January 2006

Although the "Leaves of Gold" has been published in Spanish for more than thirty-five years, this will be the first issue in French (English).

The purpose of the magazine is to give people who have not had any opportunity to study the Holy Bible to do so and at the same time to learn the Truth what the Holy Bible speaks of.

The editor is James Nelson who received Jesus Christ as his savior at the age of nineteen, felt the call to preach at the age of twenty-four and has been preaching for the past fifty-four years. He is a "non conformist" and does not follow any organized Christian religion. He and his wife Janet are members of the Messiah Baptist Church in Wichita, Kansas, U.S.A.

You will find that the outlines are easy to follow and the doctrinal studies informative.

We will begin with the "Christian Life Master Outlines and Study Notes" written by Porter L. Barrington and published by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Inerrancy of the Scriptures

I. The Bible declares itself to be the Word of God, 2 Timothy 3:16.

1. "…all Scripture…" refers to the entire Bible. Also it refers to the written Word of God. Biblical inerrancy asserts that God's Holy Spirit so guided "…holy men of old…" (2 Peter 1:21) so that the words they wrote, and which have been preserved as "The Holy Bible" were kept free from error.

2. "…al Scripture…" refers to the thirty-nine Books of the Old Testament, as well as the twenty-seven Books of the New Testament.

3. By "…inspiration of God…" means that the words were "breathed by God".

4. The Books of the Old Testament claim to be God's Word time and time again. They were accepted by prophets as well as by the faithful.

5. The Books of the New Testament were accepted by the assembly that Jesus Christ started during His earthy ministry so that the Christian even today has all of the revelation that God has given to mankind.

II. Jesus Christ taught the inerrancy of the Scriptures, John 10:35. He declared that "…the Scripture cannot be broken…" He cited Old Testament miracle stories, certifying them as true, accurate and inerrant. He spoke of:

1. Adam and Eva, Matthew 19:4-6.

2. Satan, Luke 11:18.

3. Noah, Matthew 24:37, 38.

4. Jonah, Matthew 12:39, 40.

5. Lot's wife, Luke 17:32.

III. The prophets of the Old Testament received the Scriptures as inerrant, 2 Chronicles 36:20, 21.

1. Moses, the human author of the first five Books of the Old Testament, was commanded by God to record events in Israel's history and transmit them to Joshua, Exodus 17:14.

2. Joshua's generation saw Moses writing not as the words of man, but as having the authority of God, Joshua 8:31-35.

3. David charged his son Solomon to obey God's written law, 1 Kings 2:3.

4. Isaiah claimed that the words he spoke and recorded were the actual words of God, Isaiah 1:10; 8:20.

5. Daniel studied the writings of Jeremiah the prophet, and took these to be accurate and inerrant records of God's message to man, Daniel 9:2.

6. Malachi ends the Old Testament era with an admonition to "…remember the Law of Moses…the statues and judgments…"; Malachi 4:4.

IV. Jesus Christ and His Apostles authenticated the New Testament as inerrant, 2 Peter 1:21.

1. Peter denied that "prophecy" (speaking for God) was by the will of man.

2. He denied that the Apostles had followed "cunning devised fables…" 2 Peter 1:16-18.

3. Peter recognized the apostle Paul's epistles as being "scripture", 2 Peter 3:15, 16.

4. John the Apostle was shown the vision of the Book of Revelation, Revelation 1:9 and acknowledged that it is Scripture since God warned against adding to or taking away from that Book, Revelation 22:18, 19.

5. Jesus Christ, during His earthly ministry, pre-authenticated the coming New Testament as inerrant and equal in authority to the Old Testament, see His Words in John 16:12, 13; 14:26.

6. All of the Books of the New Testament were written either by an Apostle or by an associate of an Apostle.

V. Jesus Christ and His Apostles accepted the Book of Genesis as a factual account, Matthew 19:4.

1. Jesus Christ accepted the Creation account, as well as the Adam and Eve accounts, as true, Matthew 19:4, 5.

2. The Apostle Paul accepted the Adam and Eva account, 2 Corinthian 15:22; 1 Timothy 2:13.

3. Jesus Christ accepted the reality of Satan and his part in the fall of man, Mark 323; Luke 10:18; John 8:44.

4. John the Apostle, in the Book of Revelation, called Satan "…that serpent of old…", thus attesting Genesis chapter three and the Fall of Adam, Revelation 12:9.

5. Jude accepted the reality of Cain, who killed his brother Abel, and Enoch, who "…walked with God…", Jude 1:11,14.

6. Jesus Christ and the writer of the New Testament Book to the Hebrews accepted the reality of Cain and Abel, Matthew 23:35; Hebrews 11:4. See Genesis 4:1-15.

7. Jesus Christ affirmed His eternal existence prior to Abraham, John 8:56, 58.

8. Jesus Christ accepted the account of Lot's wife, Luke 17:32, see Genesis 19:26.

9. He also accepted the reality of Noah and the Flood, Matthew 24:37-39, see Genesis chapter 6 to 9.

VI. Jesus Christ and the Apostles accepted the Books most attacked by critics, Matthew 12:40, 41.

1. The Pentateuch (the first five Old Testament Books) was written by Moses. The account of his death (Deuteronomy was probably added by Joshua)

2. The Book of Daniel was written by Daniel about 600-550 B. C. and Jesus Christ quoted Daniel as a God-inspired foreteller of the future, Matthew 24:15 and is inerrant in all of its words.

