MIDWK SERVICE: HOW THE BIBLE WAS WRITTEN

In this episode, Reverend Dr. Albert Agbi takes a deep dive into how the book that shapes the Christian faith, the Bible was written and how it serves as the infallible Word of God. Be blessed as you listen! 

Transcript

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You are about to listen to the song from Reverend Dr. African.

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Discussion is one of the basics of our work with God, right? How the Bible got to us. Because everything we know about God, we know because of the Bible. It is written. What was written? And in fact, Jesus Christ Himself came and he quoted the Old Testament, that it is written. When Jesus Christ was saying all that, the New Testament was not written. So he was quoting the Old Testament. Right? He was quoting the Old Testament. And it's very important that we understand how these precious gifts of the scriptures got to us. Whatever the parameters of spirituality is or will be, has been determined because of the scriptures. So we need to know how it got to us and the fact that it is reliable. Hallelujah. And you realize that your attitude to the word changes if you understand how it got to us. So number one, the Bible was written by about 40 human authors, right? When you say human authors, it's because there is the author. And then there are people who wrote. So we are talking about the human beings that were used. And when we say 40, it is not limited to just 40 individuals, because you realize that sometimes a group was represented by a name, right? It's not just a person, it's a group of people writing or documenting, you know, their interactions with God. That became scripture. So we understand as we journey on this path. And these writers came from different, so I'll not say authors, 40 different writers, right? There is one author, 40 different writers. So they came from different backgrounds and professions. There were kings, example being David and Solomon. They all wrote. There were priests or scribes. Ezra was one. There were prophets, Isaiah and Jeremiah. There were judges like Samuel. There were fishermen like Peter and John. There were shepherds and farmers like Amos. There were government officials like Daniel or politicians who wrote a hallelujah. It means that it's possible to be a politician and be used by God. And then there were scholars and Pharisees like Paul the apostles, lawyers. So you realize that from farmers to fishermen to kings to priests to prophets, different professions, different persuasions, and God used all of them to write. And understand that this book we have in our hands, or what we come to accept as scripture, was written over a thousand five hundred years period. Do you know thousand years? Look at how long 35 years has been, or 38 years. Your whole life is not even 50 years yet. And we are talking about 1500 years. Can you imagine someone writing a book when you were one that you never met? And you are also writing another document about the same event, and they all agree. Even last year, if we ask you to write myself last year and this year, you will not write the same thing. Because maybe last year you were in a relationship and this year you are not. So you realize that the information, you know, will change. Hallelujah. So over a very long time span, sometimes when we are reading some of the books, and we think that they all happen like today, tomorrow, the next, the next week. No. Some of them 500 years had passed. So if the information is still consistent, it is telling you that human error had been taken off somehow. And there is a divine inspiration, you know, about what is being written. I don't know whether you are getting what I'm saying. 1500 years period that a one document is being written. And then so the earliest writings were around 1400. I don't know how to call 1400 before common era. Right? When we say common era, it was a time that Jesus was born. So we we call it CE, right? Not before Christ and after death. No. The time that Jesus was born was called common era, right? Because then there were world giants like the Greeks, like the Romans, and all that. So the dating is about 1400 years before Jesus was born. I don't know whether you are getting those were the earliest writings, and it was around the time of Moses. Now, the latest writings or the last writings was around the time of John the Apostle, about 90 years after the events of the cross, the birth, the death, and the cross. So about 90 to 100 years after the events of Jesus Christ. So 1400 years before and 100 years after him. And even the gospels that we have it, the earliest ones were written about 65 years after the events happened. Do you know 65 years? That something that happened, like the birth of Jesus Christ, is being documented 65 years later. The miracles, the sermons, with no technology, with no iPads, with no tablets. So how did it get to us? And how did the stories agree? Because there were stories that John spoke about, that Luke spoke about that, Mark spoke about that. There were stories, there were events, the cross, the crucifixion, the birth, you know, the star. How did they all align? A hallelujah. I know today at midweek service is not like John chapter this, where it's this. We are going into the classroom to learn. Bible says that you may have an answer for why you believe. You see, you have to know why you believe what you believe, not because you were born in a Christian home. You must have an answer for the faith that is in you. And the answer comes when we go into history. And most of these