The damage of the second death, week 1, Sunday, chapter 1

THE DAMAGE OF THE SECOND DEATH -
Reflections on the millennium

Chapter 1

DISCIPLINE AND REWARD

WEEK 1 - SUNDAY

Bible Reading: Heb 12:5-10

Read and pray: "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline. Be zealous therefore and repent." (Rev 3:19)

PREFACE

In recent years, men have been at the mercy of the arrival of a new millennium with a mixture of hope and anxiety, more anxiety than hope. You, as a Christian, are not immune to the demands and consequences of the new time that is already at the door. What to do, if human culture with all that it represents tries to divert you from the main thing – God and His requirements for His children? What to do?

An excellent reaction is to read "The Damage of the Second Death," a very serious warning for Christians distracted by the course of this world. Like a skilled surgeon, rightly handling the scalpel of the Word of God, Watchman Nee unveils for us crucial issues regarding Christian attitudes and behaviors and their consequences in the coming millennium.

At this turning of the millennium, in this decisive moment in the history of the church and humanity, the unprecedented and courageous revelations contained in this book by the consecrated Christian writer are fundamental and fully grounded in the Word of God.

Unfortunately, it is possible that the distracted Christian may not become aware of such revelations. As for those who are concerned with the imminent return of the Lord Jesus, let them read this book and cooperate with the awakening that is required in Christianity in these last days.

PROLOGUE

Unfortunately, few Christians actually know the biblical revelation concerning the millennial kingdom, the coming age.

It is urgent, most urgent, that all of us who await the Lord’s return be aware of our judgment before the tribunal of Christ, and that each one will be repaid according to his living today.

God’s word is light! Although it may seem threatening, the damage of the second death is only a real threat to Christians disobedient to the Father. The warnings contained in this book are in fact of love and mercy; they are an opportunity for us to repent, seeking to live, during the time that remains for us, in a way pleasing to the Lord.

The Editors

DISCIPLINE AND REWARD

We must distinguish two things in the Bible: God’s discipline upon Christians in this age and their salvation in eternity.

Hebrews records the matter of Christians’ discipline. Now we must see what kinds of people God disciplines and what is the purpose of this discipline.

MOTIVE AND PURPOSE OF DISCIPLINE

The Epistle to the Hebrews 12:5-6 says: "And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, nor faint when you are reproved by Him; for the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives." Here we see clearly that the motive of discipline is the love of God. Those who receive God’s discipline are God’s children.

If a person is not a child of God, He will not discipline him. You will never find in the Bible that God disciplines an unbeliever. God does not spend His time and energy disciplining all the people on this earth.

The same occurs with us. We do not discipline our neighbors’ children. If they do not dress well or do not do things properly, we do not discipline them. We only discipline our own children. Therefore, the sphere of discipline is limited only to Christians, and the motive of discipline is love.

It is not because He hates man that God disciplines him. He disciplines man because He loves him. Revelation 3:19 also says that God disciplines because of love. Hebrews 12:7-8 says: "It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons. For what son is there whom a father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons."

Therefore, the sphere of discipline is limited only to sons. Verse 9 says: "Furthermore, we had our fathers of the flesh who corrected us, and we respected them; shall we not much more be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?"

If we accept the discipline of our earthly fathers, how much more should we accept the discipline of our Father, the Father of spirits! Verse 10 says: "For they indeed disciplined us for a few days as seemed good to them; but He disciplines us for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness."

This shows us the purpose of discipline. It is not because He likes to discipline us that He does it. Nor is it because He wants us to suffer. He disciplines us so that we may partake of His holiness.

If a Christian lives in a very loose way on earth, without manifesting God’s nature and holiness, God’s hand will come heavily upon him. God does not enjoy chastising us.

His purpose is to have His holiness manifested in us. He will cease disciplining us only when His holiness is manifested in us. Therefore, we realize that discipline does not prove that we are not of the Lord. On the contrary, it proves that we belong to the Lord.

There is no need for discipline for someone who does not belong to the Lord. Only those who belong to the Lord are qualified to be disciplined. There is a great difference between punishment and discipline. God’s discipline upon His children is not His punishment upon them. Even when God chastises them, that chastisement is not punishment but discipline.

Discipline has a definite purpose, which is that we may partake of His holiness, so that we may not live foolishly day by day. After a Christian believes in the Lord Jesus, although he never loses his salvation, he may receive a severe chastisement from God.

We must never say that a Christian can do whatever he wants after being saved. The Bible clearly tells us that after a Christian is saved, even if he is defeated and fallen, he will not perish eternally and will not lose eternal life. However, he will receive God’s correction, today, on earth.

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Knowing the Bible, week 3, Saturday, chapter 4

KNOWING THE BIBLE

Chapter 4

THE THEME, THE CENTRAL THOUGHT

AND THE SUBDIVISIONS OF THE BIBLE

WEEK 3 - SATURDAY

Bible Reading: Mt 24 and 25

Read and pray: "Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks, or the church of God" (1 Co 10:32)

PAY ATTENTION TO THE

DIFFERENCES IN DISPENSATIONS

By the same principle, God promised His chosen people in the Old Testament that they would prosper and expand their territory on the earth. But in the New Testament, the opposite occurs.

If today, quoting words from the Old Testament, you preach to brothers and sisters saying, "Thanks be to God, He promised us that if we fear Him, He will expand our territory and we will all be owners of large portions of land," that would be completely wrong. Such a promise exists in the Bible; however, that promise is not under grace but under the law. In the New Testament, God said that we must give up our lands and sell them to give to the poor. This is exactly the opposite of the Old Testament.

Although all are words of the Bible and inspired by God, we must not take words from the old dispensation and apply them to the current dispensation. Catholics and many Protestants are mistaken in this regard.

Many things in Catholicism come from the Judaism of the Old Testament. Even the priests’ garments and their worship rituals are borrowed from Old Testament principles. Of course, these things are mentioned in the Bible, but they are not for the present dispensation.

When exposing and interpreting the Bible, one cannot say: "Isn’t this a word of the Bible? If it is, we must keep it." We cannot speak in this way. We must differentiate the eras; that is, we must clearly know to which dispensation a certain word belongs. If you are not in a certain dispensation, then the words of that dispensation have nothing to do with you. We will talk more about dispensations later.

TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE DIFFERENCE OF

THE PEOPLE TO WHOM THE WORD IS ADDRESSED

When exposing the Bible, we must consider the people to whom a certain word is addressed. Some words are directed to the Jews and are not related to the Gentiles or the church. Some words are said to the Gentiles and have nothing to do with the Jews or the church. Some words are spoken to the church and have nothing to do with the Jews or Gentiles.

1 Corinthians 10:32 says: "Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks, or the church of God." In the Bible, there are at least three types of people to whom God addresses His words: Jews, Gentiles, and the church.

In the Old Testament, most of the words were spoken to the Jews. In the New Testament, some words are spoken to the church. Likewise, both in the New and Old Testament, some words are spoken to the Gentiles.

We must differentiate them clearly when reading and discover to whom they are spoken. We must distinguish the various people to whom the words are directed, whether to the Jews, Gentiles, or the church. Only after identifying the person to whom the word is addressed can we make the correct judgment.

For example, some Bible scholars have greatly debated for whom the book of Matthew was written. Many exposers claim that Matthew was written for the Jews and not for the church.

They refer to the Jewish background of the words in Matthew, saying that the Lord Jesus clearly referred to bringing offerings to the altar. For them, this is proof that these words are for the Jews.

The Lord Jesus clearly spoke about the judgment of the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin was a Jewish organization. They also refer to Matthew chapter 24 which mentions the abomination of desolation in the holy place. For them, the holy place unquestionably belongs to the Jews.

The Lord also said that when the great tribulation comes, people should pray that their flight does not occur on the Sabbath. Should the church keep the Sabbath? Since the people to whom this word is addressed keep the Sabbath, are they not Jews?

These scholars show many examples like these to prove that the book of Matthew is directed to the Jews. If this were the case, it would be very serious because the entire book of Matthew would no longer be our inheritance.

After carefully reading the entire book of Matthew, we must admit that the words in Matthew 5 certainly have a Jewish background, but they are not addressed to the Jews; they are addressed to the people of the kingdom of heaven.

The people of the kingdom include not only the saved among the Jews but also the converted among the Gentiles. The people of the kingdom are the church. Because among the people of the kingdom there are those who had previously been in Judaism and had a Jewish background, the Lord Jesus had to use those things related to that background when He gave His sermon on the mount.

There are many discussions about Matthew chapters 24 and 25. If you read carefully, you will discover that a portion was addressed to the Jews, a portion to the church, and a portion to the Gentiles.

In chapter 24, verses 1 to 30 are addressed to the Jews, verses 32 to 30 of chapter 25 are addressed to the church. Verse 31 to the end of that chapter is addressed to the Gentiles. When studying the Bible, before making an interpretation decision, we must first define the person to whom the word is addressed. Only then can we understand and interpret the words accurately.

THE PEOPLE, EVENTS, AND OBJECTS OF THE

OLD TESTAMENT THAT ARE NOT CLEARLY

PRESENTED AS TYPES SHOULD NOT BE

TREATED AS TYPES BUT AS ILLUSTRATIONS

We know there are many types in the Old Testament. Some of them are simply individuals, such as Isaac, who typified the Lord Jesus as the heir son, and Rebekah, who typified the bride gained by Christ—the church.

Some types are events, such as the Passover of the Israelites, representing our salvation before God when we receive Christ slain as our Savior. Another example is the Exodus from Egypt by the children of Israel, typifying our departure from the world. There are also types that are objects, like the lamb typifying Christ and the bronze serpent, also typifying Christ.

In the Old Testament, many people, events, and objects are types, but it is not up to us to decide whether they are or not. We must find clear evidence in the New Testament. If there is no mention of the object, event, or person in the New Testament, we should not hastily assume it is a type. At most, we can only borrow that object, person, or event as an illustration and use it to explain the truths in the New Testament. To say something is a type means it is much more than an illustration.

Here, we only briefly present and show these ten principles of Bible interpretation. These principles gradually evolved from hundreds or thousands of years of experience in Bible study. They are like the cream of milk and the honey of bees and are very precious.

I hope we can all remember them clearly. All this is for our help and restraint. I hope that from now on all brothers and sisters will apply these principles in their Bible study. If we apply them, we will find new meaning in the Bible and gain a better, more accurate, and complete understanding.

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Knowing the Bible, week 3, Friday, chapter 4

KNOWING THE BIBLE

Chapter 4

THE THEME, THE CENTRAL THOUGHT

AND THE SUBDIVISIONS OF THE BIBLE

WEEK 3 - FRIDAY
Bible Reading: Mt 5

Read and pray: “Therefore, if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, go first be reconciled to your brother; and then, returning, present your offering." (Matthew 5:23,24)

DO NOT SACRIFICE ANY PORTION OF THE WORD

When defining a truth, sometimes many related verses indicate a certain meaning, but two or three of them cannot be explained that way. One cannot say that, because only one or two verses cannot be explained in that way, they can therefore be sacrificed and the exposition based on the majority of the verses. If a person does that, he is sacrificing some verses. We cannot act like this.

Once one or two verses do not agree with a certain interpretation, we have to abandon that interpretation. We must respect all portions of the Bible. Only when an interpretation harmonizes with the whole Bible can that interpretation be considered reliable. Any verse that forbids a certain interpretation of the truth must not be sacrificed. Instead, that particular interpretation must be abandoned, and we must wait for more revelation from God. If we study the Bible in this way, we will not easily fall into error.

ALL APPOSITIVE EXPRESSIONS ARE EQUAL

There are many expressions in the Bible that are in apposition¹ to others. All these appositive expressions are equivalent and not different. For example: Matthew 5 speaks of nine beatitudes. There it says: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”, and “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”. These are paired expressions, where the first expression matches the second.

In this case, in each beatitude, there is first the condition for the blessing, and then the blessing itself. All paired expressions are equivalent. If the first part of an expression specifies a condition, then all the first parts of these paired expressions also specify conditions. If the second part of an expression specifies a blessing, then the second part of all these expressions will also specify a blessing. This is another principle or rule.

DO NOT BE RESTRICTED BY

“THE BACKGROUND” NOR IGNORE IT

When interpreting the Bible, one must not be restricted by the background, nor ignore it. For example: in the sermon the Lord gave on the mount, many words of Jewish background are spoken. The Lord says: “Therefore, if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you” (Mt 5:23). That offering at the altar is entirely based on the Jewish background. If you want to understand the original meaning of that word, you cannot disregard the background of that time.

