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Lesson 31: The Scriptures a Safeguard to
Deceptions
Your eternal life is too valuable to entrust to the opinions of others. Sadly, millions of people refuse to even investigate the Scriptures that will judge them. They ignore the Bible that could set them free from condemnation and give them assurance of salvation in Christ (Romans 8:1, 10:9). They say like the people in Israel in Jesus' day, "Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him?" They trust their religious teachers to tell the truth. But as the Pharisees and rulers were wrong so also many teachers today are teaching error. Millions accept these fatal deceptions and will be lost.
Shining Stars Series (Philippians 2:14-16)
"Why are you reading the New Testament? Don't you know that it's been changed?" said Mustafa, Mehmet's acquaintance at the restaurant.
"Lots of people say that. Why do you think so?" replied Mehmet with a raised eyebrow.
"The New Testament was given by God but now it doesn't agree with the last and great revelation. Therefore it must have been changed."
"You sound pretty confident that you know what you are talking about. Have you read the New Testament?"
"Yes, I know all about it."
"I see,” Mehmet said. “Here is the New Testament. Can you show me what verses you think were changed and when?"
"Well…no, but anything that disagrees with the last book has been changed in the New Testament. God doesn't change the truth."
Mehmet smiled when Mustafa couldn't show him anything about the New Testament at all. "That is true," Mehmet said, "God doesn't change the truth. But I am afraid you have turned God's standard around backwards."
"What do you mean?"
"You say that anything that disagrees with the Last Book has been changed. But the Scriptures say that anything that is different from the first book, that is the Tevrat is wrong. The first books are the standard for the later books and not vice versa. Look here at what the Bible says in Isaiah 8:20, 'To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.' The word translated law is 'torah' which is the word used for the law of God as given to the Israelites. If someone arises who speaks or thinks contrary to the Old Testament they are wrong. Therefore God made the first books the standard and test for all later books."
"Well they changed that verse to say that."
"Really? How do you know? Do you read Hebrew and Greek? Are you an expert in ancient writings? You are just repeating the words that someone told you. Look, the sacred writtings were translated into many languages and spread all over the world. If someone changed one word it would be known by comparing it to all other manuscripts."
"The last revelation is perfect, hasn’t changed and never will be. That is why it was given, because the others were changed."
"If the Jews had changed the Old Testament, why did Jesus tell us to read it? Why did He constantly quote from it? What is more, if the Christians tried to change the Old Testament, the Jews who didn't accept Jesus would have created a riot. It is not possible that the Old Testament was changed. Besides in 1947 at Qumran they found Old Testament manuscripts dating from about the third century BC to 70 AD. Except for spelling and other minor differences, it is the same Bible as we have today. We know this."
"Well the New Testament was changed," Mustafa retorted.
"You are speaking but you aren't listening. There are thousands of New Testament manuscripts. Any variance in the writings is verifiable by comparison with both the other Greek manuscripts and the translations. Almost all the variations are either spelling or copyist mistakes which are easily detectable. There is no change in essential teaching or doctrine. The accusations you hear are baseless. You should check it out for yourself and not trust others to think for you."
"The last revelation is the only one that hasn't been changed."
"How do you know? What makes you so sure it hasn't been changed? You are just repeating what various teachers have told you. Are you going to trust your eternal life to their opinions?"
"We don't need to study the former books because they have been changed."
"Do you read your own book?" Mehmet asked.
Mustafa raised his eyebrows, "I don't need to, besides it's not in my language."
“Well, my friend, you need to study your own book a little more closely. It recommends studying the former books. Furthermore, your book doesn't say that the Bible was changed. It says that people would arise and corrupt its teachings. We know that is true. The Bible itself prophecies that false teachers would arise."
"What makes you so sure that the New Testament hasn't been changed?" Mustafa said with a growing tension in his voice.
"The New Testament authenticates itself with prophetic descriptions of world history and the future. As the Old and New Testaments 39have, without error, predicted the fall and rise of nations, so it is a trustworthy source of all truth. No other book has described the future with unerring accuracy. Although written by many authors over many centuries the teachings all harmonize with each other perfectly. Only God could do that. God gave His word and God preserved it. But you can never know that if you don't take time to investigate it for yourself. If you want, we can study the prophecies together and you can see for yourself that the word is preserved."
