Power Passages in the Bible

By Ross Thompson

A combination of notes, commentary and Inspirational writng, make this book a compelling read. Five Bible passages are explored in detail. The Beginning - Genesis 1 - 3, The Good Things to come have arrived - Hebrews 10, A Closer Look Reveals Truth - Romans 7 - 8, Protection from Deadly Disease - Psalm 91, A Pure Heart for the Gentiles - Acts 10. With an Appendix on the Bible meaning of the heart. This book will lift you to new levels of experience and blessing in your Christian walk. In these perilous times it is essential we get a deep strong grip on the truth given to us in the Bible. The Gospel of Jesus Christ has not changed. It is still the power of God unto salvation for all those who believe. The word of God continues to be a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. The Bible is an unusual book.  God intended it to be a continual source of inspiration and power for life on Earth.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ross Thompson
• Release date: Feb 16, 2021
• ISBN: 9781393571445

Ross Thompson

Ross Thompson lives in Melbourne Australia. He is semi-retired after many years of full time and part time involvment in Pastoral and Evangelistic ministry. He was also a Bible college lecturer and has some Theological qualifications. Presently he uses his teaching gift to write for the edification of anybody interested in Christianity and Christians.

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INTRODUCTION

This book contains notes/commentary on five passages from the Bible. Genesis 1 - 3, Hebrews 10, Romans 7 and 8,  Psalm 91, and Acts10. An appendix at the end of the book is a discussion on what the Bible means by the heart. I have not included the Bible chapters themselves in the book. Therefore, reading the Bible chapter or chapters in question before reading the notes is suggested. No doubt the reader will also want to refer to the Bible occasionally as they read through the book.

The book is not an attempt to condense the Bible. Referring to Jesus -  Psalm 40:6 - 8 says. "Behold I have come - in the volume of the book it is written of me - to do thy will O God. Volume here means the complete Bible – Genesis to Revelation. Luke 24:27 records Jesus after His resurrection meeting two disciples on the Emmaus road and - Beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. The Bible must be accepted as an undivided whole. Many Bible passages cannot be understood without reference to other parts of the Bible. The passages discussed in this book continually refer to other parts of the Scripture for illumination.

Difficult parts of the Old Testament are explained in the New Testament. The Old Testament frequently has more information on an important subject than the New Testament. Important life issues from the New Testament, many times, require additional references in the Old Testament for complete understanding and application.

The Bible is an unusual book. Literal interpretation, wherever possible, is the first rule. Allegory, analogy, symbol and metaphor abound. It is given to us - by the will of God through holy men of God who spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 2:21) Scripture is of no private interpretation.(2 Peter 2:20) A consensus of agreement in the body of Christ should generally govern interpretation. Pauls exhortation to Timothy to - rightly divide the word of truth (2Tim 2:15) is an impossible task until we remember the Scripture is inextricably tied to our relationship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The Spirit filled person can rightly divide the word of truth.

THE BEGINNING

GENESIS ONE. The Hebrew name of the book of Genesis is the same as its first word - Bereshit (In the beginning). It is generally accepted the book of Genesis is structured around the recurring phrase - elleh toledot, meaning ‘ these are the generations.’ The first use of the phrase referring to the ‘generations of heaven and earth’ (1:1, 2:4) and the remainder marking individuals. The toledot formula, occurring eleven times in the book of Genesis, delineating its sections and shaping its structure, serves as a heading which marks a transition to a new subject:

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning

Genesis 2:4 Toledot of Heaven and Earth

Genesis 5:1 Toledot of Adam – and eight more (Wikipedia)

The events at the conclusion of the Book of Genesis occurred some three hundred years before Moses was born. Obviously, when the heavens and the earth were created nobody witnessed it except God and the heavenly hosts. How then was Moses able to write about the original creation in detail, and the rest of the events in Genesis? There is debate among Scholars that he had some sources, previous writings, to draw upon. I think the most likely explanation is given in 2 Peter 1:21. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. Peter uses the phrase ‘in old time’ and calls Scripture prophecy. I think we are safe to assume ‘old time’ refers to all the Old Testament. Moses confirmed that he was a prophet. The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. Deut 18:15  This verse itself is a prophecy from Moses. (generally thought to refer to Jesus)

The Jewish calendar has 2021 as 5781. That is from the creation to 2021. Moses lived during the time period between 1550 to 1200 B.C. Jesus authenticated all of Moses’ writing as Scripture. Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuses you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? John 5:45-47 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself Luke 24:27 The New Testament adds its confirmation to Moses’ writing with sixty-three allusions to the first three chapters of Genesis.

In our day and age, we have the benefit of viewing the marvellous artistry of the creation. The discoveries of Quantum Mechanics and other advances in Science have opened to us like never before, the intricacies behind the simple version of the seven-day creation given by God in the first chapters of Genesis. Often our first thought in turning our attention to these chapters is the seven-day debate. Was it literally seven days and so on? Faith in the literal interpretation of the Bible is the sole way to obtain a sure answer to those questions. Any other opinion is conjecture, unprovable, leading to endless discussion. Personally, I prefer to accept God has given it to us as seven days. He could have stated it differently. His version is good enough for me.  

(1:2) Water and the Earth were not created in the seven-day period. (1:6) tells us God divided the waters that were already in existence and commanded the dry ground, in existence under the water, to appear.(1:9) Both the water and the Earth are included in the first verse. In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth. I have come to accept the widely held view of a gap between verse one and two of chapter one. We are not told when in the beginning is. Johns Gospel starts the same way. In the beginning was the Word, (Jesus) and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. Again, we are not told when in the beginning is. It does not refer to God’s existence since He is the eternal God. The Hebrew EL used in Genesis is translated God. The Hebrew word Olam in Genesis comes from the root word Im, which means eternity. El Olam in Genesis can be translated eternal, everlasting, forever God. God triune always was and always will be.

The state of the Earth described in verse two seems to indicate another gap between the original creation and the Earth being without form and void, covered by the deep, and in darkness. Agreed opinion that God does not create anything chaotic, (without form and void) which the Bible confirms, For the LORD is God, and he created the heavens and earth and put everything in place. He made the world to be lived in, not to be a place of empty chaos. ‘I am the LORD,’ he says, ‘and there is no other.’ Isa 45:18, almost certainly means we are seeing the end of a former period in verse two. Prophet Uebert Angel has some messages on the subject at his YouTube channel under the heading ‘Before Adam’. I think it reasonable to assume the dinosaur age was part of this former period. Countless discoveries of dinosaur and other pre-historic bones also attest to this idea. Here with the help of Chuck Missler’s ‘Notes on Genesis’ (see his website for this and other Genesis writings) are some facts and clues. The details of these early chapters of Genesis, the Creation and the Flood, pervade the entire Bible, and are clearly confirmed in the New Testament and by Jesus Christ personally. 1] In the beginning God created the heaven. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 2] And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters = Merahefet: to hover above, flutter, brood, vibrate, as a bird with young. Only time used in Genesis.

And the earth was without form, and void = hayah, ‘had become’ indicating a change from a different state.  tohu, ‘without form,’ confused. Bohu, void, empty, waste. (Just as Lot’s wife ‘became’ a pillar of salt in Gen 19:26.) But the earth became without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. Choshek, unnatural darkness (Ex 10:21). Tehowm: an abyss (as a surging mass of water), especially the deep, deep (place), depth. In the Septuagint (Greek Text) abussos, abyss; the home of demons and evil spirits.

The emphasis is on the new