The name Melchizedek first appeared in history during the time of Abr(ah)am when he was living in Hebron and his nephew Lot in Sodom after they parted each other.  At that time, the kings of the East had a war among themselves; a coalition of five kings against a coalition of four on the other side.  The king of Sodom was captured and the inhabitants were taken away as captivities wherein Lot was one of them.     When Abraham heard that his brother had been taken captive; he went out with his 318 trained servants, defeated the coalition of kings and brought back the goods and all captivities of Sodom including his brother Lot. 

Abraham was met by the King of Sodom and offered the booty brought back as appreciation for saving his kingdom from the enemies.  Abraham refused that offer; as he did not wish King of Sodom say he did make Abraham wealthy!

Salem was not involved in the above war by the kings.   However, Melchizedek, the king of Salem appeared and offered Abraham bread and wine.  Melchizedek not only gave Abraham the nourishment for his body, but he blessed Abraham saying “Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, the founder of heaven and earth: and blessed be God, the Most High, who has delivered your enemies into your hand”.

In gratitude, Abraham reciprocated this priestly blessing by giving Melchizedek a 10^th of all. 

We read above story in Genesis 14.

Thereafter, the name Melchizedek had not appeared in Bible history for 1000 years until David spoke about him in Psalm 110.  

If Melchizedek was a real human being in flesh, then he should have a father & mother and should have a beginning and end.  But the author of Hebrew says Melchizedek is “without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life”! (Heb.7.3)

2)   In the book of Mathew 13:17 Jesus says: “that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it…” However, in John 8:56 Jesus says: “Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad”.  How did Abraham see Jesus?   Does it mean Abraham has seen Jesus by faith in which case does it mean other prophets and righteous men had no faith?!  Therefore, the only possibility was the meeting of Abraham with Melchizedek!   (The other possible incident, one might think of, is one of the 3 men who visited Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, pre the judgement of Sodom.  However, as per Gen 18:22 & 33 it was the LORD (Jehovah) Himself and other two men being the angels. Gen19.1)

3) The name Melchizedek means, King of righteousness (Hebrew 7.2).    Who in history is known as King of righteousness?  Only Jesus!  If we study Heb.1:8 and Rev. 19.11, we can see the Son of God ruling as King of Righteousness.  In Jeremiah 23:5 Jesus is called THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.  Acts 3:14 say He is the Righteous One.

5) According to Heb.7.3, Melchizedek is said to be “without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days nor end of life” in which case, he can not be considered as a human being.    Who is the person in history does not have a beginning and end?  Only Jesus!   He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. (Rev. 22.14)   Though as Man, we have His genealogy as born of Mary in the tribe of Judah, but as Son of God, Jesus neither has a beginning nor an end.  John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word of with God and the Word of God!

6) If we study the verse Heb.7.3 closely, Jesus is not portrayed after the pattern of Melchizedek, but  Melchizedek is “made like unto the Son of God”!  It is not the type that determines the antitype,   but the antitype determines the type!  i.e. Melchizedek in history is portrayed after Jesus”!

7)  David prophesied that Jesus will be a High priest in the order of Melchizedek (Ps.110.4).  The writer of Hebrew confirmed that Jesus is a Priest after that ancient order (Hebrew 5:6, 10, 6:20).    How? The priesthood was ordained not at the time of Abraham but only at the time of Moses.  The order of priesthood ordained by Moses was through the tribe of Levite, i.e. the priesthood of Aaron.  However, the priesthood of Jesus is not after the priesthood of Aaron; but as promised by Father, it was by the order of Melchizedek.   In order to bring to an end to the priesthood of Aaron when the real high priest appears, Father had in the beginning set the priesthood by the order of Melchizedek!    The self-subordination of Abraham to Melchizedek was the practical benediction of a Royal Priesthood that is higher than the priesthood entrusted to Abraham’s descendents who would come many years later. 

8) Abraham gave tithe to Melchizedek, acknowledging him as the Priest of the Most High God.   However, the descendents of Abraham started giving tithe to their priests only from the time of Moses.  That means, these priests themselves gave tithe to Melchizedek, the High Priest himself, as they were in the loins of Abraham!  The High Priest, Jesus Christ himself appeared to Abraham and received that tithe! (Heb.7:9/10). 