"Thanks," said Mustafa. "I don't need to look at them. I know the truth." (To be Continued)
God has sent warnings to mankind so important that they are represented as proclaimed by holy angels flying through the air. In the three angels' message of Revelation 14:6-12 we see the danger of worshiping the beast and his image. The Bible says, "The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders" (2 Thessalonians 2:9). These wonders will be so powerful they will deceive all except those who know the Scriptures for themselves.
The Scriptures are our safeguard against deception.
Q1. Can we understand the Scriptures by ourselves? Read Psalm 119:18.
A.____________________________________________________________________________
We must pray diligently that the Holy Spirit would guide our thoughts and understanding when reading the Scriptures. Jesus said He would send the Holy Spirit - the Comforter: "He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you" (John 14:26).
Q2. If we really want to know the truth, what attitude must we have when we study the Bible? Read John 7:17.
A.____________________________________________________________________________
We must be willing to perform the truth in our lives if we want God to show us the truth. Anyone who will not obey will not receive enlightenment from God.
Q3. What is the purpose of studying the prophecies of the Bible? Read John 5:39 and 2 Peter 1:19.
A.____________________________________________________________________________
It may be interesting to know future events and other mysteries that are contained in the Bible. However these prophecies have a goal and that is so that Christ, the Day Star arises in our hearts. Without Christ, knowledge is superficial and fading. Paul said that to win Christ was everything (Philippians 3:8-10).
Q4. What admonition is given to every believer about studying the Bible? Read 2 Timothy 2:15.
A.____________________________________________________________________________
There is a right way to divide the word of truth and a wrong way. We should make efforts to know the Scriptures.
Q5. How did Satan try to trick Jesus by wrongly "dividing" the words of Scriptures"? Read Matthew 4:5, 6.
A.____________________________________________________________________________
Satan only quoted part of the verse and omitted the words, "to keep you in all your ways" (Psalm 91:11, 12). Thus he misrepresented and misapplied scripture. Knowing the Scriptures for ourselves is critically important in the last days.
Q6. What warnings did Jesus give about false teachers? Read Matthew 7:15-20, 24:11.
A.____________________________________________________________________________
Pastors and teachers are important in the learning process. But ultimately we are each individually responsible for our own beliefs and behavior. It is important that we know the truth for ourselves so that we are not deceived.
Q7. Is every word in the Bible directly dictated to the prophet by God? Read 2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Samuel 23:2; Ezekiel 2:2 and 1 Corinthians 14:32.
A.____________________________________________________________________________
The prophetic revelation that brought about the Bible did not usually happen through word for word communication. In most instances, the Holy Spirit inspired the prophets with thoughts and the prophets wrote the Scriptures in their own style. There are more than 40 authors of the Scriptures, each having a different educational background and experience which is reflected in their ability of expression. This is evident by examining their styles of writing. Nevertheless, the message they gave was from God and thus the Bible is a production of the Holy Spirit working through human agencies. Only the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) was directly God's choice of words to man. Even then, God communicated in the language of men in terms that they could understand.
Q8. Does God communicate to us in other ways besides the Scriptures? Read Psalm 19:1 and Romans 1:20.
A.____________________________________________________________________________
God communicates to man through nature. Man can discern in the awesome works of nature an intelligence and order much superior to his own. Thus the Creator is revealed. But because sin entered the world, the face of nature does not perfectly reveal the Creator. Thorns and thistles and carnivorous animals were not a part of the original creation. Therefore to rightly understand what nature tells us about God and the cosmic conflict the world is involved in, the Scriptures must be consulted.
God can also communicate to us through the Holy Spirit. Our minds are enlightened and we see in circumstances around us the providence of God. This is most keenly seen in the book of Esther. God's name is never mentioned in the book but we see the outworking of divine providence everywhere in the book.
Q9. In the last days what problem will arise among men concerning the Scriptures? Read 2 Timothy 4:3.
A.____________________________________________________________________________
Q10. Why do people believe error? Read 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12.
A.____________________________________________________________________________
We see that believing error is not always an intellectual problem. Many people believe error because they do not love the truth and then fall under Satanic influences.
