Scripture is the inspired and preserved words of God contained in the 66 books of the Bible: 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament, preserved by God in copies and translations that people can hold in their hands, read for themselves, study, preach, teach, and even ignore if they so choose. 

In this episode we wrap up our study of "What is the Bible?" by taking a look at how Scripture is accessible.

1. It is available: God did not lose the inspired Scriptures like we lose our car keys.

2. It is obtainable: God speaks more languages than just Hebrew and Greek.

3. It is understandable: God did not make the Bible that difficult (it depends more on attitude that aptitude).

[This episode forms part of the MOADiS, also referred to by some as TCD...]

Notes:

https://bible.kedrovsky.net/moadis_overview_0_intro

https://bible.kedrovsky.net/_media/12_moadis/003_what_is_the_bible_3_accessible.pdf

History & Heritage of the Bible: 

https://bible.kedrovsky.net/topical_king_james_bible#history_heritage_of_the_bible

Midweek special! This is a message I preached in English a while ago (at Crest Bible Church, I believe). And this week I will be preaching it in Spanish at La Biblia Dice in Medellin, Colombia. 

Church YouTube Channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/user/LaBibliadiceMedelli1/videos

Please pray for us this week, that God would pleased with the preaching and the saints would be edified! 

Notes (in English... with photos!):

https://bible.kedrovsky.net/topical_alpha#ichabod

The Bible, because of its nature and formal character as a divine covenant corpus, is authoritative. It is God's final authority over man, given to change man's conduct.

1. The Bible is authoritative in its origin: The words of Scripture are inspired by God.

2. The Bible is authoritative in its purpose: God inspired Scripture to govern us.

Scripture, as a covenant corpus, confronts us with God's absolute and final authority over us and our lives as the subjects living in the Kingdom He created. 

[This episode forms part of the MOADiS, also referred to by some as TCD...]

Notes:

https://bible.kedrovsky.net/moadis_overview_0_intro

https://bible.kedrovsky.net/_media/12_moadis/002_what_is_the_bible_2_authoritative.pdf

The Bible is a covenant corpus. It is a body, a collection, of covenants. That is what Scripture is by nature and in its formal character. 

We saw this in the last episode studying the two "Testaments," the Old Testament and the New Testament.

In this episode we take a look at how the contents of the Bible "crystallize" around the eight major covenants. These covenants are not just a nifty way to outline the Bible. They are the Bible. And I'd like to bring this out in this lesson. 

[This episode forms part of the MOADiS, also referred to by some as TCD...]

Notes for this episode and the last can be found here: 

https://bible.kedrovsky.net/moadis_overview_0_intro#a_covenant_corpus

Seriously. What is the Bible? We read the Bible. We study the Bible. We say we "love" the Bible. But what is it? Have you ever taken a step back from all the details in the Bible to ask yourself that question? 

What is the "formal character" of the Bible--its "nature." What is it?

- Is it a religious book? 

- Is it a history book? 

- Is it a self-help book ("chicken soup for your soul")?

- Is it a love letter? 

- Is it a book of Jewish myths and maxims? 

We are going to answer this question in three parts, and the first part is this one... Our topic of study in this lesson: The Bible is a covenant corpus. Why? Because that's its very nature!

[This episode forms part of the MOADiS, also referred to by some as TCD...]

The key to understanding the Great Commission of Matthew 28 is the Lord's discourse in Matthew 24 about His coming and the end of the world. The Great Commission is the mandate that Jesus gave his Jewish Apostles to preach the gospel of the kingdom in all nations until the second coming and the establishment of the kingdom on earth. It is the same thing we see in Matthew 24.

The Great Commission in the Gospels (and in Acts 1.8) is historically, doctrinally, and specifically for the Tribulation, the period of time in the prophecy of Daniel 9.24-27 between the substitutionary death of the Messiah (Dan 9.26) and "the end" (the consummation; Dan 9.27) when Jesus returns. It is the time the Bible calls the Tribulation.

So, according to what the Bible says, the Great Commission was given as a mandate to preach the kingdom, not to announce the Church, the Body of Christ, and the Church Age. This means that the Great Commission is not doctrinally (directly) for us Christians living during the Church Age.

However, personally and "spiritually," yes, the Great Commission applies to us today, but in principle. So join me in this study of anachronisms and the Great Commission to see just how God wants us to fulfill the Great Commission today.

https://bible.kedrovsky.net/topical_discipleship

https://bible.kedrovsky.net/_media/09_topical/disc_11_anachronisms_and_the_great_comm.pdf

In this episode we look specifically at the doctrinal context of the Great Commission. If we do not take into account the doctrinal context of the Great Commission, we will very easily fall into the error of twisting Scripture (misrepresenting it and taking it out of its proper context). Most of the Great Commission can be applied to us (NOTE: "most"), but there are certain things that do not. This is why we need to understand what we can apply to ourselves, what we shouldn't apply to ourselves... and why.

The Lord gave the Great Commission before Israel's rejection of the Kingdom in Acts 7. He gave the Great Commission before the transition of Acts 8-28 (the transition from Israel to the Church; from Jews to Gentiles). The Great Commission, as given at the end of the Gospels and at the beginning of Acts, is (without a doubt) Jewish in nature (i.e., doctrinally focused on God's "kingdom program" for Israel).

However, after the rejection and after the transition... the Lord did not give a new Commission to the Apostle Paul for us during the Church Age. Rather, through Paul, the Lord simply "adapted" the Great Commission that He originally gave to the Apostles prior to his ascension.

In this episode we take a look at the five Great Commission passages and we see how each essential element of the Great Commission is repeated and communicated through Paul's ministry and his Epistles.

