All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.
But he answered, ‘It is written, “One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'
Holy Scripture, also called the Bible, is the story of God's relationship with God's people. The Bible is divided into two main sections, called the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is the story of God's promise to the people of Israel to make them a great nation. The New Testament is the story of a new relationship with God revealed in Jesus Christ, which promises to bring everyone into the kingdom of God. Both the Old and the New Testaments reveal the response of the people of God, the questioning and testing and waiting, as well as the love and the faith and the obedience, all part of an ongoing relationship.
Holy Scripture means a sacred writing or book which gives it authority to teach. We call it the Holy Scriptures because we revere these writings. Why do we revere these writings many people wonder? Because the Holy Scriptures were written under the revelation of God though the Holy Spirit. This means that God placed His Words into the hearts and minds of the men He chose to write them down. This makes the writings very special and is considered a gift to us from God.
It was God's purpose to create the Holy Scriptures which would reveal His will. From time to time he raised up men to write in a record of the truth He gave. We have now a completed "Scripture," consisting of the Old and New Testaments. God reveals Himself to us through the Scriptures. According to the Roman Catholic Bible there are 46 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament.
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart“(Deuteronomy 6:6). This vermse contained instructions from God to Moses and shows us how important the teaching of God’s word is to God’s children. We need to honor God’s Word, the Scriptures.
Scripture knowledge is the best knowledge every living man could gain. This kind of treasure cannot be compared with silver and gold. It surpasses the riches of the whole world and that is the reason why the world cannot afford to give it. It has been said that no man can find his way to God without the Word of God.
The Word of God is powerful. Living by the Word produces strong faith and godly living. The Word of God should not be a light thing in a corner, but a wonderful treasure one should be proud of. Well-lived Word of God glorifies God, but well-displayed head knowledge without application will push a man to his own spiritual shipwreck.
Fruitless knowledge is useless. The chief priests and scribes in the Jesus’ time were knowledgeable, but they didn’t use it. The chief priests and the scribes knew where the Jesus was,m but did not want to go to Bethlehem and worship the King of the Jews. In order to truly believe in God, we must act and live by the Scriptures.
The knowledge in the Scriptures is very powerful. Knowledge for self gain is dangerous and destructive. King Herod believed in the Scriptures, but he used what he knew about Jesus’ birth, to try to kill him. Herod is a typical example of people who are using the Word of God for bad reasons.
The wise men illustrated the best way of applying what they have learned from the Scriptures. Their Scripture knowledge led them to the Lord Jesus Christ. They gained more knowledge and understanding that is why their knowledge progressed into wisdom. Well-lived spiritual knowledge praises God.
There are three kinds of people:
Observers: People that have knowledge but do nothing. For example, the chief priests and the scribes who were knowledgeable of the Scriptures. Through the Scriptures, they were able to known the exact birth place of the coming Messiah. They had the advantage and authority to answer hard question because of the knowledge they gained through the Scriptures. They became stand outs during puzzling times and attained great honor, but they did not live what they knew, which is why they did not understand Jesus.
Lost and Abusive: These are people that know Scripture is important and use it in the wrong way. Herod represents people who were interested in the Scripture because they know the value of the Word of God which brings good and helpful information, but used it to hurt others.
Living the Word: People that know the Scripture, and live it as God wants them to. The wise men were willing to get information from the Scriptures so that they could be properly guided in their memorable search for the Savior. These kinds of people are still the kinds of people we have today in our society. They did not question the authority of the Scriptures because of the great advantage they get from it.
Áp Dụng Trong Cuộc Sống (Life Application)
So where does God want us to place his words? What is the best way for us to do this? What are some ways you learn more about God’s word?
God wants us to have His words in our heart. The fact is God wants adults to be able to tell children what the Bible says and hope that they will follow God’s commands. But it is also important that the adults must also have God’s word in their heart. Our actions really do speak louder than our words.
God wants His word to be upon our heart. It’s one thing to talk about it, and another thing to understand the Bible, but God wants us to have it in our heart — to believe it and live it.
We cannot have God’s word in our heart without spending time reading it. Daily Bible reading is important in our spiritual growth. And it also helps if we spend time studying and reflecting on the Bible. And then we need to put into practice what we have learned.
God wants us to understand Him and understand how to be His children by reading, learning, and living the Holy Scriptures. He gave us this wonderful gift over many, many years, so that we can grow as a community and live the way He wants us to.
Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and today we think we know what is right and what is wrong. But we really don’t. Without the guidance of the Scriptures, we would not truly know what is right and wrong. By following Moses’ teachings in the Old Testament and Jesus’ teachings in the New Testament we can live a good and happy life on Earth, and someday join God in heaven.
Scripture is the sacred knowledge that God reveals to us. We must take care of His words, and remember Him always.
Dear Lord, please help me to keep the Holy Scriptures and to remember that they were a gift from you. Help me to live by the Holy Scriptures so that I can be your child and a good Catholic. Help me to understand what it is you want me to know and to do my best to help others to understand your Word as well. Amen.