Ephesians 2:1 comments: made alive by Christ

1 ¶  And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Christ has made us alive, we who were dead in our sins spiritually and bound to die in our sins physically. We are born with a dead spirit due to the sin nature of Adam which we inherited.  Adam was told that in the day he ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil he would die. It was not, at that time, a physical death, but, as is evidenced here in this verse, the death of the spirit, (your spirit is one way you are known by God; see Proverbs 20:27 for your spirit; see Psalm 139:23 for your spiritual heart) with physical death as the ultimate consequence, and then an eternity of agony and anguish. You are either in Adam or in Christ. You are either bound for Hell or for Heaven. Several key verses in Romans, chapter 5, point out that death is a consequence of sin.

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned…15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many…17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)…19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Quick refers to being alive and quickened is given life. Here’s an example;

2Timothy 4:1  I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

By the way, did you see that?  The word of God, little w, this Book, is alive.

The Bible says that, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God….” 2 Timothy 3:16

The Bible says that the result of God’s inspiration is understanding, not word for word dictation.
 “But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.” Job 32:8

Peter said that Paul wrote by the wisdom given to him as he wrote, “..even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you… 2 Peter 3:15

Wisdom and understanding are synonyms in the Bible. “And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much…” 1 Kings 4:29

So, although God did give some people words to write verbally as in the Torah, the five books of Moses, in most cases He did not rely on word for word dictation. In fact, He gave Jeremiah the wisdom to write an original and then to rewrite it and add words to it. “Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words.” Jeremiah 36:32

Then, why are the words of a foolish Nabal, a disheartened Elijah, and a discouraged Jeremiah important? Because God preserved them for us, or rather for our learning as Paul put it in Romans 15:4 so that by the patience and comfort the Scripture teaches we might have hope.

The doctrine of  Preservation is essential to the doctrine of Inspiration. For, any historical researcher knows that there are two questions a scholar must ask when a written document is in front of him. One is why was it written? The second is why was it preserved?

King James Bible believers, those who believe we have a perfect translation in the Authorized Version, regard this doctrine as vital to our reverence for the Scriptures that we have in our hands, not the unseen original autographs.

Psalm 12:6  The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 7  Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

Psalm 119:89 LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

 But, whatever  Bible version you use or whatever Biblical text tradition you follow, it is Christ that makes you alive, who has brought you back from the dead in more ways than one.