9) Melchizedek gave bread and wine to Abraham the victorious one, for his nourishment.  In the same way, Jesus Christ gave His Body and Blood, as the bread and wine, to the followers of Abraham, who are justified by faith in Jesus. 

10) Abraham acknowledged the divine priesthood and the blessings of Melchizedek by faith.  The blessing of Melchizedek is confirmed by Jehovah in the following chapters (Gen.15.5, 17.5) and is further confirmed in the New Testament (Gal.3.14) i.e. Blessings through the faith in Jesus Christ. 

On the basis of above reasoning, it can be concluded that Melchizedek was not a human being in flesh, but Christ himself appeared to Abraham and blessed him and his generations to receive that blessings by faith! 

"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made" Psalms 139:14

Without ambiguity, the man himself and the visible creations reveal the Creator. But man has not comprehended it nor given thanks to the Creator. 

“Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse”  (Romans 1:19-20)

Man cannot create anything from nothing.  When man boasts of creating a new life through cloning; he deliberately forgets the fact that the cell, the scientists’ use for cloning is made by God and it must be a living cell!.    Now man is in the workshop of producing artificial blood in the laboratory.  He will succeed in doing it; because he uses the materials and the wisdom God has given to him!

Science has advanced very much that man could fertilize an Egg with Sperm in the laboratory.  But after fertilization, the Egg has to be transplanted into a womb to grow into a full-fledged human embryo.   Because man  “...knowest not how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child” (Ecclesiastes 11.5 emphasis added)

Genesis 1;26-27 says man was created “in His image”.  They were created individually as man and woman, as the progenitors of human race.  The creator planned male and female because that’s the way continuity of creatures designed.  The present worldly union of man with man & woman with woman was neither in the original master plan of God nor does it help continuity of mankind AND it is considered abomination to God.  (Romans 1:24-27)

Human was made capable of loving and being loved.  A strong body with attractive sexual characteristics were all the plan of the Creator.

Human was created with the characteristics of life in the blood and brain cells, which can feel and express pain or sorrow; think and communicate.  The overall result of these features is known as the soul.

Human was made with a built-in spirit, which helps man to communicate with his Creator.  If man does not know who the Creator is, he tends to worship someone or something against the Will of God. 

Human was made with a free will, the ability to choose or reject.   God does not force man to do His will, rather directs and guides man through His Word; what is good and bad for man.

God created human to be God’s steward, custodian and caretaker over His creation doing His will.  However, because of sin of our first parents, man was alienated from his Creator by doing his own will instead of God’s will.

No work of man can compare the accuracy of human body in its process and simplicity.  The design of the human body, from its conception in the mother’s womb until his death, is full of wonders and is very unique. 

The human body is like a highly sophisticated machine, works for years and years without maintenance and is beyond man’s speculation.

The following are not an exhaustive list of our body wonders; but just a few to amaze ourselves as how marvellously and wonderfully we are created!  (NB: Following data is collected from various sources and accuracy is not confirmed).