The Jews presented their offerings at the altar with the purpose of drawing near to God and having fellowship with Him. If you take this principle, you will see that the Lord’s words refer to a man offering something before God and having fellowship with Him. Therefore, we cannot neglect the matter of background, but we must seek to understand it.

On the other hand, we must not be restricted by the background. We cannot teach people to bring offerings to the altar simply because the Lord Jesus spoke such a word. If you are limited by the background, you will have a great problem. Therefore, we must see that we cannot neglect the matter of background; if we do, we will not understand the exact meaning of the Bible. On the other hand, we need to be careful not to be bound by the background, leading us into error.

PAY ATTENTION TO THE

DIFFERENCES IN DISPENSATIONS

The words of God to man are divided into dispensations. Some words were spoken by God to man under the dispensation of law. Other words were spoken by God to man under the dispensation of grace. When we try to understand these words, we must discern the different dispensations. We must not apply to the dispensation of grace the words spoken in the dispensation of law.

This is the mistake of the Seventh-day Adventists regarding the matter of keeping the Sabbath. Keeping the Sabbath is a commandment that God gave to man in the dispensation of law. When the era of grace arrives, it is something totally different. But the Seventh-day Adventists hold on to Exodus 20 and say that since God clearly spoke about the Sabbath, we have to keep it today. It is true that God spoke about keeping the Sabbath, but that is something in the dispensation of law and not in the dispensation of grace.

There is another example. In Psalms we are told that our children in the flesh are blessings from God. Please remember that this is a word from the Old Testament. In the New Testament, this is no longer true. You cannot find any passage in the New Testament that says that children in the flesh are blessings.

Although I cannot say that children in the flesh are now curses, I dare to affirm that they are responsibilities and lessons. Today, in the dispensation of grace, the true blessing is the spiritual children.

_____________________

¹ Apposition = the use of a noun, or noun phrase, as an apposition. Apposition = a name, or equivalent expression, that fulfills the same syntactic function as another element to which it refers.

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Knowing the Bible, week 3, Thursday, chapter 4

KNOWING THE BIBLE

Chapter 4
THE THEME, THE CENTRAL THOUGHT
AND THE SUBDIVISIONS OF THE BIBLE

WEEK 3 - THURSDAY
Bible Reading: Ps 91; Mt 3:11-12; 4:7

Read and pray: “Jesus answered: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5)

DO NOT INTERPRET LITERALLY AND SPIRITUALLY

THE SAME SENTENCE, VERSE OR SECTION

We cannot interpret a sentence, verse, or section of the Bible spiritually in its first part and literally in its second part. Neither should we do so the other way around. If a passage must be interpreted spiritually, it must be entirely so. Likewise, if a passage must be interpreted literally, it must be entirely so.

For example: the Lord Jesus said in John 3 that if a person is not born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Many expositors of the Bible have interpreted water spiritually in this passage, referring to the word of God. However, in the following sentence, they take the Spirit literally, referring to the Holy Spirit. This type of interpretation is wrong and contradicts the principle of interpreting the Bible.

If the Spirit in the second sentence must be interpreted literally, then water in the first sentence must also be interpreted literally, and vice versa. Since the Spirit cannot be interpreted spiritually, neither can the water in this passage; it must be taken literally.

In Matthew, chapter 3, John the Baptist said: "I baptize you in water for repentance; but He who is coming after me is mightier than I (…) He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire" (vv. 11-12).

Some expositors of the Bible interpret fire here spiritually, as tribulations and trials. Some even interpret it as the Holy Spirit burning like fire. All these interpreted the word fire spiritually.

But in this verse, the water mentioned by John is real water, and the Holy Spirit is literally the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the fire in the last part should not be interpreted spiritually, but literally. If the word fire should be interpreted spiritually, then water must also be interpreted spiritually, which is impossible.

This is an important principle of interpreting the Bible: different parts within the same passage must all be interpreted either literally or spiritually; there cannot be a mixture.

ONE PORTION IS NOT ENOUGH

TO REPRESENT A WHOLE TRUTH

When interpreting the Bible, we must pay attention to another thing: one portion of the Word is not enough to represent the complete truth. In other words: no truth can be fully expressed in a single portion of the Word.

Therefore, when reading and interpreting the Bible, we must pay attention to the words "it is also written". These words are spoken by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 4:7. When the Lord was tempted, the devil quoted the words of Psalm 91 to Him, in which God would command His angels to support Him so that He would not strike His foot against a stone.

The devil argued that He could throw Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple and would not be hurt, since such a promise was in the Old Testament. When the Lord heard this, He immediately answered: "It is also written: You shall not tempt the Lord your God." This shows us that we cannot consider only one isolated portion of the Bible. Instead, we must consider two, three, or more portions of the Word together.

If we neglect the principle of "it is also written", and apply the words of the Bible in an isolated way, we will easily be deceived by the snares of the devil. If the devil cannot prevent a person from following the Bible, he will lead them to take isolated passages of the Bible.

It is clear that Satan would like us to do nothing according to the Bible. But many times, he knows this is impossible. All those who love and fear the Lord desire to walk according to the Bible. The devil cannot stop us from following the Bible or walking according to it. He can only use other ways, one of which is to make us follow the Bible in an isolated way. Thus, we are led to extremes and forget the words that say: "it is also written".

The word "also" is a very great word. We should draw a circle around it. This shows us that when we follow the Bible, we must not do so in an isolated way. We must consider both sides, even all sides.

No isolated portion of the Bible can represent the whole truth, just as no single facade of a house can completely represent the entire house. We ourselves are like this. If someone takes a picture of us from behind, no holes in the head can be seen. But if they take a picture of us from the front, seven holes can clearly be seen.

No single side of a man can represent the person as a whole. The same can be said about the Bible. No isolated portion of the Bible can represent a complete truth, and we must be very balanced in everything. Therefore, we must remember the principle "it is also written".

THE TOTALITY OF THE VERSES

CONTAINS ALL THE TRUTHS

One isolated verse cannot represent a complete truth. However, all the verses of the Bible contain all the truths. On the one hand, to understand a truth one cannot rely on a single verse, but must consider many other verses.

On the other hand, when defining any truth, all the verses must be considered. Every verse in the Bible contains all the truths. Once, a brother said that any verse of the Bible requires the whole Bible to explain it. This is very true. If someone wants to understand Genesis 1:1, he must understand the whole Bible. On the one hand, Genesis 1:1 cannot contain the whole truth; on the other, Genesis 1:1 includes all the truths of the Bible.

