Greetings CrossTrain family! You have all been in our prayers in family ministry as we continue in our studies as families. We are in the final portion of Scripture where we are hoping to lay a foundation to teach our kids about what scripture is and why it is so important to be storing it in our hearts. This is our final verse we will look at and memorize regarding how scripture defines itself. After this we will begin to learn what Scripture has to say about who God says he is. The previous two verses have taught us WHAT it is (the very breath of God), WHY it is so important (it completes us and prepares us for every good work), WHO it is about (Jesus). This week we will see what scripture has to say about HOW God chose to reveal his word.
“No prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was every produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” —2 Peter 1:20-21
Why this verse? This verse teaches us about how God chose to reveal his word to us. It’s a truly miraculous thing if we ponder this for a moment! THE ETERNAL HOLY GOD, who exists outside of time, space, and matter (for He created these!) whose ways are infinitely greater than our ways, was able to communicate his thoughts to these tiny little sinful creatures. This is MINDBLOWING! We see here that God chose to use regular people, guided by his Holy Spirit (also truly God) to speak to his creatures in a manner that be understood and written down. Jesus tells us that heaven and earth will pass away, but his word will never pass away. As a great supplemental passage, consider Hebrews 1 where we are told that “long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” God’s holy spirit led his prophets to speak for Him to us. Later, in these last days, the ultimate prophet Jesus, of whom these other prophets were only a type, has completed his message to us. We know what Jesus said because of these eye witnesses who, again led by the Holy Spirit, wrote down and explained what Jesus said and did. Praise God for this!!
Follow up questions that 2 Peter 1:20-21 can answer:
How was the Bible written?
Did people write the Bible or did God?
We pray that these short messages would simply be ways for us all to discuss what the Bible has to say with our children. Again, our desire is not to have one more thing for our busy families to do so that we can check it off our to-do list. We pray these discussions would be part of our daily lives and that it would increase our knowledge and love of our great God and Savior, and that his word would make us more into his image unto good works. We love you all and you are daily in our prayers. We look forward to talking to more families about how their discussions have gone. Until then, may God richly bless you by the grace and mercy won by Jesus Christ!
All to the Glory of God-
Adam and Audra — Family Ministries