• When a child is born, the baby has 350 bones in the body and after childhood about 144 of these bones fused together.
• The adult human skeleton consists of about 206 distinct bones
• Human skull is made up of 29 different bones.
• Over 70% of human body consists of water.
• There are more than 650 muscles in our body.  A smile uses 17 muscles; and about 200 muscles to take one step; and about 72 different muscles to produce a speech.
• The amount of blood equal to the whole quantity in the body passes through the heart once every minute.
• The weight of the heart is from eight to twelve ounces.
• The size of the heart is about 6 inches in length and 4 inches in diameter.
• Heartbeats average 70 times a minute or more than one hundred thousand times in twenty four hours.
• Each heart beat pumps out 2.1/2 ounces blood; i.e. 8 tons of blood per day.
• Human blood travels 60,000 miles per day on its journey through the body.
• Man breathes 18 to 20 times in a minute, i.e. 1200 breaths per hour and 24,000 gallons of air daily. 
• The largest cell in the human body is the female egg and the smallest is the male sperm.
• Average weight of brain of an adult male is 3 pound 8 ounce and of female 2 pound 4 ounces.
• The human brain cell can hold five times as much as information as the Encyclopaedia Britannica.
• The brain stops growing when you are about 15 years of age.
• The average human brain has about 100 billion nerve cells.
• The body gives off enough heat in 30 minutes to bring half a gallon of water to a boil.
• The teeth start growing 6 months before you are born.
• The newborns will cry without tears for the first three to six weeks.
• The nervous system transmits message to the brain at speeds of 180 miles per hour.
• The human nose can remember 50,000 different smells.
• The average male will eat about 50 tons of food during his lifetime in order to sustain a weight of 150 lbs.
• An average human drinks about 16,000 gallons of water in a lifetime.
• The human eye can detect over 10,000,000 different colours.
• The stomach daily produces nine pounds of gastric juice for digestion of food.
• The stomach produces a new lining every 3 days in order to avoid digesting itself in its own production of acid.
• The average adult has about 9,000 taste buds on each surface of the tongue, roof of the mouth and throat.
• The adult body contains about 5 litters of blood.  The red blood cells are formed at a rate of 2 million per second.
• The spinal cord is less than two feet in length and is the same diameter as your index finger, yet the spinal cord contains over 10 billion nerve cells.
• The eye muscle is the fastest reacting muscle of the whole body. It contracts in less than 1/100^th of a second.
• An average human scalp has 100,000 hairs
• The human being loses an average of 40 to 100 strands of hair a day.
• Bears are the fastest growing hairs on the human body.  If the average man never trimmed his beard, it would grow to nearly 30 feet long in his lifetime.
• A cough releases an explosive charge of air that moves at speeds up to 60 mph.
• A sneeze can exceed the speed of 100 mph.
• When you sneeze, all your bodily functions stop even your heart.
• Each square inch of human skin consists of twenty feet of blood vessels.
• Humans shed about 600,000 particles of skin every hour; about 1.5 pounds a year.   By 70 years of age, an average person will have lost 105 pounds of skin.
• The thigh-bone (femur) is the strongest bones in the body which is stronger than concrete.
• Human eyes are always the same size from birth, but nose and ears keep growing throughout your entire life.
• Hair is made from the same substance as fingernails.

Just think of any features of our body such as:

The positions of our organs: 

Imagine just one eye in the forehead instead of present two!

The body movements:

Imagine if our legs, hands or fingers do not bend!

The nerve system: 

Imagine if the nerves got tangled in the body!

The blood circulation system,

Imagine if the heart does not pump the blood!

The vision technology:

Imagine if the eye lenses were concave instead of convex!

The digestive system: 

Imagine if the food we eat does not digest!

The male reproductive system:

Imagine if the male reproductive organ was at a wrong place!

The female reproductive system:

Imagine if the womb was given to male and not to female!

The brain and memory structure etc:

Imagine if the brain does not store information!

How wonderfully and perfectly God created you and me!

Dear reader,

Have you ever thought of this Creator?

Have you ever given thanks to your Creator, the Almighty God?

If not, will you please pause for a moment and do it now!

4.  TAUGHT THROUGHOUT THE EPISTLES 

Romans 6:3, Galatians 3;27, Colossians 2:12, 1 Corinthians 10:2, 1 Peter 3:20-21   Baptism is taught and explained in the epistles by the apostles.

Who is eligible to  take baptism:

1) Those who have believed in the gospel: Mark 16:15-16, Acts 8:36/37

2) Those who have repented: Acts 2:38

3) Those who have become His disciples: Mathew 28:19

4) Those who are willing and ready to start a new walk of life Romans 6:4

5) Those who desires fully and requests to be baptized: Acts 8:36-37

6) Those who desires to have a good conscious with Christ: 1 Peter 3:21

Whether a child or an adult…

Whosoever can understand the Gospel;

Whosoever can repents of their sins, and

Whosoever would like to be His disciples to start a new walk of life, and

Whosoever desires to be identified with Christ and to have good conscious with Christ

:are eligible to take baptism.