Therefore, when defining any truth, we cannot rely only on one portion of the Bible. Instead, we must depend on all the other words of the Bible. In the same principle, the explanation of any verse cannot be based only on its own context, but must be based on the whole Bible.

The Second Epistle of Peter 1:20 says that no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation (IBB-Rev.). The original meaning of this verse is that prophecy in the Bible should not be interpreted according to its own context. This means that, to interpret any prophecy, one must study all the prophecies in the Bible and make decisions based on all the prophecies in the Bible. Only then will the interpretation be complete.

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Knowing the Bible, week 3, Wednesday, chapter 4

KNOWING THE BIBLE

Chapter 4

THE SUBJECT, THE CENTRAL THOUGHT

AND THE SUBDIVISIONS OF THE BIBLE

WEEK 3 - WEDNESDAY

Bible Reading:  Zech 9:9; Mt 21:5

Read and pray: “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” (Is 7:14)

PRINCIPLES OF INTERPRETING THE BIBLE

In this chapter, we need to see some of the principles of interpreting the Bible. If we want to study the Bible, we must understand it. To understand the Bible, we need to interpret it. Without interpretation or explanation, naturally, we will have no way to understand the Bible.

We know that all things have their own principles. The more valued and important a matter is, the more rigorous its governing principles and laws will be. If a certain matter has no meaning or importance, and can be carried out in any way, there is no need to speak of laws, principles, or rules. But if a matter is respectable and occupies a significant and prominent place, if it is something great and noble, certainly there will be principles and laws governing that matter; it cannot be taken lightly.

The Bible is an extremely great item in the universe. Besides our Lord and God of glory, I believe the greatest item in the universe is the Bible that we have before our eyes and in our hands. Since the Bible is so important, we need the proper interpretation so that we may study it and understand it. This interpretation must be governed by definite rules, laws, and principles. We cannot interpret it as we please.

Now that we have seen how the Bible was written, how it was translated into different languages, and placed in our hands as such an available book, we must discover the governing principles and laws for its interpretation and study. This will not only help us to understand the Bible, but also help us to avoid many errors.

All rules are a kind of protection. If a train has no tracks to run on, it will not only be unable to move smoothly, but it will also lack protection. When there are tracks, the train moves without jolts and has adequate protection. It is the same with the study of the Bible.

If someone studies and expounds the Bible in a blind and careless way, the result will be inconceivable and even dangerous. Our thoughts often have no limits. It is very dangerous for a person to judge according to what he thinks and interpret according to what he conceives through his senses.

If we want to study the Bible properly and understand it accurately, a restrictive interpretation is necessary. If we want a restrictive exposition of the Bible, we must find the principles and laws of interpreting the Bible. Here we will show ten of these principles.

AS LITERAL AS POSSIBLE

The first principle for interpreting and understanding the Bible is: as literal as possible. We must firmly hold to the fact that when God inspired men to write the Bible, He used words that are fully understandable to man. When we try to understand the Bible today, we must understand the thought of God strictly and precisely according to the letter of the words.

We must not think that, since the Bible was inspired by God, it always transcends human language, and therefore is open to spiritual interpretation. This is a dangerous thesis.

We must interpret the Bible according to the literal meaning of the words. No matter how difficult or absurd a literal interpretation may seem to us, we must adhere strictly to the literal meaning.

Let us mention some examples. An obvious example is the prophecy of the Old Testament, in Isaiah, concerning the Lord Jesus being born of a virgin. Today, the Lord Jesus has already been born of a virgin.

Therefore, for us it is no surprise when we read or hear this word. But in the time of Isaiah, when men read what he had written about a virgin giving birth to a son and calling him Immanuel, would they not have had difficulties in their minds?

A person would certainly have difficulty in understanding how a virgin could be pregnant. Some might have turned to a spiritual interpretation, suggesting that the virgin could mean something other than a real virgin. But when this prophecy was fulfilled, it was fulfilled literally. The virgin referred to a real virgin.

Also, the book of Zechariah, in the Old Testament, prophesied that the Lord Jesus would enter Jerusalem for the last time riding on a donkey colt. When someone read this, at that time, he might have found it hard to understand, because to them, the One whom others would proclaim “Hosanna”, the King worthy of praise, the most esteemed of Israel, could never enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey colt.

People would have considered it illogical to ride a donkey colt. For this reason, they would have interpreted this prophecy spiritually, in such a way that it meant something different. However, when the prophecy was fulfilled, it was fulfilled literally in all aspects. The word was donkey colt, and indeed it was a donkey colt.

When we read the Bible, on the one hand, we must receive spiritual inspirations, but on the other hand, we must not alter the literal meaning in order to fit a spiritual interpretation.

Only when a literal interpretation of a prophecy or parable leads to absurd or improper situations can they be interpreted spiritually. But such cases are few in the Bible.

It must be carefully considered whether a passage should be interpreted literally or spiritually. There is a great difference in this. I have heard that some interpret the locusts in Revelation as today’s airplanes, and the plague coming from the heavens as the bombs dropped by the airplanes. This is ridiculous. We must be careful not to interpret the Bible so freely.

If someone wants to find examples of strange and irrational interpretations, let him read “The Signs of the Times”, published by the Seventh-day Adventists. There one can find the most unrestrained and absurd interpretations. We must not interpret the Bible in this way.

We must hold to the principles and adhere, as much as possible, to the literal meaning. Only when the literal interpretation of some words, in some visions, prophecies, and parables becomes very absurd and foolish can they be interpreted spiritually.

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Knowing the Bible, week 3, Tuesday, chapter 3

KNOWING THE BIBLE

Chapter 3

THE THEME, THE CENTRAL THOUGHT
AND THE SUBDIVISIONS OF THE BIBLE

WEEK 3 - Tuesday

Bible Reading: Ps 40:7; Mk 12:26; 2 Co 3:15

Read and pray: “Then He said to them: These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” (Lk 24:44)

THE SUBDIVISION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT ACCORDING TO THE JEWS OR THE RABBIS

The Old Testament was originally in the hands of the Jews. Some teachers among them were biblical expositors of great authority. The Jews called them rabbis. The word rabbi means teacher. In ancient times, the subdivision of the Old Testament among the rabbis was as the Lord Jesus said in Luke 24:44. In other words, the words of the Lord in Luke 24:44 were based on the subdivision of the Old Testament into three categories made by the rabbis.

