Scriptural Background
Ever since Satan in the form of a serpent cast doubt on God’s instructions in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-4) people have questioned the authority of God’s Word. As descendants of Adam, we have inherited a sinful nature (Romans5:12, Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8-10), which corrupts our human reasoning, questions God’s authority, and prevents us from embracing the truth.
The Bible says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”(Psalm 119:105). This reminds us that we cannot move along the path of life without God’s Word providing the light of truth to guide us. The Bible enables us to see the world as it truly is. Without the understanding that Scripture gives, we are lost in the dark, wondering how to accurately interpret good and evil, God and man, right and wrong. We are left with a distorted view of history, science, and society. The testimony of the Lord, however, is undistorted and sure (Psalm 19:7).
In Psalm 19, King David powerfully reveals the supremacy of Scripture. The perfection of the Word leads to conversion of the soul, the surety of the Word brings wisdom, the righteousness of the Word rejoices the heart, and the purity of the Word lights the way. The Word is clean, true, and righteous, producing the fear of the Lord necessary for repentance. Verse 11 summarizes the intention of the Word – that we may be warned to keep the commandments and achieve the promised reward.
Those who stand in awe of God, who are bound to Him without compromise, and who submit their minds to the teaching of Scripture are those who have a solid foundation and are able to connect the Bible to real life.
Our response to God and His Word should be to join the Psalmist in praying, “Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth; unite my heart to fear thy name” (Psalm 86:11)
Historical/ Apologetics Background
The proper role of apologetics is to confirm what we know of God through His Word. It is not a series of explanations attempting to prove that the Bible is true or that there is a God.
As Christians, we start with the assumption that God exist and that His Word is true. This serves as the starting point for our beliefs. This is called pre-suppositional thinking because we are presupposing that what God says about Himself is true.
Jesus set the example for us in this way of thinking through His life, ministry, and teaching. All of Jesus’ messages presupposed that the scriptures were true.
He knew the Scriptures so well that learned men marveled (John 7:15). He quoted Scripture as historical fact, referencing some of the most attacked accounts in the Bible, including creation (Matthew 19:4-5), Noah and the Flood (Matthew 24:37-39), Sodom and Gomorrah (Matthew 10:15, 11:23-24), Lot and his wife (Luke 17:28-32), and Jonah and the Whale (Matthew 12:39-41)
He said the writings of Moses are more powerful than even someone rising from the dead (Luke 16:29-31).
He defended Himself against Satan with God’s Word (Matthew 4:4-10)
In the same way, we must rely on God’s Word as the starting point for all of our Judgements and beliefs. Others may insist that we “leave the Bible out of it” when discussing God, creation, absolute truth, morality, science, or the Bible itself. However, we cannot and must not. Christians stand on the Word of God – it is our foundation ( Luke 6:47-49). Everything we believe and how we live are based on what it says.
Disregarding the Scriptures would result in disaster because our foundation would be destroyed. Our starting point is and must always be the Bible. We see the importance of this from the very beginning. Even in the Garden of Eden, the battle was over the authority of the Word of God. The serpent asked Eve, “Did God really say that?” (Genesis 3:1)
We are facing a crisis of unbelief among young people in our culture today. One reason for this is that so many have discounted the book of Genesis. They are asking “Did God really do that?” and being told, “No. He did not, and you don’t have to believe it.”
This is a sad state of affairs. It wasn’t too long ago that Genesis was taken literally and there was little controversy over its interpretation. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, the history of Genesis came under attack by scientist who began to accept the idea of millions of years of history rather than the thousands of years God records in His Word.
This interpretation brought compromise in the areas of biology – Darwinian evolution replacing God’s creation of kinds; geology – millions of years replacing the Flood history of Genesis; anthropology – man descended from ape-like ancestors replacing God’s creation of man in His own image; astronomy – the big bang replacing God’s amazing account of speaking the universe into existence.
As our culture has adopted these secular views, the Bible has been disconnected from reality and consequently is becoming less and less relevant – especially to the younger generation. These compromises have torn down the foundations of biblical authority and trust in God’s Word. The result? Jesus gave us the answer when He asked Nicodemus, “If I told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?” (John 3:12)
Many no longer believe the earthly things that Jesus was referring to. And, consequently, even the heavenly things – redemption, hope, eternity with God, forgiveness, Christ’s Resurrection, the Trinity, and judgement – are no longer of any interest to us. It is time to get back to the foundation beliefs of the Word of God, beginning in Genesis.
Introduction
You will probably find this study different from studies you have done in the past. It will blend apologetics (defending the faith) with inductive Bible Study to help equip you to answer challenges posed by skeptics and to strengthen your own faith and devotion to Christ.
Studying God’s Word
Walking in Truth
Psalm 86:11
? Who is speaking and who is being spoken to?
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? What two request does David have for the Lord?
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? David talks figuratively about walking in God’s truth. What does he mean by this phrase?
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? Can you think of any other passages where the “Christian walk” is referenced?
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? How could we summarize (or restate) David’s desire?
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A Lamp and a Light
Psalm 119:105
? What is being compared in this verse?
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? What figure of speech is used in this verse?
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If we scan thru verse 112 in this psalm, we see it is filled with phrases like “righteous judgements”, “Thy word”, “statutes”, and “precepts”.
? What are all these phrases referring to?
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? The metaphor is referring to God’s revealed truths as a lamp that lights a path. How does this relate to Psalm 86:11 that we just looked at?
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? What are some problems in our society?
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Is it important for us to get back to traditional family values or to look at the Bible as the absolute authority?
Discover the Truth
? Summarize the key principle we can draw from Psalm 119:105, how can we apply it to our lives?
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What is God’s Word?
Psalm 19:7-11
Complete the worksheet below
What is God’s Word?
List the words that identify the Word of God.
Identity
Law
List the adjectives that describe God’s Word.
Description
Perfect
List the various roles of God’s Word in our lives.
Role
Revives the soul
Applying God’s Word
What You Heard in the Word
? What roles should Scripture play in our lives?
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? Psalm 119:105 tells us that the Word of God is like a lamp that lights the steps in our path. Using a modern metaphor, in what way can we think of the Bible as a pair of glasses?
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? What are the consequences for individuals (and societies by implication) who do not see the Bible as the authority they must submit to?
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? Who is the only person that has fully submitted to God’s Word to guide His Life?
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God’s Word in the real World
? Everyone with whom you interact has a worldview. In what areas do you see someone’s worldview having the most impact on that individual’s life?
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? Where do you see a difference in worldview causing conflict in your life and relationships with others?
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? Why do people reject the Bible as the absolute authority?
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? How would you attempt to change a person’s understanding of the Bible’s authority and reliability?
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? Do you recognize any area in your life where you are not looking to God’s Word as the absolute authority? How can you change your attitude?
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Prayer Time
- Praise God for His unchanging character
- Ask God that each person would have boldness to share the hope of Christ with others.
- Thank God for His justice and mercy.