3. Some critics maintain that the Book of Isaiah was written by three authors, however Isaiah is mentioned by name in the New Testament some twenty-five times: Matthew 15:7-9; 3:3; Acts 8:28-33.

VII. Fulfilled Prophecy shows the inerrancy of the Bible, Psalm 119:89; Matthew 24:35.

1. Prophecies of past history have come true. Amos, in 760 B. C. prophesied judgment on various nations (Amos 1:1 to 2:16) and all of these dire words have come to pass.

2. Prophecies of the moral nature of man have come true; Matthew 24:5-12; 26:11; 1 Timothy 4:1-3.

3. Prophecies concerning Israel's survival land restoration have all come true. The Bible has predicted in many verses the survival of the Hebrew people and their eventual return to the land as survivors from many nations, Jeremiah 30:1-11; 33:1-11; Romans 11:25, 27.

4. Prophecies concerning the coming, the life, and the death of Jesus Christ have come true in hundreds of details, Micah 5:2; Isaiah 52:13 to 53:12; Psalm 22; Zechariah 12:10 and other passages describe in detail His birth and His death.

5. Prophecies of the end of the age (not the end of the world) are today coming into focus with much opposition against the nation of Israel, Ezekiel 38:2, 5.

6. The prophecies of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ are yet to be fulfilled. Armies will come to Armageddon, Revelation 16:16; 19:19, and Jesus Christ will return to rescue the nation of Israel and put the entire world in order, Revelation 19:11-16. Therefore the Holy Bible, the Word of God is, and shall be, true and inerrant in its every word!

Rightly Dividing The Word

(Taken from the book by Clarence Larkins)

Text: 2 Timothy 2:15

The Holy Scriptures are not a systematic treatise on Theology, History, Science or any other topic. They are a REVELATION from God, the Creator of this universe, of His Plan and Purpose in the Ages as to the earth and the human race. They were given to us over a period of many years to many men. They consist of 66 separate Books, 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament.

While the Holy Bible is the only REVELATION from God it is written so we can understand it. It can be translated into any spoken language.

The contents of the Holy Bible are (1) figurative, which is explained by the context; (2) symbolical, which is explained by either the context or somewhere else; y (3) literal, letting it say what it wants to say.

While the Holy Bible was written for all classes of people, and for our learning, it is not addressed to all people in general. Part of it is written to the Jews, part of it to the Gentiles and part of it is written to the church (which is made up of believers).

All Scripture is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction, 2 Timothy 3:16. Do not apply passages written to the Jews to the church….this leads to confusion.

To "rightly divide the Word" we must distinguish between the work of Jesus Christ as Prophet, Priest and King.

Also we must distinguish between the "Prophetic Days" (see chart). We must distinguish between the "times" and the "seasons", between "times past" when God spoke to the prophets and these "last days" in which God has spoken to us by His Son, Hebrews 1:1, 2.

As to the "times" we have designated the as:

1. Times of ignorance, Acts 17:30.

2. Times of the gentiles, Luke 21:24.

3. Times of refreshing, Acts 3:19.

4. Times of restitution, Acts 3:21

5. The Dispensation of the fullness of times, Ephesians 1:10. (See chart "The Times and Seasons"

We see that when the gentiles are in power the Jews are not. Since the time of the gentiles is still running the church cannot be in power.

We also must learn to separate the Holy Bible as to "time" and "eternity" and the different "ages" and "dispensations" of "time". (This study will continue)

What Baptists Believe About The Scriptures

By Allen Adkins

Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

Sometimes it is easier to say what we don´t believe than it is to say what we do believe. The Bible is still the best seller among books, but it is also the most widely rejected book of all. Many have a Bible but do not believe what it says.

A characteristic of Baptists throughout history is that they take the Bible alone as their rule of faith and practice.

I. What the Bible is:

1. The word "Bible" comes from the Greek "BIBLIA" meaning "books".

2. It is a divinely given library of sisty-six books, dividd into Old and New testaments.

3. It was written by some forty writers on three continents, in three languages during 1500 years.

II. How we got our Bible. It is reasonable that God would not leave men with no revelation of Himself., see 2 Peter 1:21.

III. All of the Bible is true. It tells the truth about evil men, about a Holy God, about the past and about the future, see 2 Timothy 3:15-17.

IV. How are we to know what the Bible teaches? Understanding the Scriptures must come by:

1. Right division, 2 Timothy 2:15.

2. Comparing scripture with scripture, 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:20.

3. One can wrest, twist, the scriptures to their own destruction, 2 Peter 3:16.

4. Rules to use: Who is speaking? About what is he speaking? To whom is he speaking? When was he speaking? Why was he speaking?

V. The Bible reveals the principles by which God shall judge us, John 12:47, 48; Romans 2:1-6.

VI. The Bible reveals itself to be the standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be judged. Does it measure up to God´s Word? It is confirmed by God´s Word?, see 1 Juan 4:1.

VII. The Bible reveals how man can come into the presence of God uncondemned, see John 3:3; 16-18; Acts 16:31; Romans 10:8-13; John 1:11, 12.

1. If the Bible is not the Word of the Creator, then man is groping in darkness, helpless and without hope for the future. If the Bible is not true, those who believe it are none the worse for having believed it. They are as well off as those who have refused to believe it. But, if it is true (and it is), they are better off than they are.

This publication is sent out free. You can obtain it in written form by writing to:

Leaves of Gold, Beverly, Kansas 67423 U.S.A.

Or by the Internet at:

Leaves-of-Gold.com