IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH.
3) The Word of God (The Logos).
The Word of God is living. The Word of God is spoken. The Word of God is personal. The Word of God is Jesus Christ.
There is a written form of the Word of God - the Bible Scriptures - which reveal the historical and eternal person of Jesus Christ. He is the personal Word of God. The living personal God spoke in history through through Jesus Christ as revealed in the Bible scriptures.
The consequence of mankind's sin is that God desired to shed his own blood to make manifest his perfect love for his creatures in their salvation: by grace through our faith. Jesus Christ took upon himself flesh and blood so that he might sacrifice himself for us.
The Levite Moses compiled and wrote the opening book of the Bible scriptures for the benefit of the nation of Israel in the Hebrew language, by the inspiration of the Spirit of God. This book extended to the five books of the Law (Torah) as we know them today. Subsequent prophets raised up by God, beginning with Joshua (the same name as Jesus) were inspired to append further documents to the Book of the Law.
The completed written testament of the Nation of Israel contains thirty nine documents as we know them today - the five of Moses, twenty one further books of the Prophets (Nebhi'im), and thirteen books known as the writings (Kethubhim or Psalms). They all speak of the saviour. There are some thousand years between the time of Moses and the last prophet of the Old Testament, Malachi.
It was a further four hundred years before the promised Messiah, Christ Jesus was born of a woman. After his death, resurrection and ascension, twenty seven further documents witnessing to the life of Christ were appended to the holy scriptures by prophets who witnessed his bodily resurrection.
The apostle John (meaning God is gracious) completed the last book, The Revelation of Jesus Christ, in Ephesus, Asia Minor about sixteen hundred years after Moses was inspired to write down the first book of the scripture revelation. This prepares the way for the return of Christ to bring final judgement to the world.
Since the completion of the canon of scriptures the manuscripts have been copied and distributed far and wide by the congregation of Jesus Christ. Our living God has provided trustworthy conditions for correct copying and subsequent translation to take place. The correct scriptures can be found to have been provided for the faithful by faithful, humble men such as William Tyndale who first translated the Bible into english from copies in the original languages. (Fifteen hundred years after the Crucifixion). He was executed for his faithful efforts.
Rome has influenced Church doctrine since Christ and the seed of corruption has grown powerfully within it. Those Christians who trust solely in Christ have sought in history to bring the truth to light by the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Conflicting denominations in Christendom have fought each other over doctrinal differences but the canon of sixty-six documents is established and the so-called King James Bible (authorised version - first edition 1611) is translated from acceptable manuscripts.
Various cults and groups attempt to change the canon (e.g. Rome adds Apocryphal books) and many use alternative, faulty corrupted manuscripts for alternative translations (see 1881 - the "Revised Version" - and on up to the plethora of alternative texts today).
The Word of God must be primary to all who trust in him. The translations based on the Masoretic Hebrew Text and the "Textus Receptus" Koine Greek New Testament (for example the King James Bible) are the best faithful translations available of the complete Word of God, which we should hear, read and study with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Let us come together to the Word of God and seek his person and fellowship as a coherent believing body. Amen.
4) The Unchanging Gospel of God.