To, For and About - a study guide

When studying the Bible, it's helpful to remember and know what parts of it are written directly to us. Although all of the Bible is for us, not all of it is to us.

2 Timothy 3:16 - All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

The following is a helpful guide when studying. It can also provide some great "Ah-ha" moments and some "I don't think so" moments when listening to teachers and pastors.

>Genesis thru Malachi - to, for and about Israel
>Matthew thru John - to, for and about Christ's relationship to Israel - past and future
>Romans thru Philemon - to, for and about the Church, the Body of Christ (us)
>Hebrews thru Revelation - to, for and about Israel's future

Study hard and study right!

www.LifeisGod.com

What's the difference between "of" and "in"?

So, is it the faith OF Jesus Christ, or the faith IN Jesus Christ that saves us?

We need to go back to earlier versions of the Bible to see the difference, and to see how the devil can use a small 2 letter word to really screw us up.

The KJV says in Galatians 2:16 a couple of times that it was the faith OF Jesus Christ. If you look in other versions they say faith IN Jesus Christ. It seems to me this little word changes the direction and meaning of the verse. In the newer versions it now puts the work or "doing part" onto us. In KJV it was Jesus that had the faith. His faith justified us. It was his faith because he loved us and gave himself for us (me).

If you look in Chapter 3, verse 22 it again has a different word, depending on the version of the Bible you are reading. Then in verse 26 it says - For ye are all the children of God by faith IN Christ Jesus. It's our faith in Christ that makes us his children, but it was His faith that saved us...not ours.

2 Timothy 2:15 tells us to study and rightly divide the word of truth. We live in a distorted world. Truth is hard to find. Pastors, authors, politicians, newspeople...the list is endless of those who try to control what we believe and think. The only thing that is solid and true is the Word of God...but we've got to let it say what it means and stop trying to make it say something else.

Keepin' it real and in the Word.

www.LifeisGod.com