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Pasa Graphe' Theopneustos Kai Ophelimos (Greek) is one of the most often-repeated passages from the Scriptures, ie, the Bible. The passage appears in the heading of our Facebook page. But what does it say to us in our various tongues? Well, for those of us who speak English, this passage is a bold testimony from the pen of one Paul, a first-century scholar from the Isrealite tribe of Benjamin. It is also a statement steeped in the thelogy of the Biblical narratives. So, Paul wrote to a young ethnic Jew named Timotheus: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable......"
At the time Paul wrote those words, there was not yet a codex known as the "New Testament." The scrolls of papyrus on which were written the Scriptures are what we call today the "Old Testament." In its immediate and limited interpretation, Paul is saying that the messages in the Old Testament are inspired by God. That being so, who is the man who would say that the record of the flood in Noah's day was simply an allegory, and not an historical account?

Nehemiah

The book of Nehemiah begins in Persia, about 500 years before Christ. Nehemiah—a Jewish man—was a cupbearer to the king of Persia. For nearly 70 years, the Jews had been held captive—first by the Babylonians, then by the Persians. During this time, the city of Jerusalem lay in ruins, having been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C.

Nehemiah was a man of unusual courage. He asked the king of Persia for permission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. The king agreed and Nehemiah went to work. It wasn't an easy task. Nehemiah faced intimidation, ridicule, even threats of violence. But under his leadership, the project was finished in less than two months.

For people who face problems today, Nehemiah offers an example well worth considering. Step by step, Nehemiah overcame the obstacles in his path and reached his goal—the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. The book of Nehemiah ends with a dramatic celebration in which the people marched around the city on top of the new walls.