:6 &amp; Is.29:13). It
+is from Jesus Himself that the New Testament authors have gained their
+conviction of the dual authorship of Scripture. For them it was just as true to
+say that 'God spoke of old to our fathers by the prophets' (Heb.1:1) as it was to
+say that 'men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God' (2 Pe.1:21). God did not
+speak in such a way as to obliterate the personality of the human authors, nor
+did men speak in such a way as to corrupt the Word of the divine Author. God
+spoke. Men spoke. Neither truth must be allowed to detract from the other. ...
+</para>
+<para>
+This, then, was Christ's view of the Scriptures. Their witness was God's
+witness. The testimony of the Bible is the testimony of God. And the chief
+reason why the Christian believes in the divine origin of the Bible is that
+Jesus Christ Himself taught it. </para></blockquote>
+
+<para>2 Tim.3:16 goes on, "<emphasis>and profitable for teaching, for
+correction, for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be adequate,
+equipped for every good work.</emphasis>" If we accept that the Bible really is God
+speaking to us, it follows that it will be our authority in all matters of faith
+and conduct. </para>
+</sect1>
+
+<sect1 id="h2-importance-works"><title>A Book that Works</title>
+<para>
+What will studying the Bible do for you? 1 Thess.2:13 says that the Bible
+"<emphasis>performs its work in you
+who believe.</emphasis>" Beside each scripture, write down the work the Word
+performs.
+</para>
+<table>
+<title>What does Bible study do for Christians?</title>
+<tgroup cols="2">
+<thead>
+<row>
+<entry>Reference</entry>
+<entry>Action</entry>
+</row>
+</thead>
+<tbody>
+<row>
+<entry>Eph. 5:26
+</entry>
+<entry>cleanses -- "...having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word."
+</entry>
+</row>
+<row>
+<entry>
+Acts 20:32
+</entry>
+<entry>
+builds up --
+"
+...the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the
+inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
+"
+</entry>
+</row>
+<row>
+<entry>
+Rom. 15:4
+</entry>
+<entry>
+encourages -- "that through perseverance and the
+encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."
+</entry>
+</row>
+
+<row>
+<entry>
+Rom. 10:17
+</entry>
+<entry>
+gives faith --
+"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of
+Christ."
+</entry>
+</row>
+
+<row>
+<entry>
+1 Cor. 10:11
+</entry>
+<entry>
+instructs --
+"Now these things happened to them for an example,
+and they were written for our instruction"
+</entry>
+</row>
+
+<row>
+<entry>
+Mt. 4:4
+</entry>
+<entry>
+nourishment --
+"But He answered and said, 'It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone,
+but on every word that proceeds out of the
+mouth of God.'"
+</entry>
+</row>
+</tbody>
+</tgroup>
+</table>
+</sect1>
+
+<sect1 id="h2-importance-liberates"><title>A Book that Liberates</title>
+<para>
+Jn.8:32 "<emphasis>and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
+free.</emphasis>"This is usually quoted by
+itself. Is this a conditional or unconditional promise? Would it apply to
+all kinds of knowledge? Find the answers by examining the first half of the
+sentence, in v.31. "<emphasis>If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of
+Mine... </emphasis>"</para>
+<para>We see that this is a conditional promice, specifically speaking of the truth of God's word.</para>
+
+<para>The Greek word for "wind" used in Eph.4:14 means a <emphasis>violent wind.</emphasis>
+"<emphasis>As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by
+waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine...</emphasis>"One
+thing studying the Bible does for us is to ground us in the truth, with the
+result that we won't be easily "blown away."</para>
+
+<para><emphasis>But Jesus answered and said to them, </emphasis>"<emphasis>You are mistaken [KJV Ye do err], not
+understanding the Scriptures, or the power of God.</emphasis>"Mt.22:29</para>
+<para>What 2 things do we need to know to be kept from error?</para>
+<itemizedlist>
+<listitem><para>God's word</para></listitem>
+<listitem><para>God's power </para></listitem>
+</itemizedlist>
+</sect1>
+