things, we are not even using biblical historians. We are even using secular historians. I don't know whether you are getting what I'm talking about. People who were writing, who were not Christians, but they were documenting history. That's where we are going to get our references and things from. Then we'll go a bit into the scriptures before people get angry with me. You know, so many of the writers or you know, the writers lived centuries apart. Most of them never met each other. They lived in different cultures. Can you imagine a Chinese and someone in the Middle East and someone in Ghana? Do you know how different our cultures are? Even marriage in Ghana is not the same. Marriage in Tamali and you know the northern cultures is not marriage in the fancies and the airways. There are differences. So you can imagine these writers writing on three continents, and the book was written on three continents. Three different continents. So how did we come to have the documents agreeing with each other? So for you to understand what we are talking about and why this is important, right? For you to know why we need to understand it. Let's go to the book of Isaiah. The book of Isaiah. So this book was written by three different writers. How many people are hearing it for the first time? I've said it before in church, but when you take Isaiah, it's not one person, it's not like Pastor Seth. Back in the day when people wrote, they used what we call pseudonyms, right? Pseudonyms, which means that when you are writing, you attribute the writing to a popular figure or a notable person. So let's say Pastor Bright is uttering a paper and you know he wants weight on the paper, he'll probably attribute it to a professor who is well known in the area, but he is the writer. But he will attribute it to that person so that the reach, the readability, the dependability, and all that is attributed. So you can have a series of writings that are attributed to someone, which is called a pseudonym. They are not the author, but it's attributed to them. And how do we know that Isaiah was written by three different writers? In fact, the first one is called Proto-Isaiah. Proto-Isaiah. And he wrote from chapter 1 to chapter 39 of Isaiah. So those of you who do your body devotion and you open Isaiah chapter 44, you have to know which of them you are writing for. And you are reading from and why it's important. Why is proto-Isai important? Because Proto-Izzaiah prophesied before they went into Babylonian captivity. He was the one that God called to prophesy to the nation about their sins. So when you read Isaiah chapter 1 to 39, you are going to see a lot about warnings, about coming judgments, about the sin, about idolatry, about departure from God. So if you are doing your morning devotion, you happen to find yourself within these chapters, the things you'll be reading would be a warning to a rebellious people. So maybe that day God has seen that you are rebellious. Like your ear not the hear. Do you get me? So you've been brought to hear a few warnings as to what will happen. Do you got what I'm saying? Like this is what will happen if you don't listen. So Proto Isaiah prophesied to the nation before the Babylonian, and he he prophesied around 740 to about 700 before common era. So it means that 700 years before Jesus was born was when he was prophesying to Israel about their sins and about the idolatry. And if they don't change, they'll go into captivity. They did not listen. And the Babylonians invaded, right? Invaded and took. So Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Ko. They were victims of you know this captivity. So this is proto-Isaiah. Then from Isaiah chapter 40 to 55, it was written by what we call the Deutro Isaiah or the second Isaiah. And he prophesied 150 years after the first Isaiah, when they were in captivity. That's when God now raised the prophets to speak to them about the fact that he will restore them if they obey him and all that. I don't know whether you are getting it. So whilst they were in captivity, some of them married, some of them forgot about God, some of them started worshiping other gods, some of them had different names. You can see Shadrach Mesha, they changed their names. So those few people refused to bow to the I don't know whether you are getting me. So whether Assyrian captivity or Babylonian captivity, there were captivities, and God raised different people. So you realize that one person couldn't have been alive before captivity, and 150 years into captivity to prophesy. And the Dr. Isaiah, so you realize that whilst they were in Babylonian captivity, this prophetic word was coming to them. So when you read 40 to 55, it captures the prophetic warnings and instructions that God gave them whilst they were in captivity. Then the Trito Isaiah prophesied from 56 to 66. This was after the exile, after God brought them back to the land. So now you realize that aha. So that's that's a summary of what I'm talking about. So the third Isaiah, this was about 500 years before the common era, and about 20 to 30 years after they came back to their land. So these were prophetic words being given to the people after they came back and they did not know God again. I don't know whether you are getting me. Because it's been a long time. It's just like Israel going into captivity in Egypt for 400 years. After 400 years, they didn't know God again. They knew the golden calf, they didn't know the God of so when they were in the wilderness and they wanted to worship God, they built the golden calf because that's what they've known. I don't know whether you are