Can you really be TAUGHT BY GOD?

Jesus said, “It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’  Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me”.

(John’s Gospel, chapter 6, verse 45)

The message of Jesus Christ has been preached, studied, argued about, maligned, and ignored for over 2,000 years. This website is one man’s endeavour to add to the wealth of resources available to those who are interested in discovering more about this fascinating subject. If that happens to be you, then you’re more than welcome to come in, make yourself comfortable, and begin to explore what’s on offer.

The Bible

The primary resource that God has provided for us to learn about Him and His ways is the Bible. In previous generations in the UK and Ireland, almost every house would have had at least one copy of the Bible. Often, it would have been a family Bible, passed down from generation to generation, with births, marriages, and deaths recorded on special pages at the front. Today, many people have never read the Bible, and many, if not most, homes do not possess one.

If you are not familiar with the Bible or are wondering why anyone should consider it to be important, then I would suggest that you START HERE.

The Gospel

‘Gospel’ is an old English word meaning ‘good news’ or ‘good tidings’. The equivalent word in Greek (the language in which much of the Bible was written) gives us our English words ‘evangelism’ and ‘evangelist’ – an evangelist being someone who spreads the good news. We live in an age of bad news and fake news, but Jesus came to the earth to do something that no-one else was able to do – to offer forgiveness of sins and give eternal life to ordinary people like you and me.

If you could do with some good news to make life worth living, then START HERE.

Apologetics

Apologetics has nothing to do with apologising, or saying ‘sorry’. The original meaning of ‘apologise’ is ‘to give an explanation’, and that’s what apologetics is all about – it’s an attempt to explain what Christians believe and why they believe it to people who have limited or no knowledge of the subject but would like to gain some insight into it.

If that sounds like you, and you want to dig into this gold-mine of truth, then START HERE.

Studies

It’s one thing to listen to sermons, or even read the Bible and have a general sense of what God is saying to us through it, but it’s another thing altogether to have an in-depth understanding of the Word of God and a firm grasp of the truth contained in it. If you have been enjoying supping on the milk of the Word, but are longing to get your spiritual teeth into the meat of it, then get your knife and fork ready and START HERE.

etc.

This section of the website features miscellaneous bits and pieces that I thought might be of interest. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and interest is in the mind of the reader. If your curiosity’s got the better of you, then START HERE.

Forum

The ancient Greeks and Romans used to gather in a place called The Forum to discuss, debate, and argue over the matters that were important to them. If you want to discuss, debate, argue, or just comment on any of the subjects raised in this website, then head over to the Taught By God forum and get your tuppence-worth in.

If you want to contribute, you'll have to register with an email address and a password, but this is simple enough to do. If you just want to see what other people have said, there's no need for that - just go in and browse till your heart's content.

Whichever it is, or you just want to be nosey, welcome to The Forum.

And by the way ...

As far as possible throughout the website I have tried to use everyday language so that anybody who can read English should be able to follow and understand. For the most part, the Bible was written by ordinary people for ordinary people. The apostles Peter and John were fishermen; Luke the evangelist was a doctor; the prophet Amos was a shepherd and a gardener. They did not use special religious or theological language, because their message was not aimed at intellectuals in the university but at other fishermen, doctors, and shepherds going about their everyday lives and trying to follow God as best they knew how. Even Jesus, the Son of God, told stories that ordinary people could relate to in order to convey the deep truths of the Gospel. And Paul the apostle, one of the most highly educated men of his generation, said "For Christ [sent me] to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power" (1 Corinthians 1:17 ESV). A wise man once said, "if you can't explain something in simple language, you probably don't understand it!".

Someone might say, "If I'm to be taught by God, why do I need to read what you write, or listen to some preacher? Surely God can speak to me directly, can't He?"

The answer is, "of course He can". But it is also true that in this material universe, controlled by the laws of nature, God will always use natural means where they are available, and step in with the supernatural where the natural is not up to the task, such as in the healing of cancer or raising of the dead.

When it comes to teaching, God more often than not will speak through the agency of another human being. The Bible itself is witness to that fact. If God wanted to teach everyone personally and individually, would He have gone to the trouble of getting the Bible written? In his letter to the Ephesian church, Paul says:

So, when we have all become mature and attained to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, this website and all of the preachers and teachers and all of their works will be obsolete. But until that day comes, there will always be a place for teaching.

So, dip in and explore. My hope and prayer is that you'll come out wiser than you were when you went in, and have an enjoyable experience along the way.