A. The Law of Moses

This term refers to the Pentateuch. Sometimes the Jews shortened the Pentateuch of Moses to “Moses.” When the Jews mention Moses, they are not always referring to the person of Moses but to the five books of the Law written by him. These five books are sometimes simply called “the Law.” When the Jews say “the Law,” they mean the Pentateuch.

Therefore, among Christians and Jews, there are five different ways to refer to the first five books of the Old Testament, namely: the Pentateuch of Moses, the Pentateuch, the Law of Moses, the Law, and Moses.

B. The Prophets: Divided into Former Prophets and Latter Prophets

1. The Former Prophets: These are four books. The first is Joshua. The Jews treat the book of Joshua as one of the books of the Prophets rather than a historical book, as we see it. The second book is Judges, which is also treated as a prophetic book.

The third book is Samuel. The first and second books of Samuel were originally one book in the Hebrew Bible. There was no difference between 1 and 2, and it was called the book of Samuel. The fourth book is Kings. The first and second books of Kings were also one book in the Hebrew Old Testament.

Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles were divided into first and second books in the Septuagint, when the Old Testament was translated, because these books were very long and it was not convenient to roll them into a single scroll of sheepskin. In the original Hebrew Old Testament these books were whole, with no distinction between first and second books.

The Jewish rabbis call these four books — Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings — the Former Prophets.

2. The Latter Prophets: These are also four books, namely: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Minor Prophets. The Minor Prophets here include the twelve books, which the Jewish rabbis considered as one book.

Historically, the order of the Minor Prophets is not always the same. Sometimes one is placed first, sometimes another. The most common order is as follows: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Sometimes the order is slightly changed. The Jewish rabbis usually treat the books that come after the Pentateuch simply as the books of the Prophets, which, as we explained above, total eight books.

C. The Other Books

The remaining books include: Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah, 1 and 2 Chronicles, making eleven books. The Jews consider Ezra and Nehemiah as one book, as well as 1 and 2 Chronicles. These eleven books plus the eight prophetic books total nineteen books. With the five books of the Law of Moses, there are in all twenty-four books.

The ancient “church fathers” combined these books in such a way that they totaled twenty-two, to match the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. That is why during the first, second, and third centuries they were called the twenty-two books of the Old Testament. Josephus, who was the historian of greatest authority among the Jews, also called them the twenty-two books of the Old Testament when he referred to them.

IV. THE SUBDIVISION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT BY THE LORD JESUS

The Lord Jesus also had a way of dividing the Old Testament. It is mentioned in Luke 24:44. It is very similar to that of the Jewish rabbis; there is not much difference between the two. He also divided it into three categories:

A. The Law of Moses: the first five books.

B. The Prophets: including the historical books.

C. The Psalms: including Song of Songs.

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Knowing the Bible, week 3, Monday, chapter 3

KNOWING THE BIBLE

Chapter 3

THE THEME, THE CENTRAL THOUGHT

AND THE SUBDIVISIONS OF THE BIBLE

WEEK 3 - Monday

Bible Reading: Dt 8

Read and pray: “He humbled you, and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know it, to make you understand that man shall not live by bread alone, but by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord shall man live.” (Dt 8:3)

b. The Books of the Prophets During the Captivity

There are, in total, two books: Daniel and Ezekiel. Both were prophets during the captivity of the people of Israel.

c. The Books of the Prophets After the Captivity

There are, in total, three books: first Haggai, then Zechariah, and finally Malachi. Dividing the prophets according to the captivity period, there are these three categories of books. The earliest prophet, Obadiah, lived approximately in 800 BC, near 900 BC. The last prophet, Malachi, lived approximately in 390 BC, near 400 BC. Isaiah lived around 760 BC.

If we also consider Lamentations as a book of the prophets, there will be seventeen prophetic books, from Isaiah to Malachi. If we remove Lamentations, there will be sixteen. Some people have grouped the longer prophetic books, calling them major prophets, and the shorter ones minor prophets. In this case, there are four books among the major prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. The remaining twelve books are the minor prophets.

B. The New Testament

• The Four Gospels: There are four Gospels. They are the first four books of the New Testament.
• Acts of the Apostles: There is a single book of Acts.
• The Epistles: There are twenty-one books, from Romans to Jude.
• The Book of Prophecy: The only book of prophecy is Revelation.

The four Gospels, Acts, the twenty-one Epistles, and the book of prophecy make a total of twenty-seven books. An easy way to memorize the number of books in the Bible is to remember that three times nine equals twenty-seven, that is, thirty-nine books in the Old Testament and twenty-seven books in the New Testament.

THE SUBDIVISION ACCORDING TO SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE

This is the best way to subdivide the Bible and it is the way we recommend. There are three categories in the Old Testament and three categories in the New Testament. The nature of these three categories is the same in both Testaments.

A. The Old Testament

1. History: From Genesis to Esther, there are seventeen historical books. This section begins with the creation of the universe by God and continues until the Israelites returned from captivity to rebuild the temple and the holy city. This is the history and journey of God’s people before Him; it is all that they experienced before God.

2. Experience: There are five poetic books: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. There may be some historical records in these books, but they are not essentially historical books. There are also some prophecies in them, but their main emphasis is not prophecy. These five books emphasize the spiritual experiences of God’s saints before Him.

If there were only history, in the preceding category, without the experience that followed, we could only see the historical facts without understanding the inner condition under such circumstances. These five poetic books of the Bible describe precisely the inner condition of God’s chosen people under various circumstances and experiences. By reading these five poetic books, we can discover the spiritual experiences of these people before God.

3. Prophecy: From Isaiah to Malachi, there are seventeen books. There are seventeen historical books at the beginning, and seventeen prophetic books at the end, with five experiential books in the middle, totaling thirty-nine books.

B. The New Testament

1. History: The four Gospels plus the book of Acts constitute the five historical books. The four Gospels speak of the Lord Jesus’ experience on earth along with the experience of His disciples following Him. The book of Acts shows us how the disciples testified of the Lord wherever they went. These five books are essentially historical facts.

