The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in John 16:12-15,
"I [Jesus] have much more to say to you [Jesus' disciples], more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you."
In 2 Peter 1:20-21 we read, "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." This was Peter's statement about why the Scriptures (the prophetic message) are completely reliable. In the previous verse he said, "We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts."
Peter was speaking of the Jewish Scriptures, the Tanakh, or what Christians call the "Old Testament" containing the 39 books we find there. (In the Jewish library these 39 books are arranged as 24, but containing the same material.)
However, Peter was also aware at that time that the Holy Spirit was producing new Scriptures in his day, what would become the 27 books found in what we call our "New Testament". Later, in his second letter, Peter explains that ignorant and unstable people were distorting a new collection of Scriptures written by Paul, "He [Paul] writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction." 2 Peter 3:16. Note Peter refers to Paul's letters as "Scripture", meaning the inspired word of God. Other books were produced as well, having John, James, Matthew, Luke, Jude and others the Holy Spirit used to make up the complete set of new Scriptures. Peter himself participated in the production of some of these new books the Holy Spirit was having written, his two letters.
"I [Jesus] have much more to say to you [Jesus' disciples], more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you."
In 2 Peter 1:20-21 we read, "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." This was Peter's statement about why the Scriptures (the prophetic message) are completely reliable. In the previous verse he said, "We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts."
Peter was speaking of the Jewish Scriptures, the Tanakh, or what Christians call the "Old Testament" containing the 39 books we find there. (In the Jewish library these 39 books are arranged as 24, but containing the same material.)
However, Peter was also aware at that time that the Holy Spirit was producing new Scriptures in his day, what would become the 27 books found in what we call our "New Testament". Later, in his second letter, Peter explains that ignorant and unstable people were distorting a new collection of Scriptures written by Paul, "He [Paul] writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction." 2 Peter 3:16. Note Peter refers to Paul's letters as "Scripture", meaning the inspired word of God. Other books were produced as well, having John, James, Matthew, Luke, Jude and others the Holy Spirit used to make up the complete set of new Scriptures. Peter himself participated in the production of some of these new books the Holy Spirit was having written, his two letters.
In John 16:12-15, we have an announcement from the Lord that these new books (without calling them as such) were on their way. Jesus himself would tell the Holy Spirit what was to be written and then the Spirit would "carry" the human authors, the "prophets" along to write what we have in our New Testament books. It was the very same process as to how the Old Testament was produced.
I don't subscribe to "red letter" editions of the Bible. The print in red are the quotes of Jesus Christ. I think it is misleading to elevate these passages above others. Every word in our Bibles (well, in the original languages anyway) is the very message the Son of God gave the Holy Spirit to produce in literature so that we would have direct communication from heaven, from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! It should all be red! Since black is easier for me to read (with my reading glasses!), I'm happy to have non-red letter editions of the Bible.
I don't subscribe to "red letter" editions of the Bible. The print in red are the quotes of Jesus Christ. I think it is misleading to elevate these passages above others. Every word in our Bibles (well, in the original languages anyway) is the very message the Son of God gave the Holy Spirit to produce in literature so that we would have direct communication from heaven, from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! It should all be red! Since black is easier for me to read (with my reading glasses!), I'm happy to have non-red letter editions of the Bible.
How amazing is that?! Who would not want to invest much of their time in reading communiques intended for us from the environs of heaven, from the Son of God? I cannot think of a better use of my time!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.
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