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Some 2,000 years
after the time of Christ, His life and ministry
remain relevant even in our contemporary world.
Regardless of what you think of Christ, like the
Bible, He cannot be ignored. He is so much more
than a distant prophet or irrelevant figure in
history, Jesus Christ is the very foundation of
Christianity. Jesus Christ split the calendar of
Earth into two parts. Particularly studying the
four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
will help anyone gain a better understanding of
Jesus and His mission.
For thousands of years the Bible has been read
not only as history and God's Word, but also for
personal edification. This, of course, is a more
meaningful reason for studying the Bible for
those who believe in God, but the Bible is also
surprisingly edifying for those who do not
believe. It is full of individuals facing moral
choices, life challenges, and, frankly,
situations that are applicable to us even today.
As Paul wrote, "All Scripture is God-breathed
and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting
and training in righteousness, so that the man
of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good
work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV).
The Bible is available for us to learn from not
only on an intellectual level, but on a personal
and emotional level. Studying the Bible also
helps us avoid theological error. The Bible
tells us, "Watch your life and doctrine closely"
(1 Timothy 4:16 NIV), adding that we "must teach
what is in accord with sound doctrine" (Titus
2:1 NIV). If the Bible is our authority for
faith and life, then the inspired words it
contains will help us to avoid error. In a
pluralistic world with many religious and
non-religious ideas competing for attention,
studying the Bible provides us with a firm
foundation in God's truth rather than the errors
of the world. Knowing the Bible also helps us
respond to error and answer questions that
skeptics and others may have about it. |
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