Question 5: Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by revelation of God….” So, what is written in the Bible are all the words of God. But some people say not all of them are God’s words. Aren’t they denying the Bible and deceiving others?
Answer: Regarding “all scripture is given by revelation of God,” first we need to know the background of Paul’s word. When Paul wrote letters to Timothy Church, there only existed the Old Testament. The New Testament hadn’t been compiled into a book. And there were just dozens of letters kept in the churches. So Paul’s words refer to the Old Testament, because the Israelites of the time only regarded the Old Testament as the Scripture. The New Testament came into being after 300 A.D. At that time, the leaders of those churches had a meeting together.
They thought that the last days were near, and they should collect Jesus’ words and the apostles’ letters, compile them into a book, like the Old Testament, and give it out to every church. So, they collected the letters written by Jesus’ disciples and apostles. Finally, through study and confirmation, they selected 27 letters as the canon of the New Testament. Later they were compiled together with the Old Testament into the Bible. This is how the Old and New Testaments came into being. Besides, about the Bible’s formation, we have to know who wrote it and who recorded it. The Bible has scores of authors, but none of them said that their letters were all inspired by God. If God had said that the Bible was all inspired by Him, He would have said it through prophets. But there was no such word in the books of the prophets, the Lord Jesus never said it, and the apostles never said their letters and testimonies were all inspired by God, much less did they dare say they were God’s words. That’s the fact! But later, all the believers in God believe that God only spoke those words in the Bible, and that although the Old and New Testaments were written by men, they were inspired by God. However, have we thought whether the saying is factual?
The Bible is inspired by God, and all the words in the Bible are God’s words. It’s a fact acknowledged by the religious world. This is man’s view. Man’s views can’t represent God’s. Only God is clear about the inside truth of the Bible. Let’s see what Almighty God’s word tells us. Almighty God says, “In truth, with the exception of the books of prophecy, the Old Testament is mostly a historical record. Some of the New Testament epistles derive from human experiences, others from the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit; the letters of Paul, for instance, are from human work, and they were all enlightened by the Holy Spirit. These letters, which Paul sent to the churches, offer words of exhortation and encouragement to the brothers and sisters there; they are not the words of the Holy Spirit. Paul could not speak on behalf of the Holy Spirit. He was not a prophet, and moreover he did not see visions. These letters were written to the churches of that time in Ephesus, Philadelphia, Galatia, and other places” (“Concerning the Bible (3)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). “The Bible is not entirely a record of God’s own utterance; rather, it is just an account of the first two stages of God’s work. Part of it consists of the words of the prophets, and part of it documents the experiences and knowledge of people who were used by God down through the ages. Unavoidably, the writers’ own opinions and knowledge are mixed in their experiences. Many books in it are colored by human notions, prejudices, and erroneous understandings, and though naturally most of the words were enlightened and illuminated by the Holy Spirit and represent correct understandings, they cannot be considered entirely accurate expressions of the truth. The writers’ opinions on certain subjects merely reflect their own experiential knowledge or the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. The words of the prophets were revealed by God Himself. For example, the prophecies spoken by Isaiah, Daniel, Ezra, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel were revealed directly by the Holy Spirit. They were foretellers, people who received the Spirit of prophecy. They were all prophets of the Old Testament. These people who received oracles from Jehovah made many prophecies in the Age of Law, which were directly revealed by Jehovah” (“Concerning the Bible (3)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). God’s words have made it very clear. The Bible isn’t a record of all God’s personal utterance but an account of God’s work. In the Bible, Jehovah’s words, Jesus’ words, and the words God revealed to the prophets are truly God’s words, and the rest are mostly the record of history and man’s experiences. So, “the Bible is all inspired by God and is all God’s word” doesn’t match historical facts!
Answer: Regarding “all scripture is given by revelation of God,” first we need to know the background of Paul’s word. When Paul wrote letters to Timothy Church, there only existed the Old Testament. The New Testament hadn’t been compiled into a book. And there were just dozens of letters kept in the churches. So Paul’s words refer to the Old Testament, because the Israelites of the time only regarded the Old Testament as the Scripture. The New Testament came into being after 300 A.D. At that time, the leaders of those churches had a meeting together.
They thought that the last days were near, and they should collect Jesus’ words and the apostles’ letters, compile them into a book, like the Old Testament, and give it out to every church. So, they collected the letters written by Jesus’ disciples and apostles. Finally, through study and confirmation, they selected 27 letters as the canon of the New Testament. Later they were compiled together with the Old Testament into the Bible. This is how the Old and New Testaments came into being. Besides, about the Bible’s formation, we have to know who wrote it and who recorded it. The Bible has scores of authors, but none of them said that their letters were all inspired by God. If God had said that the Bible was all inspired by Him, He would have said it through prophets. But there was no such word in the books of the prophets, the Lord Jesus never said it, and the apostles never said their letters and testimonies were all inspired by God, much less did they dare say they were God’s words. That’s the fact! But later, all the believers in God believe that God only spoke those words in the Bible, and that although the Old and New Testaments were written by men, they were inspired by God. However, have we thought whether the saying is factual?
The Bible is inspired by God, and all the words in the Bible are God’s words. It’s a fact acknowledged by the religious world. This is man’s view. Man’s views can’t represent God’s. Only God is clear about the inside truth of the Bible. Let’s see what Almighty God’s word tells us. Almighty God says, “In truth, with the exception of the books of prophecy, the Old Testament is mostly a historical record. Some of the New Testament epistles derive from human experiences, others from the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit; the letters of Paul, for instance, are from human work, and they were all enlightened by the Holy Spirit. These letters, which Paul sent to the churches, offer words of exhortation and encouragement to the brothers and sisters there; they are not the words of the Holy Spirit. Paul could not speak on behalf of the Holy Spirit. He was not a prophet, and moreover he did not see visions. These letters were written to the churches of that time in Ephesus, Philadelphia, Galatia, and other places” (“Concerning the Bible (3)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). “The Bible is not entirely a record of God’s own utterance; rather, it is just an account of the first two stages of God’s work. Part of it consists of the words of the prophets, and part of it documents the experiences and knowledge of people who were used by God down through the ages. Unavoidably, the writers’ own opinions and knowledge are mixed in their experiences. Many books in it are colored by human notions, prejudices, and erroneous understandings, and though naturally most of the words were enlightened and illuminated by the Holy Spirit and represent correct understandings, they cannot be considered entirely accurate expressions of the truth. The writers’ opinions on certain subjects merely reflect their own experiential knowledge or the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. The words of the prophets were revealed by God Himself. For example, the prophecies spoken by Isaiah, Daniel, Ezra, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel were revealed directly by the Holy Spirit. They were foretellers, people who received the Spirit of prophecy. They were all prophets of the Old Testament. These people who received oracles from Jehovah made many prophecies in the Age of Law, which were directly revealed by Jehovah” (“Concerning the Bible (3)” in The Word Appears in the Flesh). God’s words have made it very clear. The Bible isn’t a record of all God’s personal utterance but an account of God’s work. In the Bible, Jehovah’s words, Jesus’ words, and the words God revealed to the prophets are truly God’s words, and the rest are mostly the record of history and man’s experiences. So, “the Bible is all inspired by God and is all God’s word” doesn’t match historical facts!
from the movie script of Disclose the Mystery About the Bible
Know more ：The Church of Almighty God was founded by Almighty God personally
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