getting me. If we move you from Ghana and we put you in China for 400 years, you would have married, you like your genes will change. You will be like a black Chinese. After a while, you can't speak tree again. Even 10 years is too long. You a lot of things will change in the family tree. So if you don't understand how the books were written and the audience, so sometimes it pays that you know, before you read a book, you get into the history of the book. You know, what the book is seeking to achieve. Because the book also, the books of the Bible also have different writing styles, right? We have books of poetry, like the songs of uh what's the name? The Proverbs. It's not supposed to be a doctrine, it's not a doctrine book. You don't use the book of Proverbs to establish doctrine, it's not advice, it is an observation of the occurrences of society, right? It's not supposed to be this is what God is telling you to do. Hey, hallelujah. Yes, the part of the book was discipleship for you know a man to his son, right? This was like leading, this is how the world is, this is how things are. It is not supposed to be a book where you establish doctrine in a hallelujah. There are things that are in the Bible but are not biblical. Hey, hallelujah. And that is why it's important we do what we are doing. When we say something is biblical, it means that God approves of it. Because God did not filter the stories, He wrote them raw like that. If you took someone's wife, your name was there. If you killed someone, your name was there. If you lied, your name was right there. All the things you are doing in secret. God can you imagine the Bible was being written now and we featured? You know, and and the the stories were not being edited. The people you dated that we didn't know about. The people you are dating and say, when we come to here, don't smile to me. You know, like let no one know. You can sit at the other end, I'll sit there. Wow. So it is the reason why it is important that we go a bit deeper to understand the people that this was being written to. Right? So the book of Mark, who was the audience? Why was you know the book of Mark is talking about what? Jesus as a slave or the suffering servants or the suffering servants of God. Because the book was written to Christians who were being attacked in Rome, in the Roman Empire. So you realize that the sufferings of Jesus were exalted. Because now he said he was acquainted with our grief. Because how do you not write, you know, all these nice things about genealogies to people who were being killed in harness? So you realize if you look at the book of John, who was it written to? Why was it written? What's the purpose of the book? Ephesians. You know, like Philippians, the book of Revelation. See, you must steady to show yourself approved. We are too biblically ignorant. We go, see, you can do morning devotion by reading one page for a while, about one or two days in the week, you must find some time and read the background behind books, the context. Sometimes you can even just go to AI and you've taken a chapter and you said, What was the context of this chapter? What was being addressed? Hey, hallelujah. And you realize that a lot of light comes. It helps with application to your life because not everything is an advice to you in the Bible. I don't know whether you are getting me. It's not everything, it's a greet, you know, the brethren with a holy kiss. And you are using it to confirm your lack of discretion. No, it was the culture of the time. We shake hands to greet, we don't kiss to greet. It's not our culture. But you realize that there were differences in the culture also. So you so some things were mentioned in the culture. So when we get to hermeneutics and biblical application, then we will now do the hard work of asking the people who the book was written to, what did it mean to them? You see, if I'm talking to people now and I say Gobe, you understand. If someone 70 years from now comes, maybe the word will change. Because when I was growing up, it was Yoko Gary. That they call, is that not it? Then it became, you they have different names. Now, when I came to the university, it's Gobe. So we are we are all calling it Gobe now. But someone who is in America who has never been to Ghana may not understand it. There are times I follow a lot of American pastors, and the pastor cracks a joke. But I can't laugh because the people there understand the joke, but I don't understand the joke because I'm not in that context. So sometimes you read something, it's not that deep, but you have taken this whole champions league. So biblical application would mean that you, the reader, would now first ask the people to which it was written to, what did it mean to them? And what does it mean to me? That is where you now start applying. You don't take a scripture and apply it. You first need to understand what it means. The suffering savior. No, the the Matthew was written to the Jews, and Jews they like genealogy. Who's father? We are fathers of Abraham, we are children of Abraham. So realize that the son of Abraham, son of Isaac, Jacob, you know, they like genealogies. Who is your father? Who are you related to? So Matthew, in writing to them, has to establish the genealogy of Jesus because he was writing to the Jews, not Achans. Hey, hallelujah. So now let's do some few. This is just an introduction to why it's important we take this journey, right? So let's take a few definitions and then we'll close for today. So when we say revelation, the Bible was revealed. What does it mean? You know, when we say revelation, because