Titles of the Bible

The Bible has many titles listed within the Bible itself. It is referred to in many ways and in many contexts. Regardless of context, each title itself stands eternal.

In each verse the context could be different, but the title remains. Likewise the context could be the same and the title could be interchanged.

Here is a likely incomplete list of names the Holy Spirit gives the Bible through its various authors:

  • Book of the Law (Deuteronomy 31:26)
  • Gospel (Romans 1:16)
  • Holy Scriptures (Romans 1:2)
  • Living Words (Acts 7:38)
  • Message of Christ (Colossians 3:16)
  • Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16)
  • Word of God (Luke 11:28)
  • Word of Life (Philippians 2:16)
  • Words of the Lord (Psalm 12:6)
  • Law of the Lord (Psalm 19:7)

 

What Does God Say About the Bible?

The Holy Spirit-led authors of the Bible made many references to the Bible itself. However, some folks wonder if the God Himself says anything about the Bible. Since the entire Bible was inspired by God’s Holy Spirit and given to men to write down, That is why Luke refers to it as, “The Word of God”.

God says this about His Word…

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater; So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the purpose for which I sent it.
(Isaiah 55:10-11)

 

So what does His Word declare is its own purpose?

Through Matthew, He compares His Word to food…

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4)

In Paul’s letter to Timothy and to the Romans, the Holy Spirit revealed that it is for training…

All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Romans 15:4

 
Through King David, His Word is revealed as a light…

Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105

 

Through King David’s son, King Solomon, the Holy Spirit tells us that His Words are life and they are healing to us…

My son, pay attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. They are not to escape from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them, And healing to all their body.
Proverbs 4:20-22

 

The Holy Spirit helps us understand through Joshua that we are not just to know His Word but to meditate on it ALL the time so that we are prosperous and successful…

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will achieve success.
Joshua 1:8

 

When His Word was first being compiled by Moses, the Holy Spirit taught us to internalize His Word and take it with us everywhere…

You shall therefore take these words of mine to heart and to soul; and you shall tie them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets on your forehead. You shall also teach them to your sons, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up. Deuteronomy 11:18-19

 

The Holy Spirit teaches us through Paul’s letter to the Romans that our faith comes by hearing His Word…

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Romans 10:17

 

Hearing Comes By the Word of Christ

When I was going through the hardest time in my life, I used to counsel/mentor with my pastor at the time. One day while I was there eating dinner with his family, we were discussing how to hear God’s voice.

At the time, I was new to walking in the Holy Spirit and I was desperate to learn more. It was during that conversation that my pastor’s wife gave me one of the best spiritual lessons in my life. She told me to, “seek His face.”

 

Learn to hear by seeking His face

When she said that, I had absolutely ZERO concept of what she was talking about. I asked her immediately, “Pastor Chris, I don’t even understand what you mean by that. How do I seek His face?” Her reply was life changing. She told me that to seek His face meant to find out:

  • What He looked like
  • What He acted like
  • How He listened to others
  • How He spoke to others
  • How He treated others

This momentarily left me bemused. I STILL had no idea how to get from point A to point B and I told her so. “Pastor Chris, I have no idea how to even begin that process,” I replied. With a bright smile on her face she simply said, “Read the red letters… A LOT.”

I did read those red letters, dozens of times. They created in me a hunger for His Word. It led me to a greater understanding of:

  • who He is
  • why He came
  • the absolute blessings He came to bring

The greatest of these blessings is obviously our salvation. At one point, the disciples were excited because the Holy Spirit was working through them by healing, casting out demons and more. However, Jesus told them:

Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.
Luke 10:20

This does not excuse us from our calling in the great commission spoken in Mark chapter 16.

15And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16“He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. 17“These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; 18they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
Mark 16:15-18

Our joy is that we are saved, the rest of it happens because we are His disciples and we believe.

 

The Scriptures Must be Spiritually Discerned

The evidence for the scriptures being written to your spirit is found in Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians.

But a natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14

The very fact that the scriptures must be spiritually discerned is evidence that Jesus’ words in the Gospel of John.

7“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. 8“And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; 9concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; 11and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

12“I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14“He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. 15“All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.
John 6:7-15

 

Let the Holy Spirit Be your Guide

Once I began being led by the Holy Spirit, the Word began to come alive to me. It felt as if the Father Himself were pointing out His Word to me. The more I read in His Word the more He revealed to me through His Holy Spirit.

While reading another letter of John’s (the first one), the Holy Spirit revealed to me, HIS truth about my spiritual education.

And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him remains in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you remain in Him.
1 John 2:27

Jesus Himself even pointed to this as fact in the Gospel of John…

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you.
John 14:26

When you pick up His Word to read it, allow yourself to be changed by the Word. Ask the Holy Spirit to transform you through the Word.

You will become a living example of what Paul spoke about in his letter to the Romans. He was telling them to be different because of Jesus in their lives.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
(Romans 12:2

Once you’ve been transformed by the Word, what’s next?

 

Go Tell It on the Mountain

Isaiah gives a prophetic word about the Messiah and His followers. In Paul’s letter to the Romans (10:15), he quotes the prophetic word when talking about those who are sent to preach the good news.

How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, “Your God reigns!”
Isaiah 52:7

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians he describes this as part of the Spiritual Armor, when he tells us…

and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE;
Ephesians 6:15

This part of the armor was intended to prepare for the ultimate work that Jesus had for all of his followers. He did not want us to go into the world and create converts. He wanted us to go to ALL CREATION..

18And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20

 

How do you personally disciple someone?

Discipling someone takes time. It is hours on hours, line upon line, and verse upon verse. Discipleship requires TIME. If you are going to disciple someone you will need to put in the time to do so.

When my wife and I began discipling others we determined that we would follow a few very basic key concepts:

  • Start in your own home
  • Simply read the bible with them
  • Let His Word do all the heavy lifting

Remember that God said, it is HIS word and HE won’t let it return to Him empty and without succeeding in all that it was sent forth to accomplish. So when I disciple someone now, I simply spend time reading the Word of God with them, asking the Holy Spirit to teach us and discussing openly what it says.

This does not require any special knowledge from me. It only requires a willing heart and the Holy Spirit. God requires us to do the walking but it is His Word that lights the path.

Take the word and go and disciple others.