Discovery

Ecclesiastes 1:9 English Standard Version (ESV) What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.

Acts 17:21 English Standard Version (ESV) Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.

The New World existed long before explorers sailed across the Atlantic and discovered it. It was new to them only by discovery.

Yesterday it was stated that the bible is complete and there is nothing new to be found in what God has to say to us. His Word is complete. That does not mean you have discovered all that He has to say to you. While the men of the Areopagus were epicurean and stoic philosophers they were willing to discover new things.

The new things we discover must be validated by the Word of God if they are spiritual in nature. Anything related to how God speaks to man and His plans for us is discoverable in our bibles. If what we believe is not validated by God’s Word we must seek wise counsel in order to come to a better understanding of the truth.

2 Corinthians 10:5 English Standard Version (ESV) We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

Lofty opinions which cannot be validated by the Word are vain imaginations and there is no truth in them.

Psalm 119:104 English Standard Version (ESV) Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

Ephesians 4:18 English Standard Version (ESV) They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.

Pride causes a hardening of the heart. We must not think ourselves better than others just because they have not discovered all the truth.

Inspiration

2 Timothy 3:16 English Standard Version (ESV) All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

2 Timothy 3:16 King James Version (KJV) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Both versions are quoted here to view the issue of inspiration of the scriptures. The ESV indicates that God spoke the words while the KJV indicates the writers heard God. We know the Holy Spirit is the breath of God but the issues of hearing the Holy Spirit can be confusing to a novice who does not have the experience required to be familiar with His voice.

All scripture is complete and there is no knew Word of God. There is however the need to share His Word in a manner which brings relevant meaning to this life in Christ. Much of how we perceive this life in Christ is first viewed in the comparative nature of things we already understand.

Psalm 1:3 English Standard Version (ESV) He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.

We can study trees and understand how they live and produce fruit. Comparing man with a tree allows us to understand how the Holly Spirit transmits life from the source of life to the branches where the fruit of the Spirit is grown. It is something we can see in the natural world and relate it to our spiritual life.

In the same way devotional writers and teachers and authors take examples from life to bring inspiration into our spiritual lives. Hopefully their words are inspired by the Holy Spirit, not being given a new Word but being shown a natural way to present His Word. May it touch the life of the reader so that the Holy Spirit can fulfill the will of God.