there's no revelation now. Revelation has ended. Sorry to enthusiastic young men and women who climb police and say, God gave me a revelation. There is no revelation now. What do we have now? Why do we have what we have? Hallelujah. So when we say revelation, what do we mean? Revelation is God's act of making himself and his truth known to humanity, which could not be known by human reason alone. So this is God revealing himself, his will, and his purposes. It's like an aunt trying to understand us. If we don't tell them in the language they understand the things we are doing, they will never know. It is what we have revealed to them. God is so far away from us that it is what he has revealed about himself. So if you meet a lady right now as a young man and you are you started a talking stage, you know, then there'll be questions like, what do you like? Because when you come around the person's life, it's not obvious what they like, true or false. It's not obvious what they dislike. That is why it's important when you ask them, they reveal themselves. And I know that some people have created a PDF of all the questions that you are, what's your favorite color? What's your favorite food? Where do you come from? What profession was your parents in? You know, how many siblings do you have? How many children do you want to have? You just summarize it in one PDF. You forward it to your talking stage. Forward many. So when you realize that they've written forwarded many times, it means that no, this one it won't work. Hallelujah. So when we say revelation, it is not an act of we finding out something, it's an act of God. Hallelujah. Revelation is an act of God revealing himself. And the book of, so now let's get into the scriptures. The book of 1 Corinthians chapter 2, verse 10, says that, but God has revealed them to us by his spirit. It is God Himself who has revealed to us by his spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God. So what are the types of revelations that we have? Number one is general revelation. General revelations. So this is when God reveals himself through creation and nature. So God is revealing himself through the things that he has made. In the book of Romans, chapter 1, verse 20, Romans chapter 1, verse 20, he says that, for since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes are clearly seen. Being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. Those of you who are saying that those who didn't know Jesus and those who didn't hear the gospel, what happened on that day? God says that there is no excuse because when you look At the sand, it tells you something about the creator. If you are in the furthest place on this earth, he says that his invisible attributes are clearly seen. You cannot pretend that you have not seen it. The things that he has made, and that's why people end up worshiping the things. Because God Himself is revealed in His creation. His creation is so supernatural that people worship creation. Because the creator revealed himself in his creation. There is something in the creation or the we who have been created by the creator that tells you that I am there. He says that there is too many evidences in your life. When you wake up every morning and the sun comes up, it is a reminder of my messes which are renewed. And every language hears it. So whether you've heard a Bible preached from Romans or not, his invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead. The Godhead, not just God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are clearly revealed so that they are without excuse. No excuse. Your lack of seriousness is not because God hasn't shown you his real. You are refusing to hear it. This midweek you nearly didn't come. I'm telling you, you nearly didn't come. Because there's another voice. Bible said there are so many voices in this world and none without significance. Bible said creation is speaking to you. Creation has been speaking to you since the day you were born. Until now, creation is still speaking. Because day unto day he reveals himself. The occurrences of life, something will happen, and God said, This is me. This is me. This is me. This is me. If your eyes open, eh, things will happen and say, See God, see God, see God, see God, see God, see God. God has revealed himself too much for us to be behaving like he's not real. He's even saying that even unbelievers, they see me. He said, I'm believing. There is no language, no speech. There are some of you who are still trying to be atheists. With all you've tasted, you are still trying so hard to say, is this God thing real? Does this prayer thing work? Should we go to church? Should we not go? Should we read our devotion? There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Number two is special revelation. So general revelation is God revealing himself through creation. The firmaments testify of his handiwork. Special revelation where God reveals himself through scripture, through prophecy, and ultimately through Jesus Christ. So Hebrews chapter 1, verse 1, hallelujah. And the reason why we say revelation has ended, hallelujah. So this is the second type of revelation. Bible said that God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in the time past to the fathers by the prophets. So God spoke, God revealed himself to the fathers through prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by his son, whom he has appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the worlds. Hallelujah. Who being the brightness of his glory and the express image of his person. So God is saying that this is me. That's why Jesus Christ told us, Have you been with me this long and you don't know me? