The Bible is Divine revelation from the Father. In Matthew 16:13-19 Jesus asked His disciples “Who do you say I am?” (v.15). Simon Peter, the boldest of the disciples, spoke up and said “You are Christ [Messiah] the Son of the living God” (v.16). Jesus said to Peter: “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona [son of Jonah; a man]: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven”. Christ was saying that Peter the man was blessed because man, flesh and blood, had not revealed this to him but God the Father.
The word “reveal” is “Apokalupto” in Greek meaning: “to remove a veil or covering, exposing to open view what was before hidden” (see also Apokalupsis meaning “revelation”, one of three words in the NT referring to the second coming of Christ). Therefore Peter, a man of flesh, had spoken what was formerly concealed, exposing it to open view. He revealed what was in essence the coming of the Lord Jesus. This “revelation” did not come from man but was revealed by the Father in Heaven (from the spiritual realm).
Christ said further: “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter [a stone], and upon this rock [large rock, bedrock] I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven”. (Verse 17). The word “Peter” is in Greek “Petros”, a small stone. The rock referred to in the scripture (“upon this rock”) is Petra in Greek which means a large rock or bedrock. What was this bedrock? The BEDROCK is the REVELATION from the Father to human flesh (Petros the stone). Thus it was the revelation of Christ coming from the Father that would be the bedrock upon which Christ would build His church. God planned to build His church on the bedrock of divine revelation. Likewise the Bible is the source of this bedrock of revelation upon which we can build a walk with God.
The content of the Bible is not mere words but Spirit. Jesus said: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life (John 6:63). Books written by men may convey ideas, inspiration or emotion but the words in the Bible convey spirit. Not just spirit but the Spirit of the Lord whereby we change into His image from glory to glory. “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Co 3:18). By absorbing the Bible we change into the image of Christ.
The Bible strengthens our first love relationship with the Lord. In the Bible Book of Revelation John wrote to the church at Ephesus as follows: “I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance [steadfastness], and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. ‘But I have this against you, that you have left your FIRST LOVE. ‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent” (Revelation 2:2-5). The most important commandment is that we love the Lord first above all else.
There are 233 different English versions on the market. It has been translated from the original languages into over 2000 languages. The version that we will use here is the New American Standard Bible LaHabra, CA : The Lockman Foundation, 1977 ed and 1995 ed. We will occasionally use the The Holy Bible : King James Version 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version. If another version is used it will be noticed in the text.
Kenneth B. Alexander. (2012). Mysteries of the Bible, lulu.com Pub.
Alexander, K. B. (2012). Spiritual Foundational Christianity lulu.com Pub
Introduction to Genesis
Genesis is the Book of beginnings. That God (YHWH common name Elohim) is the primary creator is apparent throughout the book. YHWH is the true name of God however the Jews were not permitted to say God’s true name so they used Elohim as a substitute. He created the Heavens and the earth and all plant and animal life that was to populate the planet. He created man and created a special nation for Himself called. Israel. Israel means “struggle with God” named after Jacob wrestling with God all night at the river Jabbok. The nation continued to struggle with God throughout its existence as a nation. Eventually God became frustrated with their lack of obedience and had physical Israel conquered. Today the true Israel is a spiritual Israel composed of those who accept Christ as their Savior by faith.
In Genesis we see some of the most important developments in the foundation of the Israelite nation, which is the foundation for everything that was to come later. We have seen Christ and His role as the logos, the word of the Father. We have seen that He existed with the Father from the beginning as a principal part of the Great Trinity. It was no different when he appeared on earth as the Son of God. While here, He was the representation and mouthpiece of the Father. “Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works” (John 14:9-10). Jesus was the exact representation of the Father and He only spoke and did what was revealed to Him by the Father. As John said: “All things came into being through Him, [Christ] and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being” (John 1:1-3). On earth it was the Father working through the Son.
The Father was the Creator of the heavens and the earth, but it was given Christ to speak it into existence by the word. Even now the Father has given the Son (Christ) all authority in heaven and earth. As Christ said in His parting words: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). The Father had this plan in mind from before the world was created. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed US with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,” (Ephesians 1:3-5). And: “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to BECOME CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified” (Romans 8:29-30). Finally: “Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; but just as it is written, “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM” (1 Corinthians 2:6-9; Isaiah 64:4).
The process of creation gave birth to the creative Word of God which would be used by prophets in creating what was to come in the process leading to Christ. Abraham laid the foundation for faith to be reckoned to us as righteousness, just as Christ proclaimed faith in Him as salvation. Isaac produced the twins of which one would be called Israel, the beginning of a nation. Jacob/israel gave birth to the 12 Sons of Israel upon which a nation would be built. Joseph was Christ, the savior and deliverer of a nation.
Those who did not love God, or follow Him, gave existence