The B-I-B-L-E

This is the 11th part in a 12 part series of study through the books of 1&2 Timothy and Titus. We have talked about what it means to be a leader, the qualifications of church leaders, watching out for false teachers and leaving a legacy. Last night we talked about how we got the Bible as we know it and what use it is in our daily lives.

2 Timothy 3:14-17...

The Bible has not always been around in the form that we know it. It has been in development for centuries. Johannes Gutenberg played a huge role in making the Bible what it is today. In 1452 Gutenberg invented the printing press. Until his invention Bibles had to be hand written by monks and it could take upwards of 10 months to complete. Now the Bible could be printed in about 10 weeks or less. This revolutionized how the Bible was distributed. Men such as John Wycliffe wanted to see the Bible be translated into the common language. So Wycliffe took it upon himself to do so, yet all of his work was burned. Another man by the name of William Tyndale picked up where Wycliffe left off. He successfully translated the New Testament into English, yet before he could complete his Old Testament translation he was captured and sentenced to death for heresy. He was burned at the stake in 1536.

Paul is writing to a young pastor in Ephesus named Timothy who is having trouble with false teachers and the like. He encourages Timothy to continue in what he has believed since childhood (3:14). He was taught the sacred writings by his mother and grandmother (3:15). Paul then gives authority to what Timothy has learned from childhood by saying, "All Scripture is breathed out by God (literally "God-breathed" other translations say "Inspired by God") and is profitable". He tells Timothy that the Scriptures that he has been taught are useful for something, Paul then tells him they are useful for "teaching, reproof (rebuking), correction, and training in righteousness". He assures Timothy that because he knows the scriptures well, he is now equipped to do the job that God has called him to in Ephesus.

How many Bibles do you have in your house? I know that I have over 20 Bibles in my room that are mine, that is not counting my parents. We have Bibles galore. It is easy to take the Bible for granted. My challenge to the youth was to not take the Bible for granted. Many people gave their lives so that we could have it as we know it today. It is useful for everyday life, we can teach ourselves and others about Jesus, and be trained in righteousness (the right way to live).

Did you know that: The Bible was written over 1,500 years, by more than 40 men from very different walks of life. It was written under many different circumstances on 3 different continents and in 3 different languages. The writers had different purposes for writing, and they addressed a multitude of issues. Yet there is unity. That unity is organized around one theme, God's redemption of people and all of creation. The Bible, as we know it, is comprised of 66 books, with 39 in the OT and 27 in the NT. In 1999, Wycliffe Translators reported that of the 6,809 languages in the world, only 405 had an entire Bible translation in their own language; 1,034 had an adequate New Testament; 883 had some Scripture in their own language, there were 1,500 languages being translated at that time and over 3,000 different languages didn't have a copy of the Bible at all (from Patrick Johnstone's book Operation World).

Welcome!!!

Welcome to the new Bridge Student Ministry Blog. I will be posting at least a weekly blog with a short summary of each week's lesson and further reading and websites about the subject for anyone that is interested. I will also be posting about events that happen in the church and anything else that pertains to the youth. You can access it by going to www.bridgeumcyouth.blogspot.com or follow the link from the youth homepage at www.thebridgeumc.org. I hope you enjoy this resource!!!

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Long Live the KING!
zach