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. Because Jesus is God revealing himself to his creation. And the Bible says that he is the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power. When he had by himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of majesty on high. So he is the express image, he is the very person of God. So this is the other part of revelation. So there were prophets, there were kings, there were priests in the Old Testament until Jesus, who is the ultimate revelation of God, is ended there. Whatever we want to know about God, when you see Jesus, you have seen it. No prophet has any other thing that Jesus hasn't revealed about God. Period. Period. If someone brings a new revelation, even if they are an apostle on YouTube, ran away. It's not there is no new revelation. The revelations ended in the person of Jesus. This is the zenith of everything we want to know and we need to know about the climax. There is nothing after that, though. Good. So that's revelation. Now let's go to inspiration. Today we are doing definition of words. As a Christian, you need to understand words. So we say revelation is an act of God. Inspiration, however, is what we read in Timothy chapter 3, verse 2. I think 2 Timothy chapter 3, verse 2. Uh-huh. Inspiration is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit. This is the definition by which the writers of scripture were guided to write God's word accurately and authoritatively. So inspiration is also not for you. Hey, hallelujah. Inspiration. So let's go to Timothy so that you see the definition there. So this is the definition of inspiration. I got an inspiration from the spirit. No. So let's go. Second Timothy chapter 3, verse 16. Is it say all scripture was given by inspiration? Not going most morning devotion. Scripture was given by what? Scripture was given by. So this is what we call inspiration, right? No matter how beautiful Acosia is, a blind person cannot see. So God can reveal Himself, right? But without the eyes being opened, you cannot appreciate it. So when we say inspiration, it's God opening the eyes of people who wrote scripture to see what he has revealed. Because you can reveal and it cannot be seen. Right? So there are two things. God has revealed himself. But even after revealing himself, we can't see. So by inspiration, scripture was given. And it's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. So the scriptures were given by inspiration. Which means that God gave them a urical moment, a moment where eyes were open to say, This is what God is saying. This is what God wanted to do. So that was inspiration. Then number three, which is for us, is illumination. So this is what happens, right? Illumination. Illumination is the work of the Holy Spirit. So that one is also the work of the Holy Spirit. Not for us to write scripture. Hallelujah. Illumination is the work of the Holy Spirit that enables believers to understand and apply the truth of scripture. It does not give new revelation, but it helps us grab the meaning of the revelation already given. So Corinthians, I think it's is it 1 Corinthians or 2 Corinthians 2, verse 14? It says that by the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit, because they are spiritually designed. You know, the natural man cannot see. So this is also still the work of the Holy Spirit, where the things that have been given by inspiration are uncovered so that we can understand what is being written. So you realize that the same Holy Spirit who wrote the scriptures is the same Holy Spirit giving us illumination. Illumination is shining light in a dark room. So we would have been walking in the dark, or would have been reading the Bible as a storybook or as a magical book or as a spiritual book if the Holy Spirit doesn't uncover the scriptures to us to see. Be on your feet with me. David said, I open my eyes that I may understand, I may see the wonderful things in your laws. The prayer is that give me illumination, give me illumination, give me illumination, illuminates, illuminates, open my eyes to see and my ears to write. Despite the diversity of authors, their backgrounds, the centuries of writing, the Bible maintains one consistent and unified story, which is the story of Jesus Christ. Many years had passed, many centuries passed, 1500 years passed, but the truth of his word has been vibrating through chapter after chapter, book after book after book after book. We have not believed vain teachings. Over one thousand years, God spoke man wrote the writings are the breathings of the spirit, and I pray for everyone here that as you go through the scriptures, something eternal will rub off you that you begin to fall in love with the scriptures again. I pray for illumination for you. I pray for illumination, that light will shine in a dark place. Ah, till the morning star rises in our hearts. In the name of Jesus, I pray for you that your eyes will be open to see. May discernment engulf your spirit. May discernment engulf you. May discernment engulf you run about. In the name of Jesus. May God honor you. May God preserve you. May the word of God be established in your life. May the word of God not only be established in heaven, may that word which is already established in heaven be established in your life. May this week be prosperous. May this week see the workings of God. In the name of Jesus, may God preserve you. May God keep you. May God lift you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Thank you for listening to the sand.