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Fundamentals of the Faith
Lesson 1a: Bible
"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction for training in righteousness." - 2 Timothy 3:16
Class Introduction
Welcome
Introduce myself
Meet the students (what are you most excited to learn in this class?)
Pray
Course Goals
Assurance of Eternal Life
Be Equipped for Ministry
Be Equipped for Evangelism
Be Equipped for Obedience
To Know God More
Course Overview
Look at the table of contents in the workbook (pg. iii)
Homework
Workbook pages
Due at the beginning of class the week we start the topic
Quiz
Taken at the beginning of class the week after we finish a topic
Memory verses
Recited at the beginning of class the week after we finish a topic
Materials to bring
Bible
Notebook
Something to write with
Lesson Introduction
Topic: Introduction: The Bible
Answers the questions:
What is the Bible?
What is its origin?
Why is it special?
What is the "Big Picture?"
Origin of the Bible
Revelation
Definition: The act of God whereby he discloses to man what would otherwise be unknown
General revelation and Special revelation
General revelation
It is called general for two reasons:
It is general in content
It is general in audience
Creation Ps. 19:1-4; Rom. 1:18-20
Conscience Rom 2:14-15
Providence Matthew 5:44-45
Goal of general revelation
Call for people to seek God Acts 17:24-2
General revelation is not enough for salvation but is enough for condemnation Rom. 1:20
Special revelation
Examples of:
Theophanies
To Abraham (Gen. 17:1)
To Isaac (Gen. 26:2)
To Jacob (Gen. 32:30)
To Moses (Ex. 3:2)
Dreams and Visions
Jacob's Ladder (Gen. 28:12-16)
Solomon's Wisdom (1 Kings 3:5-15)
Miracles and Signs
The Flood (Gen. 7)
Burning Bush (Ex. 3)
Plagues of Egypt (Ex. 7-13)
Prophets
Jesus Christ
The Scriptures
Sufficiency of:
Doesn't reveal all that there is to God
Does reveal all that is necessary for life and godliness (2 Pet 1)
What is the Bible?
Interesting facts about Bible
About 50 copies are sold every minute in the world
About 170,000 copies are given away daily in US
It was first book every to be typed
Printing press was invented to reproduce this book
You can read it in about 70 hours (if you read about 12 min a day, you'll read it in a year)
It is translated into more the 1200 languages
It remains to this day the bestselling book of all time, having been printed over an estimated 6 billion times
How did we get the Bible?
Special revelation – God spoke through men à manuscripts
2 Peter 1:21
No autographs exist today
Over 200,000 manuscripts (both pieces and complete) exist today
OT
Talmudic manuscripts à 300 B.C. – A.D. 500
Masoritic manuscripts à A.D. 500-1000
NT
Western
Causarean
Byzantine – 5th century – not recognized as authoritative
Alexandrian – most accepted
Modern Translations:
King James – Byzantine
NASB – Alexandrian
Written over 1600 years: 1500 B.C – A.D. 100
40 authors
66 books (39/27)
Titles
The Bible
Biblion – meaning book or scroll
From Biblos – the outer coat of a papyrus reed
Became known as The Book
Canon
O.T. and N.T. Canon
Greek word means a reed, which came to mean a rod or bar, and finally a "rule"
4th century à list of Holy writings
Came to mean à Scripture itself
Law and the Prophets – Matt. 22:40
Law, Prophets and Psalms – Luke 24:44
Scripture – John 7:38
The Word of God – 1 Thess. 2:13
The Writings – 2 Timothy 3:15
Old Covenant & New Covenant (Old/New Testament)
Definition: A covenant is a binding contract between two or more parties. It is a pledge or a promise that is entered into.
Old Covenant
Summary: Obedience = Blessing; Disobedience = Cursing (Exodus 19:5; Deut. 28:1, 15)
Abrahamic – Nation (Gen. 12:1-3)
Mosaic – Law (Exodus 19:5; 20:1-24:8)
Davidic – Kingdom (2 Samuel 7:12-17)
New Covenant
Better than the old (Heb. 7:22; 8:6)
The old covenant has passed away (Heb. 8:13)
New Covenant through Christ's blood (Luke 22:20)
According to the Spirit, not the law (2 Cor. 3:5-6)
Translations
Original Languages
Old Testament
Hebrew
Aramaic (Daniel 2-6 and Ezra 4-7)
Septuagint
Greek translation of the OT – 3 B.C.
Greek influence of Alexander – Alexandria, Egypt
LXX – work of 70 Jewish elders
New Testament
Koine Greek
Not classical Greek
Versions
Vulgate
Latin
A.D. 385-404
Jerome
Wycliffe Bible
First in English
A.D. 1382
King James Bible
English
A.D. 1611
Commissioned by King James
Based on the Byzantine text type
New American Standard Version
Took advantage of Alexandrian texts as well as the Dead Sea Scrolls
1960
Most modern translation are based on the Alexandrian text type
Types of translations:
Literal
Thought-equivalent
Paraphrase
The Compilation of the Books into the Canon
Old Testament
Written 1500 B.C. to 400 B.C.