Q11. How can the Scriptures protect us in the last days? Read Psalm 119:11, 99, 104 and 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.
A.____________________________________________________________________________
The great battle between Christ and Satan is one between righteousness and evil. To avoid all sin and do what is good is to put yourself on God's side. To know what is right and good requires that you study the Scriptures. God will protect us from evil as we ally ourselves to Him.
Shining Stars Series (Philippians 2:14-16) (Continued)
“And then what happened?” Gül asked. Mehmet had just told the Bible study group about his encounter with Mustafa in the restaurant.
“That’s it. That’s all that happened,” Mehmet explained.
“So he doesn’t want to study or read anything? It just stopped there?” Gül continued.
“Unfortunately that is the reality for most people, Gül. They just don’t want to make an effort. I guess they are comfortable that they already know the truth and they don’t want to be disturbed.”
Gül added, “I suppose if the building were on fire they wouldn’t want to be disturbed about that either.”
Everyone laughed at that remark but the appropriateness of the analogy soon sunk in and the mood was serious again.
Mert broke the silence, “You know I am in school and learning is so important to me right now, you know for my whole life. It is hard for me to grasp that people really don’t care enough to read.”
With that comment both Yusuf and Ece nodded their head in agreement.
Afife leaned forward and said, “I just want to say that I am thankful for you all and our group and the opportunity to read God’s word. I love this promise from Psalm 119:105: ‘Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.’ It is especially important for me now that Reşat is not coming. It has been so hard without him here.” Afife’s last words drown in tears.
Fatma caressed Afife’s shoulder as the other’s watched. Her mother Türkan looked at her daughter and without further word began to pray.
“Father in heaven. We do thank you for your word and we consecrate ourselves now to you. We trust your word and with one voice we acknowledge Christ as Savior and Lord. Please help us to remain faithful. Please give grace to Afife and may your Holy Spirit be with Reşat so that he will return to faith in you. Give him courage to accept and keep your Sabbath day regardless of the consequences. We don’t forget Ekrem and Filiz and pray that you will deliver them from darkness. Let them love the truth and let them not come under the delusions of Satan so that they would believe a lie. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.”
And everyone said, “Amen.”
Call to commitment through prayer.
Deceptions
Your eternal life is too valuable to entrust to the opinions of others. Sadly, millions of people refuse to even investigate the Scriptures that will judge them. They ignore the Bible that could set them free from condemnation and give them assurance of salvation in Christ (Romans 8:1, 10:9). They say like the people in Israel in Jesus' day, "Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him?" They trust their religious teachers to tell the truth. But as the Pharisees and rulers were wrong so also many teachers today are teaching error. Millions accept these fatal deceptions and will be lost.
Shining Stars Series (Philippians 2:14-16)
"Why are you reading the New Testament? Don't you know that it's been changed?" said Mustafa, Mehmet's acquaintance at the restaurant.
"Lots of people say that. Why do you think so?" replied Mehmet with a raised eyebrow.
"The New Testament was given by God but now it doesn't agree with the last and great revelation. Therefore it must have been changed."
"You sound pretty confident that you know what you are talking about. Have you read the New Testament?"
"Yes, I know all about it."
"I see,” Mehmet said. “Here is the New Testament. Can you show me what verses you think were changed and when?"
"Well…no, but anything that disagrees with the last book has been changed in the New Testament. God doesn't change the truth."
Mehmet smiled when Mustafa couldn't show him anything about the New Testament at all. "That is true," Mehmet said, "God doesn't change the truth. But I am afraid you have turned God's standard around backwards."
"What do you mean?"
"You say that anything that disagrees with the Last Book has been changed. But the Scriptures say that anything that is different from the first book, that is the Tevrat is wrong. The first books are the standard for the later books and not vice versa. Look here at what the Bible says in Isaiah 8:20, 'To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.' The word translated law is 'torah' which is the word used for the law of God as given to the Israelites. If someone arises who speaks or thinks contrary to the Old Testament they are wrong. Therefore God made the first books the standard and test for all later books."
"Well they changed that verse to say that."
"Really? How do you know? Do you read Hebrew and Greek? Are you an expert in ancient writings? You are just repeating the words that someone told you. Look, the sacred writtings were translated into many languages and spread all over the world. If someone changed one word it would be known by comparing it to all other manuscripts."
