The Christian Faith: A Quick Guide To Understanding Its Inter-Workings
Reid Ashbaucher
This book is designed to help those that are looking to know more about the Christian faith, or those that would like to teach a class or hold a small group discussion on Christianity 101.

Price:  $4.99

from Amazon.com!

book excerpt

Chapter 4 The Canon and Its Translations Opening Comments Within this chapter we will be discussing the Protestant canon; how it has been translated into other languages; and how to choose the most reliable translations for reading and for further study. Jesus relied heavily on the Scriptures. Matthew 4:1-7 records how Satan placed three temptations before him, and how he responded each time with: “it is written...” In Matthew 21:42, he asked: “Did you never read in the Scriptures...?” – placing an emphasis on their importance for answers from God. Mark 12:24 records Jesus responding to a question about morality; expecting those asking the questions to have found the answer in the Scriptures: “Jesus said to them, Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures, or the power of God?” We find in Luke 24:27 Jesus explaining how the Scriptures spoke about him and how he is the fulfilment of all they represent. “And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.” This concept is reaffirmed in John 5:39 when Jesus said: “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me ....” Jesus’ statement reflects the fact that it is not the Scriptures that save us; but they contain the written message of Jesus the Messiah as their central theme. This is why he said in Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfil.” On the night before he went to the cross to die, Jesus prayed to his heavenly Father: “Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth.” (John 17:17) This statement emphasizes that what God says is true and important, for God’s words help set the standards for knowing how to be set apart from sin―which is what “sanctify” means―and they uncover Satan’s methods for our physical and spiritual destruction. “Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching,” was the urging of the Apostle Paul to his young protégé in First Timothy 4:13, to stress the importance of the Scriptures as God’s truth to the early church. Yes, the Scriptures are important, as they are the only historical record of what God has said and what he wants us to know. The reality is that they are his direct revelation to humankind about knowing God’s ethical and moral standards for distinguishing right from wrong in our everyday lives. Remember, morality is God’s standard, not humankind’s standard. So it is important that we understand the process that God used to bring us his wisdom, truth and historical perspective.