All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2 Timothy 3:16 (KJV)
Devotion
In 1874, William Mitchell Ramsey was appointed as the professor of classical art and archaeology at Oxford University. His earlier education centered on the Tübingen School of biblical interpretation. This academic approach to the scriptures maintained that the Book of Acts was composed in the second century, and therefore was not a reliable account of the missionary journeys of Paul as recorded by Luke. Maintaining that Acts was a second century composition, Ramsey considered this biblical book to have been compiled with multiple errors. As an adherent to the Tübingen School of theology, he wanted to prove, beyond any doubt, the falsehoods contained in this scriptural text, a biblical book that is an integral member of the New Testament canon.
Ramsey decided to use his archaeology expertise to prove his theory, which would then establish Acts as a forgery. Ramsey also had a second motivation to disavow the book ascribed to Luke as being an accurate representation of first century Christianity, as he was an atheist. It was his goal to demonstrate that the Bible is not the Word of God, but is only the written fallacies of misguided individuals.
For the next fifteen years Ramsey spent considerable time in Asia Minor on archaeological digs. He also studied biblical related documents. At the end of this quest, he became convinced that the Book of Acts was written in the first century by Luke. He realized that the Book of Acts was an accurate account of Paul’s missionary journeys. Accepting that the Bible is the Word of God, Ramsey became a Christian.
On March 25, 1896, Ramsey published his thesis in a book titled St. Paul the Traveler and the Roman Citizen. In this book he offered proof that Luke was a historian whose account of Paul is a verifiable fact. In the preface of his book Ramsey wrote, “Our hypothesis is that Acts was written by a great historian, a writer who set himself to record the facts as they occurred, a strong partisan, indeed, but raised above partiality by his perfect confidence that he had only to describe the facts as they occurred, in order to make the truth of Christianity and the honour of Paul apparent.”
Ramsey affirmed that the Book of Acts, as well as all the books of the Bible, represent the Word of God. All the books of the Bible, much like the Book of Acts, present both dogmatic and narrative material, and, I question if the two can even be separated.
For a moment, let us focus on the Book of Acts. Though this discussion of Acts would apply to all 66 books in the Bible, in Acts the reader will encounter both of Luke’s presentation of factual material and the sharing of stories.
As we walk through Acts we will read about the power of the Holy Spirit, heavenly visions, Peter’s theology, geography, culture, politics, foreign religions, history, prophecy, and an outline of Paul’s missionary journeys as he traveled from one city to another. Coinciding with this we will be placed in the environment in which each of these events took place; for example, what it was like for Paul to be at sea aboard a ship, what it was like for Paul to be in prison, what was the setting for Paul’s conference in Jerusalem, and what was the backdrop for Peter’s sermon.
Dr. Lawson Murray is the president of Scripture Union Canada, which is located in Pickering, Ontario, Canada. He specializes in biblical research. He reported, as I have read elsewhere, that “80% of the Bible is narrative.” This means that only 20% of the 1,189 chapters in the Bible is written with a lecture format.
This figure should cause us to pause for a moment and reflect on our witnessing. Almost the entire Bible is written in story form. This, we know, is substantiated by our review of the Book of Acts, which is representative of all the biblical books recorded in both the Old and New Testaments. Thus, when we witness, as much as we must be biblically literate, we must also be able to articulate the story of our faith journey.
To continue my discussion of the Book of Acts as it exemplifies the narrative style of all the books of the Bible, I would like to reference a line from The CEB Study Bible. In the introduction to Acts it is written, “Acts is a historical-theological narrative.” The introduction is sharing with the biblical student that in the Book of Acts both history and theology that is shared presented in a story format.
In essence we could say, and it wouldn’t be simplistic to say so, that the Bible is a storybook. We are inspired by succinct scriptural passages that offer us comfort and direction, though, let’s be honest, we keep returning to the Bible because we are mesmerized by its stories. If the Bible was as straight-forward as a college lecture we would soon become disinterested and discard it. As we approach the Bible like children attending story time at the public library, we listen to its message with awe and wonder.
Jesus Loves Me remains the most popular children’s song. It is also the most often used hymn that missionaries employed to teach children the message of Jesus. The hymn was originally written as a poem in 1860 by Anna Bartlett Warner. Her sister, Susan, was a novelist. Behind Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Susan’s novel The Wide, Wide World was ranked second in popularity.
The hymn comes from another novel that Susan wrote titled Say and Seal. Today few are aware of that novel, but everyone is familiar with the poem that Anna wrote for one of the characters in Susan’s novel. In the novel, as Mr. Linden comforts the dying child Johnny Fax, he recites the poem, “Jesus loves me! this I know, For the Bible tells me so.” In 1861, Dr. William B. Brdbury put the poem to music. It first appeared in 1862 in his hymnal The Golden Shower. The hymn has remained unchanged ever since.
“Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” It is this love of Jesus, so wonderfully shared in Bible stories, that allows us to overcome our insecurities and live in hope.
Jesus loves me, this I know,
for the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to him belong;
they are weak, but he is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me he who died
heaven’s gate to open wide.
He will wash away my sin,
let his little child come in.
Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.
Jesus loves me, this I know,
as he loved so long ago,
taking children on his knee,
saying, “Let them come to me.”
Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.