Which mode of baptism is appropriate?

a) Mathew 3:16:  “And Jesus went up straightway out of the water… “

b) Mark 1:10:     “And straightway coming up out of the water…”

c) Acts: 8.38:    “they went down into the water, (both Philip and Eunuch), and he (Philip) baptized him (Eunuch)”

In these instances, without any ambiguity we can understand that baptism was taken by getting into the water, obviously for immersion. If sprinkling was enough, there would have been no need to get into the water.  Without being immersed in the water, a person can not identify himself with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection, which is the spiritual meaning of baptism as we have seen above.

Bible is known to be an ancient book, written by many people.  

How can we trust this book?

How can you say it is inspired by God?  

These are some of the commons questions people ask.

The Unity of the Books of the Bible. 

Bible is a collection of 66 books;

Written over a period of 1600 years;

Over a span of 40 generations.

Written by approximately 40 authors from every walk of life;

Which includes, political leaders, fisherman, herdsman, military general, cup bearer to king; prime minister, physician, king, tax collector, tentmaker etc.

Written at different places; such as wilderness; dungeon, hillside, prison, while travelling; While in exile on the isle of Patmos; or in palace.

Written in different times and moods, such as:

Times of war, times of peace, at the heights of joy, at the depths of sorrow and despair.

Written on three continents, i.e. Asia, Africa and Europe

Written in three languages: i.e. Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek

Written on wider topics, such as The nature of God; The origin of man; The origin of universe; The nature of sin and the way of man’s redemption; About family life, social life and moral life.

Yet the wonderful harmony of the books from Genesis to Revelation makes Bible different from any other books in the world.

Ø The paradise lost in Genesis – is regained in Revelation

Ø  The gate to the tree of life is closed in Genesis, but it is opened in Revelation for ever

Ø  The destruction of Satan is foretold in Genesis and Satan is thrown to eternal hell in Revelation.

Ø  Each prophesies foretold in one book is fulfilled in another book or being fulfilled in the history, each day.

The reason for the unity of the Bible is because it is written by men inspired by the same living God.   

It comes to us in narratives and dialogues, in proverbs and parables, in songs and allegories, in history and prophecy.

Just few examples such as:

o The roundness of the earth Isa 40:22

o The suspension of the earth in space. Job 26.7

o The paths in the sea: psalms 8:8

o The springs in the sea: Job 38;16

o Life is in the blood: Lev. 17.11

The bible has strong impact on our civilization: Such as family life, social life, art, music, literature, education, science,  judicial system  etc.

The bible has strong power to change lives: It has spiritual power and transformed millions of people around the world.

The bible is a good teaching guide: It teaches about relationships between man and women; parents  and children; children and teachers and so on.   It teaches about social life, family life; moral values etc.

The bible has answers to mans problems: Whether in pain, sorrow, sickness; death; poverty or sin, Bible has the answer for you.

The Bible is preserved through generations. Many men and powers of this world tried to exterminate the Word of God; but it is preserved through centuries.

The Bible speaks heavenly language, yet powerful.  No man could add or shorten the word of God. Bible has powerful  heavenly language and it shows the nature of God. 

The precision and accuracy of the Word of God is marvellous: Though written by many authors under many culture and language; copied from the original manuscripts into different languages, its correctness from one to other is  amazing.

It is estimated that about 3300 prophesies of the Bible were fulfilled until today.

There are hundreds of examples that the events prophesied years before the actual event arE beyond the scope of human speculation.  It is a strong evidence that God has superiority and control over men and earth. The birth, life and death of Jesus were foretold years before His birth.  

Bible, an amazing collection of 66 books; written at different times, in different places, in different ways, by different people, yet the common thread that links all these books together is that: God who is the Creator of heaven and earth is there, who loves this world, who wants to make himself known to human and wish to get involved with man.

It is a treasury of insight as to who we are; that we are the wonderful creatures of a God who loves man and gives him a purpose and destiny in his life.   

Bible makes it clear that God is interested in the whole of our lives, as individuals, as communities and as nations.  

It is for you to accept and believe that Bible is God’s Word.

 “But these are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ;

 the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life in his name”.