Is the Great Commission that the Lord gave His Apostles after His resurrection for us today? This question may seem a bit strange (or even shocking), but the more we study the Bible in its proper context, the more we need to clarify things like this.

So, what's the problem with the Great Commission and us today in the Church Age? The Great Commission was specifically given to Israel at another time (another Age), under another dispensation (i.e., within the context of another stewardship that God "dispensed" to other stewards; specifically, to Israel).

So we need to spend a little time with the Great Commission to establish its biblical, chronological, and cumulative context in the progressive revelation of Scripture. That way we can avoid twisting Scripture like some unlearned and ignorant Bible students.

In this episode we finish up our study of the Biblical Philosophy of Discipleship by looking at the goals of edification (what is “our part” in growing in Christ-likeness or helping others grow?). There are four:

1. Commitment to the Word of God

2. Commitment to the Local Church

3. Commitment to the Fellowship of the Saints

4. Commitment to Ministry

In this episode we finish our study of the means of edification. There are five means through which God takes us to make us grow us in Christ. Are you content with your growth in Christ? If not, listen to this episode. Maybe God will indicate something you can do to grow in Christ a little more.

We need to understand how edification (spiritual growth and maturity) happens. This means that we need to understand the "means" of edification. There are five means of edification. In other words, there are five components in the process of spiritual growth, the process of growing more and more in Christ and being conformed more and more to His image. In this episode we begin our study on the means of edification looking at the first means: identifying with Christ.

At the beginngin of this episode, I mention a couple studies on the improper pronunciation of the name of God: "Yahweh" instead of "Jehovah." Here are the links:

https://bible.kedrovsky.net/topical_alpha#variousalphabetical

https://www.wayoflife.org/reports/jehovah_and_yahweh.html

http://www.biblefortoday.org/Articles/yahweh.htm

We have two goals in evangelism: go and preach (preach the gospel). In this episode we see that this patter of "go and preach" is what God has always desired throughout history in both Testaments. And we talk about prayer, and the place of prayer (biblical prayer) in the work of evangelism. 

We continue with our study of the "cumulative context" of the Great Commission. And then we get into the details of our two goal in evangelism: go and preach! The work of evangelism is not that difficult to understand... Why, then, is it so hard to do?!

The goals of evangelism are established in the "Great Commission" passages at the end of the Gospels. But... is the Great Commission for us today? If the Great Commission is part of the New Covenant... and the New Covenant is for Israel (and only for Israel)... how and why are we applying the Great Commission of the New Covenant to ourselves today? I address these issues in this episode of my podcast, laying the foundation for us to understand our responsibility in evangelism, to "go and preach."

Evangelism. What does the Bible say about how evangelism happens? What are the components in the process that God goes through to move a sinner from being lost to being saved? These "components" are the "means" by which God saves people. There are four and in this podcast we take a biblical look at each one. 

What's the problem in "discipling"? It's called "institutionalization." This refers to the problem of programs and materials replacing true discipleship. We replace the true work of helping another person to know Christ and grow in His likeness with programs, classes, materials, and an "institutionalized" structure. How can we prevent our focus on biblical discipleship from degenerating into institutional discipleship? I believe the answer lies in what we can call the biblical "philosophy" of discipleship.

Was Christ born on December 25th? What does the Bible say about when Jesus Christ was born? This is the second of three parts of a study on the birth of Christ. In this podcast we analyze the "second administration" of the course of Abia, Zacharias' course (Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist). We don't have to let the pagans rob us of the celebration of Christ on December 25th. We just have to put it in context: December 25th is the celebration of the conception of Christ... So... Merry Christmas! Happy celebration of Christ!

Notes: https://teologia101.net/temas_alfa#nacimiento_de_jesus

Jewish Months: 

https://teologia101.net/_media/temas_alfa/meses_de_los_judios.pdf

Chart #1, First Administration: 

https://teologia101.net/_media/temas_alfa/nacimiento_de_cristo_1admin.pdf

Chart #2, Second Administration: 

https://teologia101.net/_media/temas_alfa/nacimiento_de_cristo_2admin.pdf

Was Christ born on December 25th? What does the Bible say about when Jesus Christ was born? This is the second of three parts of a study on the birth of Christ. In this podcast we analyze the "first administration" of the course of Abia, Zacharias' course (Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist). In this study we'll see the dates supported by biblical, historical, and theological evidence for the conception of Jesus (December 25th) and His birth (September 29th).

Notes: https://teologia101.net/temas_alfa#nacimiento_de_jesus

Jewish Months: 

https://teologia101.net/_media/temas_alfa/meses_de_los_judios.pdf

Chart #1, First Administration: 

https://teologia101.net/_media/temas_alfa/nacimiento_de_cristo_1admin.pdf

Chart #2, Second Administration: 

https://teologia101.net/_media/temas_alfa/nacimiento_de_cristo_2admin.pdf

Was Christ born on December 25th? What does the Bible say about when Jesus Christ was born? This is the first of three parts of a study on the birth of Christ. In this podcast we lay the foundation for the study by looking at what the Bible says about the background and context of Jesus' birth.

Notes: https://teologia101.net/temas_alfa#nacimiento_de_jesus

Jewish Months: 

https://teologia101.net/_media/temas_alfa/meses_de_los_judios.pdf

Chart #1, First Administration: 

https://teologia101.net/_media/temas_alfa/nacimiento_de_cristo_1admin.pdf

Chart #2, Second Administration: 

https://teologia101.net/_media/temas_alfa/nacimiento_de_cristo_2admin.pdf