+<sect1 id="h2-importance-wars"><title>A Book that Wars</title>
+<para>
+Eph.6:10-18 is one picture of our spiritual armament.</para>
+<table>
+<title>Spiritual Armor</title>
+<tgroup cols="2">
+<thead>
+<row>
+<entry>Question</entry>
+<entry>Answer</entry>
+</row></thead>
+<tbody>
+<row><entry>How many of the weapons listed here are defensive weapons?</entry><entry>5</entry></row>
+<row><entry>How many are offensive?</entry><entry>One</entry></row>
+<row><entry>Which one(s)? </entry><entry>the word - <foreignphrase>rhema</foreignphrase></entry></row>
+</tbody></tgroup></table>
+</sect1>
+
+<sect1 id="h2-importance-exhortations"><title>Exhortations</title>
+<para>
+2 Tim.2:15 (KJV) "<emphasis>Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly
+dividing the word of truth.</emphasis>"
+</para>
+<para>
+Col.3:16 "<emphasis>Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you; with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another
+with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.</emphasis>"
+</para>
+
+<para>If you're rich in something, how much of it do you
+have? </para>
+<para>
+Not a little!</para>
+
+<para>
+Eccl.12:11-12 "<emphasis>The words of wise men are like goads, and masters of these
+collections are like well-driven nails; they are given by one Shepherd. But
+beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless, and
+excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.</emphasis>"
+</para> </sect1>
+
+<sect1 id="h2-importance-once"><title>Appendix: "Once for
+All"</title>
+<blockquote>
+<attribution>John R. W. Stott, <emphasis>Christ the Controversialist,</emphasis>
+InterVarsity Press 1978, pp.106-107</attribution> <para>The truth regarding the
+finality of God's initiative in Christ is conveyed by one word of the Greek
+Testament, namely the adverb <foreignphrase>hapax</foreignphrase> and
+<foreignphrase>ephapax</foreignphrase>. It is usually translated in the
+Authorized Version once, meaning once for all. It is used of what is so done as
+to be of perpetual validity and never need repetition, and is applied in the NT
+to both revelation and redemption. Thus, Jude refers to the faith which was
+once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3), and Romans says,
+"<emphasis>Christ also died for sins once for all</emphasis>"
+(Rom.6:10, see also 1 Pe.3:18; Heb.9:26-28). </para> <para>
+Thus we may say that God has spoken once
+for all and Christ has suffered once for all. This means that the Christian
+revelation and the Christian redemption are both alike in Christ complete.
+Nothing can be added to either without being derogatory to Christ... These are
+the two rocks on which the Protestant Reformation was built -- Gods revealed
+word without the addition of human traditions and Christ's finished work without
+the addition of human merits. The Reformers great watchwords were <foreignphrase>sola
+scriptura</foreignphrase> for our authority and <foreignphrase>sola gratia</foreignphrase> for our salvation.</para>
+</blockquote>
+</sect1>
+
+<sect1 id="h2-importance-supplement"><title>Supplement: Bible Reading
+Programs</title> <para> Here are some easy programs to systematically read your
+Bible. You can do more than one at a time if you like, for instance #1 with #4,
+or #2 with #5. Vary the program from year to year to keep it fresh!
+</para>
+<orderedlist numeration="arabic">
+<listitem><para>New Testament in a Year: read one chapter each day, 5 days a
+week.</para></listitem>
+<listitem><para>Proverbs in a Month: read one chapter of Proverbs each day,
+corresponding to the day of the month.</para></listitem>
+<listitem><para>Psalms in a Month: read 5 Psalms at intervals of 30 each day,
+for instance on the 20th you read Ps.20, 50, 80, 110, &amp; 140.</para></listitem>
+<listitem><para>Psalms &amp; Proverbs in 6 months: read through Psalms and Proverbs
+one chapter per day.</para></listitem>
+<listitem><para>Old Testament without Psalms &amp; Proverbs in 2 years: if
+you read one chapter a day of the Old Testament, skipping over Psalms &amp; Proverbs, you will read the Old Testament in 2 years and 2 weeks.
+</para></listitem>
+</orderedlist>
+</sect1>
+
+</chapter>
+