John 20:31

I know bible is inspired, because it inspires me.  Dwight L Moody -Evangelist.  (1837-1899)

When I see throughout this book, called the Bible, a history of the grossest vices and a collection of the most paltry and contemptible tales and stories, I could not so dishonour my Creator by calling it by His name.   Thomas Paine  (American Writer 1737-1809)

The Bible is a book that has been read more and examined less than any book that ever existed. Thomas Paine  

I know the Bible is inspired because it finds me at greater depths of my being than any other book.  Samuel Taylor Coleridge (English Poet and Philosopher) 1772-1834

It is not those parts of the Bible that I can’t understand that bother me, it’s the parts that I do understand.  Mark Twain- US Novelist 1835-1910)

It is the best gift God has ever Given to Man.. All the good from the Saviour of the world is communicated through this book.  All things desirable to men are contained in the Bible.  Abraham Lincoln (16^th President of USA)

The bible is for the government of the people, by the people and for the people :John Wycliffe

The Bible among other books is as a diamond among precious stones :John Stoughton.

The Bible shows the way to go to heaven, not the way the heavens go. Galileo Galilei (Italian Astronomer 1564-1642

A thorough knowledge of the bible is worth more than a college education.  Theodore Roosevelt (26^th president USA 1858-1919)

Indeed, it is an indisputable fact that all the complex and horrendous questions confronting us at home and worldwide have their answer in that single book. Ronald Reagan 40^th President

We account the scriptures of God to be the most sublime philosophy. There are more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any other profane history.  Sir Isaac Newton Scientist/Inventor 1642-1727

 It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and Bible.  George Washington. 1^st President USA 1732-1799

When you have read the bible you will know it is the word of God, because you will have found it the key to your own heart your own happiness and your own duty.  Woodrow Wilson 28^th President USA 1856-1924

If Christian would really live according to the teachings of Christ, as found in the Bible, all of India would be Christian today.   Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948 Indian Political Leader)

No one ever graduates from Bible study until he meets its Author face to face. (Everett Harris ) 

The great standard of literature as to purity and exactness of style is the Bible. Hugh Blair (British Poet)

The one book necessary to be understood by a divine is the Bible, any others are to be read chiefly in order to understand that.   Francis Lockier (1668-1740 British Prelate - Man of letters)

The bible is the great family chronicle of the Jews :  Heinrich Heine (1797-1856 German Poet, Journalist)  

The bible is Gods chart for you to steer by, to keep you from the bottom of the sea, and to show you where the harbour is, and how to reach it without running on rocks or bars.  Henry Ward Beecher  (1837-1887 American Preacher, Writer)

The Bible is worth all other books, which have ever been printed.  Patrick Henry (American patriot)

"The first and almost only book deserving of universal attention is the Bible...I have for many years made it a practice to read through the Bible once a year. John Quincy Adams, (6th U.S. President)

“The gospel is not a book; it is a living being, with an action, a power, which invades every thing that opposes its extension, behold! It is upon this table: This book, surpassing all others. I never omit to read it, and every day with some pleasure.” Napoleon, Emperor of the French

“The more we read the gospel, the stronger our faith becomes.” Pope Pius X

“I believe that the existence of the Bible is the greatest benefit to the human race. Any attempt to belittle it, I believe, is a crime against humanity. Immanuel Kant,  (German idealist philosopher, 1724-1804)

“Education is useless without the Bible.” Daniel Webster,  (American politician and noted orator, 1782-1852)

“England has two books; the Bible and Shakespeare. England made Shakespeare, but the Bible made England.”    Victor Hugo, (French writer 1802-1885)

“Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” St. Jerome (Roman Catholic Church Father)

The New Testament is the very best book that ever was or ever will be known in the world. Charles Dickens

The Bible is endorsed by the ages.  Our civilisation is built upon its words.  In no other book is there such a collection of inspired wisdom, reality, and hope. Dwight Eisenhower.

The one who thoroughly explore the scripture wil become a great citizen, perfect father and pefect husband. Thoms Jefferson

One who neglect the wisdom of Scripture neglects the most valuable of the world. Woodrew Wilson

There is no other book like Bible, which is diversive and of perfect knowlede. Herbert Huwer

What can I do about my next world without the help of Bible? John Baker

Comparing to Scripture, all other books are unimportant. Alexander Cruden

Bible is the book of faith; advice; ethics; religion and revelation from God.  It teaches man of his responsibility, respect and equality with fellow men. Daniel Webster

The foundation of our nation stands on this rock (Bible). Andrew Jackson