Chapter 2 - THE BOOK THAT REVEALS THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD

CAN YOU TRUST THE BIBLE?

Perhaps you have noticed that many books offering advice become outdated in just a few years.  What about the Bible?  It is very old, and almost 2,000 years have passed since its last words were penned.  Some therefore feel that it is not applicable to our modern age.  But  if the Bible is inspired of God, its advice  should always be up-to-date despite its great age.   The Scriptures should be "beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man  of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work." - 2 Timothy 3:16, 17

Close examination reveals that Bible principles apply just as much today as they did when they were first put down in writing.  When it comes to human nature, for instance, the Bible reflects keen understanding that applies to every generation of mankind.  We can easily see  this in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, found in the book Matthew , chapters 5 to 7.  This sermon so impressed the late Indian leader Mohandas K. Gandhi that he reportedly told a  British official:  "When your country and mine shall get together on the teachings laid down my Christ in this Sermon on the Mount, we  shall have solved the problems not only of our countries but those of the whole world."

No wonder people are impressed by Jesus' teachings!  In the Sermon on the Mount, he showed us the way to true happiness.  He explained how to settle disputes.  Jesus provided instruction on how to pray.   He pointed out the wises  attitude to have toward material needs and gave the Golden Rule for proper relationships with others.  How to detect religious frauds and how to have a secure future were also among the points covered in this sermon.

In the Sermon on the Mount and throughout the rest of its pages, the Bible clearly tells us what to do and what to avoid in order to improve our lot in life.  So practical is its counsel that one educator was moved to say:  "Although being a high-school counselor with bachelor's and master's degrees and having read a large number of books on mental health and psychology, I discovered  that the Bible's counsel on such things as having a successful marriage, preventing juvenile delinquency and how to gain and keep friends is far superior to anythings I had read or studied in college."  In addition to being practical and up-to-date, the  Bible is dependable. 

Next time: ACCURATE AND RELIABLE

The Book -KNOWLEDGE That Leads To Everlasting Life, 1995