Welcome to Exploring God’s Word Home Bible Study.

In Acts 20:20 it says, “And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shown you, and taught you publicly, and from house to house”. Home Bible study was the Apostle Paul’s way in the early church days, and it is still God’s chosen way for people to learn more about the Bible today. God is always pleased when people open their house to the study of His word. May God bless your understanding during this series of lessons.

I. BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

The Old Testament is divided into four divisions; the books of the Law, the books of History, the books of Poetry, and the books of Prophecy. Our study deals with the books of the Law.

The Law was broken into three types of law; moral, civil, and ceremonial. The moral law deals with things like the Ten Commandments and how to live a moral life before God. The civil law deals with the things that pertain to living in an organized, civil manner with one another. Now the ceremonial law is our main interest in this study, because it deals with man’s approach to God, or let’s say it shows us how to come to God’s presence without being destroyed by His demand for sinlessness in His presence.

History says that the Old Testament was written by 32 authors over a period of about 1500 years. But I disagree, because I believe that there is only One author, God. He used 32 men to write down what He told them. In II Peter 1:20-21 it says, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in the old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost”. The Word lets us know that the only author of the Bible is the Holy Ghost and that scripture is not to be interpreted by us according to our own thinking. I believe that if the Holy Ghost wrote the Word of God, that we should ask the Holy Ghost to help us interpret the Bible accurately when we read. And I believe that if we do ask, He will help us.

In II Timothy 3:16, 17 we read, “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”. At the time that Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, how much of the Bible do you think they possessed? All they had at the time was the Old Testament. What was the first thing that Paul said the Scripture was good for? Understanding doctrine. There are those who say that the Old Testament does not apply to us today. In this study we will find that the New Testament doctrine that the Apostles taught was first revealed in the Old Testament.

Let’s read II Corinthians 13:1. “This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established”. Paul was referring back to the Old Testament civil law that said that no man could be convicted of a capital crime unless there were at least two or three witnesses. We look for God to be consistent in His Word and give us at least two or three witnesses concerning Biblical truths. Would you rather build a doctrine from one verse of Scripture, or from two or three verses? The wise man says “From two or three”.

Continuing with the ground work for how we will approach this study, let’s read Hebrews 13:8. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever”. You don’t have to be a brain surgeon to understand that this verse is saying that God has never changed and He never will. Those who say that God is doing things in a different manner because of our modern day and ways, do not know God. He will never change.

Hebrews 10:7 says, “Then said I, Lo I come ( in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will O God”. This verse quotes a prophecy of the book of Psalms that is referring to Jesus. He came to do God’s will on earth and it is recorded in the volume of the book, or in the whole Bible if you will allow me to put it in simpler words. Thus, when we study the Old Testament we expect to find Jesus all through it.

The last thing in our ground work for proper thinking is to read Matthew 5:17. “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil”. Jesus was the fulfillment of the Old Testament because it was all about Him, and told of His coming to earth as well as His reason for coming.