A SUMMARY OF THE BIBLE
There are some things one needs to carefully consider as one engages in the study of the Bible. This book which we are studying is no ordinary book. It may affect us in one of two ways: properly studied and applied, it will affect us for good in time and eternity; the improper study of it will cause one to lose one’s soul.
The Bible is every man’s book. It is not intended for some special group. But not only is the Bible every man’s book, it is written for the average person. Scholars may study it, but it is not written necessarily with scholars in mind.
No one ever outgrows the Scriptures. The more one studies them, the wider and deeper they become. The Bible is a book which enables one to look into eternity. The best evidence of the inspiration of the Bible is to be found between its covers. No one will ever be a useful Christian unless one is a student of the Bible.
Matthew Henry said, “The Scriptures were not written to make us astronomers, but to make us saints.” It is no wonder that Paul urged Timothy to study the Scripture, “rightly dividing,” or handling aright, the word of truth, that he might be an approved workman before God.
The Bible is the greatest book in the world. It is the most accessible, and in it one finds truth that can be found in no other book.
The Bible acknowledges man’s faults, it is patient with man’s weaknesses, it is severe with man’s sins, and it is honest with his virtues and his hopes.
To own the Bible is to be rich. To study, to know, and to trust the Bible is to find life. To study the Bible is to be wise; to obey it, to be strong.
To know the Bible and to handle it aright is the greatest accomplishment within the reach of any person. One may know English, astronomy, literature, music, sociology and philosophy; but if one does not know the Bible, one has failed in the only subject that brings all things into their proper relationship and that enables one to know life at its best.
The one who seeks to know the Bible will endeavor to study its contents book by book, meet its characters as they unfold through its pages, study its types, its doctrine, its topics, paragraphs, sentences and words. This is a lifetime work.
The Bible is the one book that can save many a heartache. The following was found on the fly-leaf of a Bible placed by the Gideons in a motel in Birmingham, Alabama: “May God bless the man who placed this book here. I am a young lady twenty-one years old, fatherless and motherless. Tonight, this book saved me from taking a wrong step. May the next reader find it the comfort that I did.”
There is no greater accomplishment in life than to be able to rightly divide the word of truth. It is worth all the sacrifice that is necessary to give to such a study. One can never be great in the true sense of that word who does not know the word, love it, live it, delight in it, and teach it without perversion and without misrepresentation.
The one who studies this book and knows how to handle it, is in a position to render the greatest service to the world. No wonder Paul told Timothy, (1.) to study, (2.) to be a workman, and (3.) to seek to be approved of God. There is no higher ambition on earth.
The Bible is a mirror that enables us to see ourselves. It is food which supplies the strength that we need, a lamp to guide our way, a hammer to break and to build, a sword to fight and to defend, the seed to plant and grow, and the goal to own and to become our reward.
There are no experiences in life for which the Bible does not furnish a passage. May these thoughts lend encouragement to all of us to become diligent students of the word that we may know the way of life and find the life that is life indeed.
Improve your attitude within the Church: Consciously look for the good qualities in every brother and sister in Christ. When you think of a brother or sister, make a mental note of the good points each possesses. (Matthew 22:39).
FRANKLIN CAMP
**Joseph Franklin Camp was born at Munford, Alabama on June 9, 1915 and died on May 21, 1991. Both his father and grandfather were gospel preachers. Franklin began preaching in 1935. He preached for the church at Munford, Alabama for twelve years, for the Park Avenue congregation in LaGrange, Georgia for two years, for the church at East Gadsden, Alabama for thirteen years and for the Shades Mountain congregation in Birmingham, Alabama for ten years. In his latter years, after 1972, Franklin devoted full time to writing, lecturing, giving special lessons to Bible teachers and holding gospel meetings.**