Welcome Back To Theology Online Bible Institute..
Before we go into Bible study..
Let us..pray!
Father, right now..calm us,..empty us of all unnecessary stuff, that may hinder our walk, then.. FILL us with the splendour of Thy Truth revealed, in Jesus' Name.we ask.Amen.
Introductory Comments :
There are many other prophecies relating to the rise and fall of world kingdoms, found in the book of Daniel, that have been accurately fulfilled!!
Some folk have determined these prophecies to be impossible to be true, because of the PROBABILITIES, and have concluded that they ( prophecies) must have been written. AFTER the events!!
The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered.. AFTER 1946,..contained most of the Old Testament, and are dated to.at least the third century. BEFORE Christ!! This of course proves that the prophecies were made at least 200 years BEFORE Christ's first Advent ( or first Coming, as a Babe)!!
NO other man in history has ever been backed by THIS level of PROBABILITY, and NO other book,.. can claim the level of detail in predicting the future,.. AS..the Bible!!
This kind of accuracy is quite difficult to discount, unless,.. of course, we resort to the politician's practice of distorting the facts because they do nor suit us!!..( something, we must vow..as leadership, NEVER to do!!)
I invite you.to test the accuracy of the accuracy of the Bible THROUGH its prophecies,..
ESPECIALLY, those concerning. the PERSON of Jesus!!
Scriptural References :
John 14:6..,Matt 16:15--17.., and especially.. 1 Cor 8:6...,respectively!!
Lecture Notes :
Examining the Divine Pattern!!
Pilate ( the Roman Governor, as previously mentioned), had indeed asked a critical question OF Jesus..,
"...WHAT is truth??"
If.only he ( Pilate) had waited for an answer, he might have received these words..,
" I am the Way,the Truth ,and the Life : no man cometh unto the Father, but BY Me...!!"..John 14:6.
You see..,
Jesus.. states the truth, in terms of a relationship TO.His Father!! He IS the Way.TO the Father ( that's ACCESS!!)
In another incident, whilst speaking to His followers ( Disciples), He asked them..,
"But,whom say ye..that I am..??"..
Notice if you will, Peter's response..,
"Thou art the Christ ( Greek=Kristos..,meaning: anointed One), the Son of the Living God!!"..
Watch verse 17..
"..Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona ( son OF Jona): for flesh and blood hath NOT revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is IN heaven!!"
Matt 16:15--17.
Well, the answer TO. Pilate's question WAS, that Jesus IS the Truth,..
and the central point OF this truth is that JESUS is the CHANNEL or Way ( ACCESS ) TO.the Father!!
In essence.. THIS is.the absolute truth of the Divine Pattern, and notice how Paul, in his first Epistle ( Letter) to the Corinthian Church, defines THIS pattern remarkably FOR us.. :
Please read carefully and prayerfully..
1 Cor 8:6...preferably in the KJV!!
Did you notice what Paul's definition of the Divine Pattern is???
Paul, here.refers to..
"One God,.. The Father!!"* OF Whom..., and..
"One Lord Jesus Christ, THROUGH Whom...!!"
The pattern is discovered in those two words that immediately follow the Names of Father, and Jesus Christ!!
Allow me to break it down ( or rather, simplify it )If you will!!
Three things we shall look at,viz..
Being.., Pattern.., Definition ( and this, with the help of Strong's Concordance), starting with the Father,.. then.. Jesus. Here we go!!
Divine Being:
Father....
Pattern :
Greek-- ' Ek'=OF Whom
Definition :
Ek, or Ex..- ( Greek words, long BEFORE the Afrikaans words were developed, I know our South African TOBI Students are smiling little loudly).. Ek,.. a primary preposition denoting.. ORIGIN,... SOURCE, the point FROM whence motion or action. PROCEEDS!!
( AND of course, you already know, and are familiar with the Hebrew word, BERESHITH, from which we derived the word. GENESIS! Hmmmm!! Awesome!! ( c.f.. Gen 1:1)
Now, let's do the same for Jesus, shall we!!
Divine Being :
Jesus Christ.
Pattern:
Dia.... ( Greek word,)meaning: BY Whom
Definition:
Dia... ( pronounced, Dee- ah'..)..-a primary preposition denoting the CHANNEL OF an act; another word is..
THROUGH!!
WOW!!
REMEMBER..
Paul had defined the Divine Pattern for us in that verse above!!
So,we may safely declare, that..
the cornerstone relationship OF the universe is..Ek----Dia ( Greek), or in English, OF Whom----BY Whom!!
Therefore, the Father IS the Origin or Source OF what??
"ALL things!!"
And, then.Jesus IS the Channel OF what??
"..ALL things!!"
Tremendous Truth!!
Here we find the universal relational principle of all things INCLUDING LIFE ITSELF!!
WE might state it this way,..where LIFE IS..,
By the Greek word for Life is ,Zoe!!
Let's state it then:
Ek----- Dia = Zoe.
SOURCE------CHANNEL= LIFE.
Hmmmm., this is where we pause until our next Lecture!!
Trust you're being benefited and blessed!!
Shall we pray!!
Father, it all started with Thee, we just give our heartfelt praise, just to know and understand THAT PRINCIPLE of Truth revealed!!
In Jesus' Name, we pray, Amen!
God bless you in abundance!!
