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CHAPTER ONETHE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD, AND THE TRADITIONS OF MENQuestion # 1.1 - Some traditions of men teach that the Bible is just a book written by men. But what does the Bible teach of it's words? "Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever... What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it" -Deuteronomy 12:28,32. "If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD; Then the Lord will... bring upon thee all the diseases...every sickness, and every plague...until thou be destroyed -Deuteronomy 28:58-61. "The Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good... IF thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, and IF thou turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. "For THIS COMMANDMENT WHICH I COMMAND THEE this day, IT IS NOT HIDDEN FROM THEE, neither is it far off... But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, THAT THOU MAYEST DO IT. See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgements, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy God shall bless thee..." -Deuteronomy 30:9-16. "YE SHALL NOT ADD unto the word which I command you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH ought from it, THAT YE MIGHT KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD YOUR GOD..." Deuteronomy 4:2. "Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him. Add thou not unto His words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar" -Proverbs 30:5-6. Question # 1.2 - There are those who partly believe the Bible, but feel that much of it's contents have been lost or changed through time. How can we know that we have the word of God intact today? "The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever" - Psalm 12:6-7. "All flesh is grass, and all the goodness thereof is as the flower of the field...The grass witherith, the flower fadeth: but the Word of our God shall stand forever" - Isaiah 40:6-8. "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" - Matthew 24:35. Question # 1.3 - What about the New Testament writings of the apostles, are they the commandments of the Lord? "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come" - John 16:12-13. "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and will bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you" - John 14:26. "These words spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee...I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word...I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they received them...I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine...Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth...Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one..." - John 17:1-20. "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone" Ephesians 2:19-20. Question # 1.4 - Did the apostles know that they were writing the commandments of the Lord, and that their writings would be scriptures? Are we also warned by the apostles of those who would change the commandments as they are given in scripture? "If any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him..." - 2 Thessalonians 3:14. "Be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandments of us the apostles of the Lord...Even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction" - 2 Peter 3:2, 15-16. "If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophesy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book" - Revelation 22:18-19. "The things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord" - I Corinthians 14:37. "The scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn (from Deut. 25:4). And, The labourer is worthy of his reward (from Luke 10:7)" - I Timothy 5:18. (Here Paul refers to both Old and New Testament as scripture.) "...These things teach and exhort. If any man teach you otherwise...he is proud, knowing nothing..." - I Timothy 6:2-4. To summarize- "Continue thou in...the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation...All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Timothy 3:14-17. End of Chapter One, Part One. To Be Continued in Part Two Bibliography for The Commandments of God, and the Traditions of Men Bible Study Tom Raddatz
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