From God to Us: A Guide to How We Got Our Bible - Cameron Jungles- 5-1-2013

From God to Us: A Guide to How We Got Our Bible

(Lesson 1: Introduction)

From God to Us

Ø What are we studying?

Ø Where are we going?

Ø Why do we need this study?

Ø How should we study it?

What are we studying?

Ø Purpose: to understand how God gave us the Scriptures

Ø Where did it come from?

Ø How did we get it?

Ø Our Bible is the result of a long history of complex events and processes.

What is the Bible?

Ø “Bible” comes from the Greek word biblia = “books”

Ø The Bible is a collection of sacred books that serve as the authoritative writings for the Christian church.

Ø 66 different books or writings

Ø 2 Testaments or “Covenants”

Ø Old Testament = 39 books

Ø New Testament = 27 books

The Old Testament

Ø Law: Genesis - Deuteronomy

Ø History: Joshua - Esther

Ø Poetry: Job – Song of Songs

Ø Prophets

o Major: Isaiah - Daniel

o Minor: Hosea - Malachi

The Hebrew Bible

Ø Called the Tanak

o Torah (Law)

o Nebiim (Prophets)

o Kethubim (Writings)

Luke 24:44

He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."

Ø Torah: Genesis - Deuteronomy

Ø Nebiim: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, The Twelve

Ø Kethubim: rest of the books; beginning with Psalms, ending with Chronicles

Luke 11:51

from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.

Ø This three-fold division of the Hebrew Scriptures (Law, Prophets, Writings) was set by the time of Jesus.

Ø The number and arrangement of the books of the Hebrew Bible was set by Jesus’ time.

The New Testament

Ø Gospels: Matthew - John

Ø History: Acts

Ø Epistles: Romans - Jude

Ø Prophecy: Revelation

The Bible

Ø These 66 books were not all written at the same time.

Ø The Bible, as a collection of all 66 books, did not exist until around 2^nd century A.D.

Ø Prior to this time, these books were transmitted individually or as part of smaller collections.

Ø “Book of books” that we call the Bible came into being over a period of 1500 years, using 40 different authors.

Ø Diverse book with long history:

o Diverse Writers

ü Kings (David & Solomon)

ü Statesmen (Daniel)

ü Herdsmen (Amos)

ü Fishermen (Peter & John)

ü Priests (Jeremiah & Ezekiel)

ü Prophets (Isaiah & Micah)

ü Tax collector (Matthew)

ü Rabbi (Paul)

ü Physician (Luke)

• Diverse Locations

ü Palestine (most of OT)

ü Italy (Paul’s prison epistles)

ü Greece (Romans)

ü Asia Minor (1 Corinthians)

ü Egypt (Jeremiah)

ü Mesopotamia (Daniel)

• Diverse Literary Styles

ü History

ü Laws

ü Poetry

ü Prophecy & Apocalyptic

ü Gospels

ü Letters

ü Wisdom

• Diverse Languages

ü Hebrew (most of OT)

ü Aramaic (portions of Ezra and Daniel, 1 verse in Genesis)

ü Greek (all of NT)

Implications:

Ø Bible did not fall into our hands as a completed book.

Ø Composed of individual books, written over a long span of time.

Ø Individual writings were copied and collected into groups and then eventually into one book.

Ø Scriptures transmitted through the centuries by copying and translating into languages of the world.

Ø This study involves an understanding of the complex history of these processes over time.

Where are we going?

Ø Composition

Ø Canonization

Ø Transmission

Ø Translation

What is composition?

Ø Writing of original manuscript (autograph) by biblical author

Ø Not the product of human imagination or ingenuity

Ø A written record of God’s revelation to his people

Ø Authoritative Word of God

What is composition?

Ø What makes these books different?

o Holy Spirit’s superintendence

ü Revelation

ü Inspiration

ü Inerrancy

ü Authority

What is canonization?

Ø Canon refers to the writings regarded as Holy Scripture

Ø Canonization refers to the historical process by which certain books came to be regarded as Holy Scripture and other books did not.

Ø Which books are included in the canon?

Ø How did these books come to be included in the canon?

Ø Why are only these books included and not other “sacred writings”?

What is transmission?

Ø How the Scriptures were transmitted around the world and to later generations.

Ø Accomplished through copying of biblical texts.

Ø Hand-copied until c. A.D. 1450

Ø Printed after c. A.D. 1450

What is translation?

Ø Translation of Scripture from Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek into other languages.

Ø Focus on English translations

Ø History of English Bible

Ø Philosophy of Translation Methodology

Why this study?

Ø Lack of knowledge

Ø False ideas

Ø Unnecessary division

Ø Defending our faith

How should we study?

Ø Avoid unhealthy extremes:

o Undiscerning acceptance

o Critical unteachableness

Ø Healthy balance:

o Discerning teachableness

It is my prayer that this study will give us a greater appreciation for the Word of God and a greater desire to know its contents.

I also pray that it will cause us to stand in awe at the grace of God, which has allowed us to have his message in our hands.

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Cameron Jungels Eastside Baptist Church May 1, 2013 Sun PM Unless otherwise noted, the verses are in NIV.