Today’s Devotional – March 12th (All Scripture? Or Just Some?)
By admin On January 17th, 2021.
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Today’s Devotional – March 12th
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All Scripture? Or Just Some?
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“And Jesus answered him, saying,
It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word of God.”
Luke 4:4
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A radio program which answered Bible questions, was asked the following question: “Do we need to follow both Testaments, Old and New?”
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One of the pastors answered by saying the following: “Any command or precept in the Old Testament does not need to be obeyed unless it is repeated in the New Testament.”
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Well, this answer was accepted by the caller, and the other co-host did not even challenge the other pastor’s obviously presumptive and unbiblical assertion!
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Announcer with microphone – svg – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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NO LONGER UNDER THE SCHOOLMASTER!
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Now of course, this pastor would probably recite the following passage as proof of his proposed doctrine…
…”Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ,
that we might be justified by faith.
But after that faith is come,
we are no longer under a schoolmaster.”
Galatians 3:24, 25
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And if this above passage was all that God had to say on the subject, then yes, this pastor would seemingly be correct.
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Because this passage clearly states that we are no longer under the schoolmaster!
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And yet, those who have a love for the truth will want to read everything that the Bible has to say about itself!
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Jewish Children with their Teacher in Samarkand – cropped photo – Wikipedia – public domain
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ALL SCRIPTURE TO BE OBEYED!
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And so, when a Bible student begins to do his or her homework, it is soon discovered that the Bible has much more to say on the subject!
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This passage from Galatians must harmonize with what Paul says here in 2nd Timothy…
“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.”
2nd Timothy 3:16, 17.
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Okay, so here we discover a truth which almost seems to directly oppose what Galatians says!
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Paul clearly states that all Scripture is profitable, and is to be obeyed.
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And “all Scripture” would, of course, include the Old Testament!
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MANY TYPES & SHADOWS IN OLD TESTAMENT!
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And as the Bible student searches on, this following passage comes to the rescue…
…”Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink,
or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath [days]:
which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”
Colossians 2:16, 17.
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So here it states that all those Old Testament holydays and festivals and Sabbath days were presenting spiritual concepts…
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…shadows, pointing forward to the reality of Christ.
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So, they were only a shadow of the reality, but not the reality themselves.
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Man walking into sun – CROPPED IMAGE – Wikipedia – Share-alike-lic
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“THE LETTER KILLS, BUT THE SPIRIT GIVES LIFE”
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But what about all the other laws? Do we try to obey each one of them too?
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What about such laws that tell us not to wear a garment made of both wool and cotton?
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Or laws about temple sacrifices?
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Well, here is another passage which sheds light on our duty…
“Who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament;
not of the letter, but of the spirit:
for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life….
But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord,
are changed into the same image from glory to glory,
even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
2nd Corinthians 3:6, 18.
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Now, here are two verses taken from a somewhat lengthy statement by Paul, concerning how we are to look at the Old Testament.
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And by reading this entire 3rd chapter from 2nd Corinthians (click here), it is revealed that the New Testament Believer is not to try to keep all these laws by the letter.
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Holy Bible – cropped image – Wikimedia – Creative Commons Lic.
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JESUS VEILED WITHIN TYPES & SYMBOLS & SHADOWS
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But those Old Testament ordinances are to give us a greater and greater 
revelation and insight into the character of Christ, as this above passage from 2nd Corinthians states.
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Yes, this is what the Bible, the whole Bible is all about!
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The Bible helps us gain a greater understanding of just who God is, and just who is Jesus Christ!
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And so, each of those Old Testament laws and even the various fixtures of the Temple itself, were all spiritual symbols, pointing to the various aspects of the many different qualities of Jesus Christ.
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La Bible, Notre-Dame – cropped image – Wikimedia – Share-Alike License
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THE BIBLE: A SPIRITUAL BOOK
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And as the Bible student grows in grace, and in the knowledge of God’s Word, this next passage begins to make sense…
“Which things also we speak,
not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth,
but which the Holy Ghost teacheth;
comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”
1st Corinthians 2:13-15
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So now, as we begin to study deeper, we realize that God’s Word is filled with spiritual concepts, presented and cloaked in earthly object lessons.
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And Paul revealed a great mystery, when speaking of Sarah and Hagar, as an allegorical account, as representing the two covenants in the Bible (see Galatians 4:21-31).
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Sarah & Hagar – Foster Bible Pictures – Wikipedia US public domain
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A NEED TO COMPARE ALL SCRIPTURE!
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So, just what was the problem with what that radio pastor was saying about the Old Testament?
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Why shouldn’t he have made such a statement that, “We need only obey the New Testament”?
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Because his doctrine was not based on everything that the Bible has to say about itself!
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His doctrine was based only on some Bible passages!
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He ignored other passages which should never be ignored!
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And thus, by this little exercise, concerning searching the whole Bible, and discovering that the doctrine taught by that radio pastor was faulty, to say the least…
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…it now becomes clear that there is no Scripture which stands alone…
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…everything must be compared, so that truth is found by “rightly dividing” God’s Word.
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magnifying glass – Wikimedia – share-alike license
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TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, Give me great wisdom in understanding Thy Word.
Let me study for my own self, so that I am not deceived by the many false shepherds out there.
Let me become greatly knowledgeable of Thy Word…
USMC – Prayer before Bible study – Wikimedia – Public Domain
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read…
“November 20 (The True Centerpiece of the Bible)“…
…or you can also read…
“DECEMBER 25 (4 Winds of Doctrine Now Blowing!)“
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
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THE END
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TODAY’S HEAVENLY SIGN
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“THE MOON DECLARES THE GLORY OF GOD”
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Tilt you head to the left
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Do you see a man’s face?
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It’s that proverbial “Man in the Moon.
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We’ve always taken it for granted.
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But now we’re learning that God is responsible for creating this Nocturnal Watchman.
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You see, God has etched Signs in the Moon, long ago.
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A story? Yes.
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And just now He is revealing those Signs.
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Just now He is telling that story.
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Listen to what Scripture says…
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…God promised that His covenant with David (who represented Christ)…“shall be established for ever as the Moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.” Psalm 89
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READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “Moon Into Blood Trilogy: 1st Face: The Night Watchman”
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
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TOMORROW…
“March 13th (Planet Earth: Devil’s Island!)”
Satan presiding at the Infernal Council – Wikipedia – US Public Domain