2. Experience: In this section, we have the twenty-one Epistles, from Romans to Jude. These twenty-one Epistles speak of the experiences of Christians. The Gospels and Acts show us what Christ and the Christians encountered. They show us their activities, their movements, and their works. The twenty-one Epistles explain the inner spiritual experiences of Christians.

3. Prophecy: There is only one book, the book of Revelation. Whether in the Old Testament or the New, both begin with history, move to experiences, and end with prophecy.

For individual Christians, the order is the same. First, we have our history before the Lord. Then we develop some spiritual experiences during the course of history, and finally there is hope and anticipation of the future.

The Old Testament narrated in detail much history and many spiritual experiences, and in the end spoke of the saints being filled with hope and anticipation of Christ’s coming.

The New Testament is written in the same way. There are many facts and experiences, and in the end there is expectation and hope, which is the return of the Lord Jesus. No Christian can avoid these three steps: history, experience, and expectation.

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Knowing the Bible, week 3, Sunday, chapter 3

KNOWING THE BIBLE

Chapter 3

THE THEME, THE CENTRAL THOUGHT

AND THE SUBDIVISIONS OF THE BIBLE

WEEK 3 - Sunday

Bible Reading: Jer 25:11-12; 29:1-14; 30:3, 18-22

Read and pray: “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” (John 5:46-47)

THE CENTRAL THOUGHT OF THE OLD TESTAMENT – TO BRING MAN TO CHRIST FOR REDEMPTION

The Old Testament brings man to Christ so that he may be redeemed.

THE CENTRAL THOUGHT OF THE NEW TESTAMENT – IN CHRIST, THE CHURCH IS REDEEMED AND BUILT UP

The New Testament shows us how the church is redeemed and built up in Christ.

THE SUBDIVISIONS

There are many ways to subdivide the Bible. We have selected four of the most important for our consideration.

SUBDIVISION ACCORDING TO THE STRUCTURE OF THE BIBLE

A. The Old Testament

1. The Pentateuch

These are the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These five books were written by Moses and are therefore usually known as the Pentateuch of Moses.

2. Historical Books

After the Pentateuch come the books of history. There are twelve of these books, from Joshua to Esther: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.

3. Psalms

This subdivision is made up of six books, all in a poetic style. Five of these books are related: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs. Lamentations is also included in this section because it is more in the style of poetry than prose.

In some translated versions, these six books may not appear as poems, but in the original, they are clearly written in poetic form, with rhyme and meter. These books were not composed in prose.

4. The Books of the Prophets

This is the last part of the Old Testament. It can be divided into three categories, chronologically.

a. The Books of the Prophets Before the Captivity

Altogether there are eleven books. If arranged in chronological order, according to the time they were written, the oldest is probably Obadiah, followed by Joel, Jonah, Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, Micah, Nahum, Zephaniah, Jeremiah, and Habakkuk. Jeremiah was written a little before Habakkuk, but Jeremiah extended into the period of the captivity.

Jeremiah began as a prophet before the captivity and ended as a prophet in the captivity. This is why some Bible expositors consider him a prophet before the captivity, while others consider him a prophet during the captivity. We suggest considering him a prophet before the captivity, because he spent most of his prophetic ministry before the captivity.

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Knowing the Bible, week 2, Saturday, chapter 3

KNOWING THE BIBLE

Chapter 3
THE THEME, THE CENTRAL THOUGHT
AND THE SUBDIVISIONS OF THE BIBLE

WEEK 2 - SATURDAY

Bible Reading: Jn 3:29; 2 Co 11:2; Revelation 21:2 and 9

Read and pray: “This is a great mystery, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church” (Eph 5:32)

THE CENTRAL THOUGHT

In Christianity there are many books of exposition on the Bible. Most of them say that the central thought of the Bible is Christ. But today, according to the light we have received, by His mercy, we feel it is insufficient to simply say that the central thought of the Bible is Christ.

We must remember the words of the apostle Paul: “This is a great mystery, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church” (Eph 5:32). Therefore, we must say that the central thought of the Bible is Christ and the church. The Bible does not only reveal Christ Himself; it also reveals the bride and the Body of Christ, which is the church.

Without a doubt, the whole Bible shows us Christ. But at the same time, it also shows us that Christ needs a church, just as man needs a wife. From the very beginning, the Bible reveals this in type—that it was not good for Adam to live alone. From the New Testament we know that this typifies the fact that Christ needs a bride. Thus, at the beginning of the Bible, not only is Adam revealed to us, but also how Eve was produced out of Adam to become his bride, and how the two became one.

There was Adam and also Eve. The apostle said that this is a great mystery, but that he was speaking of Christ and the church. In the Bible, we cannot see Christ without also seeing the church. Many speak of Isaac and forget Rebekah. But there was Isaac and also Rebekah. In the Bible there is the story of God contacting man through Christ, but we also see man occupying a very important position.

The central figures in the Bible are not only God in Christ, but also man as the bride of God in Christ. The universal couple is God and man. In the universe God is the only man, and man is His counterpart. If man does not have God, he is like a widow. If God does not have man, it is as if He were “single.” In the universe there must be the marriage of God with man.

For this reason, the first scene presented in the Old Testament is the story of a man seeking a wife. That man typifies Christ, and Christ is the embodiment of God. That wife typifies the church, and the church is a group of men saved by God from among humanity to be built up by Him. Throughout the Old Testament, God always placed Himself in the position of a husband toward His people. God treated the Israelites as His wife. Later, the Lord Jesus came.

John, the forerunner of the Lord Jesus, not only presented Him as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, but also testified that He who has the bride is the Bridegroom. John not only presents the Lord Jesus as the redeeming Lamb, but also as the Bridegroom who has the bride.

Then, in the Epistles, the apostle Paul says: “I betrothed you \[the saved ones] to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ” (2 Co 11:2). He also says that the church is for Christ just as Eve is for Adam.

In Revelation, at the end of the entire Bible, there is a proclamation that the marriage of the Lamb has come. When the New Jerusalem appears, it is said that she has been prepared and adorned for her husband. This is the union of God with man.

All the redeemed people and the Redeemer become one as the mystery of the universe, which is Christ and the church. Therefore, the central figure of the whole Bible is this mysterious couple. God and man become one, just as man and woman become one flesh. Man and woman becoming one flesh typifies God and man becoming one.

Christ is God becoming one with man, and the church is man becoming one with God. God comes in His Son, Christ, in order to become one with man. Man is built up in His Son as His church, in order to become one with God. This oneness, this mysterious union, is Christ and the church, and also the union of God with man. This is the central thought of the Bible.