400 B.C. Ezra and Nehemiah compiled a considerable number of the books
The O.T. Canon is considered complete
A.D. 90
Council of Jamnia
New Testament
Written from A.D. 50's – A.D. 90's
First book written – James
First Gospel written – Matthew
Last book written – Revelation
Council of Carthage
A.D. 397
As we know it today
How were the books of the Canon decided upon?
The formation of the Canon:
Divine sovereignty
The Holy Spirit superintended the writing of the books
The Holy Spirit providentially collected and preserved the writings
Human responsibility
The church does not determine the Canon (an authoritative collection of writings)
The Church recognizes and receives the Canon (a collection of authoritative writings)
The criteria for canonicity:
The testimony of God the Holy Spirit to the authority of His own Word
Prophetic authorship
Providential care
Validation by Christ
God's people responding in recognition, faith and submission
The Apocrypha
Books:
1 & 2 Esdras
Tobit
Judith
Additions to Esther
Wisdom of Solomon
Ecclesiastes
Baruch
Addendum to Daniel: The Song of the Three Holy Children
Addendum to Daniel: Susanna
Addendum to Daniel: Bel and the Dragon
The Prayer of Manasseh
1 & 2 Maccabees
Problems with accepting as part of the canon:
Never once quotes in the New Testament
Lack of endorsement by the ancient Jewish writers
Problems with content
Some of the teachings are unbiblical
The Inspiration of the Bible
Definition:
A process by which God, as the instigator, worked through human prophets without destroying their individual personalities and styles, to produce divinely authoritative writings.
God overseeing, directing men to write His words
Revelation is the what of God revealing Himself, inspiration is the how
Internal claims to inspiration:
Not words of men (1 Thess. 2:13)
From God (Gal. 1:11-12)
Completely inspired (2 Tim. 3:16)
Inspired = God breathed
What is inspired? Scripture, not the authors
How much is inspired? All!
1 Pet. 1:10-11 (the prophets didn't even understand all they wrote)
Agency of the Holy Spirit
Taught by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:12-13)
Given words by the Holy Spirit (2 Sam. 23:2)
Authors moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:20-21)
Summary
We affirm and believe the verbal and plenary inspiration of the original autographs of the canon of Scripture.
Verbal – the words
Plenary – the whole
Autographs – original writings in the original languages
The Believability of the Bible
Why believe the claim of the Scriptures that they are inspired?
The Bible was written by comment men, yet it is a masterpiece
Fisherman
Tax collector
Tentmaker
Carpenter
Integrity of the authors
40 authors over 1600 years – they did not even know each other
Either a conspiracy of impossible proportions, or the truth
The Bible is internally consistent – no errors!
It has withstood the test of time despite concerted attacks
Powerful book that has changed the lives of millions across geographical, chronological, ethnic, societal and ideological barriers
Biblical model best fits the physical evidence of our planet
Creation / Evolution
Flood / Fossil record
Universal sense of morality
Universal concept of a god
Historical accuracy
Archaeology confirms the record of Scripture
Examples:
Hezekiah's tunnel
Ebla tablets
Amarna tablets
Discovery of Nineveh
Discovery of the Hittite nation
Testimony of Christ
Affirmation of the Law and the Prophets – Matt. 5:17-18
Affirmation of the Scriptures in specific
1 Samuel 21:6 – Matthew 12:3-8
Genesis 2:25 – Matthew 19:4-5
Exodus 3:6 – Matthew 22:31-32
Psalm 118:22-23 – Mark 12:10
Jonah – Matthew 12:40-41
Sodom and Gomorrah – Matthew 10:15
Prophecies
Approximately 2500 prophecies in the Bible, of which about 2000 have already been fulfilled
Birthplace of the Messiah
Foretold: Micah 5:2
Fulfilled: Luke 2:4-7
Virgin birth of the Messiah
Foretold: Isaiah 7:14
Fulfilled: Matthew 1:18-25
Triumphal entry into Jerusalem
Foretold: Zechariah 9:9
Fulfilled: John 12:12-15
Christ's crucifixion
Foretold: Psalm 22:14-18
Fulfilled: John 19:23-37
Suffering of Christ
Foretold: Isaiah 53:4-7
Fulfilled: Matthew 26:63
Summary:
Written to common men
Authors integrity
Internally consistent
Has withstood time
Powerful book – the miracle of changed lives – testimonies
Biblical model best fits the evidence
Historical accuracy
Christ confirmed the Scriptures
Prophecies
Footnote:
We cannot debate people into belief
The arguments affirm, but do not prove, the Bible's validity
The Holy Spirit alone opens our eyes to the truth – 1 Cor. 2:11-12; John 14:26
Application – The Importance of the Bible
Able to lead to salvation – 2 Tim. 3:15
Able to judge our thoughts & heart – Hebrews 4:12
Able to restore the soul, make wise the simple, rejoice the heart, and enlighten the eyes – Psalm 19:7-8
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