"The last revelation is perfect, hasn’t changed and never will be. That is why it was given, because the others were changed."
"If the Jews had changed the Old Testament, why did Jesus tell us to read it? Why did He constantly quote from it? What is more, if the Christians tried to change the Old Testament, the Jews who didn't accept Jesus would have created a riot. It is not possible that the Old Testament was changed. Besides in 1947 at Qumran they found Old Testament manuscripts dating from about the third century BC to 70 AD. Except for spelling and other minor differences, it is the same Bible as we have today. We know this."
"Well the New Testament was changed," Mustafa retorted.
"You are speaking but you aren't listening. There are thousands of New Testament manuscripts. Any variance in the writings is verifiable by comparison with both the other Greek manuscripts and the translations. Almost all the variations are either spelling or copyist mistakes which are easily detectable. There is no change in essential teaching or doctrine. The accusations you hear are baseless. You should check it out for yourself and not trust others to think for you."
"The last revelation is the only one that hasn't been changed."
"How do you know? What makes you so sure it hasn't been changed? You are just repeating what various teachers have told you. Are you going to trust your eternal life to their opinions?"
"We don't need to study the former books because they have been changed."
"Do you read your own book?" Mehmet asked.
Mustafa raised his eyebrows, "I don't need to, besides it's not in my language."
“Well, my friend, you need to study your own book a little more closely. It recommends studying the former books. Furthermore, your book doesn't say that the Bible was changed. It says that people would arise and corrupt its teachings. We know that is true. The Bible itself prophecies that false teachers would arise."
"What makes you so sure that the New Testament hasn't been changed?" Mustafa said with a growing tension in his voice.
"The New Testament authenticates itself with prophetic descriptions of world history and the future. As the Old and New Testaments 39have, without error, predicted the fall and rise of nations, so it is a trustworthy source of all truth. No other book has described the future with unerring accuracy. Although written by many authors over many centuries the teachings all harmonize with each other perfectly. Only God could do that. God gave His word and God preserved it. But you can never know that if you don't take time to investigate it for yourself. If you want, we can study the prophecies together and you can see for yourself that the word is preserved."
"Thanks," said Mustafa. "I don't need to look at them. I know the truth." (To be Continued)
God has sent warnings to mankind so important that they are represented as proclaimed by holy angels flying through the air. In the three angels' message of Revelation 14:6-12 we see the danger of worshiping the beast and his image. The Bible says, "The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders" (2 Thessalonians 2:9). These wonders will be so powerful they will deceive all except those who know the Scriptures for themselves.
The Scriptures are our safeguard against deception.
Q1. Can we understand the Scriptures by ourselves? Read Psalm 119:18.
A.____________________________________________________________________________
We must pray diligently that the Holy Spirit would guide our thoughts and understanding when reading the Scriptures. Jesus said He would send the Holy Spirit - the Comforter: "He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you" (John 14:26).
Q2. If we really want to know the truth, what attitude must we have when we study the Bible? Read John 7:17.
A.____________________________________________________________________________
We must be willing to perform the truth in our lives if we want God to show us the truth. Anyone who will not obey will not receive enlightenment from God.
Q3. What is the purpose of studying the prophecies of the Bible? Read John 5:39 and 2 Peter 1:19.
A.____________________________________________________________________________
It may be interesting to know future events and other mysteries that are contained in the Bible. However these prophecies have a goal and that is so that Christ, the Day Star arises in our hearts. Without Christ, knowledge is superficial and fading. Paul said that to win Christ was everything (Philippians 3:8-10).
Q4. What admonition is given to every believer about studying the Bible? Read 2 Timothy 2:15.
A.____________________________________________________________________________
There is a right way to divide the word of truth and a wrong way. We should make efforts to know the Scriptures.
Q5. How did Satan try to trick Jesus by wrongly "dividing" the words of Scriptures"? Read Matthew 4:5, 6.
A.____________________________________________________________________________
Satan only quoted part of the verse and omitted the words, "to keep you in all your ways" (Psalm 91:11, 12). Thus he misrepresented and misapplied scripture. Knowing the Scriptures for ourselves is critically important in the last days.
Q6. What warnings did Jesus give about false teachers? Read Matthew 7:15-20, 24:11.