We can speak of the central thought of the Bible in another way. Christ is the living word of God, and the Bible is the written word of God. Christ is the content of the Bible, and the Bible is the explanation of Christ. If we take Christ out of the Bible, it will become an empty book, like an empty vessel without its content.

At the same time, no one can properly know Christ without knowing the Bible, because the Bible is the explanation of Christ. Only when someone reads the explanation in the Bible can he understand and know what Christ is.

The Bible tells us that everything that is of Christ has been put into the church and is expressed through the church. Therefore, the central thought of the Bible is Christ and the church. It is insufficient to know only Christ; we must also know the church. The Bible shows us that the central and universal figure has both a head and a body. The Head is Christ, and the Body is the church. Therefore, Christ and the church are the central thought of the Bible.

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Knowing the Bible, week 2, Friday, chapter 3

KNOWING THE BIBLE

Chapter 3

THE THEME, THE CENTRAL THOUGHT

AND THE SUBDIVISIONS OF THE BIBLE

WEEK 2 - FRIDAY

Bible Reading: Gen 2:10-12; Rev 21

Read and pray: “Then I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: ‘Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them; they will be His people, and He, God-with-them, will be their God.’” (Rev 21:3)

If we want to know a book, whatever it may be, we must grasp its theme and its central thought. Furthermore, we need an adequate analysis of its structure and a clear understanding of its subdivisions. The Bible has its specific theme, its central line of thought, and its subdivisions.

Although it is composed of sixty-six books, the Bible has its theme and central line of thought; it also has various subdivisions in its structure. If we want to know the Bible, we must clearly understand these three things.

THEME

The theme of the Bible can be summarized in just four sentences:

God planned and created,

Satan rebelled and damaged,

man fell and was lost,

and Christ redeemed and built.

In this theme there are four persons: God, Satan, man, and Christ. The entire Bible speaks almost exclusively of these four persons. For each one of them, we have two verbs. God planned and created. He planned in eternity past and created in time. Satan rebelled and damaged. God had His plan and created according to that plan, but Satan rebelled against God and damaged God’s creation. All that Satan did was rebel and damage.

These two verbs can summarize all of Satan’s work in the universe. Man fell and was lost. Man fell and, as a result, was lost from God’s hand, ceasing to be used by God. Man’s history throughout the Bible can be summarized by these two verbs: fall and be lost. Christ redeemed and built.

In the past, when Christians spoke of Christ, they spoke only of redemption; the matter of building was always neglected or omitted. But we must not forget that our Lord not only said that the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost, but also said that Peter was a stone, and that He would build His church upon this rock.

On the one hand, the Gospel of John says that Christ “came that they may have life.” On the other hand, it also says that even if man “destroys this temple,” Christ will “rebuild it” in three days.

Whether it is the accomplishment of redemption by the Lord or the coming of the Lord as life to man, the result of both is for the building of the church. For this reason, we must not see only redemption; we must also see building.

At the beginning of the Bible, we see gold, bdellium, and precious stones, which are materials for building (Gen 2:10-12). At the end of the Bible, we see a complete building, built with gold, pearl, and precious stones (Rev 21). This shows that God, in the end, will have a building, which is built as the result of the redemption accomplished by His Son, as the Lamb.

Therefore, when we speak of Christ, we must see Him not only as the Redeemer, but also as the Builder. He came to redeem and also to build. The reason God created all things, including man, is to have a building in the universe.

We must well remember these four persons, along with the two verbs related to each one. If we do, we will understand the theme of the Bible.

God created all things, including man, according to His plan. Satan was proud and rebelled against God; he maliciously damaged God’s creation and caused man to fall and be lost. Christ came to redeem man and build him as His glorious church and His mystical Body, so that God may obtain a corporate vessel for His expression.

This is the theme of the entire Bible. Let us now see separately the themes of the Old and the New Testament.

THE THEME OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

The theme of the Old Testament is that God created, Satan damaged, man fell, and God promised the coming of Christ for redemption.

Although there are thirty-nine books in the Old Testament, it mainly shows us that God created the universe, Satan came to damage God’s creation, man fell, and God promised the coming of Christ for the accomplishment of redemption.

Therefore, Christ in the Old Testament was only a hope for man, because He had only been promised by God, as Redeemer, for fallen man.

THE THEME OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

The central theme of the New Testament is Christ coming to redeem sinners and build the church, according to God’s plan. In the Old Testament, we see how God created, Satan damaged, man fell, and God promised the coming of Christ to redeem man according to His plan and promise.

In the New Testament, we see how Christ redeemed the lost sinners, according to God’s plan and promise, and how He builds His glorious church as His mystical Body so that God may have a corporate vessel to express Him. When we put together the themes of the Old and the New Testament, we have the theme of the whole Bible, as presented previously.

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Knowing the Bible, week 2, Thursday, chapter 2

KNOWING THE BIBLE

Chapter 2

THE COMPLETION OF THE BIBLE

WEEK 2 - THURSDAY

Bible Reading: Mt 22:29; Lk 24:27; Jn 5:39

Read and pray: "When you turn to the right or when you turn to the left, your ears will hear a word behind you, saying: This is the way, walk in it." (Isaiah 30:21)

B. The New Testament

Since the year 397, after the recognition of the books of the New Testament at the Council of Carthage, the books and the sequence of the New Testament became what we have today.

VII. THE APOCRYPHAL BOOKS¹

A. They Were Not in the Bible Initially

There are fourteen apocryphal books that were not included in the Bible. Some thought that these fourteen books had been included in the Old Testament before the translation of the Old Testament into Greek, called the Septuagint, in 277 B.C. But we can verify from various historical records that such a statement is incorrect.

1. The Proof of Josephus

The Jewish historian, Josephus, an authority on the subject (born in the year 37 of the Christian era), said: "We [the Jews] are not like the Greeks, who have many books that contradict one another. We have only twenty-two books, including the writings of the past, duly recognized as divine. After so long a time, no one has ever dared to add, remove, or alter these books."

This proves that even in the time of Josephus (1st century of the Christian era), the Old Testament had only twenty-two books, without the additional fourteen apocryphal books. Therefore, to claim that the Old Testament contained the apocryphal books before 277 B.C. is not correct.

