Page 16 - In Defense of the Gospel PUB

The First Century Bible

We tend to combine the Scripture. First of all, as I said, we

combine the Old and New Covenants to such a degree that we

often can’t tell one from the other, and we don’t see a difference

between them really.

We view all parts of the Bible equally. We also do this with all

of the Bible writers. We mix Matthew with John, Luke with Paul,

Moses with Malachi, and Ezekiel with Revelation. We just shake it

all up together.

But Paul says, “Rightly divide the word of truth” (II Tim 2:15).

To Paul, the gospel had to be ’divided’ and distinguished from all
other parts of Scripture. It alone stated the practical revelation of

the finished work of the cross — for us personally in our everyday

earthly lives.

You see, the gospel is the declared REALITY of God. When

we live it, Paul says our minds are renewed and transformed to
think the thoughts of God that are much higher than anything

we can think, as Isaiah 55:8-9 says.

Do you realize that the original New Testament of the early

church didn’t have all the books in it that we have today? Many of
our books were not added to the Bible until the third century.

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