A.____________________________________________________________________________
Pastors and teachers are important in the learning process. But ultimately we are each individually responsible for our own beliefs and behavior. It is important that we know the truth for ourselves so that we are not deceived.
Q7. Is every word in the Bible directly dictated to the prophet by God? Read 2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Samuel 23:2; Ezekiel 2:2 and 1 Corinthians 14:32.
A.____________________________________________________________________________
The prophetic revelation that brought about the Bible did not usually happen through word for word communication. In most instances, the Holy Spirit inspired the prophets with thoughts and the prophets wrote the Scriptures in their own style. There are more than 40 authors of the Scriptures, each having a different educational background and experience which is reflected in their ability of expression. This is evident by examining their styles of writing. Nevertheless, the message they gave was from God and thus the Bible is a production of the Holy Spirit working through human agencies. Only the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) was directly God's choice of words to man. Even then, God communicated in the language of men in terms that they could understand.
Q8. Does God communicate to us in other ways besides the Scriptures? Read Psalm 19:1 and Romans 1:20.
A.____________________________________________________________________________
God communicates to man through nature. Man can discern in the awesome works of nature an intelligence and order much superior to his own. Thus the Creator is revealed. But because sin entered the world, the face of nature does not perfectly reveal the Creator. Thorns and thistles and carnivorous animals were not a part of the original creation. Therefore to rightly understand what nature tells us about God and the cosmic conflict the world is involved in, the Scriptures must be consulted.
God can also communicate to us through the Holy Spirit. Our minds are enlightened and we see in circumstances around us the providence of God. This is most keenly seen in the book of Esther. God's name is never mentioned in the book but we see the outworking of divine providence everywhere in the book.
Q9. In the last days what problem will arise among men concerning the Scriptures? Read 2 Timothy 4:3.
A.____________________________________________________________________________
Q10. Why do people believe error? Read 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12.
A.____________________________________________________________________________
We see that believing error is not always an intellectual problem. Many people believe error because they do not love the truth and then fall under Satanic influences.
Q11. How can the Scriptures protect us in the last days? Read Psalm 119:11, 99, 104 and 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.
A.____________________________________________________________________________
The great battle between Christ and Satan is one between righteousness and evil. To avoid all sin and do what is good is to put yourself on God's side. To know what is right and good requires that you study the Scriptures. God will protect us from evil as we ally ourselves to Him.
Shining Stars Series (Philippians 2:14-16) (Continued)
“And then what happened?” Gül asked. Mehmet had just told the Bible study group about his encounter with Mustafa in the restaurant.
“That’s it. That’s all that happened,” Mehmet explained.
“So he doesn’t want to study or read anything? It just stopped there?” Gül continued.
“Unfortunately that is the reality for most people, Gül. They just don’t want to make an effort. I guess they are comfortable that they already know the truth and they don’t want to be disturbed.”
Gül added, “I suppose if the building were on fire they wouldn’t want to be disturbed about that either.”
Everyone laughed at that remark but the appropriateness of the analogy soon sunk in and the mood was serious again.
Mert broke the silence, “You know I am in school and learning is so important to me right now, you know for my whole life. It is hard for me to grasp that people really don’t care enough to read.”
With that comment both Yusuf and Ece nodded their head in agreement.
Afife leaned forward and said, “I just want to say that I am thankful for you all and our group and the opportunity to read God’s word. I love this promise from Psalm 119:105: ‘Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.’ It is especially important for me now that Reşat is not coming. It has been so hard without him here.” Afife’s last words drown in tears.
Fatma caressed Afife’s shoulder as the other’s watched. Her mother Türkan looked at her daughter and without further word began to pray.
“Father in heaven. We do thank you for your word and we consecrate ourselves now to you. We trust your word and with one voice we acknowledge Christ as Savior and Lord. Please help us to remain faithful. Please give grace to Afife and may your Holy Spirit be with Reşat so that he will return to faith in you. Give him courage to accept and keep your Sabbath day regardless of the consequences. We don’t forget Ekrem and Filiz and pray that you will deliver them from darkness. Let them love the truth and let them not come under the delusions of Satan so that they would believe a lie. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.”
And everyone said, “Amen.”
Call to commitment through prayer.