2. The Proof of Cyril

There was, in Jerusalem, a scholar named Cyril, born in the year 315 A.D., who said: "Please, read the Holy Scripture, the twenty-two books of the Old Testament, which were translated by the seventy-two." This shows that even in 315 A.D., the scholarly authorities among the Jews still recognized that their Old Testament had only twenty-two books.

His words also clearly prove that in the translation of the Septuagint (Cyril referred to the seventy-two, the number of scholars who translated the Septuagint. Historians are not clear whether it was seventy or seventy-two.) the fourteen apocryphal books of the Old Testament were not included.

3. The Proof of the Lord Jesus and the Apostles

The Lord Jesus and the apostles frequently quoted the Old Testament. If the fourteen apocryphal books had been among the books of the Old Testament, the Lord and the apostles would have quoted them.

However, we do not find even a single quotation from the apocryphal books. This proves that, in the time of the Lord Jesus and the apostles, these books were not in the Old Testament.

B. They Were Added to the Vatican Manuscript

Among the manuscripts of the Bible considered the oldest in the world, one is kept in the Vatican, the residence of the Roman Catholic Pope. This manuscript is called Codex Vaticanus, or Vatican Manuscript.

According to historians, this manuscript was completed in the fourth century of the Christian era and, in the Old Testament portion, which was the Septuagint version, the fourteen apocryphal books were included. They must have been added after the year 315.

It may have been the disagreement about this addition that led the Eastern Greek Orthodox Church to convene a council in Laodicea, in the year 361, to officially denounce these fourteen apocryphal books. They also prohibited the use of these apocryphal books in the church. This proves that, even up to 361, there was still a major issue over whether these apocryphal books should or should not be included in the Canon of Scripture.

C. The Recognition by the Roman Catholic Church

It was only on April 8, 1546, that the Roman Catholic Church convened a council, in the city of Trent, directly under the leadership of the Pope, to affirm the authority of these fourteen apocryphal books. From that time on, these apocryphal books have been in the Roman Catholic Bible. This proves that, until the 16th century, not even the Roman Catholic Church officially recognized these apocryphal books as canonical.

Although this matter was settled at the Council of Trent by the Roman Catholic Church, the Lutherans solemnly denied that these apocryphal books were divinely inspired. In 1646, more than one hundred and fifty Protestant Bible scholars published the "Westminster Confession", which also declared that the apocryphal books had no divine authority and were equal to any other human composition.

For now, we must be clear that the complete Bible consists of thirty-nine books of the Old Testament and twenty-seven books of the New Testament. The fourteen apocryphal books were arbitrarily added by the Roman Catholic Church and are not trustworthy. Moreover, the content of the apocryphal books includes ridiculous historical anecdotes. It is impossible to discover some of the authors or the date and place where these books were written. For this reason, they have no canonical value.

________________________

¹ Apocryphal: A work whose authenticity is not proven

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Knowing the Bible, week 2, Wednesday, chapter 2

KNOWING THE BIBLE

Chapter 2

THE COMPLETION OF THE BIBLE

WEEK 2 - WEDNESDAY

Bible Reading: 1 Sm 1:20; Lk 24:27

Read and pray: "Then Jesus said to them: These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which are written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms." (Lk 24:44)

B. The New Testament

1. The Gospels

The early churches often read the Gospels and the Old Testament in their gatherings. Therefore, the four Gospels were the first books to be recognized in the New Testament.

2. The Other Books

After the apostles had died, there was some confusion because some people wrote books in the apostles’ names. Then, the leaders of the early churches, the so-called "Church Fathers," gathered all the books written by the apostles and joined them with the Gospels.

Not long after Polycarp was martyred, the New Testament was basically recognized in the same way in all the churches. However, there was still disagreement concerning seven books: Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2 and 3 John, Jude, and Revelation, as to whether they should be included or not.

Since these books were truly inspired by the Holy Spirit and have authority and spiritual value, after a long period of testing, in a council of leaders of all the churches, the seven books were recognized as part of the New Testament, in the year 397, in Carthage, in North Africa.

The New Testament was recognized as containing the same twenty-seven books that we have today. Therefore, in the year 397, at the Council of Carthage, the whole Bible, including the Old and New Testament, was recognized and confirmed by the people of God.

VI. THE BOOKS OF THE BIBLE AND THEIR SEQUENCE

A. The Old Testament

The arrangement we now have of the Old Testament books was not the original sequence of the Hebrew Old Testament. Instead, this was the sequence adopted in the Septuagint.

In 277 B.C., seventy scribes translated the Old Testament into Greek and reorganized the sequence of the books. They were arranged very appropriately, according to the spiritual context, and Bible scholars recognize the sovereignty of God in this arrangement.

The original Hebrew Old Testament was divided into three parts, as spoken by the Lord in Luke 24:44 and 27. These three parts were: the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms.

1. The Law of Moses

The Law of Moses consisted of the Pentateuch of Moses, five books in all.

2. The Prophets

The Prophets were divided into Former Prophets and Latter Prophets. The Former Prophets were composed of four books: Joshua, Judges, Samuel (without distinction of 1st and 2nd books), and Kings (without distinction of 1st and 2nd books), in that order.

The Latter Prophets also consisted of four books: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Minor Prophets. (The twelve remaining prophetic books, excluding Lamentations and Daniel, were combined into a single book called the Minor Prophets.)

3. The Psalms or Other Writings

The Psalms, or other writings, included many books, in a total of eleven: Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra and Nehemiah (Ezra and Nehemiah were counted as a single book), and Chronicles (without distinction of 1st and 2nd book).

The five books of the Law of Moses, the eight books of the Prophets, and the eleven books of the Psalms totaled twenty-four books. That was the Jewish Old Testament of that time and its sequence.

At the beginning of the church age, the "Church Fathers" preferred to consider the Old Testament as twenty-two books, to correspond to the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. This division was also confirmed by the historian Josephus.

Some of the names of the Old Testament books were also used for the first time in the Septuagint. Originally, many books had as their name the first word of the book. For example, the original name of Genesis was "The Beginning."

Some made the meaning of the name of the prominent person of that book its title. For example: the original name of the book of Samuel was "Given by God," the meaning of the name "Samuel" (1 Sm 1:20).

The original name of the book of Isaiah was "Salvation of Jehovah," the meaning of the name "Isaiah." After the compilation of the Septuagint, these books were called by the names we use today.

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